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and he had bee simply the proprietor of an elaborate roadhouse next door。 过去一个月里，我大概跟他交谈过五六次。使我失望的是，我发现他没有多少话可说。因此我最初以为他是一位相当重要的人物的印豼？已经渐渐消失，他只不过是隔壁一家豪华的郊外饭店的老板。
And then came that disconcerting ride。 We hadn’t reached West Egg village before Gatsby began leaving his elegant sentences unfinished and slapping himself indecisively on the knee of his caramelcolored suit。 接着就发生了那次使我感到窘迫的同车之行。我们还没到西卵镇，盖茨比就开始把他文雅的句子说到一半就打住，同时犹疑不决地用手拍着他酱色酉装的膝盖。
“Look here； old sport；” he broke out surprisingly。 “What’s your opinion of me； anyhow？” 〃我说，老兄，〃他出其不意地大声说，〃你到底对我是怎么个看法？〃
A little overwhelmed； I began the generalized evasions which that question deserves。 我有点不知所措，就开始说一些含糊其词的话来搪塞。
“Well； I’m going to tell you something about my life；” he interrupted。 “I don’t want you to get a wrong idea of me from all these stories you hear。” 〃得啦，我来给你讲讲我自己的身世吧，〃他打断了我的话。〃你听到这么多闲话，我不希望你从中得到一个对我的错误看法。〃
So he was aware of the bizarre accusations that flavored conversation in his halls。 原来他知道那些给他客厅里的谈话增添风趣的离奇的流言蜚语。
“I’ll tell you God’s truth。” His right hand suddenly ordered divine retribution to stand by。 “I am the son of some wealthy people in the Middle West—all dead now。 I was brought up in America but educated at Oxford； because all my ancestors have been educated there for many years。 It is a family tradition。” 〃上帝作证，我要跟你说老实话。〃他的右手突然命令上天的惩罚做好准备。〃我是中西部一个有钱人家的儿子家里人都死光了。我是在美国长大的，可是在牛津受的教育，因为我家祖祖辈辈都是在牛津受教育的。这是个家庭传统。〃
He looked at me sideways—and I knew why Jordan Baker had believed he was lying。 He hurried the phrase “educated at Oxford；” or swallowed it； or choked on it； as though it had bothered him before。 And with this doubt； his whole statement fell to pieces； and I wondered if there wasn’t something a little sinister about him； after all。 他斜着眼朝我望望我这才明白为什么乔丹？贝克曾认为他撒谎。他把〃在牛津受的教育〃这句话匆匆带了过去，或者含糊其词，或者半吞半吐，仿佛这句话以前就使他犯嘀咕。有了这个疑点，他的整个自述就站不住脚了，因此我猜疑他终究是有点什么不可告人之处。
“What part of the Middle West？” I inquired casually。 〃中西部什么地方？〃我随便一问。
“San Francisco。” 〃旧金山①。〃 ①旧金山在西部海岸，不属中西部。
“I see。” 〃哦，是这样。〃
“My family all died and I came into a good deal of money。” 〃我家里人都死光了，因此我继承了很多钱。〃
His voice was solemn； as if the memory of that sudden extinction of a clan still haunted him。 For a moment I suspected that he was pulling my leg； but a glance at him convinced me otherwise。 他的声音很严肃，仿佛想起家族的突然消亡犹有余痛似的。有一会儿我怀疑他在捉弄我，但是看了他一眼后，我便相信不是那么回事。
“After that I lived like a young rajah in all the capitals of Europe—Paris； Venice； Rome—collecting jewels； chiefly rubies； hunting big game； painting a little； things for myself only； and trying to forget something very sad that had happened to me long ago。” 〃后来我就像一个年轻的东方王公那样到欧洲各国首都去当寓公…巴黎、威尼斯、罗马…收藏以红宝石为主的珠宝也好，打打狮子老虎也好，画点儿画也罢，不过是为了自己消遣，同时尽量想忘掉好久以前一件使我非常伤心的事。〃
With an effort I managed to restrain my incredulous laughter。 The very phrases were worn so threadbare that they evoked no image except that of a turbaned “character。” leaking sawdust at every pore as he pursued a tiger through the Bois de Boulogne。 我好不容易才忍住不笑出来，因为他的话令人难以置信。他的措词本身那么陈腐，以致在我脑子里只能是这样的形豼？一个裹着头巾的傀儡戏里的〃角色〃，在布龙公园①追着打老虎，一面跑一面从身子里每个孔洞里往外漏木屑。①在巴黎郊外，有大片森林。
