Thursday, September 20, 2018

37. 阮 ná 兄弟同齊行


37. Goán ná hiaⁿ-tī tâng-chê kiâⁿ
I m̄-bián lô-keⁿ tō chai sai-lâm tī toh. Kan-ta kám-kak tio̍h bō͘-e̍k hong kap chûn-phâng ê sè tō ē-sái ah. Góa siōng-hó pàng sè-tiâu soh-á pa̍k thng-sî-á, tiò kóa siáⁿ lâi chia̍h kap khip-siu chúi-hūn. M̄-koh i chhōe bô thng-sî-á, i ê un-á lóng nōa--khì ah. Só͘-í i iōng hî-kau kau lâu--kòe ê bé-bóe-chó hái-chháu, kā hiù-hiù leh, chhàng lāi-té ê sè-bóe hê-á tō lak-lo̍h chûn-pang. Lóng-chóng ū cha̍p-gōa chiah, oa̍h thiàu-thiàu ná soa-thiàu-hê (sand flea). Lāu lâng iōng tōa-pû-ong hām ki-cháiⁿ kā thâu liàm-tiāu, hê-á sin khǹg-ji̍p chhùi chia̍h, liân khak kap bóe lóng pō͘ nōa-nōa. In chin sè-chiah, m̄-koh i chai che ū êng-ióng, kháu-bī mā bē-bái.
Lāu lâng iáu ū nn̄g-chhùi chúi tī koàn-á, chia̍h hê-á liáu i lim pòaⁿ-chhùi. Sui-jiân ū thoa-tāng, chûn-á kiâⁿ-liáu sǹg sūn-lī, i iōng koeh-lang-kha gia̍p tōa-pèⁿ (tiller) hōaⁿ-tōa. I khòaⁿ ē tio̍h hî, chí-iàu khòaⁿ siang-chhiú kap kha-chiah-āu khò chûn-bóe ê kám-kak, i tō chai che m̄-sī bîn-bāng, sī chin-chiàⁿ hoat-seng--kòe ê tāi-chì. Tú-chiah bōe soah ê sî, ū chi̍t-chūn i kám-kak chiâⁿ bái, siūⁿ kóng he sī bîn-bāng. Hit-sî, i khòaⁿ tio̍h hî thiàu-chhut chúi, lo̍h-chúi chêng seng thêng tī khong-tiong bô tín-tāng, i kám-kak che ū-kàu sîn-kî, m̄-káⁿ siong-sìn.
Hit-sî i khòaⁿ bē chheng, taⁿ i koh khòaⁿ ē-chheng ah. Taⁿ hî tī chia, koh ū chhiú kap kha-chiah-phiaⁿ teh thiàⁿ, i chai che m̄-sī bāng. Chhiú chin kín ē hó, i siūⁿ. Hoeh lâu chheng ah, iōng kiâm-chúi chìm chi̍t-ē tō ē hó. Hái-oan ê àm-nâ hái-chúi sī siōng-hó ê io̍h-á. Góa kan-ta ài pó-chhî thâu-khak chheng-chhéⁿ. Siang-chhiú chīn-la̍t lah, goán kiâⁿ-liáu mā chin sūn. I ê chhùi ha̍p-leh, bóe khí-lo̍h phû-tāng, goán ná hiaⁿ-tī tâng-chê kiâⁿ. Hit-sî i thâu-khak sió-khóa bô chheng-chhó, i siūⁿ, sī hî chhōa góa, a̍h-sī góa chhōa i ah? Nā kā thoa tī āu-piah, che tō bô būn-tê. Nā kā hî khǹg chûn ni̍h, hō͘ i bô chun-giâm, án-ne mā bô būn-tê. Tān-sī in sī keng-óa-keng tâng-chê kiâⁿ, lāu lâng siūⁿ, i nā hoaⁿ-hí, hō͘ chhōa hó lah. Góa chí-sī pí i khah gâu pìⁿ-khang, i bē chûn-sim hāi góa.
In kiâⁿ-liáu chin sūn, lāu lâng kā chhiú chìm kiâm-chúi, chīn-liōng pó-chhî thâu-khak chheng-chhéⁿ. Ū koân-koân ê chek-hûn (cumulus cloud) kap bē chió ê kńg-hûn (cirrus) tī in téng-koân, só͘-í lāu lâng chai, kui-mê lóng ē ū hong. Lāu lâng put-sî teh khòaⁿ hî, boeh khak-tēng che sī chin ê. Kòe chi̍t tiám-cheng, tē-it chiah soa-hî lâi kong-kek.
