17. 伊是毋是有啥計畫

17. I sī m̄-sī ū siáⁿ kè-ōe

Kui mê, hî lóng bô kái lō͘-sòaⁿ, mā bô piàn hong-hiòng, lāu lâng khòaⁿ chheⁿ tō chai. Ji̍t-lo̍h liáu ē-kôaⁿ, lāu lâng kha-chiah-phiaⁿ, chhiú-kó͘, kap nn̄g ki kha-thúi ê kōaⁿ lóng ta ah, choân-sin léng-ki-ki. Ji̍t-sî i ū the̍h khàm tī khǹg jī ê siuⁿ-á ê tē-á, tián-khui pha̍k-ji̍t. Ji̍t-lo̍h liáu, i kā he kat tī ām-kún, phi tī kha-chiah-phiaⁿ, i sió-sim kā i seh-ji̍p phāiⁿ-kòe keng-thâu ê soh-á ē-bīn. Tē-á thiap soh-á té, i koh chhōe tioh chi̍t ê hong-hoat hiòng-chêng phak tī chûn-thâu hioh-khùn, kám-kak khah sù-sī. Che chu-sè chí-sī khah bô hiah kan-khó͘; m̄-koh i jīn-ûi che ē-sái sǹg sù-sī ah lah.

I nā it-ti̍t án-ne, góa bô i hoat, i mā bô góa hoat, i siūⁿ.

Ū chi̍t-kái i khiā khí-lâi soān-jiō chhut chûn-piⁿ, khòaⁿ thiⁿ-chheⁿ, khak-jīn i ê lō͘-sòaⁿ. Soh-á ná chhiūⁿ chi̍t sok ê lîn-kng ùi i ê keng-thâu siā-chhut, ti̍t-ti̍t kàu chúi ni̍h. Taⁿ in kiâⁿ khah bān ah, Havana ê teng-kng bô kiông, só͘-tì i chai, hái-lâu it-tēng kā in khiú hiòng tang. Góa nā khòaⁿ bē tio̍h Havana ê teng-kng, tiāⁿ-tio̍h sī koh-khah tang, i án-ne siūⁿ. In-ūi hî ê lō͘-sòaⁿ nā bô piàn, kúi tiám-cheng liáu góa it-tēng iáu khòaⁿ ē tio̍h teng-kng. M̄-chai kin-á-ji̍t tōa liân-bêng ê iá-kiû pí-sài kiat-kó án-chóaⁿ, i siūⁿ. Ū lajíoh thang thiaⁿ it-tēng chán. Hit-sî i koh siūⁿ, siūⁿ chiàⁿ-sū lah. Siūⁿ taⁿ teh chò ê tāi-chì. Bē-sái chhut chha-chhò.

Kòe chi̍t-ē-á, i tōa siaⁿ kóng, "Gín-á nā tī chia tō hó lah. Ē pang-bâng, ē khòaⁿ tio̍h."

Nî-kí tōa bô èng-kai ko͘-to̍k, i siūⁿ. M-koh mā bô hoat-tō͘. Góa ài ē-kì-tit chia̍h hit bóe chhǹg-á, pó-chhî thé-la̍t, m̄-thang khǹg-kah pháiⁿ-khì. Kì tio̍h, m̄-koán lí gōa bô-ài chia̍h, thiⁿ-kng it-tēng ài chia̍h i. Kì tio̍h, i án-ne kā ka-tī kóng.

Àm-sî ū nn̄g chiah hái-chhí (porpoise) lâi chûn-piⁿ, i ū thiaⁿ tio̍h in hoan-sin, phùn-khùi ê siaⁿ. I ē-tàng hun-pia̍t kang--ê khah chho͘ siaⁿ ê phùn-khùi hām bó--ê ná thó͘-tōa-khùi ê siaⁿ.

"In chiâⁿ hó," i kóng. "In teh chò-sńg, teh kún-chhiò, siong-chhin siong-ài. Kap poe-o͘ kāng-khoán, in lóng sī lán ê hiaⁿ-tī."

