沒有的漁網，與偉大的狄馬喬

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

「你有什麼吃的？」男孩問。

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

「一鍋黃米飯配魚。你要不要來一點？」

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

「不用。我回家吃。要我幫你生火嗎？」

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

「不用。我晚點自己生。要不然我把飯冷著吃也行。」

"May I take the cast net?"

「我可以把撒網拿走嗎？」

"Of course."

「當然。」

There was no cast net and the boy remembered when they had sold it.

根本沒有撒網，男孩還記得他們是什麼時候把它賣掉的。

But they went through this fiction every day.

可是他們每天都要把這齣戲演一遍。

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

也沒有什麼一鍋黃米飯配魚，這一點男孩同樣知道。

"Eighty-five is a lucky number," the old man said.

「八十五是個吉利的數字，」老人說。

"How would you like to see me bring one in that dressed out over a thousand pounds?"

「你想不想看我拖一條回來，剖乾淨還有一千多磅的？」

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

「我去拿撒網弄沙丁魚。你會坐在門口曬太陽嗎？」

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

「會。我有昨天的報紙，我要看棒球。」

The boy did not know whether yesterday's paper was a fiction too.

男孩不知道那張昨天的報紙是不是也是演的。

But the old man brought it out from under the bed.

可是老人真的從床底下把它拿了出來。

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

「佩里科在雜貨舖給我的，」他解釋道。

"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."

「我弄到沙丁魚就回來。我把你的和我的一起冰著，早上我們平分。我回來的時候，你跟我講棒球。」

"The Yankees cannot lose."

「洋基不可能輸。」

"But I fear the Indians of Cleveland."

「可是我怕克里夫蘭的印地安人。」

"Have faith in the Yankees my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

「對洋基要有信心，我的孩子。想想偉大的狄馬喬。」

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

「底特律的老虎和克里夫蘭的印地安人我都怕。」

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

「小心點，再這樣下去，你連辛辛那提的紅人和芝加哥的白襪都要怕了。」

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

「你好好研究，等我回來講給我聽。」

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

「你說我們該不該買個尾數八十五的彩券？明天就是第八十五天了。」

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

「可以啊，」男孩說。「不過你那個了不起的紀錄，八十七呢？」

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

「同樣的事不會發生兩次。你弄得到八十五嗎？」

"I can order one."

「我可以訂一張。」

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

「一整張。那是兩塊半。這錢我們跟誰借？」

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

「那容易。兩塊半我隨時借得到。」

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

「我大概也借得到。可是我盡量不借。先是借，然後就是討。」

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

「別著涼了，老頭子，」男孩說。「別忘了現在是九月。」

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

「大魚來的月份，」老人說。「五月裡誰都能當漁夫。」

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

「我去弄沙丁魚了，」男孩說。

When the boy came back the old man was asleep in the chair and the sun was down.

男孩回來的時候，老人已經在椅子上睡著了，太陽也下山了。

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.

男孩把床上那條舊軍毯拿下來，鋪在椅背上，蓋住老人的肩膀。

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.

那是一副奇特的肩膀，雖然非常老，卻還很有力；脖子也還強壯，而且老人睡著、頭往前垂的時候，那些皺褶就不那麼顯眼了。

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.

他的襯衫補過太多次，補得像那面帆一樣，那些補丁被太陽曬成了深淺不一的顏色。

The old man's head was very old though and with his eyes closed there was no life in his face.

不過老人的頭是非常老的，閉上眼睛，臉上就沒有生氣了。

The newspaper lay across his knees and the weight of his arm held it there in the evening breeze.

報紙攤在他膝上，靠他手臂的重量壓著，才沒被晚風吹走。

He was barefooted.

他打著赤腳。

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

男孩就讓他在那兒睡著，等他再回來的時候，老人還在睡。

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

「醒醒吧，老頭子，」男孩說，一隻手按在老人的膝蓋上。

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

老人睜開眼睛，有那麼一會兒，他像是從很遠的地方一路走回來。

Then he smiled.

然後他笑了。

"What have you got?" he asked.

「你弄到什麼了？」他問。

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

「晚飯，」男孩說。「我們要吃晚飯了。」

"I'm not very hungry."

「我不太餓。」

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

「來吃吧。哪有人要打魚又不吃飯的。」

"I have," the old man said getting up and taking the newspaper and folding it.

「我有過，」老人一面說，一面站起來，拿起報紙摺好。

Then he started to fold the blanket.

接著他動手要摺那條毯子。

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

「毯子披著，」男孩說。「只要我還活著，你就別想不吃飯就去打魚。」

"Then live a long time and take care of yourself," the old man said. "What are we eating?"

「那你就好好活著、好好照顧自己，」老人說。「我們吃什麼？」

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

「黑豆飯、炸香蕉，還有一些燉菜。」

The boy had brought them in a two-decker metal container from the Terrace.

男孩是用露台酒館的一個雙層金屬飯盒裝回來的。

The two sets of knives and forks and spoons were in his pocket with a paper napkin wrapped around each set.

