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“‘Let the bastards e in here if they want you； Rosy； but don’t you； so help me； move outside this room。’ 〃那些杂种要找你，让他们进来好了，罗西，但你可千万千万不要离开这间屋子。〃
“It was four o’clock in the morning then； and if we’d of raised the blinds we’d of seen daylight。” 〃那时候已经是清早四点，要是我们掀起窗帘，我们会看见天已经亮了。〃
“Did he go？” I asked innocently。 〃他去了吗？〃我天真地问。
“Sure he went。” Mr。 Wolfshiem’s nose flashed at me indignantly。 “He turned around in the door and says： ‘Don’t let that waiter take away my coffee！’ Then he went out on the sidewalk； and they shot him three times in his full belly and drove away。” 〃他当然去了。〃沃尔夫山姆先生的鼻子气呼呼地向我一掀。〃他走到门口还回过头来说：'别让那个服务员把我的咖啡收掉！'说完他就走到外面人行道上，他们向他吃得饱饱的肚皮放了三枪，然后开车跑掉了。〃
“Four of them were electrocuted；” I said； remembering。 〃其中四个人坐了电椅。〃我想了起来就说道。
“Five； with Becker。” His nostrils turned to me in an interested way。 “I understand you’re looking for a business gonnegtion。” 〃五个，连贝克在内。〃他鼻孔转向我，带着对我感兴趣的神情，〃我听说你在找一个做生意的关系。〃
The juxtaposition of these two remarks was startling。 Gatsby answered for me： 这两句话连在一起使人听了震惊。盖茨比替我回答：
“Oh； no；” he exclaimed； “this isn’t the man。” 〃啊，不是，〃他大声说，〃这不是那个人。〃
“No？” Mr。 Wolfshiem seemed disappointed。 〃不是吗？〃沃尔夫山姆先生似乎很失望。
“This is just a friend。 I told you we’d talk about that some other time。” 〃这只是一位朋友。我告诉过你我们改天再谈那件事嘛。〃
“I beg your pardon；” said Mr。 Wolfshiem； “I had a wrong man。” 〃对不起，〃沃尔夫山姆先生说，〃我弄错了人。〃
A succulent hash arrived； and Mr。 Wolfshiem； forgetting the more sentimental atmosphere of the old Metropole； began to eat with ferocious delicacy。 His eyes； meanwhile； roved very slowly all around the room—he pleted the arc by turning to inspect the people directly behind。 I think that； except for my presence； he would have taken one short glance beneath our own table。 一盘鲜美的肉了烤菜端了上来，于是沃尔夫山姆先生就忘掉了老大都会的温情得多的气氛，开始斯斯文文地大吃起来。同时他的两眼很慢地转动着，把整个餐厅巡视一遍。他又转过身来打量紧坐在我们背后的客人，从而完成了整个弧圈。我想，要不是有我在座，他准会连我们自己桌子底下也去瞧一眼的。
“Look here； old sport；” said Gatsby； leaning toward me； “I’m afraid I made you a little angry this morning in the car。” 〃我说，老兄，〃盖茨比伸过头来跟我说，〃今天早上在车子里我恐怕惹你生气了吧？〃
There was the smile again； but this time I held out against it。 他脸上又出现了那种笑容，可是这次我无动于衷。
“I don’t like mysteries；” I answered。 “And I don’t understand why you won’t e out frankly and tell me what you want。 Why has it all got to e through Miss Baker？” 〃我不喜欢神秘的玩意儿，〃我答道，〃我也不明白你为什么不肯坦率地讲出来，让我知道你要什么。为什么一定全要通过贝克小姐？〃
“Oh； it’s nothing underhand；” he assured me。 “Miss Baker’s a great sportswoman； you know； and she’d never do anything that wasn’t all right。” 〃噢，决不是什么鬼鬼祟祟的事情，〃他向我保证，〃你也知道，贝克小姐是一位大运动家，她决不会做什么不正当的事。〃
Suddenly he looked at his watch； jumped up； and hurried from the room； leaving me with Mr。 Wolfshiem at the table。 忽然间他看了看表，跳了起来，匆匆离开餐厅，把我跟沃尔夫山姆先生留在桌子上。
“He has to telephone；” said Mr。 Wolfshiem； following him with his eyes。 “Fine fellow； isn’t he？ Handsome to look at and a perfect gentleman。” 〃他得去打电话，〃沃尔夫山姆先生说，一面目送他出去，〃好人，是不是？一表人才，而且人品极好。〃
“Yes。” 〃是的。〃
“He’s an Oggsford man。” 〃他是牛劲①出身的。〃 ①牛劲，〃牛津〃的讹音。
“Oh！” 〃哦！〃
“He went to Oggsford College in England。 You know Oggsford College？” 〃他上过英国的牛劲大学。你知道牛劲大学吗？〃
“I’ve heard of it。” 〃我听说过。〃
“It’s one of the most famous colleges in the world。” 〃它是全世界最有名的大学之一。〃
“Have you known Gatsby for a long time？” I inquired。 〃你认以盖茨比很久了吗？〃我问道。
