第4章 The Big Fish Bit the Hook (第1/2页)

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Just thn,atchng hs lns,h sa on of th projctng grn stcks dp sharply.

“Ys,”h sad.“Ys,”and shppd hs oars thout upng th oat.H rachd out for th ln and hld t softly tn th thu and forfngr of hs rght hand. H flt no stran nor ght and h hld th ln lghtly.Thn t ca agan.Ths t t as a tntatv pull,not sold nor havy,and h kn xactly hat t as.On hundrd fathos don a arln as atng th sardns that covrd th pont and th shank of th hook hr th hand-forgd hook projctd fro th had of th sall tuna.

Th old an hld th ln dlcatly,and softly,th hs lft hand,unlashd t fro th stck.No h could lt t run through hs fngrs thout th fsh flng any tnson .

Ths far out,h ust hug n ths onth,h thought.Eat th,fsh.Eat th.Plas at th.Ho frsh thy ar and you don thr sx hundrd ft n that cold atr n th dark.Mak anothr turn n th dark and co ack and at th.

H flt th lght dlcat pullng and thn a hardr pull hn a sardn's had ust hav n or dffcult to rak fro th hook .Thn thr as nothng.

“Co on,”th old an sad aloud.“Mak anothr turn.Just sll th.Arn't thy lovly?Eat th good no and thn thr s th tuna.Hard and cold and lovly.Don't shy,fsh.Eat th.”

H atd th th ln tn hs thu and hs fngr,atchng t and th othr lns at th sa t for th fsh ght hav su up or don.Thn ca th sa dlcat pullng touch agan.

“H'll tak t,”th old an sad aloud.“God hlp h to tak t.”

H dd not tak t though.H as gon and th old an flt nothng.

“H can't hav gon,”h sad.“Chrst knos h can't hav gon.H's akng a turn.May h has n hookd for and h rrs sothng of t.”

Thn h flt th gntl touch on th ln and h as happy.

“It as only hs turn,”h sad.“ H'll tak t.”

H as happy flng th gntl pullng and thn h flt sothng hard and unlvaly havy.It as th ght of th fsh and h lt th ln slp don,don,don,unrollng off th frst of th to rsrv cols.As t nt don,slppng lghtly through th old an's fngrs,h stll could fl th grat ght,though th prssur of hs thu and fngr r alost prcptl .

“What a fsh,”h sad.“ H has t sdays n hs outh no and h s ovng off th t.”

Thn h ll turn and sallo t,h thought.H dd not say that caus h kn that f you sad a good thng t ght not happn.H kn hat a hug fsh ths as and h thought of h ovng aay n th darknss th th tuna hld crosss n hs outh. At that ont h flt h stop ovng ut th ght as stll thr.Thn th ght ncrasd and h gav or ln.H tghtnd th prssur of hs thu and fngr for a ont and th ght ncrasd and as gong straght don.

“H's takn t,”h sad.“ No I'll lt h at t ll.”

H lt th ln slp through hs fngrs hl h rachd don th hs lft hand and ad fast th fr nd of th to rsrv cols to th loop of th to rsrv cols of th nxt ln.No h as rady.H had thr forty-fatho cols of ln n rsrv no,as ll as th col h as usng.

“Eat t a lttl or,”h sad.“ Eat t ll.”

Eat t so that th pont of th hook gos nto your hart and klls you,h thought,Co up asy and lt put th harpoon nto you.All rght.Ar you rady?Hav you n long nough at tal?

“No!”H sad aloud and struck hard th oth hands,gand a yard of ln and thn struck agan and agan, sngng th ach ar altrnatly on th cord th all th strngth of hs ars and th pvotd ght of hs ody.