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。。。。。我根本不欠你什么情。。。。。。至于你在午饭时候来打扰我，我根本不答应！〃
“Holding down the receiver；” said Daisy cynically。 〃挂上话筒在讲。〃黛西冷嘲热讽地说。
“No； he’s not；” I assured her。 “It’s a bonafide deal。 I happen to know about it。” 〃不，他不是。〃我向她解释道，〃这是一笔确有其事的交易。我碰巧知道这件事。〃
Tom flung open the door； blocked out its space for a moment with his thick body； and hurried into the room。 汤姆猛然推开了门，他粗壮的身躯片刻间堵住了门口，然后急匆匆走进了屋子。“No； he’s not；” I assured her。 “It’s a bonafide deal。 I happen to know about it。”
“Mr。 Gatsby！” He put out his broad； flat hand with wellconcealed dislike。 “I’m glad to see you； sir。 。 。 。 Nick。 。 。 。” 〃盖茨比先生！〃他伸出了他那宽大、扁平的手，很成功地掩饰住了对他的厌恶，〃我很高兴见到您，先生。。。。。。尼克。。。。。。〃
“Make us a cold drink；” cried Daisy。 〃给我们来一杯冷饮吧！〃黛西大声说。
As he left the room again she got up and went over to Gatsby and pulled his face down； kissing him on the mouth。 他又离开屋子以后，她站起身来，走到盖茨比面前，把他的脸拉了下来，吻他的嘴。
“You know I love you；” she murmured。 〃你知道我爱你。〃她喃喃地说。
“You forget there’s a lady present；” said Jordan。 〃你忘了还有一位女客在座。〃乔丹说。
Daisy looked around doubtfully。 黛西故意装傻回过头看看。
“You kiss Nick too。” 〃你也跟尼克接吻吧。〃
“What a low； vulgar girl！” 〃多低级、多下流的女孩子！〃
“I don’t care！” cried Daisy； and began to clog on the brick fireplace。 Then she remembered the heat and sat down guiltily on the couch just as a freshly laundered nurse leading a little girl came into the room。 〃我不在乎！〃黛西大声说，同时在砖砌的壁炉前面跳起舞来。后来她想起了酷热的天气，又不好意思地在沙发上坐了下来，正在这时一个穿着新洗的衣服的保姆搀着一个小女孩走进屋子来。
“Blessed precious；” she crooned； holding out her arms。 “e to your own mother that loves you。” 〃心…肝，宝…贝，〃她嗲声嗲气地说，一面伸出她的胳臂，〃到疼你的亲娘这里来。〃
The child； relinquished by the nurse； rushed across the room and rooted shyly into her mother’s dress。 保姆一撒手，小孩就从屋子那边跑过来，羞答答地一头埋进她母亲的衣裙里。
“The blessed precious！ Did mother get powder on your old yellowy hair？ Stand up now； and say—Howdedo。” 〃心…肝，宝…贝啊！妈妈把粉弄到你黄黄的头发上了吗？站起身来，说声您好。〃
Gatsby and I in turn leaned down and took the small； reluctant hand。 Afterward he kept looking at the child with surprise。 I don’t think he had ever really believed in its existence before。 盖茨比和我先后弯下腰来，握一握她不情愿地伸出的小手。然后他惊奇地盯着孩子看。我想他以前从来没有真正相信过有这个孩子存在。
“I got dressed before luncheon；” said the child； turning eagerly to Daisy。 〃我在午饭前就打扮好了。〃孩子说，急切地把脸转向黛西。
“That’s because your mother wanted to show you off。” Her face bent into the single wrinkle of the small； white neck。 “You dream； you。 You absolute little dream。” 〃那是因为你妈要显摆你。〃她低下头来把脸伏在雪白的小脖子上唯一的皱纹里，'你啊，你这个宝贝。你这个独一无二的小宝贝。〃
“Yes；” admitted the child calmly。 “Aunt Jordan’s got on a white dress too。” 〃是啊，〃小孩平静地答应，〃乔丹阿姨也穿了一件白衣裳。〃
“How do you like mother’s friends？” Daisy turned her around so that she faced Gatsby。 “Do you think they’re pretty？” 〃你喜欢妈妈的朋友吗？〃黛西把她转过来，让她面对着盖茨比，〃你觉得他们漂亮吗？〃
“Where’s Daddy？” 〃爸爸在哪儿？〃
“She doesn’t look like her father；” explained Daisy。 “She looks like me。 She’s got my hair and shape of the face。” 〃她长得不像她父亲，〃黛西解释说，〃她长得像我。她的头发和脸形都像我。〃
Daisy sat back upon the couch。 The nurse took a step forward and held out her hand。 黛西朝后靠在沙发上。保姆走上前一步，伸出了手。
“e； Pammy。” 〃来吧，帕咪。〃
“Goodby； sweetheart！” 〃再见，乖乖！〃
With a reluctant backward glance the welldisciplined child held to her nurse’s hand and was pulled out the door； just as Tom came back； preceding four gin rickeys that clicked full of ice。 很懂规矩的小孩依依不舍地回头看了一眼，抓着保姆的手，就被拉到门外去，正好汤姆回来，后面跟着四杯杜松子利克酒，里面装满了冰块喀嚓作响。