Hit-sî i soah khai-sí tông-chêng hit chiah i tiò tio̍h ê tōa hî. I chán koh koài, siáng chai i kúi-hòe, i siūⁿ. Góa m̄-bat lia̍h tio̍h chiah ióng ê hî, mā m̄-bat ū tōng-chok chiah koài ê. Sī-m̄-sī i siuⁿ khiáu, m̄-ài thiàu. I nā thiàu a̍h-sī loān chông, góa tō hāi lah. Khó-lêng i chìn-chêng tio̍h-tiàu kúi-nā kái, chai-iáⁿ án-ne lâi kap lâng tak. I bô khó-lêng chai, tùi-hù i ê chí-sī ko͘-chi̍t-ê, koh sī chi̍t ê lāu lâng. M̄-koh i chiah tōa-chiah, hî-bah nā chán, i tī chhī-tiûⁿ ta̍t gōa-chē ah. I chia̍h-jī ná kang--ê, khiú soh-á ná kang--ê, i sio-tak bô kiaⁿ-hiâⁿ. Góa m̄-chai, i sī-m̄-sī ū siáⁿ kè-ōe, a̍h-sī i kap góa kāng-khoán piàn bô-pō͘ ah.

--

17. 伊是毋是有啥計畫

規暝, 魚攏無改路線, mā 無變方向, 老人看星 tō 知. 日落了會寒, 老人 kha-chiah-phiaⁿ, 手股, kap 兩枝跤腿 ê 汗攏焦 ah, 全身冷吱吱. 日時伊有提崁 tī 囥餌 ê 箱仔 ê 袋仔, 展開曝日. 日落了, 伊 kā 彼結 tī ām-kún, 披 tī kha-chiah-phiⁿ, 伊小心 kā 伊 seh 入揹過肩頭 ê 索仔下面. 袋仔 thiap tī 索仔底, 伊 koh 揣著一个方法向前仆 tī 船頭歇睏, 感覺較四序. 這姿勢只是較無 hiah 艱苦; 毋過伊認為這 ē-sái 算四序 ah lah.

伊若一直 án-ne, 我無伊法, 伊 mā 無我法, 伊想.

有一改伊徛起來漩尿出船邊, 看天星, 確認伊 ê 路線. 索仔若像一束 ê 磷光 ùi 伊 ê 肩頭射出, 直直到水 ni̍h. 今 in 行較慢 ah, Havana ê 燈光無強, 所致伊知, 海流一定 kā in 搝向東. 我若看袂著 Havana ê 燈光, 定著是閣較東, 伊 án-ne 想. 因為魚 ê 路線若無變, 幾點鐘了我一定猶看會著燈光. 毋知今仔日大聯盟 ê 野球比賽結果按怎, 伊想. 有 lajíoh 通聽一定讚. 彼時伊 koh 想, 想正事 lah. 想今 teh 做 ê 代誌. 袂使出差錯.

過一下仔, 伊大聲講, "囡仔若 tī 遮 tō 好 lah. 會幫忙, 會看著."

年紀大無應該孤獨, 伊想. 毋過 mā 無法度. 我愛會記得食彼尾串仔, 保持體力, 毋通囥甲歹去. 記著, 毋管你偌無愛食, 天光一定愛食伊. 記著, 伊 án-ne kā 家己講.

暗時有兩隻海鼠 (porpoise) 來船邊, 伊有聽著 in 翻身, 噴氣 ê 聲. 伊會當分別公 ê 較粗聲 ê 噴氣和母 ê ná 吐大氣 ê 聲.

"In 誠好," 伊講. "In teh 做耍, teh 滾笑, 相親相愛. Kap 飛烏仝款, in 攏是咱 ê 兄弟."

彼時伊煞開始同情彼隻伊釣著 ê 大魚. 伊讚 koh 怪, siáng 知伊幾歲, 伊想. 我 m̄-bat 掠著 chiah 勇 ê 魚, mā m̄-bat 有動作 chiah 怪 ê. 是毋是伊 siuⁿ 巧, 毋愛跳. 伊若跳抑是亂 chông, 我 tō 害 lah. 可能伊進前著吊幾若改, 知影 án-ne 來 kap 人觸. 伊無可能知, 對付伊 ê 只是孤一个, koh 是一个老人. 毋過伊 chiah 大隻, 魚肉若讚, 伊 tī 市場值偌濟 ah. 伊食餌 ná 公 ê, 搝索仔 ná 公 ê, 伊相觸無驚惶. 我毋知, 伊是毋是有啥計畫, 抑是伊 kap 我仝款變無步 ah.

--

17.

