第5章 The Old Man and the Big Fish[第6页/共15页]

I wonder what he made that lurch for,he thought.The wire must have slipped on the hill of his back.Certainly his back cannot feel as badly as mine does.But he cannot pull this skiff forever,no matter how great he is.Now everything is cleared away that might make trouble and I have a big reserve of line;all that a man can ask.

The sun was hot now although the breeze was rising gently.

He took another full piece and chewed it.

“I told the boy I was a strange old man,”he said.“ Now is when I must prove it.”

“It is a strong full-blooded fish,”he thought.“I was lucky to get him instead of dolphin.Dolphin is too sweet. This is hardly sweet at all and all the strength is still in it.”

“How old are you?”the old man asked the bird.“ Is this your first trip?”

Aloud he said“, I wish I had the boy.”

“Fish,”he said,“I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends.”

Although it is unjust ,he thought.But I will show him what a man can do and what a man endures.

A small bird came toward the skiff from the north.He was a warbler and flying very low over the water.The old man could see that he was very tired.

“Something hurt him then,”he said aloud and pulled back on the line to see if he could turn the fish.But when he was touching the breaking point he held steady and settled back against the strain of the line.