Gatsby took up his drink。 盖茨比端过一杯酒来。
“They certainly look cool；” he said； with visible tension。 〃这酒绝对凉。〃他说，看得出来他有点紧张。
We drank in long； greedy swallows。 我们迫不及待地大口大口地把酒喝下去。
“I read somewhere that the sun’s getting hotter every year；” said Tom genially。 “It seems that pretty soon the earth’s going to fall into the sun—or wait a minute—it’s just the opposite—the sun’s getting colder every year。 〃我在什么地方看到过，说太阳一年比一年热，〃汤姆很和气地说，〃好像地球不久就会掉进太阳里去等一等…恰恰相反太阳一年比一年冷。〃
“e outside；” he suggested to Gatsby； “I’d like you to have a look at the place。” 〃到外面来吧，〃他向盖茨比提议说，〃我想请你看看我这个地方。〃
I went with them out to the veranda。 On the green Sound； stagnant in the heat； one small sail crawled slowly toward the fresher sea。 Gatsby’s eyes followed it momentarily； he raised his hand and pointed across the bay。 我跟他们一起到外面游廊上去。在绿色的海湾上，海水在酷热中停滞不动，一条小帆船慢慢向比较新鲜的海水移动。盖茨比的眼光片刻间追随着这条船。他举起了手，指着海湾的对面。
“I’m right across from you。” 〃我就在你正对面。〃
“So you are。” 〃可不是嘛。〃
Our eyes lifted over the rosebeds and the hot lawn and the weedy refuse of the dogdays alongshore。 Slowly the white wings of the boat moved against the blue cool limit of the sky。 Ahead lay the scalloped ocean and the abounding blessed isles。 我们的眼睛掠过玫瑰花圃，掠过炎热的草坪，掠过海岸边那些大热天的乱草堆。那只小船的白翼在蔚蓝清凉的天际的背景上慢慢地移动。再往前是水波荡漾的海洋和星罗棋布的宝岛。
“There’s sport for you；” said Tom； nodding。 “I’d like to be out there with him for about an hour。” 〃那是多么好的运动，〃汤姆点着头说，〃我真想出去和他在那边玩上个把钟头。〃
We had luncheon in the diningroom； darkened too against the heat； and drank down nervous gayety with the cold ale。 我们在餐厅里吃的午饭，里面也遮得很阴凉，大家把紧张的欢笑和凉啤酒一起喝下肚去。
“What’ll we do with ourselves this afternoon？” cried Daisy； “and the day after that； and the next thirty years？” 〃我们今天下午做什么好呢？〃黛西大声说，〃还有明天，还有今后三十年？〃
“Don’t be morbid；” Jordan said。 “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall。” 〃不要这样病态，〃乔丹说，〃秋天一到，天高气爽，生活就又重新开始了。〃
“But it’s so hot；” insisted Daisy； on the verge of tears； “and everything’s so confused。 Let’s all go to town！” 〃可是天真热得要命，〃黛西固执地说，差点要哭出来了，〃一切又都混乱不堪。咱们都进城去吧！〃
Her voice struggled on through the heat； beating against it； molding its senselessness into forms。 她的声音继续在热浪中挣扎，向它冲击着，把无知觉的热气塑成一些形状。
“I’ve heard of making a garage out of a stable；” Tom was saying to Gatsby； “but I’m the first man who ever made a stable out of a garage。” 〃我听说过把马房改做汽车间，〃汤姆在对盖茨比说，〃但是我是第一个把汽车间变成马房的人。〃
“Who wants to go to town？” demanded Daisy insistently。 Gatsby’s eyes floated toward her。 “Ah；” she cried； “you look so cool。” 〃谁愿意进城去？〃黛西执拗地问道。盖茨比的眼睛慢慢朝她看过去。〃啊，〃她喊道，'你看上去真帅。〃
Their eyes met； and they stared together at each other； alone in space。 With an effort she glanced down at the table。 他们的眼光相遇了，他们彼此目不转睛地看着对方，超然物外。她好不容易才把视线转回到餐桌上。
“You always look so cool；” she repeated。 〃你看上去总是那么帅。〃她重复说。
She had told him that she loved him； and Tom Buchanan saw。 He was astounded。 His mouth opened a little； and he looked at Gatsby； and then back at Daisy as if he had just recognized her as some one he knew a long time ago。 她已经告诉他她爱他，汤姆？布坎农也看出来了。他大为震惊。他的嘴微微张开，他看看盖茨比，又看看黛西，仿佛他刚刚认出她是他很久以前就认识的一个人。
“You resemble the advertisement of the man；” she went on innocently。 “You know the advertisement of the man——” 〃你很像广告里那个人，〃她恬然地继续说，〃你知道广告里那个人