按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
cle of my arm。 A phrase began to beat in my ears with a sort of heady excitement： “There are only the pursued； the pursuing； the busy and the tired。” 这时天黑了，我们的马车走到一座小桥下面，我伸出胳臂搂住乔丹的金黄色肩膀，把她拉到我身边，请她一起吃晚饭。忽然之间，我想的已经不是黛两和盖茨比，而是这个干净、结实、智力有限的人，她对世问的切都抱怀疑态度，她怪精神地往后靠在我伸出的胳臂上。一个警句开始在我耳中令人兴奋地激动鸣响：〃世界上只有被追求者和追求者，忙碌的人和疲倦的人。〃
“And Daisy ought to have something in her life；” murmured Jordan to me。 〃黛西生活里也应当有点安慰。〃乔丹喃喃地对我说。
“Does she want to see Gatsby？” 〃她愿意见盖茨比吗？〃
“She’s not to know about it。 Gatsby doesn’t want her to know。 You’re just supposed to invite her to tea。” 〃事光是不让她知道的。盖茨比不要她知道。你只是请她来喝茶。〃
We passed a barrier of dark trees； and then the facade of Fiftyninth Street； a block of delicate pale light； beamed down into the park。 Unlike Gatsby and Tom Buchanan； I had no girl whose disembodied face floated along the dark cornices and blinding signs； and so I drew up the girl beside me； tightening my arms。 Her wan； scornful mouth smiled； and so I drew her up again closer； this time to my face。 我们经过了一排黑黝黝的树，然后五十九号街的高楼里一片柔和的灯光照到下面公园中来。跟盖茨比和汤姆？布坎农不一样，我的眼前没有什么情人的面影沿着阴暗的檐口和耀眼的招牌缥缈浮动，于是我把身边这个女孩子拉得更近一点，同时胳臂搂得更紧。她那张苍白、轻藐的嘴嫣然一笑，于是我把她拉得更紧一点，这次一直拉到贴着我的脸。
Chapter 5 第五章
When I came home to West Egg that night I was afraid for a moment that my house was on fire。 Two o’clock and the whole corner of the peninsula was blazing with light； which fell unreal on the shrubbery and made thin elongating glints upon the roadside wires。 Turning a corner； I saw that it was Gatsby’s house； lit from tower to cellar。 那天夜里我回到西卵的时候，有一会儿我疑心是我的房子着了火。半夜两点钟了，而半岛的那整个一角照得亮堂堂的，光线照在灌木丛上好像是假的，又照在路旁电线上映出细细的一长条一长条的闪光。转弯以后，我才看出原来是盖茨比的别墅，从塔楼到地窖都灯火通明。
At first I thought it was another party； a wild rout that had resolved itself into “hideandgoseek。” or “sardinesinthebox。” with all the house thrown open to the game。 But there wasn’t a sound。 Only wind in the trees； which blew the wires and made the lights go off and on again as if the house had winked into the darkness。 As my taxi groaned away I saw Gatsby walking toward me across his lawn。 起初我还以为又是一次晚会，一次狂欢的盛会，整个别墅统统敞开，好让大家做游戏，玩捉迷藏或〃罐头沙丁鱼〃。可是一点声音都没有。只有树丛中的风声作响，风把电线吹动，电灯忽暗忽明，好像房子在对着黑夜眨眼。当出租汽车哼哼着开走的时候，我看到盖茨比穿过他的草坪朝着我走过来。
“Your place looks like the World’s Fair；” I said。 〃你府上看上去像世界博览会一样。〃我说。
“Does it？” He turned his eyes toward it absently。 “I have been glancing into some of the rooms。 Let’s go to Coney Island； old sport。 In my car。” 〃是吗？〃他心不在焉地转过眼睛去望望，〃我刚才打开了几间屋子随便看看。咱俩到康尼岛①去玩吧，老兄。坐我的车子去。〃 ①康尼岛（Coney），纽约的一处游乐胜地。
“It’s too late。” 〃时间太晚了。〃
“Well； suppose we take a plunge in the swimmingpool？ I haven’t made use of it all summer。” 〃那么，到游泳池里泡一泡怎么样？我一夏天还没泡过哩。〃
“I’ve got to go to bed。” 〃我得上床睡觉了。〃
“All right。” 〃好吧。〃
He waited； looking at me with suppressed eagerness。 他等待着，急巴巴地望着我。
“I talked with Miss Baker；” I said after a moment。 “I’m going to call up Daisy tomorrow and invite her over here to tea。” 〃我和贝克小姐谈过了，〃我等了一会才说，〃我明天打电话给黛西，请她到这里来喝茶。〃
“Oh； that’s all right；” he said carelessly。 “I don’t want to put you to any trouble。” 〃哦，那好嘛，〃他漫不经心地说，〃我不希望给您添麻烦。〃
“What day would suit you？” 〃哪天对您合适？〃
“What day would suit YOU？” he corrected me quickly。 “I don’t want to put you to any trouble； you see。” 〃哪天对您合适？〃他马上纠正了我的话，〃我不希望给您添麻烦，你明白。〃
