友情提示：如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整，请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页！
hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第23部分
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！
¨In a family like ours somebody has to worry；〃 young Tom said。 ¨But I never worry about you anymore。 Itˇs David now。 I guess I better make a couple of more drinks。 I can pray while I make them。 Do you want one； papa？〃
¨Iˇd love one。〃
¨Eddy probably needs one pretty badly；〃 the boy said。 ¨It must be nearly three hours。 Eddyˇs only had one drink in three hours。 Iˇve certainly been remiss about things。 Why do you suppose Mr。 Davis wouldnˇt take one； papa？〃
¨I didnˇt think he would take one while David was going through all that。〃
¨Maybe he will now Daveˇs in the shade。 Iˇll try him now anyway。〃
He went below。
¨I donˇt think so； Tommy；〃 Thomas Hudson heard Roger say。
¨You havenˇt had one all day； Mr。 Davis；〃 Tom urged。
¨Thanks； Tommy；〃 Roger said。 ¨You drink a bottle of beer for me。〃 Then he called up to the wheel。 ¨Put her ahead a little easy； Tom。 Heˇs coming better on this tack。〃
¨Ahead a little easy；〃 Thomas Hudson repeated。
The fish was still circling deep； but in the direction the boat was headed now he was shortening the circle。 It was the direction he wanted to move in。 Now； too； it was easier to see the slant of the line。 It was easier to see its true slant much deeper in the dark water with the sun behind the boat and Thomas Hudson felt safer steering with the fish。 He thought how fortunate it was that the day was calm for he knew David could never have taken the punishment that he would have had if he were hooked to such a fish in even a moderate sea。 Now that David was in the shade and the sea stayed calm he began to feel better about it all。
¨Thanks； Tommy；〃 he heard Eddy say and then the boy climbed up with his paper…wrapped glass and Thomas Hudson tasted； took a swallow and felt the cold that had the sharpness of the lime； the aromatic varnishy taste of the Angostura and the gin stiffening the lightness of the ice…cold coconut water。
¨Is it all right； papa？〃 the boy asked。 He had a bottle of beer from the icebox that was perspiring cold drops in the sun。
¨Itˇs excellent；〃 his father told him。 ¨You put in plenty of gin too。〃
¨I have to；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Because the ice melts so fast。 We ought to have some sort of insulated holders for the glasses so the ice wouldnˇt melt。 Iˇm going to work out something at school。 I think I could make them out of cork blocks。 Maybe I can make them for you for Christmas。〃
¨Look at Dave now；〃 his father said。
David was working on the fish as though he had just started the fight。
¨Look how sort of slab…sided he is；〃 young Tom said。 ¨His chest and his back are all the same。 He looks sort of like he was glued together。 But heˇs got the longest arm muscles you could ever see。 Theyˇre just as long on the back of his arms as on the front。 The biceps and the triceps I mean。 Heˇs certainly built strangely； papa。 Heˇs a strange boy and heˇs the best damn brother you can have。〃
Down in the cockpit Eddy had drained his glass and was wiping Davidˇs back with a towel again。 Then he wiped his chest and his long arms。
¨You all right； Davy？〃
David nodded。
¨Listen；〃 Eddy told him； ¨Iˇve seen a grown man； strong； shoulders like a bull； yellow…out and quit on half the work youˇve put in on that fish already。〃
David kept on working。
¨Big man。 Your Dad and Roger both know him。 Trained for it。 Fishing all the time。 Hooked the biggest goddam fish a man ever hooked and yellowed out and quit on him just because he hurt。 Fish made him hurt so he quit。 You just keep it steady； Davy。〃
David did not say anything。 He was saving his breath and pumping； lowering； raising； and reeling。
¨This damn fish is so strong because heˇs a he；〃 Eddy told him。 ¨If it was a she it would have quit long ago。 It would have bust its insides or its heart or burst its roe。 In this kind of fish the he is the strongest。 In lots of other fish itˇs the she that is strongest。 But not with broadbill。 Heˇs awfully strong； Davy。 But youˇll get him。〃
The line started to go out again and David shut his eyes a moment； braced his bare feet against the wood； hung back against the rod； and rested。
¨Thatˇs right； Davy；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Only work when youˇre working。 Heˇs just circling。 But the drag makes him work for it and itˇs tiring him all the time。〃
Eddy turned his head and looked below and Thomas Hudson knew from the way he squinted his eyes that he was looking at the big brass clock on the cabin wall。
¨Itˇs five over three； Roger；〃 he said。 ¨Youˇve been with him three hours and five minutes； Davy old boy。〃
They were at the point where David should have started to gain line。 But instead the line was going out steadily。
¨Heˇs sounding again；〃 Roger said。 ¨Watch yourself； Davy。 Can you see the line OK； Tom？〃
¨I can see it OK；〃 Thomas Hudson told him。 It was not yet at a very steep slant and he could see it a long way down in the water from the top of the house。
¨He may want to go down to die；〃 Thomas Hudson told his oldest boy； speaking very low。 ¨That would ruin Dave。〃
Young Tom shook his head and bit his lips。