“Then came the war； old sport。 It was a great relief； and I tried very hard to die； but I seemed to bear an enchanted life。 I accepted a mission as first lieutenant when it began。 In the Argonne Forest I took two machinegun detachments so far forward that there was a half mile gap on either side of us where the infantry couldn’t advance。 We stayed there two days and two nights； a hundred and thirty men with sixteen Lewis guns； and when the infantry came up at last they found the insignia of three German divisions among the piles of dead。 I was promoted to be a major； and every Allied government gave me a decoration—even Montenegro； little Montenegro down on the Adriatic Sea！” 〃后来就打仗了，老兄。这倒是莫大的宽慰，我千方百计地去找死，可是我的命好像有神仙保佑一样。战争开始的时候，我得到了中尉的军衔。在阿贡森林一役，我带领我两个机枪连的小分队一往直前，结果我们两边都有半英里的空地，步兵在那里无法推进。我们在那儿待了两天两夜，一百三十个人，十六挺刘易斯式机枪。后来等到步兵开上来，他们在堆积如山的尸体中发现了三个德国师的徽记。我被提升为少校，每一个同盟国政府都发给我一枚勋章…其中甚至包括门的内哥罗，亚德里亚海上的那个小小的门的内哥罗。〃
Little Montenegro！ He lifted up the words and nodded at them—with his smile。 The smile prehended Montenegro’s troubled history and sympathized with the brave struggles of the Montenegrin people。 It appreciated fully the chain of national circumstances which had elicited this tribute from Montenegro’s warm little heart。 My incredulity was submerged in fascination now； it was like skimming hastily through a dozen magazines。 小小的门的内哥罗！他仿佛把这几个字举了起来，冲着它们点头微笑。这一笑表示他了解门的内哥罗动乱的历史，并且同情门的内哥罗人民的英勇斗争。这一笑也表示他完全理解那个国家一系列的情况，正是这些情况使得门的内哥罗热情的小小的心发出了这个颂扬。我的怀疑此刻已化为惊奇。这好像是匆匆忙忙翻阅十几本杂志一样。
He reached in his pocket； and a piece of metal； slung on a ribbon； fell into my palm。 他伸手到口袋里去掏，随即一块系在一条缎带上的金属片落进我的手掌心。
“That’s the one from Montenegro。” 〃这就是门的内哥罗的那一个。〃
To my astonishment； the thing had an authentic look。 使我吃惊的是，这玩意看上去是真的。
“Orderi di Danilo；” ran the circular legend； “Montenegro； Nicolas Rex。” 〃丹尼罗勋章〃，上面的一圈铭义写道：〃门的内哥罗国王尼占拉斯〃。
“Turn it。” 〃翻过来。〃
“Major Jay Gatsby；” I read； “For Valour Extraordinary。” 〃杰伊？盖茨比少校，〃我念道，〃英勇过人〃
“Here’s another thing I always carry。 A souvenir of Oxford days。 It was taken in Trinity Quad—the man on my left is now the Earl of Dorcaster。” 〃这儿还有一件我随身带的东西，牛津时朗的纪念品，是在三一学院校园里照的我左边那个人现在是唐卡斯特伯爵。〃
It was a photograph of half a dozen young men in blazers loafing in an archway through which were visible a host of spires。 There was Gatsby； looking a little； not much； younger—with a cricket bat in his hand。 这是一张五六个年轻人的相片，身上穿着运动上衣，在一条拱廊下闸站着，背后可以看见许许多多塔尖①，其中有盖茨比，比现在显得年轻点，但也年轻不了多少…手里拿着一根板球棒。 ①牛津校舍大多为哥特式建筑，塔尖林立。
Then it was all true。 I saw the skins of tigers flaming in his palace on the Grand Canal； I saw him opening a chest of rubies to ease； with their crimsonlighted depths； the gnawings of his broken heart。 这样看来他说的都是真的啦。我仿佛看见一张张五色斑调的老虎皮挂在他在大运河①上的宫殿甲，我仿佛看见他打开一箱红宝石，借它们浓艳的红光来减轻他那颗破碎的心的痛苦。 ①指意大利威尼斯城的大运河。
“I’m going to make a big request of you today；” he said； pocketing his souvenirs with satisfaction； “so I thought you ought to know something about me。 I didn’t want you to think I was just some nobody。 You see； I usually find myself among strangers because I drift here and there trying to forget the sad thing that happened to me。” He hesitated。 “You’ll hear about it this afternoon。” 〃我今天有件大事要请你帮忙，〃他说，一面很满意地把他的纪念品放进口袋里。〃因此我觉得你应当了解我的情况。我不希望你认为我只是一个不三不用的人。要知道，我往往和陌生人交往，因为我东飘西荼？尽量想忘掉那件伤心事。〃他犹疑了一下，〃这件事今天下午你就可以听到。〃
“At lunch？” 〃吃午饭的时候？〃
“No； this afternoon。 I happened to find out that you’re taking