44. 閣來一陣鯊魚

44. Koh lâi chi̍t-tīn soa-hî

Góa pún-lâi ū hē-goān, nā lia̍h tio̍h tōa-hî boeh liām kî-tó-bûn. M̄-koh taⁿ góa siuⁿ-thiám, bô hoat-tō͘ liām. Góa siōng-hó sī the̍h pò͘-tē lâi khàm keng-thâu.

I tó tī chûn-bóe, hōaⁿ-tōa, khòaⁿ thiⁿ-piⁿ tán teng-kng chhut-hiān. Góa iáu ū pòaⁿ-bóe, i siūⁿ. Hoān-sè góa hó-ūn, ē-tàng kā chit pòaⁿ-bóe chah tńg. Góa eng-kai ū hó-ūn. Bô, i kóng. Lí chhut-hái siuⁿ hn̄g, khì hoān-tio̍h hó-ūn.

"Mài gōng lah," i tōa-siaⁿ kóng. "Ài chheng-chhéⁿ, sái-chûn. Lí iáu ē ū hó-ūn."

"Nā ū-tàng bé, góa boeh bé..kóa," i kóng.

Góa iōng siáⁿ bé ah? i mn̄g ka-tī. Ē-tàng iōng phah-m̄-kiàn ê hî-chhiuⁿ a̍h-sī tn̄g-khì ê to-á a̍h-sī lâu-hoeh lâu-tih ê siang-chhiú bé?

"Hoān-sè," i kóng. "Lí pún-chiâⁿ siūⁿ boeh iōng peh-cha̍p sì kang chhut-hái bé i. In mā hiám-á tō bē hō͘ lí ah."

Góa mài siūⁿ che ū..ê, bô..ê, i siūⁿ. Hó-ūn ê hêng-sek chin chē, siáng ē jīn-tit i? Siáⁿ khoán ê hó-ūn lóng hó, góa goān-ì hù-chhut in iau-kiû..ê. Góa hi-bōng góa khòaⁿ ē tio̍h teng-hóe ê kng-iáⁿ, i siūⁿ. Góa ê hi-bōng siuⁿ chē ah lah. M̄-koh che sī góa taⁿ ê hi-bōng. I kā sin-khu chhiâu hō͘ khah hó-sè leh thang sái-chûn, sin-khu ê thiàⁿ hō͘ i chai i bô sí.

I khòaⁿ tio̍h to͘-chhī teng-hóe hoán-siā ê kng-iáⁿ liōng-iok sī àm-sî cha̍p-tiám. Tú khai-sí ná ū ná bô, ká-ná sī àm-sî goe̍h boeh chhut chìn-chêng ê thiⁿ-sek. Koh-lâi tō ē-tàng khòaⁿ tio̍h in tī hn̄g-hn̄g ê hái-bīn, taⁿ hong khah tōa, sió-khóa ū éng. I chìn-ji̍p teng-kng ē-bīn, siūⁿ kóng, taⁿ chin kín tō ē kàu hái-lâu ê piⁿ-á.

Tāi-chì lóng kòe ah, i siūⁿ. Soa-hî khó-lêng ē koh kong-kek góa. M̄-koh, o͘-àm tiong bô bú-khì, góa ē-tàng án-chóaⁿ?

I ngē-chiāⁿ koh sng-thiàⁿ, àm-sî ê chheⁿ-léng hō͘ i ê siong kap kòe-tō͘ chhau-lô ê sin-khu ta̍k-ūi lóng teh thiàⁿ. Góa hi-bōng bián koh chiàn ah, i siūⁿ. Góa bô siūⁿ boeh koh chiàn ah.

M̄-koh, kàu pòaⁿ-mê, i koh chiàn ah, chit kái i chai, chiàn mā bô-hāu. In lâi chi̍t-tīn, i kan-ta ē-tàng khòaⁿ tio̍h in ê pōe-kî tī chúi ni̍h ê sòaⁿ kap in sat hiàng tōa-hî ê sî ê lîn-kng. Tng in tī chûn-kha kā hî ê sî, i iōng kùn-á kā kòng thâu, thiaⁿ tio̍h chhùi-khí sio-hap ê siaⁿ, chûn-á iô-iô pái-pái. I kan-ta ē-tàng khò kám-kak kap thiaⁿ-kak piàⁿ-miā kòng, koh kám-kak ū siáⁿ kā-tio̍h kùn-á, chū án-ne kùn-á liu khì.

