I have all those prayers I promised if I caught the fish, he thought. But I am too tired to say them now. I better get the sack and put it over my shoulders

He lay in the stern and steered and watched for the glow to come in the sky. I have half of him, he thought. Maybe I'll have the luck to bring the forward half in. I should have some luck. No, he said. You violated your luck when you went too far outside.

"Don't be silly," he said aloud. "And keep awake and steer. You may have much luck yet."

"I'd like to buy some if there's any place they sell it," he said.

What could I buy it with? he asked himself. Could I buy it with a lost harpoon and a broken knife and two bad hands?

"You might," he said. "You tried to buy it with eighty-four days at sea. They nearly sold it to you too.

I must not think nonsense (мне нельзя думать о ерунде), he thought. Luck is a thing that comes in many forms (удача — такая штука, что приходит в различных формах) and who can recognize her (и кто может распознать ее)? I would take some though in any form (я бы, однако, взял немного удачи, в любой форме) and pay what they asked (и заплатил бы всем, чего бы не попросили). I wish I could see the glow from the lights (хотел бы я увидеть сияние от огней /Гаваны/; glow — свет, отблеск, зарево), he thought. I wish too many things (я хочу слишком много вещей). But that is the thing I wish for now (но это то, что я хочу сейчас). He tried to settle more comfortably to steer (он постарался устроиться поудобнее, чтобы рулить = так, чтобы было удобнее рулить) and from his pain he knew he was not dead (и из-за боли он знал, что не мертв).

He saw the reflected glare of the lights of the city (он увидел отражение зарева огней города) at what must have been around ten o'clock at night (где-то часов в десять вечера). They were only perceptible at first as the light is in the sky before the moon rises (они сначала были заметны, как свет в небе, который бывает до того, как восходит луна). Then they were steady to see across the ocean (затем они стали ясно видны за полосой океана) which was rough now (который сейчас был бурным; rough — бурное /о море/, ухабистый /о дороге/) with the increasing breeze (от усиливающегося ветра). He steered inside of the glow (он направил лодку внутрь сияния) and he thought that now, soon, he must hit the edge of the stream (и он подумал, что теперь он вскоре должен войти в течение: «достигнуть края течения»). Now it is over (теперь все кончено), he thought. They will probably hit me again (они, вероятно, нападут на меня снова). But what can a man do against them in the dark without a weapon (но что человек может сделать против них в темноте и без оружия)?

I must not think nonsense, he thought. Luck is a thing that comes in many forms and who can recognize her? I would take some though in any form and pay what they asked. I wish I could see the glow from the lights, he thought. I wish too many things. But that is the thing I wish for now. He tried to settle more comfortably to steer and from his pain he knew he was not dead.

He saw the reflected glare of the lights of the city at what must have been around ten o'clock at night. They were only perceptible at first as the light is in the sky before the moon rises. Then they were steady to see across the ocean which was rough now with the increasing breeze. He steered inside of the glow and he thought that now, soon, he must hit the edge of the stream.

Now it is over, he thought. They will probably hit me again. But what can a man do against them in the dark without a weapon?

He was stiff and sore now (все его тело ломило и саднило; stiff — жесткий, тугой; sore — больной) and his wounds and all of the strained parts of his body (и его раны и все измученные /напряжением/ части его тела; to strain — натягивать; растягивать; напрягать; strained — растянутый; /туго/ натянутый) hurt with the cold of the night (болели от холода ночи). I hope I do not have to fight again (надеюсь, мне не придется снова драться), he thought. I hope so much I do not have to fight again (я очень сильно надеюсь, что мне не придется снова драться).

