When the boy came back, the old man was asleep in the chair and the sun was down.

孩子回来的时候，老头儿正在椅子上睡着，太阳已经西沉了。

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.

孩子从床上拿了一条旧军毯，搭在椅背上面，盖在老头儿的肩膀上。

They were strange shoulders, still powerful although very old,

那两个肩膀真奇怪，尽管老了，依然结结实实的，

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.

颈脖儿也是这样，老头儿睡着了头向前耷拉下去的时候，是不大看得出皱纹的。

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.

他的衬衫不知道补过多少次，就像他的那一面帆，补丁也给太阳晒得褪成各种深浅不同的颜色。

The old man's head was very old though and with his eyes closed there was no life in his face.

老头儿的头也同样苍老，眼睛一闭，脸就跟死人的一样。

The newspaper lay across his knees and the weight of his arm held it there in the evening breeze.

报纸平放在他的膝头上，给一只胳膊压住，没让晚风把它吹去。

He was barefooted.

他是光着脚的。

The boy left him there and when he came back, the old man was still asleep.

孩子走开了，回来的时候，老头儿还在那儿睡着。

"Wake up, old man," the boy said and put his hand on one of the old man's knees.

“醒来，老大爷，”孩子喊了一声，把一只手放在老头儿一个膝头上。

The old man opened his eyes and for a moment he was coming back from a long way away.

老头儿睁开了眼睛。这一会儿，他仿佛正在从老远的路上走回来似的。

Then he smiled.

接着他笑了。

"What have you got?" he asked.

“你把什么拿来啦?”他问。

"Supper," said the boy. "We're going to have supper."

“晚饭，”孩子说。“我们吃晚饭吧。”

"I'm not very hungry."

“我肚子不太饿。”

"Come on and eat. You can't fish and not eat."

“来，吃吧。你要打鱼，就不能不吃饭。”

"I have," the old man said, getting up and taking the newspaper and folding it. Then he started to fold the blanket.

“我往常就是不吃饭先去打鱼的，”老头儿说着就站起身来，把报纸拿在手里叠好。然后他又动手去叠那条军毯。

"Keep the blanket around you," the boy said. "You'll not fish without eating while I'm alive."

“把毯子围在身上吧，”孩子说。“只要我还活着，决不能让你不吃饭就去打鱼。”

"'Then live a long time and take care of yourself," the old man said. "What are we eating?"

“那么，祝你长命百岁，你自己要保重，”老头儿说。“我们吃什么?”

"Black beans and rice, fried bananas, and some stew."

“扁豆拌饭，煎香蕉，还有一点儿炖菜。”

The boy had brought them in a two-decker metal container from the Terrace.

孩子从海滨酒店拿来这些饭菜，把它们放在两层的铁盒子里，

The two sets of knives and forks and spoons were in his pocket with a paper napkin wrapped around each set.

他的衣袋里放着两套刀叉和汤匙，每一套都用一块纸餐巾包着。

"Who gave this to you?"

“这是谁给你的?”

"Martin. The owner."

“马丁。酒店老板。”

"I must thank him."

“我应该谢谢他。”

"I thanked him already," the boy said. "You don't need to thank him."

“我已经谢过他，”孩子说。“你不必再谢他了。”

"I'll give him the belly meat of a big fish," the old man said. "Has he done this for us more than once?"

“我以后要给他一块大鱼肚子上的肉，”老头儿说。“他帮我们不止一次了吧?”

"I think so."

“大概是吧。”

"I must give him something more than the belly meat then. He is very thoughtful for us."

“那么我要送他比鱼肚子上的肉更好的东西。他对我们真关心。”

"He sent two beers."

“他送了我们两瓶啤酒。”

"I like the beer in cans best."

“我顶喜欢罐头装的。”

"I know. But this is in bottles, Hatuey beer, and I take back the bottles."

“我晓得。不过这是用瓶子装的，哈杜威牌的啤酒。我还要把瓶子拿回去呢。”

"That's very kind of you," the old man said. "Should we eat?"

“你真好啊，”老头儿说。“我们现在就吃吗?”

"I've been asking you to," the boy told him gently. "I have not wished to open the container until you were ready."

“我已经问过你啦，”孩子亲切地说。“你没准备好的时候，我是不愿打开饭盒子的。”

"I'm ready now," the old man said. "I only needed time to wash."

“准备好啦，”老头儿说。“我只花了一点时间，把手和脸洗了一下。”

Where did you wash? the boy thought.

你到哪儿去洗的呢?孩子想。

The village water supply was two streets down the road.

村里的水龙头在大路那边，有两条街那么远呢。

I must have water here for him, the boy thought, and soap and a good towel.

孩子想，我应该把水提来给他，还应该带一块肥皂跟一条像样的毛巾来。

Why am I so thoughtless?

为什么我这样粗心呢?

I must get him another shirt and a jacket for the winter and some sort of shoes and another blanket.

我还应该替他再弄来一件衬衫和短外套过冬，此外给他一双鞋，一条毯子。