When once, through my treachery, it had been necessary to him to make a choice (подумать только, что благодаря моему коварству ей было необходимо сделать выбор;
promptly ['prOmptlI], whatever [wOt'evq], treachery ['treCqrI]
That was the saddest thing I ever saw with them, the old man thought. The boy was sad too and we begged her pardon and butchered her promptly.
"I wish the boy was here," he said aloud and settled himself against the rounded planks of the bow and felt the strength of the great fish through the line he held across his shoulders moving steadily toward whatever he had chosen.
When once, through my treachery, it had been necessary to him to make a choice, the old man thought.
His choice had been to stay in the deep dark water (ее выбор состоял в том, чтобы остаться в глубокой темной воде) far out beyond all snares and traps and treacheries (далеко за пределами всех западней, ловушек и коварств;
Perhaps I should not have been a fisherman (возможно, мне не стоило становиться рыбаком), he thought. But that was the thing that I was born for (но это было призвание, для которого я родился). I must surely remember to eat the tuna after it gets light (я, несомненно, должен не забыть съесть тунца после того, как станет светло = рассветет).
Some time before daylight something took one of the baits that were behind him (некоторое время перед рассветом что-то заглотило одну из наживок, которые были позади него). He heard the stick break and the line begin to rush out over the gunwale of the skiff (он услышал, как сломалась палка =
snare [sneq], sheath [SJT], sever ['sevq]
His choice had been to stay in the deep dark water far out beyond all snares and traps and treacheries. My choice was to go there to find him beyond all people. Beyond all people in the world. Now we are joined together and have been since noon. And no one to help either one of us.
Perhaps I should not have been a fisherman, he thought. But that was the thing that I was born for. I must surely remember to eat the tuna after it gets light.