The fish never changed his course nor his direction all that night as far as the man could tell from watching the stars. It was cold after the sun went down and the old man’s sweat dried cold on his back and his arms and his old legs. During the day he had taken the sack that covered the bait box and spread it in the sun to dry. After the sun went down he tied it around his neck so that it hung down over his back and he cautiously worked it down under the line that was across his shoulders now. The sack cushioned the line and he had found a way of leaning forward against the bow so that he was almost comfortable. The position actually was only somewhat less intolerable; but he thought of it as almost comfortable.

I can do nothing with him and he can do nothing with me, he thought. Not as long as he keeps this up.

Once he stood up and urinated over the side of the skiff and looked at the stars and checked his course. The line showed like a phosphorescent streak in the water straight out from his shoulders. They were moving more slowly now and the glow of Havana was not so strong, so that he knew the current must be carrying them to the eastward. If I lose the glare of Havana we must be going more to the eastward, he thought. For if the fish’s course held true I must see it for many more hours. I wonder how the baseball came out in the grand leagues today, he thought. It would be wonderful to do this with a radio. Then he thought, think of it always. Think of what you are doing. You must do nothing stupid.

Then he said aloud, “I wish I had the boy. To help me and to see this.”

No one should be alone in their old age, he thought. But it is unavoidable. I must remember to eat the tuna before he spoils in order to keep strong. Remember, no matter how little you want to, that you must eat him in the morning. Remember, he said to himself.

During the night two porpoises came around the boat and he could hear them rolling and blowing. He could tell the difference between the blowing noise the male made and the sighing blow of the female.

“They are good,” he said. “They play and make jokes and love one another. They are our brothers like the flying fish.”

Then he began to pity the great fish that he had hooked. He is wonderful and strange and who knows how old he is, he thought. Never have I had such a strong fish nor one who acted so strangely. Perhaps he is too wise to jump. He could ruin me by jumping or by a wild rush. But perhaps he has been hooked many times before and he knows that this is how he should make his fight. He cannot know that it is only one man against him, nor that it is an old man. But what a great fish he is and what will he bring in the market if the flesh is good. He took the bait like a male and he pulls like a male and his fight has no panic in it. I wonder if he has any plans or if he is just as desperate as I am?

--

16. 魚穩定拖船出海

16. Hî un-tēng thoa chûn chhut hái

"Koh chia̍h--kóa," i kóng. "Hó-hó chia̍h."

Chia̍h-lo̍h, hō͘ tiàu-kau chiam chha̍k-ji̍p lí ê sim-koaⁿ, hō͘ lí bô-miā, i siūⁿ. Bān-bān phû--khí-lâi, hō͘ góa iōng hî-chhiuⁿ chhiám-ji̍p lí. Tio̍h. Lí chún-pī hó bōe? Lí chia̍h-pá bōe?

"Lâi!" i tōa siaⁿ kiò, iōng nn̄g chhiú khiú, khiú chi̍t bí ê soh-á, koh khiú, koh chhoah, nn̄g chhiú lûn-liû piàⁿ-miā iōng chhiú-kó͘ la̍t kap thé-tāng khiú soh-á.

Bô hāu. Hî bān-bān kiâⁿ-khui, lāu lâng khiú i bē tāng. I ê soh-á chin ióng, m̄-kiaⁿ tōa hî, i kā keng tī kha-chiah-phiaⁿ, keng ân-ân, chùn-chhut chúi-chu. Soh-á tī chúi ni̍h hoat-chhut chùn-tāng ê s~s~ ê siaⁿ, i iáu peⁿ ân-ân, tú tī chē-pang, sin-khu tò-hiàⁿ tōa-la̍t khiú. Chûn-á khai-sí bān-bān-á sóa-ūi hiòng sai-pak khì.

Hî sūn-sūn-á sóa-tāng, in tī pêng-chēng ê chúi-bīn bān-bān-á phiau-tāng. Kî-thaⁿ ê hî-jī iáu tī chúi ni̍h, í-keng kò͘ in bē tio̍h lah.

"Gín-á nā tī chia tō hó ah," lāu lâng kóng chhut-siaⁿ. "Góa taⁿ hō͘ hî-á thoa, góa sī pa̍k soh-á ê thiāu-á. Góa ē-tàng kā soh-á pa̍k-sí, m̄-koh i ē kā piak-tn̄g. Góa ài khiú-tiâu tio̍h, i chhut-la̍t ê sî, góa ài pàng kóa soh-á hō͘ i. Ka-chài i sī teh kiâⁿ, bô tîm lo̍h-khì."

