He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. In the first forty days a boy had been with him. But after forty days without a fish the boy's parents had told him that the old man was now definitely and finally salao, whichis the worst form of unlucky, and the boy had gone at their orders in another boat which caught three good fish the first week. It made the boy sadto see the old man come in each day with his skiff empty and he always went down to help him carry either the coiled lines or the gaff and harpoon and the sail that was furled around the mast. The sail was patched with flour sacks and, furled, it looked like the flag of permanent defeat.

他是一位在湾流中的一条小船上独自垂钓的老人，至今他已去了八十四天，却未钓到一条鱼。开始的四十天，有个男孩和他在一起。但是，四十天后还没钓到一条鱼，男孩的父母告诉他，这个老头是彻头彻尾地走了霉运，也就是说倒霉透顶了。于是，在父母的吩咐下，男孩上了另一条船，第一周就捕到了三条好鱼。看到老人每天总是空船归来，男孩心里很难过，他总是下岸去帮老人拿卷起的钓线，或是手钩、鱼叉和缠在桅杆上的帆。这帆用面粉袋打着补丁，收起时，就像一面象征着永远失败的旗子。

The old man was thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck.The brown blotches of the benevolent skin cancer the sun brings from its reflection on the tropic sea were on his cheeks. The blotches ran well down the sides of his face and his hands had the deep-creased scars from handling heavy fish on the cords. But none of these scars were fresh. They were as old as erosions in a fishless desert.

老人瘦削而憔悴，脖子后面有着深深的皱纹。他的脸颊上有些棕色的斑点，那是一种良性皮肤癌，是由于太阳在热带海面上的反射光线的照射而形成的。这些斑点从他面容的两侧蔓延下去，他的双手有些很深的疤痕，是在对付钓线上的大鱼时留下的。但这些疤痕没有一块是刚刚留下的。它们老得就像无鱼的沙漠上的侵蚀地一样。

Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated.

他的一切都很老，只有那双眼睛，它们与海水同色，充满欢乐，不可战胜。

"Santiago," the boy said to him as they climbed the bank from where the skiff was hauled up. "I could go with you again. We've made some money."

“圣地亚哥，”他们从小船停泊的地方爬上岸时，男孩对他说，“我又能和你一起出海了。我们赚了点钱。”

The old man had taught the boy to fish and the boy loved him.

老人曾教过男孩捕鱼，男孩爱他。

"No," the old man said. "You're with a lucky boat. Stay with them."

“不行。”老人说，“你遇上了一条幸运的船。跟着他们吧。”

"But remember how you went eighty-seven days without fish and then we caught big ones every day for three weeks.”

“可是，还记得吗，您有一次一连八十七天没捕到一条鱼，然后接下来的三个礼拜，我们每天都捕到大鱼。”

"I remember," the old man said. "I know you did not leave me because you doubted."

“我记得。”老人说，“我知道你不是因为怀疑才离开我的。”

"It was papa made me leave. I am a boy and I must obey him."

“是爸爸叫我离开的。我还是个孩子，必须得听他的。”

"I know," the old man said. "It is quite normal."

“我知道，”老人说，“这是人之常情。”

"He hasn't much faith."

“他信心不足。”

"No," the old man said. "But we have. Haven't we?"

“是的，”老人说，“但我们有信心。不是吗？”

"Yes," the boy said. "Can I offer you a beer on the Terrace and then we'll take the stuff home."

“没错。”男孩说，“我可以请您去露台饭店喝杯啤酒吗，然后咱们再把这些渔具带回家。”

"Why not?" the old man said. "Between fishermen."

“那好啊！”老人说，“都是渔人嘛！”

They sat on the Terrace and many of the fishermen made fun of the old man and he was not angry. Others, of the older fishermen, looked at him and were sad. But they did not show it and they spoke politely about the current and the depths they had drifted their lines at and the steady good weather and of what they had seen. The successful fishermen of that day were already in and had butchered their marlin out and carried them laid full length across two planks, with two men staggering at the end of each plank,to the fish house where they waited for the ice truck to carry them to the market in Havana. Those who had caught sharks had taken them to the shark factory on the other side of the cove where they were hoisted on a block and tackle, their livers removed, their fins cut off and their hides skinned out and their flesh cut into strips for salting.

