There was no cast net and the boy remembered when they had sold it. But they went through this fiction every day. There was no pot of yellow rice and fish and the boy knew this too.

“Eighty-five is a lucky number,“ the old man said. “How would you like to see me bring one in that dressed out over a thousand pounds?“

“I’ll get the cast net and go for sardines. Will you sit in the sun in the doorway?”

“Yes. I have yesterday’s paper and I will read the baseball.“

The boy did not know whether yesterday’s paper was fiction too. But the old man brought it out from under the bed.

“Perico gave it to me at the bodega,“ he explained.

“I’ll be back when I have the sardines. I’ll keep yours and mine together on ice and we can share them in the morning. When I come back you can tell me about the baseball.“

“The Yankees cannot lose.“

“But I fear the Indians of Cleveland.“

“Have faith in the Yankees my son. Think of the great DiMaggio.“

“I fear both the Tigers of Detroit and the Indians of Cleveland.“

“Be careful or you will fear even the Reds of Cincinnati and the White Sox of Chicago.“

“You study it and tell me when I come back.“

“Do you think we should buy a terminal of the lottery with an eighty-five? Tomorrow is the eighty-fifth day.“

“We can do that,“ the boy said. “But what about the eighty-seven of your great record?“

“It could not happen twice. Do you think you can find an eighty-five?“

“I can order one.“

“One sheet. That’s two dollars and a half. Who can we borrow that from?“

“That’s easy. I can always borrow two dollars and a half.“

“I think perhaps I can too. But I try not to borrow. First you borrow. Then you beg.“

“Keep warm old man,“ the boy said. “Remember we are in September.“

“The month when the great fish come,“ the old man said. “Anyone can be a fisherman in May.“

《老人與?！逢P(guān)于八月十五的對話二

實在并沒有魚網(wǎng)，孩子還記得他們是什么時候把它賣掉的。然而他們每天要扯一套這種謊話。也沒有什么魚煮黃米飯，這一點孩子也知道。

“八十五是個吉利的數(shù)目，”老人說。“你可想看到我逮住一條去掉了下腳有一千多磅重的魚？”

“我拿魚網(wǎng)撈沙丁魚去。你坐在門口曬曬太陽可好？”

“好吧。我有張昨天的報紙，我來看看棒球消息。

  孩子不知道昨天的報紙是不是也是烏有的。但是老人把它從床下取出來了。

“佩里科在雜貨鋪里給我的，”他解釋說。

“我弄到了沙丁魚就回來。我要把你的魚跟我的一起用冰鎮(zhèn)著，明兒早上就可以分著用了。等我回來了，你告訴我棒球消息。

“揚(yáng)基隊不會輸。”

“可是我怕克利夫蘭印第安人隊會贏。”

“相信揚(yáng)基隊吧，好孩子。別忘了那了不起的迪馬吉奧。”

我擔(dān)心底特律老虎隊，也擔(dān)心克利夫蘭印第安人隊。”

“當(dāng)心點，要不然連辛辛那提紅隊和芝加哥白短襪隊，你都要擔(dān)心啦。”

　　“你好好兒看報，等我回來了給我講講。”

　　“你看我們該去買張末尾是八五的彩票嗎？明兒是第八十五天。”

　    “這樣做行啊，”孩子說。“不過你上次創(chuàng)紀(jì)錄的是八十七天，這怎么說？”

　　“這種事兒不會再發(fā)生。你看能弄到一張末尾是八五的嗎？”

　　“我可以去訂一張。”

　　“訂一張。這要兩塊半。我們向誰去借這筆錢呢？”

　　“這個容易。我總能借到兩塊半的。”

　　“我看沒準(zhǔn)兒我也借得到。不過我不想借錢。第一步是借錢。下一步就要討飯啰。”

　　“穿得暖和點，老大爺，”孩子說。“別忘了，我們這是在九月里。”

　　“正是大魚露面的月份，”老人說。“在五月里，人人都能當(dāng)個好漁夫的。”