兩副刀叉湯匙裝在他口袋裡，每一副都用一張紙餐巾包著。

"Who gave this to you?"

「誰給你的？」

"Martin. The owner."

「馬丁。老闆。」

"I must thank him."

「我得謝謝他。」

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

「我已經謝過了，」男孩說。「你不用再謝。」

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

「我要給他一塊大魚的腹肉，」老人說。「他這樣幫我們不只一次了吧？」

"I think so."

「我想是的。」

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

「那我得給他比腹肉更多的東西。他對我們真周到。」

"He sent two beers."

「他還送了兩瓶啤酒。」

"I like the beer in cans best."

「我最喜歡罐裝的啤酒。」

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

「我知道。可是這是瓶裝的，阿圖依啤酒，瓶子我會拿回去還。」

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

「你真好，」老人說。「我們吃吧？」

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

「我一直在請你吃啊，」男孩輕聲對他說。「我只是不想在你還沒準備好之前就把飯盒打開。」

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

「我現在準備好了，」老人說。「我只是需要點時間洗一洗。」

Where did you wash? the boy thought.

你上哪兒洗？男孩心裡想。

The village water supply was two streets down the road.

村子的水源在下面隔兩條街的地方。

I must have water here for him, the boy thought, and soap and a good towel.

我得在這裡替他備水，男孩想，還要肥皂，還要一條好毛巾。

Why am I so thoughtless?

我怎麼這麼沒想周到？

I must get him another shirt and a jacket for the winter and some sort of shoes and another blanket.

我得替他弄一件襯衫、一件過冬的外套、一雙什麼樣的鞋，還有一條毯子。

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

「你這燉菜真好吃，」老人說。

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

「跟我講講棒球，」男孩央他。

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

「美聯就像我說的，是洋基，」老人高高興興地說。

"They lost today," the boy told him.

「他們今天輸了，」男孩告訴他。

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

「那不算什麼。偉大的狄馬喬又恢復水準了。」

"They have other men on the team."

「隊上又不是只有他一個。」

"Naturally. But he makes the difference.

「那當然。可是關鍵在他。

In the other league, between Brooklyn and Philadelphia I must take Brooklyn.

另外那個聯盟，布魯克林跟費城之間，我一定選布魯克林。

But then I think of Dick Sisler and those great drives in the old park."

可是我一想到迪克·西斯勒，想到他在那座老球場打出的那些強勁長打……」

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

「那種球從來沒有人打得出來。他打的球是我見過飛得最遠的。」

"Do you remember when he used to come to the Terrace?

「你記得他從前常來露台嗎？

I wanted to take him fishing but I was too timid to ask him.

我想帶他去釣魚，可是我太靦腆，不敢開口。

Then I asked you to ask him and you were too timid."

後來我叫你去問他，你也太靦腆。」

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

「我知道。那是個大錯。他說不定就跟我們去了。那我們這輩子就一直有這件事可以回味。」

"I would like to take the great DiMaggio fishing," the old man said.

「我真想帶偉大的狄馬喬去釣魚，」老人說。

"They say his father was a fisherman. Maybe he was as poor as we are and would understand."

「聽說他父親是個漁夫。說不定他從前跟我們一樣窮，會懂的。」

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

「偉大的西斯勒他父親可從來不窮，而且他父親在我這個年紀就已經在大聯盟打球了。」

"When I was your age I was before the mast on a square rigged ship that ran to Africa and I have seen lions on the beaches in the evening."

「我在你這個年紀，是在一條跑非洲航線的橫帆船上當普通水手，我在傍晚的海灘上見過獅子。」

"I know. You told me."

「我知道。你跟我說過。」

"Should we talk about Africa or about baseball?"

「我們要談非洲，還是談棒球？」

"Baseball I think," the boy said. "Tell me about the great John J. McGraw."

「我想談棒球，」男孩說。「跟我講講偉大的約翰·J·麥格勞。」

He said Jota for J.

那個 J，他是照西班牙語念成「霍塔」的。

"He used to come to the Terrace sometimes too in the older days.

「早些年他也常來露台。

But he was rough and harsh-spoken and difficult when he was drinking.

可是他這人粗魯、說話難聽，喝了酒更是不好相處。

His mind was on horses as well as baseball.

他心裡除了棒球還惦記著馬。

At least he carried lists of horses at all times in his pocket and frequently spoke the names of horses on the telephone."

至少他口袋裡隨時揣著馬的名單，而且常在電話上念一串馬的名字。」

"He was a great manager," the boy said. "My father thinks he was the greatest."

「他是個了不起的教頭，」男孩說。「我爸認為他是最偉大的。」

"Because he came here the most times," the old man said.

「那是因為他來這裡來得最多，」老人說。

"If Durocher had continued to come here each year your father would think him the greatest manager."

「要是杜洛徹也年年來，你爸就會覺得他才是最偉大的教頭了。」