It was getting into the afternoon and the boat still moved slowly and steadily.

时间已是下午，船依旧缓慢而稳定地移动着。

But there was an added drag now from the easterly breeze and the old man rode gently with the small sea and the hurt of the cord across his back came to him easily and smoothly.

不过这时东风给船增加了一份阻力，老人随着不大的海浪缓缓漂流，钓索勒在他背上的感觉变得舒适而温和些了。

Once in the afternoon the line started to rise again.

下午有一回，钓索又升上来了。

But the fish only continued to swim at a slightly higher level.

可是那鱼不过是在稍微高一点的平面上继续游着。

太阳晒在老人的左胳臂和左肩和背脊上。

So he knew the fish had turned east of north.

所以他知道这鱼转向东北方了。

Now that he had seen him once, he could picture the fish swimming in the water with his purple pectoral fins set wide as wings and the great erect tail slicing through the dark.

既然这鱼他看见过一回，他就能想象它在水里游的样子，它那翅膀般的胸鳍大张着，直竖的大尾巴划破黝黑的海水。

I wonder how much he sees at that depth, the old man thought.

不知道它在那样深的海里能看见多少东西，老人想。

His eye is huge and a horse, with much less eye, can see in the dark.

它的眼睛真大，马的眼睛要小得多，但在黑暗里看得见东西。

Once I could see quite well in the dark.

从前我在黑暗里能看得很清楚。

Not in the absolute dark.

可不是在乌漆麻黑的地方。

But almost as a cat sees.

不过简直能像猫一样看东西。

The sun and his steady movement of his fingers had uncramped his left hand now completely and he began to shift more of the strain to it and he shrugged the muscles of his back to shift the hurt of the cord a little.

阳光和他手指不断的活动，使他那抽筋的左手这时完全复原了，他就着手让它多负担一点拉力，并且耸耸背上的肌肉，使钓索挪开一点儿，把痛处换个地方。

"If you're not tired, fish," he said aloud, "you must be very strange."

“你要是没累乏的话，鱼啊，"他说出声来，"那你真是不可思议啦。”

He felt very tired now and he knew the night would come soon and he tried to think of other things.

他这时感到非常疲乏，他知道夜色就要降临，所以竭力想些别的事儿。

He thought of the Big Leagues and he knew that the Yankees of New York were playing the Tigers of Detroit.

他想到棒球的两大联赛，他知道纽约市的扬基队正在迎战底特律的老虎队。

This is the second day now that I do not know the result, he thought.

这是联赛的第二天，可我不知道比赛的结果如何。

But I must have confidence and I must be worthy of the great DiMaggio who does all things perfectly even with the pain of the bone spur in his heel.

但是我一定要有信心，一定要对得起那了不起的迪马吉奥，他即使脚后跟长了骨刺，在疼痛，也能把一切做得十全十美。

What is a bone spur?

骨刺是什么玩意儿?

He asked himself.

他问自己。

We do not have them.

我们没有这玩意儿。

Can it be as painful as the spur of a fighting cock in one's heel?

它痛起来跟斗鸡脚上装的距铁刺扎进人的脚后跟时一样厉害吗?

I do not think I could endure that or the loss of the eye and of both eyes and continue to fight as the fighting cocks do.

我想我是忍受不了这种痛苦的，也不能像斗鸡那样，一只眼睛或两只被啄瞎后仍旧战斗下去。

Man is not much beside the great birds and beasts.

人跟伟大的鸟兽相比，真算不上什么。

Still I would rather be that beast down there in the darkness of the sea.

我还是情愿做那只待在黑暗的深水里的动物。

"Unless sharks come," he said aloud.

“除非有鲨鱼来，"他说出声来。

"If sharks come, God pity him and me."

"如果有鲨鱼来，愿天主怜悯它和我吧。”

Do you believe the great DiMaggio would stay with a fish as long as I will stay with this one? He thought.

你以为那了不起的迪马吉奥能守着一条鱼，像我守着这一条一样长久吗?他想。

I am sure he would and more since he is young and strong.

我相信他能，而且更长久，因为他年轻力壮。

Also his father was a fisherman.

加上他父亲当过渔夫。

But would the bone spur hurt him too much?

不过骨刺会不会使他痛得太厉害?

"I do not know," he said aloud.

“我说不上来，"他说出声来。

"I never had a bone spur."

"我从来没有长过骨刺。”

But his left hand had always been a traitor and would not do what he called on it to do and he did not trust it.

但是他的左手一向背叛他，不愿听他的吩咐行动，他不信任它。

The sun will bake it out well now, he thought.

这会儿太阳就会把手好好晒干的，他想。

It should not cramp on me again unless it gets too cold in the night.

它不会再抽筋了，除非夜里太冷。

I wonder what this night will bring.

不知道这一夜会发生什么事。