I must let the first one get a good hold (я должен позволить первой хорошенько вцепиться /в рыбу/) and hit him on the point of the nose (и ударить ее по кончику носа) or straight across the top of the head (или прямо по макушке), he thought.
quarter ['kwLtq], effectively [I'fektIvlI], head [hed]
The sharks did not hit him again until just before sunset.
The old man saw the brown fins coming along the wide trail the fish must make in the water. They were not even quartering on the scent. They were headed straight for the skiff swimming side by side.
He jammed the tiller, made the sheet fast and reached under the stern for the club. It was an oar handle from a broken oar sawed off to about two and a half feet in length. He could only use it effectively with one hand because of the grip of the handle and he took good hold of it with his right hand, flexing his hand on it, as he watched the sharks come. They were both galanos.
I must let the first one get a good hold and hit him on the point of the nose or straight across the top of the head, he thought.
The two sharks closed together (акулы подплыли вместе) and as he saw the one nearest him open his jaws and sink them into the silver side of the fish (и когда он увидел, как ближайшая к нему разинула челюсти и впилась ими: «погрузила их» в серебряную плоть рыбы), he raised the club high (он поднял дубинку высоко) and brought it down heavy and slamming (и тяжело обружил ее вниз; to slam — обрушиваться /на что-либо/, врезаться /во что-либо/) onto the top of the shark's broad head (поверх плоской головы акулы). He felt the rubbery solidity (он почувствовал упругую: «резиновую» твердость; rubber — резина; solidity — прочность, твердость) as the club came down (когда дубинка опустилась вниз). But he felt the rigidity of bone too (но он также почувствовал жесткость кости) and he struck the shark once more hard across the point of the nose (и он сильно ударил акулу еще раз по кончику носа) as he slid down from the fish (когда она соскальзывала вниз с рыбы).
The other shark had been in and out (другая акула уже успела поживиться и отплыла: «побывала внутри и /снова/ снаружи») and now came in again with his jaws wide (и теперь снова возвращалась с широко раскрытой пастью). The old man could see pieces of the meat of the fish (старик увидел куски рыбьего мяса) spilling white from the corner of his jaws (вываливающиеся/свисающие белым из угла ее пасти; to spill — разливать; рассеивать) as he bumped the fish (когда он ударил рыбу) and closed his jaws (и закрыл ее челюсти). He swung at him (он ударил со всей силы по ней; to swing at — бить со всей силы) and hit only the head (и попал только по голове) and the shark looked at him (и акула посмотрела на него) and wrenched the meat loose (и вырвала мясо /из рыбы/; to wrench — вырывать, вывертывать). The old man swung the club down on him again (старик снова изо всех сил махнул по ней дубинкой) as he slipped away to swallow (когда она отплывала, чтобы проглотить; to slip — скользить; плавно двигаться) and hit only the heavy solid rubberiness (и попал только по упругой твердости /поверхности головы/).
slam [slxm], rubber ['rAbq], solidity [sq'lIdItI], rigidity [rI'GIdItI]
The two sharks closed together and as he saw the one nearest him open his jaws and sink them into the silver side of the fish, he raised the club high and brought it down heavy and slamming onto the top of the shark's broad head. He felt the rubbery solidity as the club came down. But he felt the rigidity of bone too and he struck the shark once more hard across the point of the nose as he slid down from the fish.
The other shark had been in and out and now came in again with his jaws wide. The old man could see pieces of the meat of the fish spilling white from the corner of his jaws as he bumped the fish and closed his jaws. He swung at him and hit only the head and the shark looked at him and wrenched the meat loose. The old man swung the club down on him again as he slipped away to swallow and hit only the heavy solid rubberiness.
"Come on, galano (ну-ка, подойди поближе, galano)," the old man said. "Come in again (подойди еще раз)."
The shark came in a rush (акула стремительно атаковала /рыбу/; rush — стремительная атака) and the old man hit him as he shut his jaws (и старик ударил ее, когда та сомкнула челюсти). He hit him solidly (он ударил ее сильно: «твердо») and from as high up as he could raise the club (и с такой высоты, на которую он смог поднять дубинку). This time he felt the bone at the base of the brain (на этот раз он почувствовал, что попал в кость в основании черепа) and he hit him again in the same place while the shark tore the meat loose sluggishly (и ударил ее еще раз в тоже место, в то время как акула неторопливо оторвала мясо; sluggishly — лениво, медлительно) and slid down from the fish (и соскользнула с рыбы).
The old man watched for him to come again (старик ждал: «наблюдал», когда она снова вернется) but neither shark showed (но ни одна из акул не показалась). Then he saw one on the surface swimming in circles (затем он увидел одну на поверхности, плавающую кругами). He did not see the fin of the other (он не видел плавника другой).
I could not expect to kill them (я не мог надеяться: «ожидать», что убью их), he thought. I could have in my time (я мог бы в свое время = раньше мог бы). But I have hurt them both badly (но я сильно их ранил) and neither one can feel very good (и ни одна из них не может чувствовать себя хорошо). If I could have used a bat with two hands (если бы я мог использовать дубинку двумя руками) I could have killed the first one surely (первую я бы наверняка убил; surely — несомненно). Even now (даже сейчас), he thought.
rush [rAS], sluggishly ['slAgISlI], surely ['SuqlI]
"Come on, galano," the old man said. "Come in again."
The shark came in a rush and the old man hit him as he shut his jaws. He hit him solidly and from as high up as he could raise the club. This time he felt the bone at the base of the brain and he hit him again in the same place while the shark tore the meat loose sluggishly and slid down from the fish.
