Then he felt the gentle touch on the line and he was happy

"It was only his turn," he said. "He'll take it."

He was happy feeling the gentle pulling (он был счастлив чувствовать мягкие подергивания) and then he felt something hard and unbelievably heavy (а затем он почувствовал нечто грубое и невероятно тяжелое). It was the weight of the fish (это был вес рыбы) and he let the line slip down, down, down (и он позволил лесе скользить вниз, вниз, вниз), unrolling off the first of the two reserve coils (разматывая первые два запасных мотка). As it went down, slipping lightly through the old man's fingers (пока она шла вниз, легко скользя между пальцами старика), he still could feel the great weight (он все еще чувствовал большой вес), though the pressure of his thumb and finger were almost imperceptible (хотя нажим его большого и указательного пальцев был почти незаметен; imperceptible — незаметный, незначительный).

"What a fish (что за рыба!)," he said. "He has it sideways in his mouth now (он сейчас зацепил крючок губой: «боком своего рта») and he is moving off with it (и удирает с ним; to move off — удаляться)."

Then he will turn and swallow it (затем он развернется и проглотит его), he thought. He did not say that because he knew that if you said a good thing it might not happen (он не сказал это вслух, потому что знал, что если говоришь хорошую вещь, она может не произойти). He knew what a huge fish this was (он знал, что за огромная это была рыба) and he thought of him moving away in the darkness with the tuna held crosswise in his mouth (и он думал о ней /о марлини/, удирающей в темноту с тунцом, застрявшим поперек пасти). At that moment he felt him stop moving but the weight was still there (в тот момент он почувствовал, что рыба прекратила двигаться = остановилась, но вес все еще был там). Then the weight increased and he gave more line (затем вес увеличился, и он дал = отпустил еще больше лесы). He tightened the pressure of his thumb and finger for a moment (на мгновенье он усилил нажим большого и указательного пальцев; to tighten — сжимать; tight — сжатый, тугой, плотный) and the weight increased (и вес = напряжение увеличилось) and was going straight down (и уходило прямо вниз).

He was happy feeling the gentle pulling and then he felt something hard and unbelievably heavy. It was the weight of the fish and he let the line slip down, down, down, unrolling off the first of the two reserve coils. As it went down, slipping lightly through the old man's fingers, he still could feel the great weight, though the pressure of his thumb and finger were almost imperceptible.

"What a fish," he said. "He has it sideways in his mouth now and he is moving off with it."

Then he will turn and swallow it, he thought. He did not say that because he knew that if you said a good thing it might not happen. He knew what a huge fish this was and be thought of him moving away in the darkness with the tuna held crosswise in his mouth. At that moment he felt him stop moving but the weight was still there. Then the weight increased and he gave more line. He tightened the pressure of his thumb and finger for a moment and the weight increased and was going straight down.

"He's taken it (клюнул)," he said. "Now I'll let him eat it well (теперь я позволю ей поесть хорошенько)."

He let the line slip through his fingers (он позволил лесе скользить сквозь его пальцы) while he reached down with his left hand and made fast the free end of the two reserve coils (одновременно он дотянулся своей левой рукой и прикрепил свободный конец двух запасных мотков) to the loop of the two reserve coils of the next line (к петле двух запасных мотков другой лесы). Now he was ready (теперь он был готов). He had three forty-fathom coils of line in reserve now (у него в запасе было три сорокасаженных мотка лесы), as well as the coil he was using (а также моток, который он использовал /сейчас/).

"Eat it a little more (поешь еще немного)," he said. "Eat it well (кушай хорошо)."

Eat it so that the point of the hook goes into your heart and kills you (ешь так, чтобы острие крючка воткнулось тебе в сердце и убило тебя), he thought. Come up easy and let me put the harpoon into you (всплыви легко и позволь мне воткнуть в тебя гарпун). All right (хорошо). Are you ready (ты готова)? Have you been long enough at table (ты достаточна была у стола = насытилась вволю)?