他们坐在露台上，许多渔夫都取笑老人，老人并不生气。其他一些年长的渔夫看着他，感到难过。但他们并没有表现出来，他们礼貌地谈论着水流，谈着他们把钓线放到海下的深度和一贯的好天气，还谈到他们的见闻。当天打到鱼的渔夫们都已经来了，已把他们捕到的枪鱼剖开，整片地放在两块木板上，有两个人摇摇晃晃地分别抬着木板的两端，把鱼送往鱼站，在那儿等待冷冻车把它们运往哈瓦那的市场。那些捉到鲨鱼的人已把它们送到了河湾另一边的鲨鱼厂，在那儿，鲨鱼被滑轮组吊起，除去肝脏，切掉鱼鳍，剥去外皮，鱼肉被切成条状，供腌制之用。

When the wind was in the east a smell came across the harbour from the shark factory; but today there was only the faint edge of the odour because the wind had backed into the north and then dropped off and it was pleasant and sunny on the Terrace.

当东风刮起时，会有一股气味从鲨鱼加工厂越过海湾传出来；但今天，仅有微微的一丝气味，因为风已经退回了北方，后来又渐渐停息了。露台上天气宜人、阳光灿烂。

"Santiago," the boy said.

“圣地亚哥。”男孩说。

"Yes," the old man said. He was holding his glass and thinking of many years ago.

“嗯。”老人说。他手握酒杯，想着许多年前的事。

"Can I go out to get sardines for you for tomorrow?"

“我出去弄点沙丁鱼来给你明天用好吗？”

"No. Go and play baseball. I can still row and Rogelio will throw the net."

“不用。去打棒球吧。我还能划船，罗杰利奥会撒网的。”

"I would like to go. If I cannot fish with you, I would like to serve in some way."

“我想去。即使不能和您一起钓鱼，我也想帮您做点什么。”

"You bought me a beer," the old man said. "You are already a man."

“你请我喝过啤酒了，”老人说，“你已经是个大人了。”

"How old was I when you first took me in a boat?"

“您第一次带我上船时，我有多大？”

"Five and you nearly were killed when I brought the fish in too green andhe nearly tore the boat to pieces. Can you remember?"

“五岁，那天我捞上来一条活蹦乱跳的鱼，它差点把船撞成碎片，你也险些丧命啊。你还记得吗？”

"I can remember the tail slapping and banging and the thwart breaking and the noise of the clubbing. I can remember you throwing me into the bow where the wet coiled lines were and feeling the whole boat shiver and the noise of you clubbing him like chopping a tree down and the sweet blood smell all over me."

“我记得那鱼的尾巴东拍西撞，打断了船上的横坐板，还记得棍棒打鱼的声音。我记得您把我推向船头，那儿放着湿湿的卷着的钓线，我感觉整条船都在颤抖，还听到您用棍子打它的啪啪声，就像在砍一棵树，我还记得我浑身上下那甜甜的血腥味。”

"Can you really remember that or did I just tell it to you?"

“你真的记得那些事吗，还是我前不久给你讲过？”

"I remember everything from when we first went together."

“从我们第一次一块儿出海开始，所有的事我都记得。”

The old man looked at him with his sun-burned, confident loving eyes.

老人用他那饱经日晒而又自信坚定、充满爱意的眼睛望着他。

"If you were my boy I'd take you out and gamble," he said. "But you are your father's and your mother's and you are in a lucky boat."

“你要是我儿子，我肯定会带你出去闯荡一番。”他说，“可你是你爸爸妈妈的孩子，而且你又搭上了一条幸运的船。”

"May I get the sardines? I know where I can get four baits too."

“我去弄些沙丁鱼来可以吗？我知道从哪可以弄来四个鱼饵。”

"I have mine left from today. I put them in salt in the box."

“今天我自己还剩了点儿。我把它们放在盒子里用盐腌上了。”

"Let me get four fresh ones."

“我去弄四条新鲜的吧！”

"One," the old man said. His hope and his confidence had never gone. But now they were freshening as when the breeze rises.

“一条就行了。”老人说。他从来没有失去过希望和信心。但现在，它们又像微风拂起时那样清新了。

"Two," the boy said.

“两条吧。”男孩说。

"Two," the old man agreed. "You didn't steal them?"

“两条就两条。”老人答应了。“你不是去偷吧？”

"I would," the boy said. "But I bought these."

“我倒想去偷，”男孩说，“但这些是我买来的。”

"Thank you," the old man said. He was too simple to wonder when he had attained humility. But he knew he had attained it and he knew it was not disgraceful and it carried no loss of true pride.

“谢谢你。”老人说。他太纯朴了，不会去想自己何时变得这样谦卑。但他知道，自己已经变得谦卑了，也知道这没什么不光彩的，不会伤害到真正的自尊。

"Tomorrow is going to be a good day with this current," he said.

“瞧这水流，明天会是个好日子。”他说。

"Where are you going?" the boy asked.

