hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第21节
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¨Too many；〃 Roger had said。 ¨And you donˇt have to rub it in。〃
So now he was going to start new again and how would it turn out this time？ How could he think that wasting his talent and writing to order and following a formula that made money could fit him to write well and truly？ Everything that a painter did or that a writer wrote was a part of his training and preparation for what he was to do。 Roger had thrown away and abused and spent his talent。 But perhaps he had enough animal strength and detached intelligence so that he could make another start。 Any writer of talent should be able to write one good novel if he were honest； Thomas Hudson thought。 But all the time that he should be training for it Roger had been misusing his talent and how could you know if his talent still was there？ To say nothing of his m？tier； he thought。 How can anyone think that you can neglect and despise； or have contempt for craftsmanship； however feigned the contempt may be； and then expect it to be at the service of your hands and of your brain when the time comes when you must have it。 There is no substitute for it； Thomas Hudson thought。 There is no substitute for talent either and you donˇt have to keep them in a chalice。 The one is inside you。 It is in your heart and in your head and in every part of you。 So is the other； he thought。 It is not just a set of tools that you have learned to work with。
It is luckier to be a painter； he thought； because you have more things to work with。 We have the advantage of working with our hands and the m？tier we have mastered is an actual tangible thing。 But Roger must start now to use what he has blunted and perverted and cheapened and all of it is in his head。 But au fond he has something fine and sound and beautiful。 That is a word I would need to be very careful of if I were a writer； he thought。 But he has the thing that is the way he is and if he could write the way he fought on the dock it could be cruel but it would be very good。 Then if he could think as soundly as he thought after that fight he would be very good。
The moonlight did not shine on the head of Thomas Hudsonˇs bed anymore and gradually he stopped thinking about Roger。 Thinking about him doesnˇt do any good。 Either he can do it or he canˇt。 But it would be wonderful if he could do it。 I wish that I could help him。 Maybe I can； he thought； and then he was asleep。
IX
WHEN THE SUN WOKE THOMAS HUDSON he went down to the beach and swam and then had breakfast before the rest of them were up。 Eddy said he did not think they would have much of a breeze and it might even be a calm。 He said the gear was all in good shape on the boat and he had a boy out after bait。
Thomas Hudson asked him if he had tested the lines since the boat had not been out for big fish in quite a while and Eddy said he had tested them and taken off all the line that was rotten。 He said they were going to have to get some more thirty…six thread line and plenty more twenty…four thread and Thomas Hudson promised to send for it。 In the meantime Eddy had spliced enough good line on to replace the discarded line and both the big reels had all they would hold。 He had cleaned and sharpened all of the big hooks and checked all the leaders and swivels。
¨When did you do all this？〃
¨I sat up last night splicing；〃 he said。 ¨Then I worked on that new cast net。 Couldnˇt sleep with the goddam moon。〃
¨Does a full moon bother you for sleeping too？〃
¨Gives me hell；〃 Eddy said。
¨Eddy do you think itˇs really bad for you to sleep with it shining on you？〃
¨Thatˇs what the old heads say。 I donˇt know。 Always makes me feel bad； anyway。〃
¨Do you think weˇll do anything today？〃
¨Never know。 Thereˇs some awfully big fish out there this time of year。 Are you going clean up to the Isaacs？〃
¨The boys want to go up there。〃
¨We ought to get going right after breakfast。 Iˇm not figuring to cook lunch。 Iˇve got conch salad and potato salad and beer and Iˇll make up sandwiches。 Weˇve got a ham that came over on the last run…boat and Iˇve got some lettuce and we can use mustard and that chutney。 Mustard doesnˇt hurt kids； does it？〃
¨I donˇt think so。〃
¨We never had it when I was a kid。 Say； that chutneyˇs good； too。 You ever eat it in a sandwich？〃
¨No。〃
¨I didnˇt know what it was for when you first got it and I tried some of it like a marmalade。 Itˇs damned good。 I use it sometimes on grits。〃
¨Why donˇt we have some curry pretty soon？〃