I thiu-chhut chûn-tōa ê pèⁿ, iōng he kòng koh phut, iōng siang-chhiú tēⁿ-ân, it-ti̍t hám..lo̍h. M̄-koh taⁿ in kheh tī chûn-thâu, chi̍t-bóe chi̍t-bóe chhi̍h-óa, koh-lâi kui-tīn tâng-chê, tán in oa̍t-thâu koh lâi ê sî, tī hái ni̍h hoat-chhut lîn-kng ê hî-bah sûi hō͘ thiah-liáu-liáu.

Chòe-āu, ū chi̍t bóe lâi chhńg hî-thâu, i chai, lóng khì-liáu-liáu ah. Soa-hî chhùi kā tāng-tāng ê hî thâu, thiah bē khui ê sî, i hàiⁿ tōa-pèⁿ kòng i ê thâu. I chi̍t-kái koh chi̍t-kái it-ti̍t kòng, thiaⁿ tio̍h tōa-pèⁿ tn̄g-khì, tō iōng tn̄g-khì ê pèⁿ kā chha̍k. I kám-kak ū chha̍k ji̍p-khì, chai he chin chiam, tō koh kā tu̍h. Soa-hî pàng chhùi, hoan-sin chaú..khì. Che sī chit tīn soa-hî ê siōng bóe chi̍t bóe. Koh-lâi bô siáⁿ thang chia̍h ah.

-- 

44. 閣來一陣鯊魚

我本來有下願, 若掠著大魚欲念祈禱文. 毋過今我 siuⁿ 忝, 無法度念. 我上好是提布袋來崁肩頭.

伊倒 tī 船尾, 扞舵, 看天邊等燈光出現. 我猶有半尾, 伊想. 凡勢我好運, 會當 kā 這半尾扎轉. 我應該有好運. 無, 伊講. 你出海 siuⁿ 遠, 去犯著好運.

"莫戇 lah," 伊大聲講. "愛清醒, 駛船. 你猶會有好運."

"若 ū-tàng 買, 我欲買寡," 伊講.

我用啥買 ah? 伊問家己. 會當用拍毋見 ê 魚槍抑是斷去 ê 刀仔抑是流血流滴 ê 雙手買?

"凡勢," 伊講. "你本成想欲用八十四工出海買伊. In mā 險仔 tō 賣予你 ah."

我莫想這有 ê, 無 ê, 伊想. 好運 ê 形式真濟, siáng 會認得伊? 啥款 ê 好運攏好, 我願意付出 in 要求 ê. 我希望我看會著燈火 ê 光影, 伊想. 我 ê 希望 siuⁿ 濟 ah lah. 毋過這是我今 ê 希望. 伊 kā 身軀撨予較好勢 leh 通駛船, 身軀 ê 疼予伊知伊無死.

伊看著都市燈火反射 ê 光影量約是暗時十點. 拄開始 ná 有 ná 無, ká-ná 是暗時月欲出進前 ê 天色. 閣來 tō 會當看著 in tī 遠遠 ê 海面, 今風較大, 小可有湧. 伊進入燈光下面, 想講, 今真緊 tō 會到海流 ê 邊仔.

代誌攏過 ah, 伊想. 鯊魚可能會 koh 攻擊我. 毋過, 烏暗中無武器, 我會當按怎?

伊硬掙 koh 痠疼, 暗時 ê 生冷予伊 ê 傷 kap 過度操勞 ê 身軀逐位攏 teh 疼. 我希望免 koh 戰 ah, 伊想. 我無想欲 koh 戰 ah.