¨Hold him all you can； Dave；〃 Thomas Hudson heard Roger say。 ¨Tighten up on him and give it all it will take。〃
The boy tightened up the drag almost to the breaking point of the rod and line and then hung on； bracing himself to take the punishment the best he could； while the line went out and out and down and down。
¨When you stop him this time I think you will have whipped him；〃 Roger told David。 ¨Throw her out； Tom。〃
¨Sheˇs cut；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨But I think I could save a little backing。〃
¨OK。 Try it。〃
¨Backing now；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 They saved a little line by backing but not much； and the line was getting terribly straight up and down。 There was less on the reel now than at the worst time before。
¨Youˇll have to get out on the stern； Davy；〃 Roger said。 ¨Youˇll have to loosen the drag up a little to get the butt out。〃
David loosened the drag。
¨Now get the butt into your butt rest。 You hold him around the waist； Eddy。〃
¨Oh God； papa；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Heˇs taking it all right to the bottom now。〃
David was on his knees on the low stern now； the rod bent so that its tip was underwater； its butt in the leather socket of the butt rest that was strapped around his waist。 Andrew was holding onto Davidˇs feet and Roger knelt beside him watching the line in the water and the little there was on the reel。 He shook his head at Thomas Hudson。
There was not twenty yards more on the reel and David was pulled down with half the rod underwater now。 Then there was barely fifteen yards on the reel。 Now there was not ten yards。 Then the line stopped going out。 The boy was still bent far over the stern and most of the rod was in the water。 But no line was going out。
¨Get him back into the chair； Eddy。 Easy。 Easy；〃 Roger said。 ¨When you can； I mean。 Heˇs stopped him。〃
Eddy helped David back into the fighting chair； holding him around the waist so that a sudden lurch by the fish would not pull the boy overboard。 Eddy eased him into the chair and David got the rod butt into the gimbel socket and braced with his feet and pulled back on the rod。 The fish lifted a little。
¨Only pull when you are going to get some line；〃 Roger told David。 ¨Let him pull the rest of the time。 Try and rest inside the action except when you are working on him。〃
¨Youˇve got him； Davy；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Youˇre getting it on him all the time。 Just take it slow and easy and youˇll kill him。
Thomas Hudson eased the boat a little forward to put the fish further astern。 There was good shadow now over all the stern。 The boat was working steadily further out to sea and no wind troubled the surface。
¨Papa；〃 young Tom said to his father。 ¨I was looking at his feet when I made the drinks。 Theyˇre bleeding。〃
¨Heˇs chafed them pulling against the wood。〃
¨Do you think I could put a pillow there？ A cushion for him to pull against？〃
¨Go down and ask Eddy；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨But donˇt interrupt Dave。〃
It was well into the fourth hour of the fight now。 The boat was still working out to sea and David； with Roger holding the back of his chair now； was raising the fish steadily。 David looked stronger now than he had an hour before but Thomas Hudson could see where his heels showed the blood that had run down from the soles of his feet。 It looked varnished in the sun。
¨Howˇs your feet； Davy？〃 Eddy asked。
¨They donˇt hurt；〃 David said。 ¨What hurts is my hands and arms and my back。〃
¨I could put a cushion under them。〃
David shook his head。
¨I think theyˇd stick；〃 he said。 ¨Theyˇre sticky。 They donˇt hurt。 Really。〃
Young Tom came up to the top side and said； ¨Heˇs wearing the bottoms of his feet right off。 Heˇs getting his hands bad too。 Heˇs had blisters and now theyˇre all open。 Gee； papa。 I donˇt know。〃
¨Itˇs the same as if he had to paddle against a stiff current； Tommy。 Or if he had to keep going up a mountain or stick with a horse after he was awfully tired。〃
¨I know it。 But just watching it and not doing it seems so sort of awful when itˇs your brother。〃
¨I know it； Tommy。 But there is a time boys have to do things if they are ever going to be men。 Thatˇs where Dave is now。〃
¨I know it。 But when I see his feet and his hands I donˇt know； papa。〃
¨If you had the fish would you want Roger or me to take him away from you？〃
¨No。 Iˇd want to stay with him till I died。 But to see it with Davy is different。〃
¨We have to think about how he feels；〃 his father told him。 ¨And whatˇs important to him。〃
¨I know；〃 young Tom said hopelessly。 ¨But to me itˇs just Davy。 I wish the world wasnˇt the way it is and that things didnˇt have to happen to brothers。〃
¨I do too；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Youˇre an awfully good boy； Tommy。 But please know I would have stopped this long ago except that I know that if David catches this fish heˇll have something inside him for all his life and it will make everything else easier。〃
Just then Eddy spoke。 He had been looking behind him into the cabin again。
¨Four
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
温馨提示： 温看小说的同时发表评论，说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦！发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励，认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦！