sore [sL], desperately ['desp(q)rqtlI], seize [sJz]
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)."
lunge [lAnG], breathe [brJD], copper ['kOpq]
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.
The old man could hardly breathe now and he felt a strange taste in his mouth. It was coppery and sweet and he was afraid of it for a moment. But there was not much of it.
He spat into the ocean and said, "Eat that, galanos. And make a dream you've killed a man."
He knew he was beaten now finally and without remedy (он знал, что был побежден теперь окончательно и бесповоротно; remedy — лекарство; средство) and he went back to the stern (он вернулся на корму) and found the jagged end of the tiller (обнаружил, что обломанный конец румпеля; jagged — неровно оторванный, зазубренный) would fit in the slot of the rudder well enough (входит в отверстие руля достаточно хорошо; slot — щель, щелка; длинный узкий разрез; щелевое отверстие; выемка, бороздка, желобок