“Several years；” he answered in a gratified way。 “I made the pleasure of his acquaintance just after the war。 But I knew I had discovered a man of fine breeding after I talked with him an hour。 I said to myself： ‘There’s the kind of man you’d like to take home and introduce to your mother and sister。’。” He paused。 “I see you’re looking at my cuff buttons。” I hadn’t been looking at them； but I did now。 〃好几年了，〃他心满意足地答道，〃刚打完仗之后一个偶然机会让我认识了了他。可是我跟他才谈了一个钟头就讪道我发现了一个非常有教养人。我就对自己说：'这就是你愿意带回家介绍你母系和妹妹认识的那种人。'〃他停了下来，说道：〃我知道你在看我的袖扣。〃
They were posed of oddly familiar pieces of ivory。 我本来并没有看，可是现在倒看了。它们是用几片小象牙制作的，看着眼熟得奇怪。
“Finest specimens of human molars；” he informed me。 〃用精选的真人臼齿做的。〃他告诉我。
“Well！” I inspected them。 “That’s a very interesting idea。” 〃真的！〃我仔细看看，〃这倒是个很妙的主意。〃
“Yeah。” He flipped his sleeves up under his coat。 “Yeah； Gatsby’s very careful about women。 He would never so much as look at a friend’s wife。” 〃不错。〃他把衬衣袖口缩回到上衣下面去，〃不错，盖茨比在女人方面非常规矩。朋友的太太他连看也不看。〃
When the subject of this instinctive trust returned to the table and sat down Mr。 Wolfshiem drank his coffee with a jerk and got to his feet。 这个受到本能的信赖的对象又回到桌边坐卜的时候，沃尔大山姆先生一口把他的咖啡喝掉，然后站起身来。
“I have enjoyed my lunch；” he said； “and I’m going to run off from you two young men before I outstay my wele。” 〃我中饭吃得很高兴，〃他说，〃现在我要扔下你们两个年轻人走了，免得你们嫌我不知趣。〃
“Don’t hurry； Meyer；” said Gatsby； without enthusiasm。 Mr。 Wolfshiem raised his hand in a sort of benediction。 〃别忙，迈尔。〃盖茨比说，一点也不热情。沃尔大山姆光生像祝福似地举起了手。
“You’re very polite； but I belong to another generation；” he announced solemnly。 “You sit here and discuss your sports and your young ladies and your——” He supplied an imaginary noun with another wave of his hand。 “As for me； I am fifty years old； and I won’t impose myself on you any longer。” 〃你们很有礼貌，不过我是老一辈的人了，〃他严肃地说，〃你们在这里坐坐，谈谈体育，谈谈你们的年轻女人，谈谈你们的。。。。。。〃他又把手一挥，以代替一个幻想的名词，〃至于我哩，我已经五十岁了，我也就不再打搅你们了。〃
As he shook hands and turned away his tragic nose was trembling。 I wondered if I had said anything to offend him。 他跟我们握握手，掉转身去，他那忧伤的鼻子又在颤动。我不知是否我说了什么话得罪了他。
“He bees very sentimental sometimes；” explained Gatsby。 “This is one of his sentimental days。 He’s quite a character around New York—a denizen of Broadway。” 〃他有时会变得很伤感，〃盖茨比解释道，〃今天又是他伤感的日子。他在纽约是个人物…百老汇的地头蛇。〃
“Who is he； anyhow； an actor？” 〃他到底是什么人？是演员吗？〃
“No。” 〃不是。
“A dentist？” 〃牙科医生？〃
“Meyer Wolfshiem？ No； he’s a gambler。” Gatsby hesitated； then added coolly： “He’s the man who fixed the World’s Series back in 1919。” 〃迈尔？沃尔夫山姆？不是，他是个赌棍。〃盖茨比犹疑了一下，然后若无其事地补充道，〃他就是一九一九年那年非法操纵世界棒球联赛的那个人。〃
“Fixed the World’s Series？” I repeated。 〃非法操纵纵世界棒球联赛？〃我重复一遍。
The idea staggered me。 I remembered； of course； that the World’s Series had been fixed in 1919； but if I had thought of it at all I would have thought of it as a thing that merely HAPPENED； the end of some inevitable chain。 It never occurred to me that one man could start to play with the faith of fifty million people—with the singlemindedness of a burglar blowing a safe。 居然有这种事，我听了发愣。我当然记得世界棒球联赛在一九一九年被人非法操纵，可是即使我想到过这种事，我也会以为那只不过是一件发生了的事情，是一连串必然事件的后果。我从来没料到一个人可以愚弄五千万人，就像一个撬开保险箱的贼那样专心致志。
“How did he happen to do that？” I asked after a minute。 〃他怎么会干那个的？〃我过了一分钟才问道。
“He just saw the opportunity。” 〃他只不过是看