Лекция: 14 страница

juicy ['GHsI], stringiness ['strINInqs], hull [hAl]

He leaned over the side and pulled loose a piece of the meat of the fish where the shark had cut him. He chewed it and noted its quality and its good taste. It was firm and juicy, like meat, but it was not red. There was no stringiness in it and he knew that it would bring the highest price in the market. But there was no way to keep its scent out of the water and the old man knew that a very bad time was coming.

The breeze was steady. It had backed a little further into the north-east and he knew that meant that it would not fall off. The old man looked ahead of him but he could see no sails nor could he see the hull nor the smoke of any ship. There were only the flying fish that went up from his bow sailing away to either side and the yellow patches of Gulf weed. He could not even see a bird.

He had sailed for two hours, resting in the stern and sometimes chewing a bit of the meat from the marlin, trying to rest and to be strong, when he saw the first of the two sharks.

«Ay,» he said aloud. There is no translation for this word (для этого слова нет перевода) and perhaps it is just a noise (и, возможно, это просто звук) such as a man might make, involuntarily (который может сделать человек непроизвольно; voluntarily — добровольно, естественно), feeling the nail go through his hands and into the wood (чувствуя, как гвоздь проходит через руку и в дерево).

"Galanos (/исп./ акула /особый вид акулы/)," he said aloud. He had seen the second fin now coming up behind the first (он увидел теперь и второй плавник, идущий позади первого) and had identified them as shovel-nosed sharks (он узнал в них широконосых акул; to identify — опознавать, идентифицировать; shovel — лопата; совок) by the brown, triangular fin (по коричневым треугольным плавникам) and the sweeping movements of the tail (и по размашистым движениям хвоста). They had the scent (они учуяли запах) and were excited (и были возбуждены) and in the stupidity of their great hunger they were losing and finding the scent in their excitement (и, совсем одурев от голода: «в глупости своего великого голода», они то теряли, то находили вновь запах в своем возбуждении). But they were closing all the time (но они неумолимо: «все это время» приближались).

The old man made the sheet fast and jammed the tiller (старик закрепил парус и заклинил румпель; to jam — блокировать). Then he took up the oar with the knife lashed to it (затем он взял весло с прикрепленным к нему ножом). He lifted it as lightly as he could because his hands rebelled at the pain (он поднял его совсем тихонько, потому что руки взбунтовались от боли; lightly — слегка, незначительно, чуть-чуть; to rebel — бунтовать, протестовать). Then he opened and closed them on it lightly to loosen them (затем он слегка разжимал и сжимал пальцы, чтобы размять их). He closed them firmly so they would take the pain now (он сжал их крепко так, чтобы они почувствовали полную боль сейчас) and would not flinch (и не подвели; to flinch — вздрагивать /от боли, испуга/; уклоняться, отступать) and watched the sharks come (и наблюдал, как приближаются акулы). He could see their wide, flattened, shovel-pointed heads now (теперь он видел их широкие, приплюснутые, похожие на лопаты: «оканчивающиеся как лопаты» головы) and their white tipped wide pectoral fins (и их большие спинные плавники с белым кончиком; tip — тонкий конец; кончик). They were hateful sharks (это были отвратительные акулы), bad smelling (плохо пахнущие = вонючие), scavengers as well as killers (пожиратели падали, равно как и убийцы), and when they were hungry they would bite at an oar or the rudder of a boat (и когда они были голодны, они могли укусить как весло, так и руль лодки; rudder — руль). It was these sharks that would cut the turtles' legs and flippers off (это были те акулы, которые откусывали ноги и ласты черепахам; flipper — плавник, ласты) when the turtles were asleep on the surface (когда черепахи спали на поверхности), and they would hit a man in the water (и они нападали на человека), if they were hungry (если были голодны), even if the man had no smell of fish blood (даже если человек не пахнул ни кровью рыбы) nor of fish slime on him (ни рыбьей слизью: «не имел на себе ни запаха…»; slime — слизь).

voluntarily ['vOlqntqrIlI], identify [aI'dentIfaI], jam [Gxm], flinch [flInC]

«Ay,» he said aloud. There is no translation for this word and perhaps it is just a noise such as a man might make, involuntarily, feeling the nail go through his hands and into the wood.

«Galanos,» he said aloud. He had seen the second fin now coming up behind the first and had identified them as shovel-nosed sharks by the brown, triangular fin and the sweeping movements of the tail. They had the scent and were excited and in the stupidity of their great hunger they were losing and finding the scent in their excitement. But they were closing all the time.

