An airplane passed overhead on its course to Miami and he watched its shadow scaring up the schools of flying fish.

一架飞机在他头上飞过，正循着航线飞向迈阿密，他看着它的影子惊起成群成群的飞鱼。

"With so much flying fish there should be dolphin," he said, and leaned back on the line to see if it was possible to gain any on his fish.

“有这么多的飞鱼，这里该有海豚，"他说，带着钓索倒身向后靠，看能不能把那鱼拉过来一点儿。

But he could not and it stayed at the hardness and water-drop shivering that preceded breaking.

但是不行，钓索照样紧绷着，上面抖动着水珠，都快迸断了。

The boat moved ahead slowly and he watched the airplane until he could no longer see it.

船缓缓地前进，他紧盯着飞机，直到看不见为止。

It must be very strange in an airplane, he thought.

坐在飞机里一定感觉很怪，他想。

I wonder what the sea looks like from that height?

不知道从那么高的地方朝下望，海是什么样子?

They should be able to see the fish well if they do not fly too high.

要不是飞得太高，他们一定能清楚地看到这条鱼。

I would like to fly very slowly at two hundred fathoms high and see the fish from above.

我希望在两百英寻的高度飞得极慢极慢，从空中看鱼。

In the turtle boats I was in the cross-trees of the mast-head and even at that height I saw much.

在捕海龟的船上，我待在桅顶横桁上，即使从那样的高度也能看到不少东西。

The dolphin look greener from there and you can see their stripes and their purple spots and you can see all of the school as they swim.

从那里朝下望，海豚的颜色更绿，你能看清它们身上的条纹和紫色斑点，你可以看见它们整整一群在游水。

Why is it that all the fast-moving fish of the dark current have purple backs and usually purple stripes or spots?

怎么搞的，凡是在深暗的水流中游得很快的鱼都有紫色的背脊，一般还有紫色条纹或斑点?

The dolphin looks green of course because he is really golden.

海豚在水里当然看上去是绿色的，因为它们实在是金黄色的。

But when he comes to feed, truly hungry, purple stripes show on his sides as on a marlin.

但是当它们饿得慌，想吃东西的时候，身子两侧就会出现紫色条纹，像大马林鱼那样。

Can it be anger, or the greater speed he makes that brings them out?

是因为愤怒，还是游得太快，才使这些条纹显露出来的呢?

Just before it was dark, as they passed a great island of Sargasso weed that heaved and swung in the light sea as though the ocean were making love with something under a yellow blanket, his small line was taken by a dolphin.

就在断黑之前，老人和船经过好大一起马尾藻，它在风浪很小的海面上动荡着，仿佛海洋正同什么东西在一条黄色的毯子下做爱，这时候，他那根细钓丝给一条海豚咬住了。

He saw it first when it jumped in the air, true gold in the last of the sun and bending and flapping wildly in the air.

他第一次看见它是在它跃出水面的当儿，在最后一线阳光中确实像金子一般，在空中弯起身子，疯狂地扑打着。

It jumped again and again in the acrobatics of its fear and he worked his way back to the stern and crouching and holding the big line with his right hand and arm, he pulled the dolphin in with his left hand, stepping on the gained line each time with his bare left foot.

它惊慌得一次次跃出水面，像在做杂技表演，他呢，慢慢地挪动身子，回到船梢蹲下，用右手和右胳臂攥住那根粗钓索，用左手把海豚往回拉，每收回一段钓丝，就用光着的左脚踩住。

When the fish was at the stem, plunging and cutting from side to side in desperation, the old man leaned over the stern and lifted the burnished gold fish with its purple spots over the stern.

等到这条带紫色斑点的金光灿烂的鱼给拉到了船梢边，绝望地左右乱窜乱跳时，老人探出身去，把它拎到船梢上。

Its jaws were working convulsively in quick bites against the hook and it pounded the bottom of the skiff with its long flat body, its tail and its head until he clubbed it across the shining golden head until it shivered and was still.

它的嘴被钓钩挂住了，抽搐地动着，急促地连连咬着钓钩，还用它那长而扁的身体、尾巴和脑袋拍打着船底，直到他用木棍打了一下它的金光闪亮的脑袋，它才抖了一下，不动了。

The old man unhooked the fish, re-baited the line with another sardine and tossed it over.

老人把钓钩从鱼嘴里拔出来，重新安上一条沙丁鱼作饵，把它甩进海里。

Then he worked his way slowly back to the bow.

然后他挪动身子慢慢地回到船头。

He washed his left hand and wiped it on his trousers.

他洗了左手，在裤腿上擦干。

Then he shifted the heavy line from his right hand to his left and washed his right hand in the sea while he watched the sun go into the ocean and the slant of the big cord.

然后他把那根粗钓索从右手挪到左手，在海里洗着右手，同时望着太阳沉到海里，还望着那根斜入水中的粗钓索。

"He hasn't changed at all," he said.

“那鱼还是老样子，一点儿也没变，"他说。

But watching the movement of the water against his hand he noted that it was perceptibly slower.

但是他注视着海水如何拍打在他手上，发觉船走得显然慢些了。

"I'll lash the two oars together across the stern and that will slow him in the night," he said.

“我来把这两支桨交叉绑在船梢，这样在夜里能使它慢下来，"他说。

"He's good for the night and so am I."

"它能熬夜，我也能。”