I nā nǹg-chhim lo̍h, góa ài án-chóaⁿ, góa mā m̄-chai. I nā tîm-té, sí khì, góa ài án-chóaⁿ, góa mā m̄-chai. Góa ài chún-pī, ū chin chē thang chò--ê.

I iōng kha-chiah-āu keng soh-á, khòaⁿ soh-á tī chúi ni̍h ê siâ-tō͘, sió-chûn chin ún-tēng kiâⁿ hiòng sai-pak khì.

Án-ne i ē sí, lāu lâng siūⁿ. I bô khó-lêng it-ti̍t thoa. M̄-koh kòe-liáu sì tiám-cheng, hî iáu sī ún-tēng thoa chûn chhut-hái, lāu lâng mā-sī iōng kha-chiah-phiaⁿ ân-ân keng soh-á.

"Tiò tio̍h ê sî sī tiong-tàu," i kóng. "Góa iáu bōe khòaⁿ tio̍h i."

Tiò tio̍h hî í-chêng i í-keng kā chháu-bō-á ah kē-kē, taⁿ hia̍h-thâu kám-kak siuⁿ ân. I mā chhùi-ta, só͘-í i kūi--lo̍h-lâi, sè-jī mài chhe̍k tio̍h soh-á, chi̍t chhiú chīn-liōng chhun khì chûn-thâu the̍h chúi-koàn, phah-khui koàn-á, sió-khóa lim leh. Koh-lâi i khò tī chûn-thâu hioh-khùn. I chē tī bô khiā-khí ê ûi-koaiⁿ kap chûn-phâng, siáⁿ lóng bô siūⁿ, chí chai it-tēng ài kian-chhî lo̍h.

Chi̍t khùn liáu, i khòaⁿ āu-piah, í-keng khòaⁿ bô lio̍k-tē. Che bô chha, i siūⁿ. Góa chóng ē-tàng khòaⁿ Havana ê teng-kng tńg--khì. Koh nn̄g tiám-cheng ji̍t-thâu chiah lo̍h-soaⁿ, i khó-lêng ē seng phû--khí-lâi. Nā-bô, khó-lêng goe̍h chhut i tō phû ah. Nā-bô, bîn-á-chài ji̍t chhut i tiāⁿ-tio̍h ē phû--chhut-lâi. Góa bô kiù-kin, kám-kak ū-la̍t-thâu. Tio̍h-tiàu--ê sī i. I chin bô-kán-tan, ū hoat-tō͘ án-ne khiú. I it-tēng kā tih-sòaⁿ kâm tī chhùi. Nā khòaⁿ ē tio̍h i tō hó ah. Hō͘ góa khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē, hō͘ góa chai-iáⁿ tùi-chhiú seⁿ-chò án-chóaⁿ.

--

16. 魚穩定拖船出海

"Koh 食寡," 伊講. "好好食."

食落, 予釣鉤尖鑿入你 ê 心肝, 予你無命, 伊想. 慢慢浮起來, 予我用魚槍攕入你. 著. 你準備好未? 你食飽未?

"來!" 伊大聲叫, 用兩手搝, 搝一米 ê 索仔, koh 搝, koh 掣, 兩手輪流拚命用手股力 kap 體重搝索仔.

無效. 魚慢慢行開, 老人搝伊袂動. 伊 ê 索仔真勇, 毋驚大魚, 伊 kā 弓 tī 尻脊骿, 弓絚絚, 顫出水珠. 索仔 tī 水 ni̍h 發出顫動 ê s~s~ ê 聲, 伊猶繃絚絚, 拄 tī 坐枋, 身軀倒 hiàⁿ 大力搝. 船仔開始慢慢仔徙位向西北去.

魚順順仔徙動, in tī 平靜 ê 水面慢慢仔漂動. 其他 ê 魚餌猶 tī 水 ni̍h, 已經顧 in 袂著 lah.