The old man made the sheet fast and jammed the tiller. Then he took up the oar with the knife lashed to it. He lifted it as lightly as he could because his hands rebelled at the pain. Then he opened and closed them on it lightly to loosen them. He closed them firmly so they would take the pain now and would not flinch and watched the sharks come. He could see their wide, flattened, shovel-pointed heads now and their white tipped wide pectoral fins. They were hateful sharks, bad smelling, scavengers as well as killers, and when they were hungry they would bite at an oar or the rudder of a boat. It was these sharks that would cut the turtles' legs and flippers off when the turtles were asleep on the surface, and they would hit a man in the water, if they were hungry, even if the man had no smell of fish blood nor of fish slime on him.

«Ay,» the old man said. «Galanos. Come on galanos (плывите сюда, galanos).»

They came (и они приплыли). But they did not come as the Mako had come (но они приплыли не так, как приплыла мако). One turned and went out of sight under the skiff (одна перевернулась и ушла из поля зрения под лодку) and the old man could feel the skiff shake as he jerked and pulled on the fish (и старик мог чувствовать, как трясется лодка, когда она дергала и тянула рыбу). The other watched the old man with his slitted yellow eyes (другая смотрела на старика своими узкими желтыми глазами; slit — длинный узкий разрез, прорезь, щель; to slit — делать длинный узкий разрез) and then came in fast (и затем быстро приблизилась) with his half circle of jaws wide (с широко разинутым полукружием пасти) to hit the fish where he had already been bitten (чтобы напасть на рыбу в том месте, где та уже была укушена). The line showed clearly on the top of his brown head (линия ясно показалась на макушке ее коричневой головы) and back where the brain joined the spinal cord (и уходила назад, где мозг соединялся с хребтом) and the old man drove the knife on the oar into the juncture (и старик вонзил нож на весле в перекрестье; juncture — место соединения), withdrew it (вынул его), and drove it in again into the shark's yellow cat-like eyes (и снова вонзил в акулий желтый кошачий глаз). The shark let go of the fish and slid down (акула отпустила рыбу и заскользила вниз; to slide — скользить), swallowing what he had taken as he died (проглатывая то, что взяла, в то время как умирала).

The skiff was still shaking with the destruction the other shark was doing to the fish (лодка все еще тряслась от разрушения, которое другая акула причиняла рыбе) and the old man let go the sheet (и старик отпустил парус; sheet — полотно, холст) so that the skiff would swing broadside (так, чтобы лодка повернулась боком; broadside — борт /корабля/, бортом) and bring the shark out from under (и открыла акулу: «и вывела акулу из-под низу»). When he saw the shark he leaned over the side (когда он увидел акулу, он перегнулся через борт) and punched at him (и ударил ее; to punch — нанести удар /обычно кулаком/). He hit only meat (он ударил ее только в мякоть: «мясо») and the hide was set hard and he barely got the knife in (а кожа была настолько тверда, что ему с трудом удалось воткнуть нож). The blow hurt not only his hands but his shoulder too (от удара у старика заболели не только руки, но и плечо). But the shark came up fast with his head out (но акула быстро высунула голову) and the old man hit him squarely in the center of his flat-topped head (и старик ударил ее прямо в центр ее приплюснутой морды; top — верхушка, вершина; flat-topped — завершающийся плоским, плоский сверху) as his nose came out of water (когда ее нос вышел из воды) and lay against the fish (и находился: «лежал» вплотную к рыбе). The old man withdrew the blade (старик вынул лезвие; to withdraw — извлекать, вытаскивать) and punched the shark exactly in the same spot again (и ударил акулу снова точно в ту же точку). He still hung to the fish with his jaws hooked (она все еще висела на рыбе со сцепленными челюстями) and the old man stabbed him in his left eye (и старик ударил ее в левый глаз; to stab — наносить колющий удар, пырнуть). The shark still hung there (акула все еще висела = продолжала висеть).

juncture ['GANkCq], destruction [dI'strAkS(q)n], squarely ['skweqlI]

«Ay,» the old man said. «Galanos. Come on galanos.»