"Now!" he said aloud and struck hard with both hands (и резко дернул обеими руками), gained a yard of line and then struck again and again (вытащив целый ярд лесы, а затем дернул снова и снова; to gain — добывать, зарабатывать), swinging with each arm alternately on the cord (поочередно меняя руки на леске) with all the strength of his arms (со всей силой своих рук) and the pivoted weight of his body (и всем весом своего упершегося в одну точку/сохраняющего равновесие тела; pivot — стержень; to pivot — надевать на стержень, закреплять на оси; вертеться, поворачиваться /вокруг своей оси/).

"He's taken it," he said. "Now I'll let him eat it well."

He let the line slip through his fingers while he reached down with his left hand and made fast the free end of the two reserve coils to the loop of the two reserve coils of the next line. Now he was ready. He had three forty-fathom coils of line in reserve now, as well as the coil he was using.

"Eat it a little more," he said. "Eat it well."

Eat it so that the point of the hook goes into your heart and kills you, he thought. Come up easy and let me put the harpoon into you. All right. Are you ready? Have you been long enough at table?

"Now!" he said aloud and struck hard with both hands, gained a yard of line and then struck again and again, swinging with each arm alternately on the cord with all the strength of his arms and the pivoted weight of his body.

Nothing happened (ничего не произошло). The fish just moved away slowly (рыба просто медленно уплывала) and the old man could not raise him an inch (и старик не мог поднять ее и на дюйм). His line was strong and made for heavy fish (его леса была прочной: «сильной», и была сделана для тяжелой рыбы) and he held it against his back until it was so taut (он держал ее на спине, пока она не натянулась так туго; against — против; на /указывает на опору, контакт, соприкосновение с чем-л./) that beads of water were jumping from it (что капельки/бусинки воды прыгали с нее; bead — бусина; капля). Then it began to make a slow hissing sound in the water (затем она начала издавать низкий шипящий звук в воде) and he still held it (а он все еще держал ее), bracing himself against the thwart and leaning back against the pull (опираясь на банку лодки и подаваясь в противоположную сторону натяжения; to lean — наклоняться). The boat began to move slowly off toward the north-west (лодка начала медленно двигаться на северо-запад).

The fish moved steadily (рыба двигалась равномерно/неуклонно; steady — устойчивый; прочный, твердый; равномерный) and they travelled slowly on the calm water (и они передвигались медленно по спокойной воде). The other baits were still in the water (другие наживки все еще были в воде) but there was nothing to be done (но ничего нельзя было сделать).

"I wish I had the boy (жаль, что со мной нет мальчика: «хотел бы я, чтобы со мной был мальчик»)" the old man said aloud. "I'm being towed by a fish (меня тащит на буксире рыба; to tow — тащить на бечеве; буксировать; tow — бечева; буксирный канат, трос) and I'm the towing bitt (а я — буксирный кнехт; bitt — кнехт /парные тумбы на палубе судна или на пристани для закрепления швартового или буксирного троса/). I could make the line fast (я мог бы привязать лесу). But then he could break it (но тогда рыба может сломать ее = может сорваться). I must hold him all I can (я должен держать ее изо всех сил: «все, что я могу») and give him line when he must have it (и спускать ей лесу, когда она ей будет необходима). Thank God he is travelling and not going down (слава Богу, что она плывет /горизонтально/, а не погружается)."

What I will do if he decides to go down (что я буду делать, если она решит погрузиться: «уйти вниз»), I don't know (я не знаю). What I'll do if he sounds and dies I don't know (что я буду делать, если она пойдет на дно и умрет, я не знаю; to sound — нырять, опускаться на дно). But I'll do something (но я сделаю что-нибудь). There are plenty of things I can do (есть много чего, что я могу сделать).

Nothing happened. The fish just moved away slowly and the old man could not raise him an inch. His line was strong and made for heavy fish and he held it against his hack until it was so taut that beads of water were jumping from it. Then it began to make a slow hissing sound in the water and he still held it, bracing himself against the thwart and leaning back against the pull. The boat began to move slowly off toward the north-west.