《The Story of a Great Schoolmaster（老人与海） 》03

“What do you have to eat?“ the boy asked.
　　“有什么吃的东西？”
　　
　　“A pot of yellow rice with fish. Do you want some?“
　　“有锅鱼煮黄米饭。要吃点吗？”
　　
　　“No. I will eat at home. Do you want me to make the fire?“
　　“不。我回家去吃。要我给你生火吗？”
　　
　　“No. I will make it later on. Or I may eat the rice cold.“
　　“不用。过一会儿我自己来生。也许就吃冷饭算了。”
　　
　　“May I take the cast net?“
　　“我把鱼网拿去好吗？”
　　
　　“Of course.“
　　“当然好。”
　　
　　There was no cast net and the boy remembered when they had sold it. But they went through this fiction every day. There was no pot of yellow rice and fish and the boy knew this too.
　　实在并没有鱼网，孩子还记得他们是什么时候把它卖掉的。然而他们每天要扯一套这种谎话。也没有什么鱼煮黄米饭，这一点孩子也知道。
　　
　　“Eighty-five is a lucky number,“ the old man said. “How would you like to see me bring one in that dressed out over a thousand pounds?“
　　“八十五是个吉利的数目，”老人说。“你可想看到我逮住一条去掉了下脚有一千多磅重的鱼？”
　　
　　“I’ll get the cast net and go for sardines. Will you sit in the sun in the doorway?“
　　“我拿鱼网捞沙丁鱼去。你坐在门口晒晒太阳可好？”
　　
　　“Yes. I have yesterday’s paper and I will read the baseball.“
　　“好吧。我有张昨天的报纸，我来看看棒球消息。”
　　
　　The boy did not know whether yesterday’s paper was fiction too. But the old man brought it out from under the bed.
　　孩子不知道昨天的报纸是不是也是乌有的。但是老人把它从床下取出来了。
　　
　　“Perico gave it to me at the bodega,“ he explained.
　　“佩里科在杂货铺里给我的，”他解释说。
　　
　　“I’ll be back when I have the sardines. I’ll keep yours and mine together on ice and we can share them in the morning. When I come back you can tell me about the baseball.“
　　“我弄到了沙丁鱼就回来。我要把你的鱼跟我的一起用冰镇着，明儿早上就可以分着用了。等我回来了，你告诉我棒球消息。”
　　
　　“The Yankees cannot lose.“
　　“扬基队不会输。”
　　
　　“But I fear the Indians of Cleveland.“
　　“可是我怕克利夫兰印第安人队会赢。”
　　
　　“Have faith in the Yankees my son. Think of the great DiMaggio.“
　　“相信扬基队吧，好孩子。别忘了那了不起的迪马吉奥。”
　　
　　“I fear both the Tigers of Detroit and the Indians of Cleveland.“
　　“我担心底特律老虎队，也担心克利夫兰印第安人队。”
　　
　　“Be careful or you will fear even the Reds of Cincinnati and the White Sox of Chicago.“
　　“当心点，要不然连辛辛那提红队和芝加哥白短袜队，你都要担心啦。”
　　
　　“You study it and tell me when I come back.“
　　“你好好儿看报，等我回来了给我讲讲。”
　　
　　“Do you think we should buy a terminal of the lottery with an eighty-five? Tomorrow is the eighty-fifth day.“
　　“你看我们该去买张末尾是八五的彩票吗？明儿是第八十五天。”
　　
　　“We can do that,“ the boy said. “But what about the eighty-seven of your great record?“
　　“这样做行啊，”孩子说。“不过你上次创纪录的是八十七天，这怎么说？”
　　
　　“It could not happen twice. Do you think you can find an eighty-five?“
　　“这种事儿不会再发生。你看能弄到一张末尾是八五的吗？”
　　
　　“I can order one.“
　　“我可以去订一张。”
　　
　　“One sheet. That’s two dollars and a half. Who can we borrow that from?“
　　“订一张。这要两块半。我们向谁去借这笔钱呢？”
　　
　　“That’s easy. I can always borrow two dollars and a half.“
　　“这个容易。我总能借到两块半的。”
　　
　　“I think perhaps I can too. But I try not to borrow. First you borrow. Then you beg.“
　　“我看没准儿我也借得到。不过我不想借钱。第一步是借钱。下一步就要讨饭啰。”
　　
　　“Keep warm old man,“ the boy said. “Remember we are in September.“
　　“穿得暖和点，老大爷，”孩子说。“别忘了，我们这是在九月里。”
　　
　　“The month when the great fish come,“ the old man said. “Anyone can be a fisherman in May.“
　　“正是大鱼露面的月份，”老人说。“在五月里，人人都能当个好渔夫的。”
　　
　　“I go now for the sardines,“ the boy said.