“您要去哪儿？”男孩问。

"Far out to come in when the wind shifts. I want to be out before it is light."

“去远方，风向变了才回来。我想在天亮前就动身。”

"I'll try to get him to work far out," the boy said. "Then if you hook something truly big we can come to your aid."

“我会想办法让我的船主也往远开。”男孩说，“那样，您要是钓到大家伙，我们就能去帮您了。”

"He does not like to work too far out."

“他不想开太远的。”

"No," the boy said. "But I will see something that he cannot see such as a bird working and get him to come out after dolphin."

“是这样。”男孩说，“但我会看见一些他看不见的东西，比如说空中飞的鸟，我还会告诉他去赶追鲯鳅。”

"Are his eyes that bad?"

“他眼神那么差吗？”

"He is almost blind."

“他几乎是个瞎子。”

"It is strange," the old man said. "He never went turtle-ing. That is what kills the eyes.”

“真怪了，”老人说，“他从没捉过海龟。那才会伤眼睛呢。”

"But you went turtle-ing for years off the Mosquito Coast and your eyes are good.”

“可您在莫斯基托海岸捕了好多年海龟，您的眼睛还是很好啊。”

"I am a strange old man."

“我是个怪老头。”

"But are you strong enough now for a truly big fish?"

“不过，您现在还能有足够的力气对付真正的大鱼吗？”

"I think so. And there are many tricks."

“有啊。而且有好多诀窍呢。”

"Let us take the stuff home," the boy said. "So I can get the cast net and go after the sardines."

“咱们把这些东西拿回家吧，”男孩说，“这样我就能拿上鱼网去捉沙丁鱼了。”

They picked up the gear from the boat. The old man carried the mast on his shoulder and the boy carried the wooden box with the coiled, hard-braided brown lines, the gaff and the harpoon with its shaft. The box with the baits was under the stern of the skiff along with the club that was used to subdue the big fish when they were brought alongside. No one would steal from the old man but it was better to take the sail and the heavy lines home as the dew was bad for them and, though he was quite sure no local people would steal from him, the old man thought that a gaff and a harpoon were needless temptations to leave in a boat.

他们从船上拿起渔具。老人把桅杆扛在肩上，男孩抱着一个木箱，里面装着卷起来的结实的棕色钓线，还有手钩和带杆子的鱼叉。装鱼饵的盒子和一根棍子一起，都放在了小船的船尾下面，这棍子是用来制服被拖到船边的大鱼的。没人会偷老人的东西，但最好还是把帆和沉重的钓线拿回家，因为露水会对这些东西没有好处，而且，虽说老人深信当地人不会偷他的东西，但他还是觉得，把手钩和鱼叉放在船上是不必要的诱惑。

They walked up the road together to the old man's shack and went in through its open door. The old man leaned the mast with its wrapped sail against the wall and the boy put the box and the other gear beside it. The mast was nearly as long as the one room of the shack. The shack was made of the tough bud-shields of the royal palm which are called guano and in it there was a bed, a table, one chair, and a place on the dirt floor to cook with charcoal. On the brown walls of the flattened, overlapping leaves of the sturdy fibered guano there was a picture in color of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and another of the Virgin of Cobre. These were relics of his wife.Once there had been a tinted photograph of his wife on the wall but he had taken it down because it made him too lonely to see it and it was on the shelf in the corner under his clean shirt.

他们沿着马路走到了老人的棚屋，门开着，他们走了进去。老人把缠着帆的桅杆靠在墙上，男孩把盒子和其他渔具放在它旁边。桅杆几乎和棚屋的单间屋子一样长。这棚屋是用王棕树上被称为“鸟粪”的坚硬的芽壳搭造而成的，里面有一张床、一张桌子、一把椅子，泥地上还有一处用炭烧饭的地方。棕色的墙是用有着坚韧纤维的“鸟粪”压平后紧密相叠而成，墙上挂着一幅彩色的耶稣圣心图，还有一幅科伯圣母图。这些是他妻子的遗物。墙上也曾挂着他妻子的彩照，但他把它摘下来了，因为看到它会令他感到很孤独。那照片如今被放在了屋角的架子上，他的一件干净衬衫的下面。

"What do you have to eat?" the boy asked.

“您吃什么啊？”男孩问。

"A pot of yellow rice with fish. Do you want some?"

“一锅黄米饭煮鱼。想来点吗？”

"No. I will eat at home. Do you want me to make the fire?"

“不了。我回家吃。您需要我生火吗？”

"No. I will make it later on. Or I may eat the rice cold."

