For an hour the old man had been seeing black spots before his eyes and the sweat salted his eyes and salted the cut over his eye and on his forehead.

老人看见眼前有些黑点子，已经有一个钟点了，汗水中的盐份沤着他的眼睛，沤着眼睛上方和脑门上的伤口。

He was not afraid of the black spots.

他不怕那些黑点子。

They were normal at the tension that he was pulling on the line.

他这么紧张地拉着钓索，出现黑点子是正常的现象。

Twice, though, he had felt faint and dizzy and that had worried him.

但是他已有两回感到头昏目眩，这叫他担心。

"I could not fail myself and die on a fish like this," he said.

“我不能让自己垮下去，就这样死在一条鱼的手里，"他说。

"既然我已经叫它这样漂亮地过来了，求天主帮助我熬下去吧。我要念一百遍《天主经》和一百遍《圣母经》。不过眼下还不能念。”

Consider them said, he thought. I'll say them later.

就算这些已经念过了吧，他想。我过后会念的。

Just then he felt a sudden banging and jerking on the line he held with his two hands.

就在这当儿，他觉得自己双手攥住的钓索突然给撞击、拉扯了一下。

It was sharp and hard-feeling and heavy.

来势很猛，有一种强劲的感觉，很是沉重。

He is hitting the wire leader with his spear, he thought.

它正用它的长嘴撞击着铁丝导线，他想。

That was bound to come.

这是免不了的。

He had to do that.

它不能不这样干。

It may make him jump though and I would rather he stayed circling now.

然而这一来也许会使它跳起来，我可是情愿它眼下继续打转的。

The jumps were necessary for him to take air.

它必须跳出水面来呼吸空气。

But after that each one can widen the opening of the hook wound and he can throw the hook.

但是每跳一次，钓钩造成的伤口就会裂得大一些，它可能把钓钩甩掉。

"Don't jump, fish," he said. "Don't jump."

“别跳，鱼啊，"他说。"别跳啦。”

The fish hit the wire several times more and each time he shook his head the old man gave up a little line.

鱼又撞击了铁丝导线好几次，它每次一甩头，老人就放出一些钓索。

I must hold his pain where it is, he thought.

我必须让它的疼痛老是在一处地方，他想。

Mine does not matter. I can control mine.

我的疼痛不要紧。我能控制。

But his pain could drive him mad.

但是它的疼痛能使它发疯。

After a while the fish stopped beating at the wire and started circling slowly again.

过了片刻，鱼不再撞击铁丝，又慢慢地打起转来。

The old man was gaining line steadily now.

老人这时正不停地收进钓索。

But he felt faint again.

可是他又感到头晕了。

He lifted some sea water with his left hand and put it on his head.

他用左手舀了些海水，洒在脑袋上。

Then he put more on and rubbed the back of his neck.

然后他再洒了点，在脖颈上揉擦着。

"I have no cramps," he said. "He'll be up soon and I can last. You have to last. Don't even speak of it."

“我没抽筋，"他说。"它马上就会冒出水来，我熬得住。你非熬下去不可。连提也别再提了吧。”

He kneeled against the bow and, for a moment, slipped the line over his back again.

他靠着船头跪下，暂时又把钓索挎在背上。

I'll rest now while he goes out on the circle and then stand up and work on him when he comes in, he decided.

我眼下要趁它朝外兜圈子的时候歇一下，等它兜回来的时候再站起身来对付它，他这样下了决心。

It was a great temptation to rest in the bow and let the fish make one circle by himself without recovering any line.

他巴不得在船头上歇一下，让鱼自顾自兜一个圈子，并不回收一点钓索。

But when the strain showed the fish had turned to come toward the boat, the old man rose to his feet and started the pivoting and the weaving pulling that brought in all the line he gained.

但是等到钓索松动了一点，表明鱼已经转身在朝小船游回来，老人就站起身来，开始那种左右转动交替拉曳的动作，他的钓索全是这样收回来的。

I'm tireder than I have ever been, he thought, and now the trade wind is rising.

我从来没有这样疲乏过，他想，而现在刮起贸易风来了。

But that will be good to take him in with. I need that badly.

但是正好靠它来把这鱼拖回去。我多需要这风啊。

"I'll rest on the next turn as he goes out," he said.

“等它下一趟朝外兜圈子的时候，我要歇一下，"他说。

"I feel much better. Then in two or three turns more I will have him."

“我觉得好过多了。再兜两三圈，我就能逮住它。”

His straw hat was far on the back of his head and he sank down into the bow with the pull of the line as he felt the fish turn.

他的草帽被推到后脑勺上去了，他感到鱼在转身，随着钓索一扯，他在船头上一起股坐下了。

You work now, fish, he thought. I'll take you at the turn.

你现在忙你的吧，鱼啊，他想。你转身时我再来对付你。

The sea had risen considerably.

海浪大了不少。

But it was a fair-weather breeze and he had to have it to get home.

不过这是晴天吹的微风，他得靠它才能回去。

"I'll just steer south and west," he said. "A man is never lost at sea and it is a long island."

“我只消朝西南航行就成，"他说。"人在海上是决不会迷路的，何况这是个长长的岛屿。"