They came. But they did not come as the Mako had come. One turned and went out of sight under the skiff and the old man could feel the skiff shake as he jerked and pulled on the fish. The other watched the old man with his slitted yellow eyes and then came in fast with his half circle of jaws wide to hit the fish where he had already been bitten. The line showed clearly on the top of his brown head and back where the brain joined the spinal cord and the old man drove the knife on the oar into the juncture, withdrew it, and drove it in again into the shark's yellow cat-like eyes. The shark let go of the fish and slid down, swallowing what he had taken as he died.

The skiff was still shaking with the destruction the other shark was doing to the fish and the old man let go the sheet so that the skiff would swing broadside and bring the shark out from under. When he saw the shark he leaned over the side and punched at him. He hit only meat and the hide was set hard and he barely got the knife in. The blow hurt not only his hands but his shoulder too. But the shark came up fast with his head out and the old man hit him squarely in the center of his flat-topped head as his nose came out of water and lay against the fish. The old man withdrew the blade and punched the shark exactly in the same spot again. He still hung to the fish with his jaws hooked and the old man stabbed him in his left eye. The shark still hung there.

«No?» the old man said and he drove the blade between the vertebrae and the brain (и вонзил лезвие между позвоночником и мозгом; vertebrae = vertebra — позвонок, позвоночник). It was an easy shot now (попасть было нетрудно: «это был легкий выстрел теперь») and he felt the cartilage sever (и он почувствовал, как разорвался хрящ; cartilage — хрящ; to sever — разрезать, разрубать, разрывать). The old man reversed the oar (старик перевернул весло) and put the blade between the shark's jaws to open them (и воткнул лопасть /весла/ между челюстями акулы, чтобы открыть их). He twisted the blade (он покрутил лопасть) and as the shark slid loose he said (и когда акула соскользнула /с рыбы/, сказал), «Go on, galano (давай, galano; to go on — продолжать путь; go on! — давай; поспеши; убирайся). Slide down a mile deep (ступай: «скользи» вниз на целую милю). Go see your friend (проведай свою подругу), or maybe it's your mother (или, может, это твоя мать).»

The old man wiped the blade of his knife (старик вытер лезвие ножа) and laid down the oar (и положил весло в лодку: «вниз»). Then he found the sheet and the sail filled (затем он ухватился за холст: «нашел холст», и парус наполнился /ветром/) and he brought the skiff onto her course (и он повернул лодку на ее курс).

«They must have taken a quarter of him and of the best meat (они, должно быть, забрали четверть ее /рыбы/, и к тому же лучшее мясо),» he said aloud. «I wish it were a dream (хотел бы я, чтоб это был сон) and that I had never hooked him (и чтоб я вовсе не ловил этой рыбы). I'm sorry about it, fish (мне жаль, рыба: «прошу прощения за это»). It makes everything wrong (из-за этого все пошло не так: «это делает все неверным»).» He stopped and he did not want to look at the fish now (он замолчал: «остановился», и ему не хотелось теперь смотреть на рыбу). Drained of blood (обескровленная; to drain — осушать, отводить воду, осуществлять дренаж; выкачивать; дренировать рану, отводить кровь) and awash (и вымытая водой; awash — смытый водой) he looked the colour of the silver backing of a mirror (она была цвета амальгамы: «серебряной основы зеркала»; backing — обратная сторона; подкладка) and his stripes still showed (но ее полосы все еще были видны: «показывались»).

«I shouldn't have gone out so far (я не должен был заходить так далеко в море), fish,» he said. «Neither for you nor for me (ни для тебя, ни для меня). I'm sorry, fish.»

vertebra ['vWtIbrq], cartilage ['kRtIlIG], awash [q'wOS]

«No?» the old man said and he drove the blade between the vertebrae and the brain. It was an easy shot now and he felt the cartilage sever. The old man reversed the oar and put the blade between the shark's jaws to open them. He twisted the blade and as the shark slid loose he said, «Go on, galano. Slide down a mile deep. Go see your friend, or maybe it's your mother.»

The old man wiped the blade of his knife and laid down the oar. Then he found the sheet and the sail filled and he brought the skiff onto her course.

«They must have taken a quarter of him and of the best meat,» he said aloud. «I wish it were a dream and that I had never hooked him. I'm sorry about it, fish. It makes everything wrong.» He stopped and he did not want to look at the fish now. Drained of blood and awash he looked the colour of the silver backing of a mirror and his stripes still showed.

«I shouldn't have gone out so far, fish,» he said. «Neither for you nor for me. I'm sorry, fish.»