“不用。一会儿我生吧。或者，兴许我就凉着吃了。”

"May I take the cast net?"

“我可以拿走鱼网吗？”

"Of course."

“当然可以啦。”

There was no cast net and the boy remembered when they had sold it. But they went through this fiction every day.

其实并没有鱼网，男孩还记得他们是什么时候卖掉它的。但他们每天都要编这样的谎话。

There was no pot of yellow rice and fish and the boy knew this too.

而且根本就没有黄米饭煮鱼，这个男孩也知道。

"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?"

“八十五是个吉利数字。”老人说，“你想不想看到我捉回一条去掉内脏净重一千多磅的鱼呢？”

"I'll get the cast net and go for sardines. Will you sit in the sun in the doorway?"

“我去拿鱼网捉沙丁鱼去。您坐在门口晒晒太阳好吗？”

"Yes. I have yesterday's paper and I will read the baseball."

“好。我有昨天的报纸，我要看下棒球信息。”

The boy did not know whether yesterday's paper was a fiction too. But the old man brought it out from under the bed.

男孩不知道昨天的报纸是不是也是谎话。可老人把它从床底下拿出来了。

"Perico gave it to me at the bodega," he explained.

“佩里科在杂货店给我的。”他解释道。

"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."

“我捉到沙丁鱼就回来。我会把您的鱼和我的一块搁在冰上，明天早上我们就能分着用了。我回来时，您告诉我棒球赛的情况。”

"The Yankees cannot lose."

“扬基队一定不会输的。”

"But I fear the Indians of Cleveland."

“可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."

“要对扬基队有信心，孩子。想想迪马乔有多棒。”

"I fear both the Tigers of Detroit and the Indians of Cleveland."

“底特律老虎队和克利夫兰印第安人队，这两个队我都怕。”

"Be careful or you will fear even the Reds of Cincinnati and the White Sax of Chicago."

“当心，不然你连辛辛那提红队和芝加哥白短袜队都要怕了。”

"You study it and tell me when I come back."

“您好好看吧，等我回来讲给我听。”

"Do you think we should buy a terminal of the lottery with an eighty-five? Tomorrow is the eighty-fifth day.”

“你说我们去买张尾数是八十五的彩票怎么样？明天是第八十五天。”

"We can do that," the boy said. "But what about the eighty-seven of your great record?”

“我们可以这么做。”男孩说，“不过，您创下的伟大纪录是在第八十七天啊，这个数字怎么样？”

"It could not happen twice. Do you think you can find an eighty-five?”

“那不会再发生了。你觉得你能找到一张尾数是八十五的吗？”

"I can order one.

“我可以订一张。

"One sheet. That's two dollars and a half. Who can we borrow that from?"

“一张。那就要两块五。我们跟谁去借钱呢？”

"That's easy. I can always borrow two dollars and a half."

“这简单。两块五我总能借到的。”

"I think perhaps I can too. But I try not to borrow. First you borrow. Then you beg."

“我想说不定我也能借上。但我尽量不借钱。先借了钱。然后就得讨饭了。”

"Keep warm old man," the boy said. "Remember we are in September."

“穿暖和点，老爷爷。”男孩说，“别忘了我们这可是在九月啊。”

"The month when the great fish come," the old man said. "Anyone can be a fisherman in May."

“是大鱼露面的月份。”老人说，“五月里，谁都能成为好渔夫。”

"I go now for the sardines," the boy said.

“我现在去捉沙丁鱼。”男孩说。

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.

男孩回来的时候，老人在椅子上睡着了，太阳已经落山。男孩从床上拿起老人的旧军毯，把它搭在椅背上，盖住了老人的双肩。这肩膀很奇怪，虽然老了却依然强壮有力，颈部也很健壮，而且，老人睡着了头向前耷拉着的时候，皱纹也显得不是那么多了。他的衬衫已经补了又补，简直就像那张帆一样，补丁由于日晒而褪了色，变得深一块浅一块。老人的头却是非常苍老了，闭上眼睛，脸上显得毫无生气。报纸摊在他膝盖上，由于他用一只胳膊压着，所以没被晚风吹走。他的脚赤裸着。

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

男孩没管他，走了，他回来时，老人还在睡。

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

“醒醒吧，老爷爷。”男孩说着，把手搭在老人的一个膝盖上。

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

老人睁开双眼，一时间，仿佛正从遥远的地方回来。然后他笑了。

"What have you got?" he asked.

“你弄到什么了？”他问。

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

“晚餐，”男孩说，“我们要吃晚餐了。”

"I'm not very hungry."