“How about the day after tomorrow？” He considered for a moment。 Then； with reluctance：“I want to get the grass cut；” he said。 〃后天怎么样？〃他考虑了一会。然后，他勉强地说：〃我要让人把草地平整一下。〃
We both looked at the grass—there was a sharp line where my ragged lawn ended and the darker； wellkept expanse of his began。 I suspected that he meant my grass。 我们俩都低头看了看草地…在我的乱蓬蓬的草地和他那一大片剪得整整齐齐的深绿色草坪之间有一条很清楚的分界线。我猜他指的是我的草地。
“There’s another little thing；” he said uncertainly； and hesitated。 〃另外还有一件小事。〃他含混地说，然后犹疑了一会。
“Would you rather put it off for a few days？” I asked。 〃你是不是希望推迟几天？〃我问道。
“Oh； it isn’t about that。 At least——” He fumbled with a series of beginnings。 “Why； I thought—why； look here； old sport； you don’t make much money； do you？” 〃哦，跟那个没关系。至少。。。。。。〃他笨拙地一连开了几个头，〃呃，我猜想。。。。。。呃，我说，老兄，你挣钱不多，是吧？〃
“Not very much。” 〃不太多。〃
This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently。 这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
“I thought you didn’t； if you’ll pardon my—You see； I carry on a little business on the side； a sort of side line； you understand。 And I thought that if you don’t make very much—You’re selling bonds； aren’t you； old sport？” 〃我猜想你挣钱不多，如果你不怪我…你知道，我附带做点小生意，搞点副业，你明白。我也想到既然你挣钱不多…你在卖债券，是吧，老兄？〃
“Trying to。” 〃学着干。〃
“Well； this would interest you。 It wouldn’t take up much of your time and you might pick up a nice bit of money。 It happens to be a rather confidential sort of thing。” 〃那么，这也许会引起你的兴趣。不需要花费很多时间，你就可以挣一笔可观的钱。碰巧是一件相当机密的事。〃
I realize now that under different circumstances that conversation might have been one of the crises of my life。 But； because the offer was obviously and tactlessly for a service to be rendered； I had no choice except to cut him off there。 我现在认识到，如果当时情况不同，那次谈话可能会是我一生中的一个转折点，但是，因为这个建议说得很露骨，很不得体，明摆着是为了酬谢我给他帮的忙，我别无选择，只有当场把他的话打断。
“I’ve got my hands full；” I said。 “I’m much obliged but I couldn’t take on any more work。” 〃我手头工作很忙，〃我说，〃我非常感激，可是我不可能再承担更多的工作。〃
“You wouldn’t have to do any business with Wolfshiem。” Evidently he thought that I was shying away from the “gonnegtion。” mentioned at lunch； but I assured him he was wrong。 He waited a moment longer； hoping I’d begin a conversation； but I was too absorbed to be responsive； so he went unwillingly home。 〃你不需要跟沃尔夫山姆打任何交道的。〃显然他以为我讨厌中饭时候提到的那种〃关系〃，但我告诉他他搞错了。他又等了一会，希望我找个话题，但是我的心完全不在这儿，没有答碴，结果他只好勉勉强强地回家去了。
The evening had made me lightheaded and happy； I think I walked into a deep sleep as I entered my front door。 So I didn’t know whether or not Gatsby went to Coney Island； or for how many hours he “glanced into rooms。” while his house blazed gaudily on。 I called up Daisy from the office next morning； and invited her to e to tea。 这一晚使我感到又轻飘又快乐。大概我一走进自己的大门就倒头大睡，因此我不知道盖茨比究竟有没有去康尼岛，也不知他又花了几个小时〃随便看看房间〃，同时他的房子继续刺眼地大放光明。第二天早晨我从办公室给黛西打了个电话，请她过来喝茶。
“Don’t bring Tom；” I warned her。 〃别带汤姆来。〃我警告她。
“What？” 〃什么？〃
“Don’t bring Tom。” 〃别带汤姆来。〃
“Who is ‘Tom’？” she asked innocently。 〃谁是'汤姆'？〃她装傻地问道。
The day agreed upon was pouring rain。 At eleven o’clock a man in a raincoat； dragging a lawnmower； tapped at my front door and said that Mr。 Gatsby had sent him over to cut my grass。 This reminded me that I had forgotten to tell my Finn to e back； so I drove into West Egg Village to search for her among soggy； whitewashed alleys and to buy some cups and lemons and flowers。 我们约定的那天大雨倾盆。上午十一点钟，一个男的身