毋過, 到半暝, 伊 koh 戰 ah, 這改伊知, 戰 mā 無效. In 來一陣, 伊干焦會當看著 in ê 背鰭 tī 水 ni̍h ê 線 kap in 殺向大魚 ê 時 ê 燐光. 當 in tī 船跤咬魚 ê 時, 伊用棍仔 kā 摃頭, 聽著喙齒相 hap ê 聲, 船仔搖搖擺擺. 伊干焦會當靠感覺 kap 聽覺拚命摃, koh 感覺有啥咬著棍仔, 自 án-ne 棍仔溜去.

伊抽出船舵 ê 柄, 用彼摃 koh phut, 用雙手捏絚, 一直撼落. 毋過今 in kheh tī 船頭, 一尾一尾 chhi̍h 倚, 閣來規陣同齊, 等 in 越頭閣來 ê 時, tī 海 ni̍h 發出燐光 ê 魚肉隨予拆了了.

最後, 有一尾來 chhńg 魚頭, 伊知, 攏去了了 ah. 鯊魚喙咬重重 ê 魚頭, 拆袂開 ê 時, 伊幌舵柄摃伊 ê 頭. 伊一改 koh 一改一直摃, 聽著舵柄斷去, tō 用斷去 ê 柄 kā 鑿. 伊感覺有鑿入去, 知彼真尖, tō koh kā 揬. 鯊魚放喙, 翻身走去. 這是這陣鯊魚 ê 上尾一尾. 閣來無啥通食 ah.

-- 

44.

I have all those prayers I promised if I caught the fish, he thought. But I am too tired to say them now. I better get the sack and put it over my shoulders.

He lay in the stern and steered and watched for the glow to come in the sky. I have half of him, he thought. Maybe I’ll have the luck to bring the forward half in. I should have some luck. No, he said. You violated your luck when you went too far outside.

“Don’t be silly,” he said aloud. “And keep awake and steer. You may have much luck yet.”

“I’d like to buy some if there’s any place they sell it,” he said.

What could I buy it with? he asked himself. Could I buy it with a lost harpoon and a broken knife and two bad hands?

“You might,” he said. “You tried to buy it with eighty-four days at sea. They nearly sold it to you too.”

I must not think nonsense, he thought. Luck is a thing that comes in many forms and who can recognize her? I would take some though in any form and pay what they asked. I wish I could see the glow from the lights, he thought. I wish too many things. But that is the thing I wish for now. He tried to settle more comfortably to steer and from his pain he knew he was not dead.

He saw the reflected glare of the lights of the city at what must have been around ten o’clock at night. They were only perceptible at first as the light is in the sky before the moon rises. Then they were steady to see across the ocean which was rough now with the increasing breeze. He steered inside of the glow and he thought that now, soon, he must hit the edge of the stream.

Now it is over, he thought. They will probably hit me again. But what can a man do against them in the dark without a weapon?

He was stiff and sore now and his wounds and all of the strained parts of his body hurt with the cold of the night. I hope I do not have to fight again, he thought. I hope so much I do not have to fight again.

But by midnight he fought and this time he knew the fight was useless. They came in a pack and he could only see the lines in the water that their fins made and their phosphorescence as they threw themselves on the fish. He clubbed at heads and heard the jaws chop and the shaking of the skiff as they took hold below. He clubbed desperately at what he could only feel and hear and he felt something seize the club and it was gone.

He jerked the tiller free from the rudder and beat and chopped with it, holding it in both hands and driving it down again and again. But they were up to the bow now and driving in one after the other and together, tearing off the pieces of meat that showed glowing below the sea as they turned to come once more.

One came, finally, against the head itself and he knew that it was over. He swung the tiller across the shark’s head where the jaws were caught in the heaviness of the fish’s head which would not tear. He swung it once and twice and again. He heard the tiller break and he lunged at the shark with the splintered butt. He felt it go in and knowing it was sharp he drove it in again. The shark let go and rolled away. That was the last shark of the pack that came. There was nothing more for them to eat.

--

43. 日頭已經落去 ah

43. Ji̍t-thâu í-keng lo̍h-khì ah

"Lâi ah, hoe-phôe," lāu lâng kóng. "Koh lâi lah."