The old man watched for him to come again but neither shark showed. Then he saw one on the surface swimming in circles. He did not see the fin of the other.
I could not expect to kill them, he thought. I could have in my time. But I have hurt them both badly and neither one can feel very good. If I could have used a bat with two hands I could have killed the first one surely. Even now, he thought.
He did not want to look at the fish (он не хотел смотреть на рыбу). He knew that half of him had been destroyed (он знал, что половина ее была уничтожена). The sun had gone down while he had been in the fight with the sharks (солнце уже зашло, пока он дрался с акулами).
"It will be dark soon (скоро станет темно)," he said. "Then I should see the glow of Havana (тогда я должен увидеть зарево Гаваны). If I am too far to the eastward (если я отклонился слишком далеко на восток) I will see the lights of one of the new beaches (я увижу огни одного из новых курортов: «берегов/пляжей»; beach — /морской/ берег, взморье; отмель; берег моря между линиями прилива и отлива; пляж)."
I cannot be too far out now (я уже недалеко: «я не могу быть далеко сейчас» от берега), he thought. I hope no one has been too worried (надеюсь, никто сильно не волнуется). There is only the boy to worry (волноваться может только мальчик), of course. But I am sure he would have confidence (но я уверен, что он во мне не сомневается: «имеет уверенность»). Many of the older fishermen will worry (многие из рыбаков постарше будут волноваться). Many others too (и многие другие тоже), he thought. I live in a good town (я живу в хорошем городе).
He could not talk to the fish anymore (он не мог больше говорить с рыбой) because the fish had been ruined too badly (потому что она была слишком сильно изувечена). Then something came into his head (затем что-то пришло ему в голову).
"Half fish (полрыбы)," he said. "Fish that you were (рыба, которой ты была = бывшая рыба). I am sorry that I went too far out (мне жаль, что я зашел слишком далеко в море). I ruined us both (я погубил нас обоих). But we have killed many sharks (но мы убили много акул), you and I (ты и я), and ruined many others (и покалечили многих других = а покалечили еще больше). How many did you ever kill, old fish (скольких ты убила, старая рыба)? You do not have that spear on your head for nothing (ведь не зря у тебя есть этот меч на голове)."
confidence ['kOnfId(q)ns], ruin [ruIn], ever ['evq]
He did not want to look at the fish. He knew that half of him had been destroyed. The sun had gone down while he had been in the fight with the sharks.
"It will be dark soon," he said. "Then I should see the glow of Havana. If I am too far to the eastward I will see the lights of one of the new beaches."
I cannot be too far out now, he thought. I hope no one has been too worried. There is only the boy to worry, of course. But I am sure he would have confidence. Many of the older fishermen will worry. Many others too, he thought. I live in a good town.
He could not talk to the fish anymore because the fish had been ruined too badly. Then something came into his head.
"Half fish," he said. "Fish that you were. I am sorry that I went too far out. I ruined us both. But we have killed many sharks, you and I, and ruined many others. How many did you ever kill, old fish? You do not have that spear on your head for nothing."
He liked to think of the fish (ему нравилось думать о рыбе) and what he could do to a shark if he were swimming free (и что она могла сделать с акулой, если бы свободно плавала). I should have chopped the bill off (мне следовало отрубить ее меч) to fight them with (чтобы драться им), he thought. But there was no hatchet (но не было топора) and then there was no knife (а затем не было ножа = а затем и нож был утрачен).
But if I had (но если бы я так сделал), and could have lashed it to an oar butt (и сумел бы привязать его к рукоятке весла), what a weapon (что это было бы за оружие). Then we might have fought them together (тогда мы могли бы драться с ними вместе). What will you do now if they come in the night (что ты будешь делать, если они придут ночью)? What can you do (что ты сможешь сделать)?
"Fight them (драться с ними)," he said. "I'll fight them until I die (я буду драться с ними, пока не умру)."
But in the dark now (но сейчас в темноте) and no glow showing and no lights (и /при том, что/ ни зарева, ни огней не было видно) and only the wind and the steady pull of the sail (и /при том, что были/ только ветер и надутый им парус: «спокойная тяга паруса») he felt that perhaps he was already dead (и ему почудилось, что, возможно, он уже мертв). He put his two hands together and felt the palms (он соединил руки вместе и почувствовал ладони). They were not dead (они не были мертвы) and he could bring the pain of life (и он мог вернуть боль жизни) by simply opening and closing them (просто разжимая и сжимая их). He leaned his back against the stern (он прислонился спиной к корме) and knew he was not dead (и понял, что он не мертв). His shoulders told him (его плечи сказали ему об этом).
hatchet ['hxCIt], palm [pRm], lean [lJn]
He liked to think of the fish and what he could do to a shark if he were swimming free. I should have chopped the bill off to fight them with, he thought. But there was no hatchet and then there was no knife.
But if I had, and could have lashed it to an oar butt, what a weapon. Then we might have fought them together. What will you do now if they come in the night? What can you do?
"Fight them," he said. "I'll fight them until I die."
But in the dark now and no glow showing and no lights and only the wind and the steady pull of the sail he felt that perhaps he was already dead. He put his two hands together and felt the palms. They were not dead and he could bring the pain of life by simply opening and closing them. He leaned his back against the stern and knew he was not dead. His shoulders told him.
I have all those prayers I promised if I caught the fish (мне нужно прочесть все те молитвы, которые я пообещал прочесть, если поймаю рыбу), he thought. But I am too tired to say them now (но я слишком устал, чтобы читать их сейчас). I better get the sack (я лучше достану мешок) and put it over my shoulders (и прикрою им плечи: «надену его на плечи»).