¨I got a leg of lamb coming on the next run…boat。 Wait till we eat off it a couple of timesonce； I guess； with that young Tom and Andrew eating； and weˇll have a curry。〃
¨Fine。 What do you want me to do about getting off？〃
¨Nothing； Tom。 Just get them going。 Want me to make you a drink？ You arenˇt working today。 Might as well have one。〃
¨Iˇll drink a cold bottle of beer with breakfast。〃
¨Good thing。 Cut that damn phlegm。〃
¨Is Joe here yet？〃
¨No。 He went after the boy thatˇs gone for bait。 Iˇll put your breakfast out there。〃
¨No； let me take her。〃
¨No； go on in and drink a cold bottle of beer and read the paper。 Iˇve got her all ironed out for you。 Iˇll bring the breakfast。〃
Breakfast was corned…beef hash； browned； with an egg on top of it； coffee and milk； and a big glass of chilled grapefruit juice。 Thomas Hudson skipped the coffee and the grapefruit juice and drank a very cold bottle of Heineken beer with the hash。
¨Iˇll keep the juice cold for the kids；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Thatˇs some beer； isnˇt it； for early in the morning？〃
¨It would be pretty easy to be a rummy； wouldnˇt it； Eddy？〃
¨Youˇd never make a rummy。 You like to work too well。〃
¨Drinking in the morning feels awfully good though。〃
¨Youˇre damned right it does。 Especially something like that beer。〃
¨I couldnˇt do it and work though。〃
¨Well； youˇre not working today so whatˇs the goddam problem？ Drink that one up and Iˇll get you another。〃
¨No。 Oneˇs all I want。〃
They got off by nine oˇclock and went down the channel with the tide。 Thomas Hudson was steering on the topside and he headed her out over the bar and ran straight out toward where he could see the dark line of the Gulf。 The water was so calm and so very clear that they could see the bottom clearly in thirty fathoms； see that sea fans bent with the tide current； still see it； but cloudily； at forty fathoms； and then it deepened and was dark and they were out in the dark water of the stream。
¨It looks like a wonderful day； papa；〃 Tom said。 ¨It looks like a good stream。〃
¨Itˇs a fine stream。 Look at the little curl of the whirlpools along the edge。〃
¨Isnˇt this the same water that we have in on the beach in front of the house？〃
¨Sometimes； Tommy。 Now the tide is out and it has pushed the Stream out from in front of the mouth of the harbor。 See in there along the beach； where there is no opening； itˇs made in again。〃
¨It looks almost as blue in there as it is out here。 What makes the Gulf water so blue？〃
¨Itˇs a different density of water。 Itˇs an altogether different type of water。〃
¨The depth makes it darker； though。〃
¨Only when you look down into it。 Sometimes the plankton in it make it almost purple。〃
¨Why？〃
¨Because they add red to the blue I think。 I know they call the Red Sea red because the plankton make it look really red。 They have terrific concentrations of them there。〃
¨Did you like the Red Sea； papa？〃
¨I loved it。 It was awfully hot but you never saw such wonderful reefs and itˇs full of fish on the two monsoons。 Youˇd like it； Tom。〃
¨I read two books about it in French by Mr。 de Montfried。 They were very good。 He was in the slave trade。 Not the white slave trade。 The olden days slave trade。 Heˇs a friend of Mr。 Davis。〃
¨I know；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨I know him； too。〃
¨Mr。 Davis told me that Mr。 de Montfried came back to Paris one time from the slave trade and when he would take a lady out anywhere he would have the taxi driver put down the top of the taxi and he would steer the taxi driver wherever he wanted to go by the stars。 Say Mr。 de Montfried was on the Pont de la Concorde and he wanted to go to the Madeleine。 He wouldnˇt just tell the taxi driver to take him to the Madeleine； or to cross the Place de la Concorde and go up the Rue Royale the way you or I would do it； papa。 Mr。 de Montfried would steer himself to the Madeleine by the North Star。〃
¨I never heard that one about Mr。 de Montfried；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨I heard quite a lot of others。〃
¨Itˇs quite a complicated way to get around in Paris； donˇt you think？ Mr。 Davis wanted to go into the slave trade at one time with Mr。 de Montfried but there was some sort of a hitch。 I donˇt remember what it was。 Yes； now I do。 Mr。 de Montfried had left the slave trade and gone into the opium trade。 That was it。〃
¨Didnˇt Mr。 Davis want to go into the opium trade？〃
¨No。 I remember he said he thought heˇd leave the opium trade to Mr。 De Quincey and Mr。 Cocteau。 He said theyˇd done so well in it that he didnˇt think it was right to disturb them。 That was one of those remark