Soa-hî chhiong kòe-lâi, i ha̍p-chhùi kā bah, lāu lâng sûi kòng i. I kā kùn-á gia̍h koân-koân, si̍t-si̍t-chāi-chāi kòng..lo̍h. Chit-kái ū kòng tio̍h āu-náu, hit-sî soa-hî thoa tio̍h chi̍t-tè hî-bah lo̍h-chúi boeh cháu, i ùi kāng-ūi koh kā kòng.

Lāu lâng tán i koh lâi, m̄-koh bô khòaⁿ tio̍h soa-hî lâi. Kòe chi̍t-ē-á, i khòaⁿ tio̍h chi̍t bóe tī chúi-bīn se̍h kho͘-á. Bô khòaⁿ tio̍h iáu chi̍t bóe ê hî-kî.

Góa bô khó-lêng kā kòng-sí, i siūⁿ. Í-chêng tō ē-sái. M̄-koh nn̄g bóe lóng hôa hám chin thiám, chin chia̍h-la̍t. Nā-sī siang-chhiú gia̍h bátah kòng, tē-it bóe tō bô-miā. Taⁿ mā kāng-khoán, i siūⁿ.

I m̄-ài koh khòaⁿ tōa-hî. I chai, tōa-hî í-keng húi chi̍t-pòaⁿ ah. I teh kap soa-hî chhia-piàⁿ ê sî, ji̍t-thâu í-keng lo̍h..khì ah.

"Liâm-mi tō àm ah," i kóng. "Koh-lâi góa ē-tàng khòaⁿ tio̍h Havana ê teng-kng. Góa nā lī tang-pêng siuⁿ hn̄g, tō ē khòaⁿ tio̍h sin hái-po͘ ê teng-hóe."

Taⁿ eng-kai bô kài hn̄g ah, i siūⁿ. Hi-bōng bô lâng thè góa hoân-ló. Tiāⁿ-tio̍h kan-ta gín-á ē hoân-ló. M̄-koh góa chai, i tùi góa ū sìn-sim. Chin chē khah lāu ê thó-hái-lâng mā ē hoân-ló. Kî-thaⁿ ê lâng mā ē, i siūⁿ. Goán chng ê lâng lóng chin siān-liông.

I bô hoat-tō͘ kap hî koh kóng-ōe ah, in-ūi i hông húi-kah siuⁿ lī-hāi ah. I siūⁿ tio̍h chi̍t-ê pān-hoat.

"Pòaⁿ-bóe hî ah," i kóng. "Lí pún-lâi sī chi̍t-bóe. Pháiⁿ-sè góa chhut-hái siuⁿ hn̄g. Góa hāi tio̍h lán nn̄g ê. M̄-koh lán ū phah sí chin chē soa-hî, lí hām góa, mā phah siong chin chē. Hiaⁿ-tī, lí í-chêng thâi sí gōa chē? Lí ê chiam-chhùi m̄-sī bô lō͘-iōng."

I kah-ì siūⁿ hit bóe hî nā chū-iû chū-chāi ê sî ē án-chóaⁿ tùi-hù soa-hî. Góa eng-kai kā hî chhùi tok-lo̍h, iōng lâi kòng soa-hî, i siūⁿ. M̄-koh bô pó͘-thâu-á, mā bô to-á.

Góa nā tok hî-chhùi, kā pa̍k tī chiúⁿ-pèⁿ, che sī gōa chán ê bú-khì. Án-ne lán tō tâng-chê kap in piàⁿ ah. In nā àm-sî lâi, lí boeh án-chóaⁿ? Lí ē-sái án-chóaⁿ?

"Kap in piàⁿ," i kóng. "Góa ē kap in piàⁿ-kàu góa sí."

M̄-koh taⁿ sì-kè àm-àm, bô teng-kng, bô teng-hóe, kan-ta ū hong hām chûn-phâng thèⁿ-khui, i kám-kak ka-tī ká-ná í-keng sí ah. I siang-chhiú sio-tēⁿ, kám-kak chhiú-té. Chhiú bô sí, tēⁿ koh pàng iáu ē kám-kak thiàⁿ. I tò-hiàⁿ khò chûn-bóe, mā chai i bô sí. Che sī keng-kah-thâu kā kóng..ê.

-- 

43. 日頭已經落去 ah

"來 ah, 花皮," 老人講. "閣來 lah."