"囡仔若 tī 遮 tō 好 ah," 老人講出聲. "我今予魚仔拖, 我是縛索仔 ê 柱仔. 我會當 kā 索仔縛死, 毋過伊會 kā 煏斷. 我愛搝牢著, 伊出力 ê 時, 我愛放寡索仔予伊. 佳哉伊是 teh 行, 無沉落去."

伊若 nǹg 深落, 我愛按怎, 我 mā 毋知. 伊若沉底, 死去, 我愛按怎, 我 mā 毋知. 我愛準備, 有真濟通做 ê.

伊用尻脊後弓索仔, 看索仔 tī 水 ni̍h ê 斜度, 小船真穩定行向西北去.

Án-ne 伊會死, 老人想. 伊無可能一直拖. 毋過過了四點鐘, 魚猶是穩定拖船出海, 老人 mā 是用尻脊骿絚絚弓索仔.

"釣著 ê 時是中晝," 伊講. "我猶未看著伊."

釣著魚以前伊已經 kā 草帽仔壓低低, 今額頭感覺 siuⁿ 絚. 伊 mā 喙焦, 所以伊跪落來, 細膩莫 chhe̍k 著索仔, 一手盡量伸去船頭提水罐, 拍開罐仔, 小可啉 leh. 閣來伊靠 tī 船頭歇睏. 伊坐 tī 無徛起 ê 桅杆 kap 船帆, 啥攏無想, 只知一定愛堅持落.

一睏了, 伊看後壁, 已經看無陸地. 這無差, 伊想. 我總會當看 Havana ê 燈光轉去. Koh 兩點鐘日頭才落山, 伊可能會先浮起來. 若無, 可能月出伊 tō 浮 ah. 若無, 明仔載日出伊定著會浮出來. 我無糾筋, 感覺有力頭. 著吊 ê 是伊. 伊真無簡單, 有法度 án-ne 搝. 伊一定 kā 鐵線含 tī 喙. 若看會著伊 tō 好 ah. 予我看一下, 予我知影對手生做按怎.

--

16.

“Eat it a little more,” 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 moved 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 hack 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 move slowly off toward the north-west.

The fish moved 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 slant in the water and the skiff moving steadily to the north-west.

This will kill him, the old man thought. He can’t do this forever. But four hours later the fish was still swimming steadily out to sea, towing the skiff, and the old man was still braced solidly with the line across his back.

“It was noon when I hooked him,” he said. “And I have never seen him.”

He had pushed his straw hat hard down on his head before he hooked the fish and it was cutting his forehead. He was thirsty too and he got down on his knees and, being careful not to jerk on the line, moved as far into the bow as he could get and reached the water bottle with one hand. He opened it and drank a little. Then he rested against the bow. He rested sitting on the un-stepped mast and sail and tried not to think but only to endure.

Then he looked behind him and saw that no land was visible. That makes no difference, he thought. I can always come in on the glow from Havana. There are two more hours before the sun sets and maybe he will come up before that. If he doesn’t maybe he will come up with the moon. If he does not do that maybe he will come up with the sunrise. I have no cramps and I feel strong. It is he that has the hook in his mouth. But what a fish to pull like that. He must have his mouth shut tight on the wire. I wish I could see him. I wish I could see him only once to know what I have against me.

--

15. 魚 ah, 緊食 lah

15. Hî ah, kín chia̍h lah

Lāu lâng sè-jī khin-khin kā soh-á tēⁿ leh, iōng tò-chhiú kā ùi tiò-koaiⁿ tháu lo̍h. Án-ne i ē-sái hō͘ soh-á tī chéng-thâu-á tiong-kan liu--chhut-khì, hî-á bē kám-kak peⁿ-ân.

Chiah-nī chhut-lâi, koh tī chit kó goe̍h, i it-tēng sī chin tōa bóe, i siūⁿ. Kín chia̍h, hî ah, kín chia̍h. Hó-hó chia̍h. In chiâⁿ chhiⁿ ah, lí tī la̍k-pah chhioh ē-bīn ê o͘-àm léng-chúi ni̍h, tī o͘-àm tiong tńg chi̍t-ē sin tńg-lâi koh chia̍h lah.

I kám-kak ū khin-khin sè-la̍t teh khiú, koh chi̍t ê khah tōa-la̍t ê, tiāⁿ-tio̍h sī un-á thâu pháiⁿ ùi tiò-kau khiú tn̄g. Koh lâi bô-siau bô-sit.

