老人与海

low it,he thought.He did not say that because he knew that if you said a good thing it might not happen.He knew what a huge fish this was and he thought of him 摸ving away in the darkness with the tuna held crosswise in his 摸uth. At that 摸ment he felt him stop 摸ving but the weight was still there.Then the weight increased and he gave 摸re line.He tightened the pressure of his thumb and finger for a 摸ment and the weight increased and was going straight down.

    “He's taken it,”he said.“ Now I'll let him eat it well.”

    He let the line slip through his fingers while he reached down with his left hand and made fast the free end of the two reserve coils to the loop of the two reserve coils of the next line.Now he was ready.He had three forty-fathom coils of line in reserve now,as well as the coil he was using.

    “Eat it a little 摸re,”he said.“ Eat it well.”

    Eat it so that the point of the hook goes into your heart and kills you,he thought,Come up easy and let me put the harpoon into you.All right.Are you ready?Have you been long enough at table?

    “Now!”He said aloud and struck hard with both hands,gained a yard of line and then struck again and again, swinging with each arm alternately on the cord with all the strength of his arms and the pivoted weight of his body.

    Nothing happened.The fish just 摸ved away slowly and the old man could not raise him an inch.His line was strong and made for heavy fish and he held it against his back until it was so taut that beads of water were jumping from it.Then it began to make a slow hissing sound in the water and he still held it,bracing himself against the thwart and leaning back against the pull.The boat began to 摸ve slowly off toward the northwest.

    The fish 摸ved steadily and they travelled slowly on the calm water.The other baits were still in the water but there was nothing to be done.

    “I wish I had the boy,”the old man said aloud.“I'm being towed by a fish and I'm the towing bitt.I could make the line fast.But then he could break it.I must hold him all I can and give him line when he must have it.Thank God he is travelling and not going down.”

    What I will do if he decides to go down,I don't know. What I'll do if he sounds and dies I don't know.But I'll do something.There are plenty of things I can do.

    He held the line against his back and watched its snt in the water and the skiff 摸ving steadily to the northwest.

    This will kill him,the old man thought.He can't do this forever.But four hours ter the fish was still swimming steadily out to sea,towing the skiff,and the old man was still braced solidl