Soa-hî m̄-sī ì-gōa. Hit thoaⁿ hoeh chhē-lo̍h soàⁿ-khui tī chi̍t mai chhim ê hái ni̍h, i phīⁿ tio̍h hoeh tō ùi chhim chúi khí-lâi. I khí-lâi chin kín koh tu̍t-jiân, chi̍t-ē tō phû-chhut chúi-bīn, chiò tī ji̍t-thâu ē. I koh tîm-lo̍h hái té, khì chhōe khì-bī, jiân-āu khai-sí tòe chûn kap hî ê lō͘-sòaⁿ kiâⁿ.
Ū sî i phīⁿ bô bī, m̄-koh chin kín tō koh phīⁿ tio̍h, a̍h-sī kan-ta chi̍t sut-á hiàn, i tō kín siû, tòe-lō͘ lâi. He sī tōa bóe ian-á soa (煙仔鯊, Mako shark), ē-tàng kap hái ni̍h siōng-kín ê hî siû pêⁿ kín, tî-liáu chhùi, choân-sin lóng seⁿ-chò chiâⁿ súi. I ê āu-phiaⁿ ná kî-hî hiah nâ, pak-tó͘ gîn-pe̍h, phôe kng-ku̍t hó-khòaⁿ. I seⁿ-chò kap kî-hî kāng-khoán, ke chi̍t ê tōa-tōa ê ē-hâi. Taⁿ i chhùi ha̍p-ân, tú tī chúi-bīn ē kín-kín siû, koân-koân khiā-tio̍h ê pōe-kî phòa-chúi ti̍t kiâⁿ, bô iô-pái. Ha̍p-tio̍h ê ē-hâi siang-tûn lāi-té, só͘-ū peh pâi ê chhùi-khí lóng siâ--ji̍p-khì. In m̄-sī tōa-pō͘-hūn soa-hî só͘ ū ê phó͘-thong chui-hêng ê chhùi-khí. In ná lâng ê chéng-thâu-á áu-sêng jiáu hit-khoán, tn̂g-tō͘ chha-put-to ū lāu lâng ê chéng-thâu-á hiah tn̂g, nn̄g pêng lāi-kah ná thì-to. Chit chióng soa-hî, chia̍h só͘-ū hái ni̍h ê hî, liân sok-tō͘ kín, ióng-chòng, koh chhùi-khí lāi, bô kî-thaⁿ te̍k-chhiú ê hî, i mā chia̍h. Taⁿ i phīⁿ tio̍h chhiⁿ ê hiàn, tō siû khah kín, nâ-sek ê pōe-kî phòa-chúi ti̍t-tit lâi.
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37. 兄弟同齊行
伊毋免羅經 知西南 tī toh. 干焦感覺著貿易風 kap 船帆 ê 會使 ah. 我上好放細條索仔縛湯匙仔, 釣寡啥來食 kap 吸收水份. 毋過伊揣無湯匙仔, ê 鰮仔攏爛去 ah. 所以伊用魚鉤勾流過 ê 馬尾藻海草, kā hiù-hiù leh, 藏內底 ê 細尾蝦仔 tō lak 落船枋. 攏總有十外隻, 活跳跳若沙跳蝦 (sand flea). 老人用大垺翁和 kí-cháiⁿ kā 頭捻掉, 蝦仔身囥入喙食, 連殼 kap 尾攏哺爛爛. In 真細隻, 毋過伊知這有營養, 口味 袂䆀.
老人猶有兩喙水 罐仔, 食蝦仔了伊啉半喙. 雖然有拖動, 船仔行了算順利, 伊用 koeh-lang-kha 舵柄 (tiller) 扞舵. 伊看會著魚, 只要看雙手 kap 尻脊後靠船尾 ê 感覺, 知這毋是眠夢, 是真正發生過 ê 代誌. 拄才未煞 ê , 有一陣伊感覺誠䆀, 想講彼是眠夢. 彼時, 伊看著魚跳出水, 落水前先停 空中無振動, 伊感覺這有夠神奇, 毋敢相信.
彼時伊看袂清, 今伊 koh 看會清 ah. 今魚 , koh 有手 kap 尻脊骿 teh , 伊知這毋是夢. 手真緊會好, 伊想. 血流清 ah, 用鹹水浸一下 tō 會好. 海灣 ê 暗藍海水是上好 ê 藥仔. 我干焦愛保持頭殼清醒. 雙手盡力 lah, 阮行了 真順. ê 喙合 leh, 尾起落浮動, 兄弟同齊行. 彼時伊頭殼小可無清楚, 伊想, 是魚 chhōa , 抑是我 chhōa ah? 後壁, 無問題. 魚囥船 ni̍h, 予伊無尊嚴, án-ne mā 無問題. 但是 in 是肩倚肩同齊行, 老人想, 伊若歡喜, chhōa lah. 我只是比伊較 gâu 變空, 伊袂存心害我.
In 行了真順, 老人 手浸鹹水, 盡量保持頭殼清醒. 有懸懸 ê 積雲 (cumulus cloud) kap 袂少 ê 捲雲 (cirrus) tī in 頂懸, 所以老人知, 規暝攏會有風. 老人不時 teh 看魚, 欲確定這是真 ê. 過一點鐘, 第一隻鯊魚來攻擊.
