He saw the reflected glare of the lights of the city at what must have been around ten o'clock at night.

大约夜里十点的时候，他看见了城市的灯火映在天际的反光。

They were only perceptible at first as the light is in the sky before the moon rises.

起初只能依稀看出，就象月亮升起前天上的微光。

Then they were steady to see across the ocean which was rough now with the increasing breeze.

然后一步步地清楚了，就在此刻正被越来越大的风刮得波涛汹涌的海洋的另一边。

He steered inside of the glow and he thought that now, soon, he must hit the edge of the stream.

他驶进了这反光的圈子，他想，要不了多久就能驶到湾流的边缘了。

Now it is over, he thought.

现在事情过去了，他想。

They will probably hit me again.

它们也许还会再来袭击我。

But what can a man do against them in the dark without a weapon?

不过，一个人在黑夜里，没有武器，怎样能对付它们呢?

He was stiff and sore now and his wounds and all of the strained parts of his body hurt with the cold of the night.

这时身子僵硬、疼痛，在夜晚的寒气里，他的伤口和身上所有用力过度的地方都在发痛。

I hope I do not have to fight again, he thought.

我希望不必再斗了，他想。

I hope so much I do not have to fight again.

我真希望不必再斗了。

But by midnight he fought and this time he knew the fight was useless.

但是到了午夜，他又搏斗了，而这一回他明白搏斗也是徒劳。

They came in a pack and he could only see the lines in the water that their fins made and their phosphorescence as they threw themselves on the fish.

它们是成群袭来的，朝那鱼直扑，他只看见它们的鳍在水面上划出的一道道线，还有它们的磷光。

He clubbed at heads and heard the jaws chop and the shaking of the skiff as they took hold below.

他朝它们的头打去，听到上下颚啪地咬住的声音，还有它们在船底下咬住了鱼使船摇晃的声音。

He clubbed desperately at what he could only feel and hear and he felt something seize the club and it was gone.

他看不清目标，只能感觉到，听到，就不顾死活地挥棍打去，他感到什么东西攫住了棍子，它就此丢了。

He jerked the tiller free from the rudder and beat and chopped with it, holding it in both hands and driving it down again and again.

他把舵把从舵上猛地扭下，用它又打又砍，双手攥住了一次次朝下戳去。

But they were up to the bow now and driving in one after the other and together, tearing off the pieces of meat that showed glowing below the sea as they turned to come once more.

可是它们此刻都在前面船头边，一条接一条地窜上来，成群地一起来，咬下一块块鱼肉，当它们转身再来时，这些鱼肉在水面下发亮。

One came, finally, against the head itself and he knew that it was over.

最后，有条鲨鱼朝鱼头起来，他知道这下子可完了。

He swung the tiller across the shark's head where the jaws were caught in the heaviness of the fish's head which would not tear.

他把舵把朝鲨鱼的脑袋抡去，打在它咬住厚实的鱼头的两颚上，那儿的肉咬不下来。

He swung it once and twice and again.

他抡了一次，两次，又一次。

He heard the tiller break and he lunged at the shark with the splintered butt.

他听见舵把啪的断了，就把断下的把手向鲨鱼扎去。

He felt it go in and knowing it was sharp he drove it in again.

他感到它扎了进去，知道它很尖利，就再把它扎进去。

The shark let go and rolled away.

鲨鱼松了嘴，一翻身就走了。

That was the last shark of the pack that came.

这是前来的这群鲨鱼中最末的一条。

There was nothing more for them to eat.

它们再也没有什么可吃的了。

The old man could hardly breathe now and he felt a strange taste in his mouth.

老人这时简直喘不过起来，觉得嘴里有股怪味儿。

It was coppery and sweet and he was afraid of it for a moment.

这味儿带着铜腥气，甜滋滋的，他一时害怕起来。

But there was not much of it.

但是这味儿并不太浓。

He spat into the ocean and said, "Eat that, galanos. And make a dream you've killed a man."

他朝海里啐了一口说："把它吃了，加拉诺鲨。做个梦吧，梦见你杀了一个人。”

He knew he was beaten now finally and without remedy and he went back to the stern and found the jagged end of the tiller would fit in the slot of the rudder well enough for him to steer.

他明白他如今终于给打败了，没法补救了，就回到船梢，发现舵把那锯齿形的断头还可以安在舵的狭槽里，让他用来掌舵。

He settled the sack around his shoulders and put the skiff on her course.

他把麻袋在肩头围围好，使小船顺着航线驶去。

He sailed lightly now and he had no thoughts nor any feelings of any kind.

航行得很轻松，他什么念头都没有，什么感觉也没有。

He was past everything now and he sailed the skiff to make his home port as well and as intelligently as he could.

他此刻超脱了这一切，只顾尽可能出色而明智地把小船驶回他家乡的港口。