第1章 The Old Mans Hard Life（第1页）
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HewasanoldmanwhofishedaloneinaskiffintheGulfStreamandhehadgoneeighty-fourdaysnowwithouttakingafish.InthefirstfortydaysaboyhadbeenwithhiButafterfortydayswithoutafishtheboysparentshadtoldhimthattheoldmanwasnowdefinitelyandfinallysalao，whichistheworstformofunlucky，andtheboyhadgoneattheirordersinanotherboatwhichcaughtthreegoodfishthefirstweek.Itmadetheboysadtoseetheoldmancomeineachdaywithhisskiffemptyandhealwayswentdowntohelphimcarryeitherthecoiledlinesorthegaffandharpoonandthesailthatwasfurledaroundthemast.Thesailwaspatchedwithfloursacksand，furled，itlookedliketheflagofpermanentdefeat.
Theoldmanwasthinandgauntwithdeepwrinklesinthebackofhisneck.Thebrownblotchesofthebenevolentskincancerthesunbringsfromitsreflectiononthetropicseawereonhischeeks.Theblotchesranwelldownthesidesofhisfaceandhishandshadthedeep-creasedscarsfromhandlingheavyfishonthecords.Butnoneofthesescarswerefresh.Theywereasoldaserosionsinafishlessdesert.
Everythingabouthimwasoldexcepthiseyesandtheywerethesamecolorastheseaandwerecheerfulandundefeated.
“Santiago，”theboysaidtohimastheyclimbedthebankfromwheretheskiffwashauledup.“Icouldgowithyouagain.Wevemadesomemoney.”
Theoldmanhadtaughttheboytofishandtheboylovedhi
“No，”theoldmansaid.“Yourewithaluckyboat.Staywiththe”
“Butrememberhowyouwenteighty-sevendayswithoutfishandthenwecaughtbigoneseverydayforthreeweeks.”“Iremember，”theoldmansaid，“Iknowyoudidnotleavemebecauseyoudoubted.”
“Itwaspapamademeleave.IamaboyandImustobeyhi”
“Iknow，”theoldmansaid.“Itisquitenormal.”
“Hehasntmuchfaith.”
“No，”theoldmansaid.“Butwehave.Haventwe?”“Yes，”theboysaid.“CanIofferyouabeerontheTerraceandthenwelltakethestuffhome.”
“Whynot?”theoldmansaid.“Betweenfishermen.”
TheysatontheTerraceandmanyofthefishermenmadefunoftheoldmanandhewasnotangry.Others，oftheolderfishermen，lookedathimandweresad.Buttheydidnotshowitandtheyspokepolitelyaboutthecurrentandthedepthstheyhaddriftedtheirlinesatandthesteadygoodweatherandofwhattheyhadseen.Thesuccessfulfishermenofthatdaywerealreadyinandhadbutcheredtheirmarlinoutandcarriedthemlaidfullacrosstwoplanks，withtwomenstaggeringattheendofeachplank，tothefishhousewheretheywaitedfortheicetrucktocarrythemtothemarketinHavana.Thosewhohadcaughtsharkshadtakenthemtothesharkfactoryontheothersideofthecovewheretheywerehoistedonablockandtackle，theirliversremoved，theirfinscutoffandtheirhidesskinnedoutandtheirfleshcutintostripsforsalting.
Whenthewindwasintheeastasmellcameacrosstheharborfromthesharkfactory;buttodaytherewasonlythefaintedgeoftheodorbecausethewindhadbackedintothenorthandthendroppedoffanditwaspleasantandsunnyontheTerrace.
“Santiago，”theboysaid.
“Yes，”theoldmansaid.Hewasholdinghisglassandthinkingofmanyyearsago.
“CanIgoouttogetsardinesforyoufortomorrow?”“No.Goandplaybaseball.IcanstillrowandRogeliowillthrowthenet.”
“Iwouldliketogo.IfIcannotfishwithyou，Iwouldliketoserveinsomeway.”
“Youboughtmeabeer，”theoldmansaid.“Youarealreadyaman.”
“HowoldwasIwhenyoufirsttookmeinaboat?”
“FiveandyounearlywerekilledwhenIbroughtthefishintoogreenandhenearlytoretheboattopieces.Canyouremember?”
“Icanrememberthetailslappingandbangingandthethwartbreakingandthenoiseoftheclubbing.Icanrememberyouthrowingmeintothebowwherethewetcoiledlineswereandfeelingthewholeboatshiverandthenoiseofyouclubbinghimlikechoppingatreedownandthesweetbloodsmellalloverme.”
“CanyoureallyrememberthatordidIjusttellittoyou?”
“Iremembereverythingfromwhenwefirstwenttogether.”
Theoldmanlookedathimwithhissunburned，confidentlovingeyes.
“IfyouweremyboyIdtakeyououtandgamble，”hesaid.“Butyouareyourfathersandyourmothersandyouareinaluckyboat.”
“MayIgetthesardines?IknowwhereIcangetfourbaitstoo.”
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