When the boy came back, the old man was asleep in the chair and the sun was down.
孩子回來的時候,老頭兒正在椅子上睡著,太陽已經(jīng)西沉了。
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.
孩子從床上拿了一條舊軍毯,搭在椅背上面,蓋在老頭兒的肩膀上。
They were strange shoulders, still powerful although very old,
那兩個肩膀真奇怪,盡管老了,依然結(jié)結(jié)實實的,
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.
頸脖兒也是這樣,老頭兒睡著了頭向前耷拉下去的時候,是不大看得出皺紋的。
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.
他的襯衫不知道補過多少次,就像他的那一面帆,補丁也給太陽曬得褪成各種深淺不同的顏色。
The old man's head was very old though and with his eyes closed there was no life in his face.
老頭兒的頭也同樣蒼老,眼睛一閉,臉就跟死人的一樣。
The newspaper lay across his knees and the weight of his arm held it there in the evening breeze.
報紙平放在他的膝頭上,給一只胳膊壓住,沒讓晚風把它吹去。
He was barefooted.
他是光著腳的。
The boy left him there and when he came back, the old man was still asleep.
孩子走開了,回來的時候,老頭兒還在那兒睡著。
"Wake up, old man," the boy said and put his hand on one of the old man's knees.
“醒來,老大爺,”孩子喊了一聲,把一只手放在老頭兒一個膝頭上。
The old man opened his eyes and for a moment he was coming back from a long way away.
老頭兒睜開了眼睛。這一會兒,他仿佛正在從老遠的路上走回來似的。
Then he smiled.
接著他笑了。
"What have you got?" he asked.
“你把什么拿來啦?”他問。
"Supper," said the boy. "We're going to have supper."
“晚飯,”孩子說。“我們吃晚飯吧。”
"I'm not very hungry."
“我肚子不太餓。”
"Come on and eat. You can't fish and not eat."
“來,吃吧。你要打魚,就不能不吃飯。”
"I have," the old man said, getting up and taking the newspaper and folding it. Then he started to fold the blanket.
“我往常就是不吃飯先去打魚的,”老頭兒說著就站起身來,把報紙拿在手里疊好。然后他又動手去疊那條軍毯。
"Keep the blanket around you," the boy said. "You'll not fish without eating while I'm alive."
“把毯子圍在身上吧,”孩子說。“只要我還活著,決不能讓你不吃飯就去打魚。”
"'Then live a long time and take care of yourself," the old man said. "What are we eating?"
“那么,祝你長命百歲,你自己要保重,”老頭兒說。“我們吃什么?”
"Black beans and rice, fried bananas, and some stew."
“扁豆拌飯,煎香蕉,還有一點兒燉菜。”
The boy had brought them in a two-decker metal container from the Terrace.
孩子從海濱酒店拿來這些飯菜,把它們放在兩層的鐵盒子里,
The two sets of knives and forks and spoons were in his pocket with a paper napkin wrapped around each set.
他的衣袋里放著兩套刀叉和湯匙,每一套都用一塊紙餐巾包著。
"Who gave this to you?"
“這是誰給你的?”
"Martin. The owner."
“馬丁。酒店老板。”
"I must thank him."
“我應該謝謝他。”
"I thanked him already," the boy said. "You don't need to thank him."
“我已經(jīng)謝過他,”孩子說。“你不必再謝他了。”
"I'll give him the belly meat of a big fish," the old man said. "Has he done this for us more than once?"
“我以后要給他一塊大魚肚子上的肉,”老頭兒說。“他幫我們不止一次了吧?”
"I think so."
“大概是吧。”
"I must give him something more than the belly meat then. He is very thoughtful for us."
“那么我要送他比魚肚子上的肉更好的東西。他對我們真關心。”
"He sent two beers."
“他送了我們兩瓶啤酒。”
"I like the beer in cans best."
“我頂喜歡罐頭裝的。”
"I know. But this is in bottles, Hatuey beer, and I take back the bottles."
“我曉得。不過這是用瓶子裝的,哈杜威牌的啤酒。我還要把瓶子拿回去呢。”
"That's very kind of you," the old man said. "Should we eat?"
“你真好啊,”老頭兒說。“我們現(xiàn)在就吃嗎?”
"I've been asking you to," the boy told him gently. "I have not wished to open the container until you were ready."
“我已經(jīng)問過你啦,”孩子親切地說。“你沒準備好的時候,我是不愿打開飯盒子的。”
"I'm ready now," the old man said. "I only needed time to wash."
“準備好啦,”老頭兒說。“我只花了一點時間,把手和臉洗了一下。”
Where did you wash? the boy thought.
你到哪兒去洗的呢?孩子想。
The village water supply was two streets down the road.
村里的水龍頭在大路那邊,有兩條街那么遠呢。
I must have water here for him, the boy thought, and soap and a good towel.
孩子想,我應該把水提來給他,還應該帶一塊肥皂跟一條像樣的毛巾來。
Why am I so thoughtless?
為什么我這樣粗心呢?
I must get him another shirt and a jacket for the winter and some sort of shoes and another blanket.
我還應該替他再弄來一件襯衫和短外套過冬,此外給他一雙鞋,一條毯子。