　　“我现在去捞沙丁鱼，”孩子说。
　　
　　When the boy came back the old man was asleep in the chair and the sun was down. The boy took the old army blanket off the bed and spread it over the back of the chair and over the old man’s shoulders. They were strange shoulders, still powerful although very old, and the neck was still strong too and the creases did not show so much when the old man was asleep and his head fallen forward. His shirt had been patched so many times that it was like the sail and the patches were faded to many different shades by the sun. The old man’s head was very old though and with his eyes closed there was no life in his face. The newspaper lay across his knees and the weight of his arm held it there in the evening breeze. He was barefooted.
　　等孩子回来的时候，老人在椅子上熟睡着，太阳已经下去了。孩子从床上捡起一条旧军毯，铺在椅背上，盖住了老人的双肩。这两个肩膀挺怪，人非常老迈了，肩膀却依然很强健，脖子也依然很壮实，而且当老人睡着了，脑袋向前耷拉着的时候，皱纹也不大明显了。他的衬衫上不知打了多少次补丁，弄得象他那张帆一样，这些补丁被阳光晒得褪成了许多深浅不同的颜色。老人的头非常苍老，眼睛闭上了，脸上就一点生气也没有。报纸摊在他膝盖上，在晚风中，靠他一条胳臂压着才没被吹走。他光着脚。
　　
　　The boy left him there and when he came back the old man was still asleep.
　　孩子撇下老人走了，等他回来时，老人还是熟睡着。
　　
　　“Wake up old man,“ the boy said and put his hand on one of the old man’s knees.
　　“醒来吧，老大爷，”孩子说，一手搭上老人的膝盖。
　　
　　The old man opened his eyes and for a moment he was coming back from a long way away. Then he smiled.
　　老人张开眼睛，他的神志一时仿佛正在从老远的地方回来。随后他微笑了。
　　
　　“What have you got?“ he asked.
　　“你拿来了什么？”他问。
　　
　　“Supper,“ said the boy. “We’re going to have supper.“
　　“晚饭，”孩子说。“我们就来吃吧。”
　　
　　“I’m not very hungry.“
　　“我肚子不大饿。”
　　
　　“Come on and eat. You can’t fish and not eat.“
　　“得了，吃吧。你不能只打鱼，不吃饭。”
　　
　　“I have,“ the old man said getting up and taking the newspaper and folding it.
　　“我这样干过，”老人说着，站起身来，拿起报纸，把它折好。
　　
　　Then he started to fold the blanket.
　　跟着他动手折叠毯子。
　　
　　“Keep the blanket around you,“ the boy said. “You’ll not fish without eating while I’m alive.“
　　“把毯子披在身上吧，”孩子说。“只要我活着，你就决不会不吃饭就去打鱼。”
　　
　　“Then live a long time and take care of yourself,“ the old man said. “What are we eating?“
　　“这么说，祝你长寿，多保重自己吧，”老人说。“我们吃什么？”
　　
　　“Black beans and rice, fried bananas, and some stew.“
　　“黑豆饭、油炸香蕉，还有些纯菜。”