鯊魚毋是意外. 彼灘血 chhē 落散開 mai ê 海 ni̍h, 伊鼻著血 tō ùi 深水起來. 伊起來真緊 koh 突然, 一下 浮出水面, 日頭下. koh 沉落海底, 去揣氣味, 然後開始綴船 kap ê 路線行.
有時伊鼻無味, 毋過真緊 tō koh 鼻著, 抑是干焦一屑仔羶, 緊泅, 綴路來. 彼是大尾煙仔鯊 (Mako shark), 會當 kap 海 ni̍h 上緊 ê 魚泅平緊, 除了喙, 全身攏生做誠媠. ê 後骿 ná 旗魚 hiah , 腹肚銀白, 皮光滑好看. 伊生做 kap 旗魚仝款, 加一个大大 ê 下頦. 今伊喙合絚, 水面下緊緊泅, 懸懸徛著 ê 背鰭破水直行, 無搖擺. 合著 ê 下頦雙唇內底, 所有八排 ê 喙齒攏斜入去. In 毋是大部份鯊魚所有 ê 普通錐形 ê 喙齒. In ná ê 指頭仔拗成爪彼款, 長度差不多有老人 ê 指頭仔 hiah , 兩爿利甲 ná 剃刀. 這種鯊魚, 食所有海 ni̍h ê , 連速度緊, 勇壯, koh 喙齒利, 無其他敵手 ê , . 今伊鼻著鮮 ê , tō 泅較緊, 藍色 ê 背鰭破水直直來.
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37.
He did not need a compass to tell him where southwest was. He only needed the feel of the trade wind and the drawing of the sail. I better put a small line out with a spoon on it and try and get something to eat and drink for the moisture. But he could not find a spoon and his sardines were rotten. So he hooked a patch of yellow Gulf weed with the gaff as they passed and shook it so that the small shrimps that were in it fell onto the planking of the skiff. There were more than a dozen of them and they jumped and kicked like sand fleas. The old man pinched their heads off with his thumb and forefinger and ate them chewing up the shells and the tails. They were very tiny but he knew they were nourishing and they tasted good.
The old man still had two drinks of water in the bottle and he used half of one after he had eaten the shrimps. The skiff was sailing well considering the handicaps and he steered with the tiller under his arm. He could see the fish and he had only to look at his hands and feel his back against the stern to know that this had truly happened and was not a dream. At one time when he was feeling so badly toward the end, he had thought perhaps it was a dream. Then when he had seen the fish come out of the water and hang motionless in the sky before he fell, he was sure there was some great strangeness and he could not believe it.
Then he could not see well, although now he saw as well as ever. Now he knew there was the fish and his hands and back were no dream. The hands cure quickly, he thought. I bled them clean and the salt water will heal them. The dark water of the true gulf is the greatest healer that there is. All I must do is keep the head clear. The hands have done their work and we sail well. With his mouth shut and his tail straight up and down we sail like brothers. Then his head started to become a little unclear and he thought, is he bringing me in or am I bringing him in? If I were towing him behind there would be no question. Nor if the fish were in the skiff, with all dignity gone, there would be no question either. But they were sailing together lashed side by side and the old man thought, let him bring me in if it pleases him. I am only better than him through trickery and he meant me no harm.
They sailed well and the old man soaked his hands in the salt water and tried to keep his head clear. There were high cumulus clouds and enough cirrus above them so that the old man knew the breeze would last all night. The old man looked at the fish constantly to make sure it was true. It was an hour before the first shark hit him.
The shark was not an accident. He had come up from deep down in the water as the dark cloud of blood had settled and dispersed in the mile deep sea. He had come up so fast and absolutely without caution that he broke the surface of the blue water and was in the sun. Then he fell back into the sea and picked up the scent and started swimming on the course the skiff and the fish had taken.
Sometimes he lost the scent. But he would pick it up again, or have just a trace of it, and he swam fast and hard on the course. He was a very big Mako shark built to swim as fast as the fastest fish in the sea and everything about him was beautiful except his jaws. His back was as blue as a sword fish’s and his belly was silver and his hide was smooth and handsome. He was built as a sword fish except for his huge jaws which were tight shut now as he swam fast, just under the surface with his high dorsal fin knifing through the water without wavering. Inside the closed double lip of his jaws all of his eight rows of teeth were slanted inwards. They were not the ordinary pyramid-shaped teeth of most sharks. They were shaped like a man’s fingers when they are crisped like claws. They were nearly as long as the fingers of the old man and they had razor-sharp cutting edges on both sides. This was a fish built to feed on all the fishes in the sea, that were so fast and strong and well armed that they had no other enemy. Now he speeded up as he smelled the fresher scent and his blue dorsal fin cut the water.
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