A. attacking B. beaten C. bites D. dignity E. diverse F. emotional G. exhibiting H. link I. literature J. strength K. struggles |
Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea is the simple story of an old Cuban fisherman who undergoes the most difficult struggle of his life. In the title character, Santiago, Hemingway describes one of the most distinguished examples in American of an individual looking deep within to work up the courage necessary to get through the achievements and sad events that life presents.
Alone on the sea, Santiago continuously to find hope in several seemingly hopeless situations. The old man illustrates Hemingway's ideal of "grace under pressure", as he refuses to give in to the enormous obstacles (障碍) presented by the sea. Relying on memories of his youth, Santiago finds the to physically and emotionally carry on throughout the story.
After catching the great marlin (马林鱼) Santiago realizes he is unable to quickly kill the fish, and it proceeds to pull him farther out to sea. Yet, throughout the battle between man and fish the old man begins to recognize a(n) between him and the marlin, repeatedly referring to it as his brother. Both the old man and the fish are only insignificant among the creatures at sea, joined together by the fact that they are at the mercy of the sea.
The fish, therefore, changes from merely being Santiago's prey (猎物) into a reflection of the old man's and physical state. When the sharks damage the dead marlin hanging off the side of the boat as Santiago struggles to sail home, the old man fights them off as if they were him. Only when the marlin's body has been entirely eaten away does Santiago give up, knowing he "was now finally".
Although the old man seemingly fails once the sharks steal his prize fish, they cannot take away the fact that Santiago has done the unthinkable by staying with and catching a fish "bigger than he had ever heard of". In spite of not successfully bringing the fish back, Santiago fights with —first to catch the marlin, then to protect his fish from the sharks—and in doing so declares his humanity by remaining resilient (坚韧的) in the face of achievements and sad events.