But by midnight he fought (но в полночь он дрался) and this time he knew the fight was useless (и на этот раз он знал, что драка бесполезна). They came in a pack (они пришли стаей) and he could only see the lines in the water that their fins made (он видел только следы в воде, которые оставляли их плавники) and their phosphorescence as they threw themselves on the fish (и их свечение, когда они бросались на рыбу). He clubbed at heads (он бил дубиной по головам) and heard the jaws chop (слышал, как щелкают челюсти) and the shaking of the skiff as they took hold below (и чувствовал, как тряслась лодка, когда они хватали рыбу снизу: «брали хватку/захват внизу»). He clubbed desperately at what he could only feel and hear (он отчаянно бил дубиной по всему, что чувствовал или слышал; desperately — отчаянно, безрассудно) and he felt something seize the club and it was gone (и он почувствовал, как что-то схватило дубину, и она пропала; to seize — хватать).

He jerked the tiller free from the rudder (он выдернул румпель из руля) and beat and chopped with it (бил и рубил им), holding it in both hands and driving it down again and again (держа его двумя руками и опуская вниз = нанося удары снова и снова). But they were up to the bow now (но акулы теперь были у носа лодки) and driving in one after the other (и набрасывались /на рыбу/ одна за другой) and together, tearing off the pieces of meat that showed glowing below the sea (и вместе, отрывая куски мяса, которые сияли под водой) as they turned to come once more (когда они разворачивались, чтобы приплыть еще раз).

He was stiff and sore now and his wounds and all of the strained parts of his body hurt with the cold of the night. I hope I do not have to fight again, he thought. I hope so much I do not have to fight again.

But by midnight he fought and this time he knew the fight was useless. They came in a pack and he could only see the lines in the water that their fins made and their phosphorescence as they threw themselves on the fish. He clubbed at heads and heard the jaws chop and the shaking of the skiff as they took hold below. He clubbed desperately at what he could only feel and hear and he felt something seize the club and it was gone.

He jerked the tiller free from the rudder and beat and chopped with it, holding it in both hands and driving it down again and again. But they were up to the bow now and driving in one after the other and together, tearing off the pieces of meat that showed glowing below the sea as they turned to come once more.

One came, finally, against the head itself (наконец, одна подошла прямо к голове рыбы) and he knew that it was over (и он знал, что все кончено). He swung the tiller across the shark's head (он изо всех сил ударил по голове акулы) where the jaws were caught in the heaviness of the fish's head (туда, где застряли: «были пойманы» челюсти /акулы/ в крепких костях: «в вязкости» головы рыбы; heavy — тяжелый; вязкий) which would not tear (которая не разрывалась). He swung it once and twice and again (он бил ее снова и снова). He heard the tiller break (он услышал, как ломается румпель) and he lunged at the shark with the splintered butt (и он ударил акулу расщепленной рукояткой; to lunge — делать выпад, укол /шпагой/; наносить внезапный удар; to splinter — расщеплять). He felt it go in (он почувствовал, как она входит) and knowing it was sharp (и, зная, что она острая) he drove it in again (вонзил ее снова). The shark let go and rolled away (акула отпустила рыбу и откатилась). That was the last shark of the pack that came (то была последняя акула из пришедшей стаи). There was nothing more for them to eat (им больше нечего было есть: «еды для них не осталось»).

The old man could hardly breathe now (старик теперь едва мог дышать) and he felt a strange taste in his mouth (и он почувствовал странный привкус во рту). It was coppery and sweet (он был вкуса меди и сладкий = он был сладковатый и отдавал медью; copper — медь) and he was afraid of it for a moment (и на минуту он испугался его). But there was not much of it (но его не было много = но он скоро прошел).

He spat into the ocean (он сплюнул в океан; to spit) and said, "Eat that, galanos (ешьте, galanos). And make a dream you've killed a man (и пусть вам приснится, что вы убили человека)."

One came, finally, against the head itself and he knew that it was over. He swung the tiller across the shark's head where the jaws were caught in the heaviness of the fish's head which would not tear. He swung it once and twice and again. He heard the tiller break and he lunged at the shark with the splintered butt. He felt it go in and knowing it was sharp he drove it in again. The shark let go and rolled away. That was the last shark of the pack that came. There was nothing more for them to eat.