If the boy was here he would wet the coils of line, he thought. Yes. If the boy were here. If the boy were here

The line went out and out and out but it was slowing now (леса все уходила, уходила и уходила, но теперь уже медленее: «теперь она замедлялась») and he was making the fish earn each inch of it (и он заставлял рыбу отвоевывать каждый ее дюйм; to earn — заслуживать; зарабатывать). Now he got his head up from the wood and out of the slice of fish that his cheek had crushed (теперь он поднял голову от дерева и куска рыбы, в которую врезалась его щека). Then he was on his knees (затем он был на коленях = поднялся на колени) and then he rose slowly to his feet (а затем он поднялся медленно на ноги; to rise). He was ceding line but more slowly all he time (он отдавал лесу, но с каждым разом все медленнее; to cede — уступать, идти на уступки). He worked back to where he could feel with his foot the coils of line that he could not see (он отступил назад, где он мог чувствовать ногой мотки лесы, которую не мог видеть). There was plenty of line still (оставалось еще много лесы) and now the fish had to pull the friction of all that new line through the water (и теперь рыбе придется тянуть трение всей этой новой лесы через воду).

Yes, he thought. And now he has jumped more than a dozen times (и теперь, когда она выпрыгнула более дюжины раз) and filled the sacks along his back with air (и наполнила мешки вдоль своей спины= свои пузыри воздухом) and he cannot go down deep to die where I cannot bring him up (и она не сможет уйти глубоко на дно, чтобы умереть там, где я не смогу вытащить ее). He will start circling soon (она скоро начнет кружить) and then I must work on him (и тогда я должен буду поработать /над ней/). I wonder what started him so suddenly (интересно, что ее так неожидано вспугнуло; to start — вспугивать)? Could it have been hunger that made him desperate (мог ли это быть голод, доведшие ее до отчаяния; desperate — отчаянный, отчаявшийся), or was he frightened by something in the night (или же она была напугана чем-то ночью)? Maybe he suddenly felt fear (может быть, она неожидано испугалась: «почувствовала страх»). But he was such a calm, strong fish (но она была такой спокойной, сильной рыбой) and he seemed so fearless and so confident (и она казалась такой бесстрашной и такой уверенной). It is strange (странно).

The line went out and out and out but it was slowing now and he was making the fish earn each inch of it. Now he got his head up from the wood and out of the slice of fish that his cheek had crushed. Then he was on his knees and then he rose slowly to his feet. He was ceding line but more slowly all he time. He worked back to where he could feel with his foot the coils of line that he could not see. There was plenty of line still and now the fish had to pull the friction of all that new line through the water.

Yes, he thought. And now he has jumped more than a dozen times and filled the sacks along his back with air and he cannot go down deep to die where I cannot bring him up. He will start circling soon and then I must work on him. I wonder what started him so suddenly? Could it have been hunger that made him desperate, or was he frightened by something in the night? Maybe he suddenly felt fear. But he was such a calm, strong fish and he seemed so fearless and so confident. It is strange.

"You better be fearless (тебе лучше быть бесстрашным) and confident yourself (и уверенным в себе), old man," he said. "You're holding him again but you cannot get line (ты снова держишь ее, но ты не можешь забрать лесу). But soon he has to circle (но вскоре она должна /начать/ кружить)."

The old man held line with his left hand and his shoulders now (старик держал лесу левой рукой и плечами) and stooped down (и наклонился вниз) and scooped up water in his right hand (и зачерпнул воду правой рукой) to get the crushed dolphin flesh off of his face (чтобы смыть раздавленное мясо дорадо с лица; flesh — плоть; мясо). He was afraid that it might nauseate him (он боялся, что его может стошнить от него: «оно вызовет рвоту») and he would vomit and lose his strength (и его вырвет, и он потеряет силу). When his face was cleaned (когда лицо было вымыто) he washed his right hand in the water over the side (он вымыл свою правую руку в воде за бортом) and then let it stay in the salt water (и затем оставил: «позволил ей остаться» ее в соленой воде) while he watched the first light come before the sunrise (пока наблюдал, как первые лучи света приходят перед рассветом). He's headed almost east (она направилась почти на восток), he thought. That means he is tired and going with the current (это значит, что она устала и идет по течению). Soon he will have to circle (скоро она должна пойти кругами). Then our true work begins (вот тогда начнется наша настоящая работа).

After he judged that his right hand had been in the water long enough (после того, как он решил, что его рука пробыла в воде достаточно долго) he took it out and looked at it (он вытащил ее и посмотрел на нее).

"You better be fearless and confident yourself, old man," he said. "You're holding him again but you cannot get line. But soon he has to circle."

The old man held line with his left hand and his shoulders now and stooped down and scooped up water in his right hand to get the crushed dolphin flesh off of his face. He was afraid that it might nauseate him and he would vomit and lose his strength. When his face was cleaned he washed his right hand in the water over the side and then let it stay in the salt water while he watched the first light come before the sunrise. He's headed almost east, he thought. That means he is tired and going with the current. Soon he will have to circle. Then our true work begins.