The door of the house where the boy lived was unlocked and he opened it and walked in quietly with his bare feet.

孩子住的那所房子的门没有关，他推开了门，光着脚悄悄地走了进去。

The boy was asleep on a cot in the first room and the old man could see him clearly with the light that came in from the dying moon.

孩子睡在前面一间屋子的小帆布床上，老头儿借着从外面射进来的暗淡的月光可以清楚地看到他。

He took hold of one foot gently and held it until the boy woke and turned and looked at him.

他轻轻地拿起孩子的一只脚，把它握在手里，孩子给弄醒以后，转过脸来望着他。

The old man nodded and the boy took his trousers from the chair by the bed and, sitting on the bed, pulled them on.

老头儿点了点头，孩子便从床旁边的椅子上拿过他的裤子，坐在床上把裤子穿上。

The old man went out the door and the boy came after him.

老头儿走出了门，孩子跟在后面，

He was sleepy and the old man put his arm across his shoulders and said, "I am sorry."

还是打瞌睡，老头用胳膊搂住他的肩膀，说了声“真抱歉”。

"Qua Va," the boy said. "It is what a man must do."

“怎么，”孩子说。“男子汉就应该这样。”

They walked down the road to the old man's shack and all along the road, in the dark, barefoot men were moving, carrying the masts of their boats.

他俩一路上往老头儿的茅棚走去，在这条路上，黑暗里有一些光脚的人们扛着他们的桅杆走着。

走进老头儿的茅棚以后，孩子把一卷一卷的钩丝放进篮子里，拿起鱼叉和鱼钩，老头儿把桅杆连同收起的那面帆扛在肩膀上。

"Do you want coffee?" the boy asked.

“你想喝咖啡吗?”孩子问。

"We'll put the gear in the boat and then get some."

“我们先把要用的东西放在船里，然后再喝点咖啡吧。”

They had coffee from condensed milk cans at an early morning place that served fishermen.

他俩在一个卖东西给渔人吃的早市上用炼乳罐头喝了咖啡。

"How did you sleep old man?" the boy asked.

“您睡得好吗，老大爷?”孩子问。

He was waking up now although it was still hard for him to leave his sleep.

他现在清醒过来了，虽然好不容易才驱走睡意。

"Very well, Manolin," the old man said. "I feel confident today."

“睡得好，曼诺林，”老头儿说。“我觉得今天很有把握。”

"So do I," the boy said.

“我也这样想，”孩子说。

"Now I must get your sardines and mine and your fresh baits. He brings our gear himself. He never wants anyone to carry anything."

“现在我得去拿您的沙丁鱼了，还有我的，还有您的新鲜鱼食。我们那条船上的东西他自个儿去拿。他死也不肯要谁去扛一件东西。”

"We're different," the old man said. "I let you carry things when you were five years old."

“我们跟他两样，”老头儿说。“你五岁的时候我就让你扛东西了。”

"I know it," the boy said. "I'll be right back. Have another coffee. We have credit here."

“我晓得，”孩子说。“我一会儿就回来。您再喝一杯咖啡吧。我们跟这儿有账的。”

He walked off, bare-footed on the coral rocks, to the ice house where the baits were stored.

他走开了，光着脚在珊瑚石上走着，往放鱼食的冷藏室那儿走去。

The old man drank his coffee slowly.

老头儿慢慢地在喝他的咖啡。

It was all he would have all day and he knew that he should take it.

这是他今天一整天的饮食，他知道他应该把它喝下去。

For a long time now eating had bored him and he never carried a lunch.

很久以来，吃饭一直是教他厌烦的事情，他从来没有携带过吃食。

He had a bottle of water in the bow of the skiff and that was all he needed for the day.

他在船头上放了一瓶水，这就是他一整天需要的东西了。

The boy was back now with the sardines and the two baits wrapped in a newspaper and they went down the trail to the skiff,

一会儿，孩子拿了包在报纸里面的沙丁鱼和两个鱼食回来，

feeling the pebbled sand under their feet, and lifted the skiff and slid her into the water.

于是他俩脚下踩着沙石，沿着一条小路走到小船那边，把船解开，轻轻地滑到水里去。

"Good luck old man."

“祝你好运，老大爷。”

"Good luck," the old man said.

“祝你好运，”老头儿说。

He fitted the rope lashings of the oars onto the thole pins and, leaning forward against the thrust of the blades in the water, he began to row out of the harbour in the dark.

他把桨上的绳结儿套在桨架上，然后弯下身去，把桨叶往水里一撑，在黑暗里开始划出港口。

There were other boats from the other beaches going out to sea and the old man heard the dip and push of their oars even though he could not see them now the moon was below the hills.

别处海滩上也有其他一些船只驶出海去。这时月亮已经落了山，老头儿虽然看不见那些船，却听得到桨叶落水和划动的声音。