鯊魚衝過來, 伊合喙咬肉, 老人隨摃伊. 伊 kā 棍仔攑懸懸, 實實在在摃落. 這改有摃著後腦, 彼時鯊魚拖著一塊魚肉落水欲走, 伊 ùi 仝位 koh kā 摃.

老人等伊 koh 來, 毋過無看著鯊魚來. 過一下仔, 伊看著一尾 tī 水面 se̍h 箍仔. 無看著猶一尾 ê 魚鰭.

我無可能 kā 摃死, 伊想. 以前 tō 會使. 毋過兩尾攏 hôa 撼真忝, 真食力. 若是雙手攑 bátah 摃, 第一尾 tō 無命. 今 mā 仝款, 伊想.

伊毋愛 koh 看大魚. 伊知, 大魚已經毀一半 ah. 伊 teh kap 鯊魚捙拚 ê 時, 日頭已經落去 ah.

"Liâm-mi tō 暗 ah," 伊講. "閣來我會當看著 Havana ê 燈光. 我若離東爿 siuⁿ 遠, tō 會看著新海埔 ê 燈火."

今應該無蓋遠 ah, 伊想. 希望無人替我煩惱. 定著干焦囡仔會煩惱. 毋過我知, 伊對我有信心. 真濟較老 ê 討海人 mā 會煩惱. 其他 ê 人 mā 會, 伊想. 阮庄 ê 人攏真善良.

伊無法度 kap 魚 koh 講話 ah, 因為伊 hông 毀甲 siuⁿ 厲害 ah. 伊想著一个辦法.

"半尾魚 ah," 伊講. "你本來是一尾. 歹勢我出海 siuⁿ 遠. 我害著咱兩个. 毋過咱有拍死真濟鯊魚, 你和我, mā 拍傷真濟. 兄弟, 你以前刣死偌濟? 你 ê 尖喙毋是無路用."

伊佮意想彼尾魚若自由自在 ê 時會按怎對付鯊魚. 我應該 kā 魚喙剁落, 用來摃鯊魚, 伊想. 毋過無斧頭仔, mā 無刀仔.

我若剁魚喙, kā 縛 tī 槳柄, 這是偌 chán ê 武器. Án-ne 咱 tō 同齊 kap in 拚 ah. In 若暗時來, 你欲按怎? 你會使按怎?

"Kap in 拚," 伊講. "我會 kap in 拚到我死."

毋過今四界暗暗, 無燈光, 無燈火, 干焦有風和船帆牚開, 伊感覺家己 ká-ná 已經死 ah. 伊雙手相捏, 感覺手底. 手無死, 捏 koh 放猶會感覺疼. 伊 tò-hiàⁿ 靠船尾, mā 知伊無死. 這是肩胛頭 kā 講 ê.

-- 

43.

“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. 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 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.

--

42. 老人攑棍仔 kā 摃

42. Lāu lâng gia̍h kùn-á kā kòng

Taⁿ thang siūⁿ siáⁿ hó? i siūⁿ. Bô. Góa siáⁿ lóng mài siūⁿ, kan-ta tán soa-hî koh lâi. Che nā sī bîn-bāng tō hó lah, i siūⁿ. A̍h chai? Hoān-sè kiat-kio̍k bē-bái.

Koh-lâi chit bóe soa-hî sī ko͘-chi̍t-bóe ê soa-thio-phiⁿ (shovelnose). I lâi ná-chhiūⁿ ti lōng-kàu ti-chô, chhùi-á khui-khui, ē-tàng that chi̍t-lia̍p lâng-thâu. Lāu lâng tán i óa tōa-hî, chiah kā chiúⁿ-pèⁿ ê to tu̍h-ji̍p i ê náu. M̄-koh soa-hî chhoah..chi̍t-ē tò-thè-lu, to-sin soah chū án-ne tn̄g..khì.

Lāu lâng chē-lo̍h hōaⁿ-tōa. I liân khòaⁿ to bô khòaⁿ he soa-hî bān-bān tîm-lo̍h chúi, thōng tāi-seng kui-bóe tōa, lú lâi lú sè, bān-bān bô..khì. Í-chêng i chin ài khòaⁿ he, m̄-koh taⁿ i bē-giàn khòaⁿ.