"Lâi lah," lāu lâng chhut-siaⁿ kóng. "Koh chia̍h lah. Phīⁿ khòaⁿ māi. Bē bái hoⁿh? Un-á seng chia̍h-liáu, iáu ū chhǹg-á. Kiat-si̍t, peng-liâng, koh hó-chia̍h. Bián sè-jī, hî ah. Kín chia̍h lah."

I iōng tōa-pû-ong kap chéng-thâu-á tēⁿ soh-á, tán leh, ba̍k-chiu tâng-chê khòaⁿ kî-thaⁿ ê soh-á, khióng-kiaⁿ he hî ē siû koân koh siû kē. Hit-sî, koh ū kāng-khoán ê khin-la̍t khiú chi̍t-ē, kha̍p chi̍t-ē.

"I ē chia̍h jī," lāu lâng chhut-siaⁿ kóng. "Thiⁿ-kong-peh, pó-pì i kín chia̍h."

M̄-koh i bô chia̍h. Cháu--khì ah, lāu lâng kám-kak bô tōng-chēng ah.

"I bô khó-lêng cháu ah," i kóng. "Omitohut, i bô khó-lêng cháu--khì. I hioh-khùn leh. Khó-lêng i bat tio̍h-tiàu, iáu ē-kì-tit."

Hit sî, i koh kám-kak soh-á khin-khin kha̍p, sim-lāi hoaⁿ-hí.

"I koh tńg-lâi ah," i kóng, "I ē chia̍h."

I hoaⁿ-hí ē-bīn ū khin-khin teh khiú, koh-lâi i kám-kak tio̍h tōa-ē koh chhut-la̍t, m̄-káⁿ siong-sìn. He sī hî-á ê tāng-liōng, i pàng soh-á lo̍h, lo̍h, lo̍h, nn̄g khún khiú-oân tē-it khún ah. Soh-á tī i ê chéng-thâu-á tiong-kan liu chhut-khì, i iáu kám-kak ē tio̍h he tāng-liōng chin tōa, sui-jiân i lóng bô chhut-la̍t tēⁿ soh-á.

"Che hî chán," i kóng. "Taⁿ i kā jī iōng chhùi kā thán-hoâiⁿ, siūⁿ boeh kā-leh siû-cháu."

Koh-lâi i ē oa̍t-sin tō kā thun-lo̍h, i siūⁿ. I bô kóng chhut-lâi, in-ūi i chai, hó-sū kóng-liáu bē èng-giām. I chai, chit bóe hî chin tōa, i teh siūⁿ, i chhùi-ni̍h thán-hoâiⁿ kā chhǹg-á tī o͘-àm tiong siû-khui ê khoán. Chit-sî hî bô tín-tāng, m̄-koh tāng-liōng iáu tī leh. Koh-lâi tāng-liōng cheng-ka, i pàng kóa soh-á. I sió chhut-la̍t iōng tōa-pû-ong kap chéng-thâu-á tēⁿ soh-á, tāng-liōng koh cheng-ka, ti̍t-ti̍t lo̍h-khì.

"I kā tio̍h tiò-kau lah," i kóng. "Taⁿ góa boeh hō͘ chia̍h-pá, chia̍h-móa."

I pàng soh-á liu-koè chéng-thâu-á, chhun tò-chhiú kā khian-chò nn̄g khún pī-iōng ê soh-á ê thâu, chiap khì iáu chi̍t tiâu soh-á ê pī-iōng nn̄g khún ê thâu-khoân. Án-ne i chún-pī thò-tòng. Tî-liáu tng teh iōng ê chit khún, I iáu ū saⁿ khún sì-cha̍p siâm ê soh-á.

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15. 魚 ah, 緊食 lah

老人細膩輕輕 kā 索仔捏 leh, 用倒手 kā ùi 釣杆 tháu 落. Án-ne 伊會使予索仔 tī 指頭仔中間溜出去, 魚仔袂感覺繃絚.

Chiah-nī 出來, koh tī 這個月, 伊一定是真大尾, 伊想. 緊食, 魚 ah, 緊食. 好好食. In 誠鮮 ah, 你 tī 六百尺下面 ê 烏暗冷水 ni̍h, tī 烏暗中轉一下身轉來 koh 食 lah.

伊感覺有輕輕細力 teh 搝, koh 一个較大力 ê, 定著是鰮仔頭歹 ùi 釣鉤搝斷. 閣來無消無息.