“我不怎么饿。”

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

“来吧，吃吧。您不能只打鱼不吃饭呀。”

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

“我这么做过。”老人一边说，一边站起身来，拿起报纸，把它折起来。接着他又开始叠毯子。

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

“就把毯子披在身上吧。”男孩说，“我活着，您就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?"

“那你可得活得长点，要照顾好自己啊。”老人说，“咱们吃什么？”

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

“黑豆米饭，炸香蕉，还有些炖菜。”

The boy had brought them in a two-decker metal container from the Terrace.The two sets of knives and forks and spoons were in his pocket with a paper napkin wrapped around each set.

男孩是从露台饭店用一个两层的金属餐盒把这些饭菜带回来的。他口袋里装着两副刀叉和勺子，每副都用餐巾纸包着。

"Who gave this to you?"

“谁给你这个的？”

"Martin. The owner."

“马丁。那个老板。”

"I must thank him."

“我一定要谢谢他。”

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

“我已经谢过他了，”男孩说，“您不用谢他了。”

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

“我要给他一块大鱼鱼肚上的肉。”老人说，“他这样帮助我们不止一次了吧？”

"I think so."

“我想是的。”

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

“那我除了鱼肚肉之外还得给他些东西。他很为我们着想。”

"He sent two beers."

“他送了两瓶啤酒。”

"I like the beer in cans best."

“我最喜欢罐装啤酒了。”

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

“我知道。可这是瓶装的，阿图埃伊啤酒，我还得还回瓶子。”

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

“你可真好。”老人说，“我们可以吃了吧？”

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

“我一直在叫您吃啊，”男孩温和地对他说，“我可不想没等您准备好就打开餐盒。”

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

“现在我准备好了，”老人说，“我刚才只是需要点时间洗洗手。”

Where did you wash? the boy thought. The village water supply was two streets down the road. I must have water here for him, the boy thought, and soap and a good towel. Why am I so thoughtless? I must get him another shirt and a jacket for the winter and some sort of shoes and another blanket.

您是去哪洗的？男孩想。村里的水源在沿大路过两条街的地方。我得给他把水带到这儿来，男孩想，还要弄块肥皂和一条干净毛巾。我怎么这么粗心？我必须给他再弄件衬衫和一件夹克好让他过冬，再找双鞋子啥的，还得再弄条毯子。

"Your stew is excellent," the old man said.

“你这炖菜太好吃了。”老人说。

"Tell me about the baseball," the boy asked him.

“给我说说棒球赛的情况吧。”男孩请求他说。

"In the American League it is the Yankees as I said," the old man said happily.

“在美国联赛中，就是扬基队最棒，正如我所说。”老人愉快地说。

"They lost today," the boy told him.

“他们今天输了。”男孩告诉他。

"That means nothing. The great DiMaggio is himself again."

“这说明不了什么。那了不起的迪马乔又找回自己了。”

"They have other men on the team."

“他们队里还有其他人呢。”

"Naturally. But he makes the difference. In the other league, between Brooklyn and Philadelphia I must take Brooklyn. But then I think of Dick Sisler and those great drives in the Old Park."

“那当然。但有了他就不一样了。在另一个联赛中，布鲁克林队和费城队之间的比赛，我看好布鲁克林队。不过我还记得迪克·西斯勒和他在老公园打的那些好球。”

"There was nothing ever like them. He hits the longest ball I have ever seen."

“从没有人打过那么好的球。他击的球是我见过最远的。”

"Do you remember when he used to come to the Terrace?""I wanted to take him fishing but I was too timid to ask him. Then I asked you to ask him and you were too timid."

“你记得他以前常来露台饭店吗？”“我想带他去打鱼，可我不敢跟他讲。所以我让你去跟他说，你也不敢。”

"I know. It was a great mistake. He might have gone with us. Then we would have that for all of our lives."

“我记得呀。这真是个巨大的失误。他有可能会和我们一起去的。那样的话，我们就可以一辈子回味这件事了。”

"I would like to take the great DiMaggio fishing," the old man said. "They say his father was a fisherman. Maybe he was as poor as we are and would understand."

“我想带那了不起的迪马乔去打鱼，”老人说，“他们说他父亲是个渔夫。或许他当初和我们一样穷，会理解我们的。”

"The great Sisler's father was never poor and he, the father, was playing in the Big Leagues when he was my age."

“那出色的西斯勒的爸爸可没有穷过，他，这位父亲，像我这么大的时候就在大联盟里打球了。” ESRkxqd0kQjLNCc3faLbl/hK9U5052br8MzHX6IpWrDtVV0gQ4Id+1A2W03pN0qK