"Góa iáu ū tah-kau," i kóng. "M̄-koh he pháiⁿ-iōng. Góa iáu ū nn̄g-ki chiúⁿ kap tōa-koaiⁿ, kap chi̍t-ki té kùn-á."

Taⁿ góa su ah, i siūⁿ. Góa siuⁿ lāu, bô hoat-tō͘ iōng kùn-á kòng-sí soa-hî. M̄-koh chí-iàu ū chiúⁿ, ū kùn-á, kap tōa-koaiⁿ, góa tō ài chhì-khòaⁿ-māi.

I koh kā chhiú khǹg tī chúi ni̍h chìm. Thiⁿ tit-boeh àm ah, tî-liáu hái kap thiⁿ, siáⁿ lóng bô khòaⁿ tio̍h. Thiⁿ-téng ê hong pí í-chêng khah tōa, i hi-bōng chin kín tō ē khòaⁿ tio̍h lio̍k-tē.

"Lí thiám ah, lāu..ê," i kóng. "Lí thiám-kàu kui sim-lāi ah."

It-ti̍t kàu ji̍t-lo̍h chiah koh ū soa-hî lâi chìn-kong.

Lāu lâng khòaⁿ tio̍h ū chang-sek ê hî-kî iân-lō͘ lâi, it-tēng sī tòe tōa-hî lâu-lo̍h tī chúi ni̍h ê khì-bī. In m̄-bián chia phīⁿ hia phīⁿ, it-ti̍t tâng-chê ǹg sió-chûn siû..lâi.

I kò͘-tēng hó tōa-pèⁿ, pa̍k hó chûn-phâng, chhun chhiú khì chûn-bóe the̍h kùn-á. Che sī ùi tn̄g..khì ê chiúⁿ kì lo̍h-lâi ê pèⁿ, chha-put-to chhun nn̄g chhioh pòaⁿ. In-ūi pèⁿ té, kan-ta sek-ha̍p iōng chi̍t chhiú tēⁿ, i iōng chiàⁿ-chhiú kā tēⁿ hó, ná sìm-sìm leh, ná khòaⁿ soa-hî óa..lâi. Nn̄g bóe lóng sī hoe-phôe.

Góa ài tán tē-it bóe kā-tiâu chiah kòng i ê phīⁿ, a̍h-sī ti̍t-chiap kòng thâu-khak, i siūⁿ.

Nn̄g bóe soa-hî óa..lâi, tng i khòaⁿ tio̍h lī i khah kīn hit bóe peh-chhùi kā-ji̍p tōa-hî ê gîn-sek hî-sin, i kā kùn-á gia̍h koân, tōa-la̍t hám-lo̍h soa-hî khoah-khoah ê thâu-khak. Kùn-á lo̍h-khì, i kám-kak ná kòng tio̍h ngē-ngē ê chhiū-leng. M̄-koh mā ū kám-kak tioh tēng-tēng ê kut-thâu, i koh chi̍t-kái tōa-la̍t hám i ê phīⁿ-thâu, soa-hî chū án-ne ùi tōa-hî hia poa̍h-lo̍h hái.

Iáu chi̍t bóe liah chi̍t tè bah liáu lī-khui, taⁿ chhùi khui-khui koh tńg..lâi ah. Soa-hî khì kā tōa-hî koh ha̍p-chhùi ê sî, lāu lâng khòaⁿ tio̍h i chhùi-kak sàn-chhut peh-sek ê hî-bah sap-á. I hàiⁿ kùn-á, kòng i ê thâu, soa-hî kā khòaⁿ leh, kā bah khiú li̍h. Soa-hî siû-khui boeh khì hàu-ko͘ ê sî, lāu lâng koh hàiⁿ kùn-á kā kòng, kan-ta kòng-tio̍h ngē-ngē ê  chhiū-leng.

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42. 老人攑棍仔 kā 摃

今通想啥好? 伊想. 無. 我啥攏莫想, 干焦等鯊魚 koh 來. 這若是眠夢 tō 好 lah, 伊想. 抑知? 凡勢結局袂䆀.

