He looked around for the bird now because he would have liked him for company. The bird was gone

You did not stay long, the man thought. But it is rougher where you are going until you make the shore. How did I let the fish cut me with that one quick pull he made? I must be getting very stupid. Or perhaps I was looking at the small bird and thinking of him. Now I will pay attention to my work and then I must eat the tuna so that I will not have a failure of strength.

"I wish the boy were here and that I had some salt," he said aloud.

Shifting the weight of the line to his left shoulder (переместив вес лесы на левое плечо) and kneeling carefully (и стоя осторожно на коленях) he washed his hand in the ocean (он помыл руки в океане) and held it there, submerged (и держал их там погруженными; to submerge — окунать, опускать в воду), for more than a minute (больше, чем на минуту) watching the blood trail away (наблюдая, как тянется след крови; trail — след; to trail — волочиться, тащиться; отставать, идти сзади) and the steady movement of the water against his hand as the boat moved (и как ровное движение воды омывает его руку, в то время как движется лодка).

"He has slowed much (она сильно замедлила ход)," he said.

The old man would have liked to keep his hand in the salt water longer (старик хотел бы оставить руку в соленой воде подольше) but he was afraid of another sudden lurch by the fish (но он опасался очередного неожиданного рывка рыбы) and he stood up (он встал) and braced himself (натянул спиною лесу) and held his hand up against the sun (и выставил руку на солнце). It was only a line burn that had cut his flesh (это был всего лишь ожог = ссадина от лесы, которая порезала руку: «плоть»). But it was in the working part of his hand (но это было в рабочей части ладони). He knew he would need his hands before this was over (он знал, что ему понадобятся его руки до того, как все это кончится) and he did not like to be cut before it started (и ему не нравилось быть порезанным до того, как это все началось).

Shifting the weight of the line to his left shoulder and kneeling carefully he washed his hand in the ocean and held it there, submerged, for more than a minute watching the blood trail away and the steady movement of the water against his hand as the boat moved.

"He has slowed much," he said.

The old man would have liked to keep his hand in the salt water longer but he was afraid of another sudden lurch by the fish and he stood up and braced himself and held his hand up against the sun. It was only a line burn that had cut his flesh. But it was in the working part of his hand. He knew he would need his hands before this was over and he did not like to be cut before it started.

"Now," he said, when his hand had dried (сказал он, когда его рука высохла), "I must eat the small tuna (я должен съесть маленького тунца). I can reach him with the gaff (я могу дотянутся до него багром) and eat him here in comfort (и съесть его здесь с удобством: «в комфорте»)."

He knelt down and found the tuna under the stern with the gaff (он опустился на колени и нащупал тунца под кормой лодки багром) and drew it toward him keeping it clear of the coiled lines (и вытащил его к себе, держа его подальше от мотков лесы). Holding the line with his left shoulder again (снова держа лесу на левом плече), and bracing on his left hand and arm (и опираясь на свою левую кисть и руку; hand — кисть; arm — рука /от плеча до кисти/), he took the tuna off the gaff hook (он снял тунца с крючка багра) and put the gaff back in place (и положил багор обратно на место). He put one knee on the fish (он поставил одно колено на рыбу) and cut strips of dark red meat longitudinally from the back of the head to the tail (и отрезал полоски темно-красного мяса вдоль, от затылка до хвоста; longitudinally — вдоль, в длину; longitudinal — продольный). They were wedge-shaped strips (они были клинообразными полосками; wedge — клин; to shape — придавать форму) and he cut them from next to the back bone down to the edge of the belly (и он резал их от самого позвоночника вниз к краю брюха = к хвосту). When he had cut six strips he spread them out on the wood of the bow (когда он нарезал шесть полосок, он разложил их на досках лодки), wiped his knife on his trousers (вытер свой нож о брюки), and lifted the carcass of the bonito by the tail and dropped it overboard (поднял скелет тунца за хвост и швырнул его за борт).

"Now," he said, when his hand had dried, "I must eat the small tuna. I can reach him with the gaff and eat him here in comfort."

He knelt down and found the tuna under the stern with the gaff and drew it toward him keeping it clear of the coiled lines. Holding the line with his left shoulder again, and bracing on his left hand and arm, he took the tuna off the gaff hook and put the gaff back in place. He put one knee on the fish and cut strips of dark red meat longitudinally from the back of the head to the tail. They were wedge-shaped strips and he cut them from next to the back bone down to the edge of the belly. When he had cut six strips he spread them out on the wood of the bow, wiped his knife on his trousers, and lifted the carcass of the bonito by the tail and dropped it overboard.

"I don't think I can eat an entire one (не думаю, что смогу съесть целиком /полоску/; entire — полный, целый; весь)," he said and drew his knife across one of the strips (сказал он и перерезал одну полоску пополам: «провел ножом поперек полоски»). He could feel the steady hard pull of the line (он чувствовал ровное крепкое натяжение лесы) and his left hand was cramped (и его левую руку свело). It drew up tight on the heavy cord (она крепко сжимала тяжелую веревку) and he looked at it in disgust (и он смотрел на нее с отвращением; disgust — отвращение, омерзение).

"What kind of a hand is that (ну что это за рука)," he said. "Cramp then if you want (затекай тогда, если хочешь). Make yourself into a claw (преврати себя = превращайся в клешню; claw — коготь; клешня; презр. лапа). It will do you no good (это тебе не поможет: «не сделает тебе ничего хорошего»)."

Come on (давай же), he thought and looked down into the dark water at the slant of the line (подумал он и посмотрел в темную воду и на косую линию лесы). Eat it now and it will strengthen the hand (съешь его сейчас, и это укрепит твою руку). It is not the hand's fault (рука не виновата: «это не вина руки») and you have been many hours with the fish (ты уже много часов с рыбой). But you can stay with him forever (но ты можешь остаться с ней вечно). Eat the bonito now (ешь тунца сейчас же).

He picked up a piece and put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly (он взял кусочек, положил его в рот и медленно начал жевать). It was not unpleasant (он не был неприятным).

"I don't think I can eat an entire one," he said and drew his knife across one of the strips. He could feel the steady hard pull of the line and his left hand was cramped. It drew up tight on the heavy cord and he looked at it in disgust.

"What kind of a hand is that," he said. "Cramp then if you want. Make yourself into a claw. It will do you no good."

Come on, he thought and looked down into the dark water at the slant of the line. Eat it now and it will strengthen the hand. It is not the hand's fault and you have been many hours with the fish. But you can stay with him forever. Eat the bonito now.