Now, he said to himself. Look to the lashing on the knife (проверь: «посмотри», как привязан нож) and see if it has been cut (не перерезаны ли веревки). Then get your hand in order (затем приведи в порядок руку) because there still is more to come (потому что придут еще /акулы/).

«I wish I had a stone for the knife (жаль, что у меня нет точила для ножа),» the old man said after he had checked the lashing on the oar butt (после того, как проверил веревки на рукоятке весла). «I should have brought a stone (следовало взять с собой точило).» You should have brought many things (тебе следовало взять: «принести» много вещей), he thought. But you did not bring them, old man (но ты не взял их, старик). Now is no time to think of what you do not have (сейчас не время думать о том, чего у тебя нет). Think of what you can do with what there is (думай о том, что ты можешь сделать тем, что есть).

«You give me much good counsel (ты даешь мне слишком много хороших советов; counsel — совет, наставление),» he said aloud. «I'm tired of it (я устал от этого/это мне надоело).»

He held the tiller under his arm (он сунул румпель под мышку) and soaked both his hands in the water (и окунул обе руки в воду) as the skiff drove forward (в то время как лодка плыла вперед).

«God knows how much that last one took (один только Бог знает, сколько забрала =сожрала последняя /акула/),» he said.

«But she's much lighter now (но она теперь гораздо легче).» He did not want to think of the mutilated under-side of the fish (он не хотел думать, насколько изуродована нижняя часть рыбы). He knew that each of the jerking bumps of the shark had been meat torn away (он знал, что каждый толчок акулы об лодку означал кусок оторванного мяса) and that the fish now made a trail for all sharks as wide as a highway through the sea (и что рыба теперь оставляет в море след для всех акул, широкий, как шоссейная дорога).

counsel ['kauns(q)l], soak [squk], mutilate ['mjHtIleIt]

Now, he said to himself. Look to the lashing on the knife and see if it has been cut. Then get your hand in order because there still is more to come.

«I wish I had a stone for the knife,» the old man said after he had checked the lashing on the oar butt. «I should have brought a stone.» You should have brought many things, he thought. But you did not bring them, old man. Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.

«You give me much good counsel,» he said aloud. «I'm tired of it.»

He held the tiller under his arm and soaked both his hands in the water as the skiff drove forward.

«God knows how much that last one took,» he said.

«But she's much lighter now.» He did not want to think of the mutilated under-side of the fish. He knew that each of the jerking bumps of the shark had been meat torn away and that the fish now made a trail for all sharks as wide as a highway through the sea.

He was a fish to keep a man all winter (она была рыбой, которая могла прокормить человека всю зиму), he thought. Don't think of that. Just rest and try to get your hands in shape to defend what is left of him (просто отдыхай и постарайся привести руки в форму, чтобы защитить то, что от нее осталось). The blood smell from my hands means nothing now (запах крови от моих рук теперь ничего не значит) with all that scent in the water (со всем этим запахом в воде). Besides they do not bleed much (кроме того, они не так сильно кровоточат). There is nothing cut that means anything (на ней нет порезов, которые что-либо значат = нет серьезных ран). The bleeding may keep the left from cramping (а кровопускание может уберечь левую руку от судороги).

What can I think of now (о чем я могу сейчас думать)? he thought. Nothing (ни о чем). I must think of nothing (мне лучше ни о чем не думать) and wait for the next ones (и ждать следующих /акул/). I wish it had really been a dream (хотелось бы мне, чтобы это действительно был сон), he thought. But who knows (но кто знает)? It might have turned out well (все может закончиться хорошо; to turn out — выйти, закончиться /с таким-то результатом/).

The next shark that came was a single shovelnose (следующая появившаяся акула была одна, и тоже широконосая). He came like a pig to the trough (она подплыла, как свинья /подходит/ к своему корыту) if a pig had a mouth so wide that you could put your head in it (если бы у свиньи был рот настолько широк, что в него можно было бы положить голову). The old man let him hit the fish (старик позволил ей укусить рыбу) and then drove the knife on the oar down into his brain (а затем вонзил нож на весле в мозг). But the shark jerked backwards as he rolled (но акула дернулась назад, когда переворачивалась) and the knife blade snapped (и лезвие ножа сломалось).

shovel [SAvl], trough [trOf], shark [SRk]

He was a fish to keep a man all winter, he thought. Don't think of that. Just rest and try to get your hands in shape to defend what is left of him. The blood smell from my hands means nothing now with all that scent in the water. Besides they do not bleed much. There is nothing cut that means anything. The bleeding may keep the left from cramping.