閣來這尾鯊魚是孤一尾 ê 沙挑鼻 (shovelnose). 伊來 ná 像豬 lōng 到豬槽, 喙仔開開, ē-tàng that 一粒人頭. 老人等伊倚大魚, 才 kā 槳柄 ê 刀 揬入伊 ê 腦. 毋過鯊魚掣一下倒退 lu, 刀身煞自 án-ne 斷去.

老人坐落扞舵. 伊連看 to 無看彼鯊魚慢慢沉落水, thōng 代先規尾大, 愈來愈細, 慢慢無去. 以前伊真愛看彼, 毋過今伊袂癮看.

"我猶有搭鉤," 伊講. "毋過彼歹用. 我猶有兩支槳 kap 舵杆, kap 一支短棍仔."

今我輸 ah, 伊想. 我 siuⁿ 老, 無法度用棍仔摃死鯊魚. 毋過只要有槳, 有棍仔, kap 舵杆, 我 tō 愛試看覓.

伊 koh kā 手囥 tī 水 ni̍h 浸. 天得欲暗 ah, 除了海 kap 天, 啥攏無看著. 天頂 ê 風比以前較大, 伊希望真緊 tō 會看著陸地.

"你忝 ah, 老 ê," 伊講. "你 忝到規心內 ah."

一直到日落才 koh 有鯊魚來進攻.

老人看著有棕色 ê 魚鰭沿路來, 一定是綴大魚留落 tī 水 ni̍h ê 氣味. In 毋免遮鼻遐鼻, 一直同齊 ǹg 小船泅來.

伊固定好舵柄, 縛好船帆, 伸手去船尾提棍仔. 這是ùi 斷去 ê 槳鋸落來 ê 柄, 差不多賰兩尺半. 因為柄短, 干焦適合用一手捏, 伊用正手 kā 捏好, ná sìm-sìm leh, ná 看鯊魚倚來. 兩尾攏是花皮.

我愛等第一尾咬牢才摃伊 ê 鼻, 抑是直接摃頭殼, 伊想.

兩尾鯊魚倚來, 當伊看著離伊較近彼尾擘喙咬入大魚 ê 銀色魚身, 伊 kā 棍仔攑懸, 大力撼落鯊魚闊闊 ê 頭殼. 棍仔落去, 伊感覺 ná 摃著硬硬 ê 樹奶. 毋過 mā 有感覺著碇碇 ê 骨頭, 伊 koh 一改大力撼伊 ê 鼻頭, 鯊魚自 án-ne ùi 大魚遐跋落海.

猶一尾 liah 一塊肉了離開, 今喙開開 koh 轉來 ah. 鯊魚去咬大魚 koh 合喙 ê 時, 老人看著伊喙角散出白色 ê 魚肉屑仔. 伊幌棍仔, 摃伊 ê 頭, 鯊魚 kā 看 leh, kā 肉搝 li̍h. 鯊魚泅開欲去孝孤 ê 時, 老人 koh 幌棍仔 kā 摃, 干焦摃著硬硬 ê 樹奶.

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42.

What can I think of now? he thought. Nothing. I must think of nothing and wait for the next ones. I wish it had really been a dream, he thought. But who knows? It might have turned out well.

The next shark that came was a single shovelnose. He came like a pig to the trough if a pig had a mouth so wide that you could put your head in it. The old man let him hit the fish and then drove the knife on the oar down into his brain. But the shark jerked backwards as he rolled and the knife blade snapped.

The old man settled himself to steer. He did not even watch the big shark sinking slowly in the water, showing first life-size, then small, then tiny. That always fascinated the old man. But he did not even watch it now.

“I have the gaff now,” he said. “But it will do no good. I have the two oars and the tiller and the short club.”

Now they have beaten me, he thought. I am too old to club sharks to death. But I will try it as long as I have the oars and the short club and the tiller.

He put his hands in the water again to soak them. It was getting late in the afternoon and he saw nothing but the sea and the sky. There was more wind in the sky than there had been, and soon he hoped that he would see land.

“You’re tired, old man,” he said. “You’re tired inside.”

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 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.

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