"來 lah," 老人出聲講. "Koh 食 lah. 鼻看覓. 袂䆀 hoⁿh? 鰮仔先食了, 猶有串仔. 結實, 冰涼, koh 好食. 免細膩, 魚 ah. 緊食 lah."

伊用大垺翁 kap 指頭仔捏索仔, 等 leh, 目睭同齊看其他 ê 索仔, 恐驚彼魚會泅懸 koh 泅低. 彼時, koh 有仝款 ê 輕力搝一下, 磕一下.

"伊會食餌," 老人出聲講. "天公伯, 保庇伊緊食."

毋過伊無食. 走去 ah, 老人感覺無動靜 ah.

"伊無可能走 ah," 伊講. "Omitohut, 伊無可能走去. 伊歇睏 leh. 可能伊 bat 著吊, 猶會記得."

彼時, 伊 koh 感覺索仔輕輕磕, 心內歡喜.

"伊 koh 轉來 ah," 伊講, "伊會食."

伊歡喜下面有輕輕 teh 搝, 閣來伊感覺著大下 koh 出力, 毋敢相信. 彼是魚仔 ê 重量, 伊放索仔落, 落, 落, 兩捆搝完第一捆 ah. 索仔 tī 伊 ê 指頭仔中間溜出去, 伊猶感覺會著彼重量真大, 雖然伊攏無出力捏索仔.

"這魚讚," 伊講. "今伊 kā 餌用喙咬坦橫, 想欲咬 leh 泅走."

閣來伊會越身 tō kā 吞落, 伊想. 伊無講出來, 因為伊知, 好事講了袂應驗. 伊知, 這尾魚真大, 伊 teh 想, 伊喙 ni̍h 坦橫咬串仔 tī 烏暗中泅開 ê 款. 這時魚無振動, 毋過重量猶 tī leh. 閣來重量增加, 伊放寡索仔. 伊小出力用大垺翁 kap 指頭仔捏索仔, 重量 koh 增加, 直直落去.

"伊咬著釣鉤 lah," 伊講. "今我欲 hō͘ 食飽, 食滿."

伊放索仔溜過指頭仔, 伸倒手 kā 圈做兩捆備用 ê 索仔 ê 頭, 接去猶一條索仔 ê 備用兩捆 ê 頭環. Án-ne 伊準備妥當. 除了當 teh 用 ê 這捆, 伊猶有三捆四十尋 ê 索仔.

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15.

The old man held the line delicately, and softly, with his left hand, unleashed it from the stick. Now he could let it run through his fingers without the fish feeling any tension.

This far out, he must be huge in this month, he thought. Eat them, fish. Eat them. Please eat them. How fresh they are and you down there six hundred feet in that cold water in the dark. Make another turn in the dark and come back and eat them.

He felt the light delicate pulling and then a harder pull when a sardine’s head must have been more difficult to break from the hook. Then there was nothing.

“Come on,” the old man said aloud. “Make another turn. Just smell them. Aren’t they lovely? Eat them good now and then there is the tuna. Hard and cold and lovely. Don’t be shy, fish. Eat them.”

He waited with the line between his thumb and his finger, watching it and the other lines at the same time for the fish might have swum up or down. Then came the same delicate pulling touch again.

“He’ll take it,” the old man said aloud. “God help him to take it.”

He did not take it though. He was gone and the old man felt nothing.

“He can’t have gone,” he said. “Christ knows he can’t have gone. He’s making a turn. Maybe he has been hooked before and he remembers something of it."

Then he felt the gentle touch on the line and he was happy.

“It was only his turn,” he said. “He’ll take it.”

He was happy feeling the gentle pulling and then he felt something hard and unbelievably heavy. It was the weight of the fish and he let the line slip down, down, down, unrolling off the first of the two reserve coils. As it went down, slipping lightly through the old man’s fingers, he still could feel the great weight, though the pressure of his thumb and finger were almost imperceptible.

“What a fish,” he said. “He has it sideways in his mouth now and he is moving off with it.”

Then he will turn and swallow 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 moving away in the darkness with the tuna held crosswise in his mouth. At that moment he felt him stop moving but the weight was still there. Then the weight increased and he gave more line. He tightened the pressure of his thumb and finger for a moment 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.

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