What can I think of now? he thought. Nothing. I must think of nothing and wait for the next ones. I wish it had really been a dream, he thought. But who knows? It might have turned out well.

The next shark that came was a single shovelnose. He came like a pig to the trough if a pig had a mouth so wide that you could put your head in it. The old man let him hit the fish and then drove the knife on the oar down into his brain. But the shark jerked backwards as he rolled and the knife blade snapped.

The old man settled himself to steer (старик уселся за руль). He did not even watch the big shark sinking slowly in the water (он даже не смотрел, как большая акула медленно тонет в воде), showing first life-size (показывая сначала /свой/ реальный размер), then small (затем /становясь/ меньше), then tiny (а затем /став/ совсем крошечной). That always fascinated the old man (это всегда захватывало старика; to fascinate — восхищать, приводить в восторг, очаровывать, пленять; гипнотизировать, зачаровывать). But he did not even watch it now (но теперь он даже не смотрел).

«I have the gaff now (у меня есть багор = у меня остался багор),» he said. «But it will do no good (но от него толку мало). I have the two oars (у меня есть два весла) and the tiller (румпель) and the short club (и короткая дубинка).»

Now they have beaten me (теперь они меня победили), he thought. I am too old to club sharks to death (я слишком стар, чтобы забить дубиной акулу до смерти). But I will try it as long as I have the oars (но я буду пробывать до тех пор, пока у меня будут весла) and the short club (дубинка) and the tiller (и румпель).

He put his hands in the water again to soak them (он снова опустил руки в воду, чтобы намочить их). It was getting late in the afternoon (близился вечер) and he saw nothing but the sea and the sky (и он не видел ничего, кроме море и неба). There was more wind in the sky than there had been (ветра в небе было больше = ветер дул сильнее), and soon he hoped that he would see land (и он надеялся, что вскоре увидет землю).

«You're tired, old man (ты устал, старик),» he said. «You're tired inside (ты устал внутри = душа у тебя устала).»

fascinate ['fxsIneIt], afternoon ['Rftq'nHn], inside [«In'saId]

The old man settled himself to steer. He did not even watch the big shark sinking slowly in the water, showing first life-size, then small, then tiny. That always fascinated the old man. But he did not even watch it now.

»I have the gaff now," he said. «But it will do no good. I have the two oars and the tiller and the short club.»

Now they have beaten me, he thought. I am too old to club sharks to death. But I will try it as long as I have the oars and the short club and the tiller.

He put his hands in the water again to soak them. It was getting late in the afternoon and he saw nothing but the sea and the sky. There was more wind in the sky than there had been, and soon he hoped that he would see land.

«You're tired, old man,» he said. «You're tired inside.»

The sharks did not hit him again until just before sunset (акулы напали на него только перед самым закатом: «больше не нападали на него вплоть до /времени/ как раз перед закатом»).

The old man saw the brown fins coming along the wide trail (старик увидел коричневые плавники, которые плыли по широкому следу) the fish must make in the water (которые, должно быть, оставляла в воде рыба). They were not even quartering on the scent (они даже не рыскали по следу; to quarter — рыскать /об охотничьих собаках/). They were headed straight for the skiff swimming side by side (они направлялись прямо на лодку, плывя бок о бок).

He jammed the tiller (он заклинил румпель), made the sheet fast (подвязал парус) and reached under the stern for the club (и достал из-под кормы дубинку: «потянулся под корму за дубинкой»). It was an oar handle (это была ручка весла) from a broken oar (от сломанного весла) sawed off to about two and a half feet in length (отпиленного так, что осталось примерно два с половиной фута: «до примерно двух с половиной футов в длину»). He could only use it effectively with one hand (он мог использовать ее как следует: «эффективно» только одной рукой) because of the grip of the handle (из-за захвата ручки; grip — схватывание; сжатие, зажатие; хватка; рукоять) and he took good hold of it with his right hand (и он взялся за нее хорошенько правой рукой), flexing his hand on it (устроил руку поудобней на рукояти: «изогнул свою руку на ней»), as he watched the sharks come (наблюдая, как приближаются акулы). They were both galanos.

I must let the first one get a good hold (я должен позволить первой хорошенько вцепиться /в рыбу/) and hit him on the point of the nose (и ударить ее по кончику носа) or straight across the top of the head (или прямо по макушке), he thought.

quarter ['kwLtq], effectively [I'fektIvlI], head [hed]

The sharks did not hit him again until just before sunset.

The old man saw the brown fins coming along the wide trail the fish must make in the water. They were not even quartering on the scent. They were headed straight for the skiff swimming side by side.

He jammed the tiller, made the sheet fast and reached under the stern for the club. It was an oar handle from a broken oar sawed off to about two and a half feet in length. He could only use it effectively with one hand because of the grip of the handle and he took good hold of it with his right hand, flexing his hand on it, as he watched the sharks come. They were both galanos.

I must let the first one get a good hold and hit him on the point of the nose or straight across the top of the head, he thought.

The two sharks closed together (акулы подплыли вместе) and as he saw the one nearest him open his jaws and sink them into the silver side of the fish (и когда он увидел, как ближайшая к нему разинула челюсти и впилась ими: «погрузила их» в серебряную плоть рыбы), he raised the club high (он поднял дубинку высоко) and brought it down heavy and slamming (и тяжело обружил ее вниз; to slam — обрушиваться /на что-либо/, врезаться /во что-либо/) onto the top of the shark's broad head (поверх плоской головы акулы). He felt the rubbery solidity (он почувствовал упругую: «резиновую» твердость; rubber — резина; solidity — прочность, твердость) as the club came down (когда дубинка опустилась вниз). But he felt the rigidity of bone too (но он также почувствовал жесткость кости) and he struck the shark once more hard across the point of the nose (и он сильно ударил акулу еще раз по кончику носа) as he slid down from the fish (когда она соскальзывала вниз с рыбы).

The other shark had been in and out (другая акула уже успела поживиться и отплыла: «побывала внутри и /снова/ снаружи») and now came in again with his jaws wide (и теперь снова возвращалась с широко раскрытой пастью). The old man could see pieces of the meat of the fish (старик увидел куски рыбьего мяса) spilling white from the corner of his jaws (вываливающиеся/свисающие белым из угла ее пасти; to spill — разливать; рассеивать) as he bumped the fish (когда он ударил рыбу) and closed his jaws (и закрыл ее челюсти). He swung at him (он ударил со всей силы по ней; to swing at — бить со всей силы) and hit only the head (и попал только по голове) and the shark looked at him (и акула посмотрела на него) and wrenched the meat loose (и вырвала мясо /из рыбы/; to wrench — вырывать, вывертывать). The old man swung the club down on him again (старик снова изо всех сил махнул по ней дубинкой) as he slipped away to swallow (когда она отплывала, чтобы проглотить; to slip — скользить; плавно двигаться) and hit only the heavy solid rubberiness (и попал только по упругой твердости /поверхности головы/).

slam [slxm], rubber ['rAbq], solidity [sq'lIdItI], rigidity [rI'GIdItI]

The two sharks closed together and as he saw the one nearest him open his jaws and sink them into the silver side of the fish, he raised the club high and brought it down heavy and slamming onto the top of the shark's broad head. He felt the rubbery solidity as the club came down. But he felt the rigidity of bone too and he struck the shark once more hard across the point of the nose as he slid down from the fish.

The other shark had been in and out and now came in again with his jaws wide. The old man could see pieces of the meat of the fish spilling white from the corner of his jaws as he bumped the fish and closed his jaws. He swung at him and hit only the head and the shark looked at him and wrenched the meat loose. The old man swung the club down on him again as he slipped away to swallow and hit only the heavy solid rubberiness.

«Come on, galano (ну-ка, подойди поближе, galano),» the old man said. «Come in again (подойди еще раз).»

The shark came in a rush (акула стремительно атаковала /рыбу/; rush — стремительная атака) and the old man hit him as he shut his jaws (и старик ударил ее, когда та сомкнула челюсти). He hit him solidly (он ударил ее сильно: «твердо») and from as high up as he could raise the club (и с такой высоты, на которую он смог поднять дубинку). This time he felt the bone at the base of the brain (на этот раз он почувствовал, что попал в кость в основании черепа) and he hit him again in the same place while the shark tore the meat loose sluggishly (и ударил ее еще раз в тоже место, в то время как акула неторопливо оторвала мясо; sluggishly — лениво, медлительно) and slid down from the fish (и соскользнула с рыбы).