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“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。。。。。。〃
“All right;” broke in Tom quickly; “I’m perfectly willing to go to town。 e on—we’re all going to town。” 〃好吧,〃汤姆赶紧打断了她的话,〃我非常乐意进城去。走吧…我们大家都进城去。〃
He got up; his eyes still flashing between Gatsby and his wife。 No one moved。 他站了起来,他的眼睛还是在盖茨比和他妻子之间间来闪去。谁都没动。
“e on!” His temper cracked a little。 “What’s the matter; anyhow? If we’re going to town; let’s start。” 〃走啊!〃他有点冒火了,〃到底怎么回事?咱们要进城,那就走吧。〃
His hand; trembling with his effort at selfcontrol; bore to his lips the last of his glass of ale。 Daisy’s voice got us to our feet and out on to the blazing gravel drive。 他把杯中剩下的啤酒举到了唇边,他的手由于他尽力控制自己而在发抖。黛西的声音促使我们站了起来,走到外面炽热的石子汽车道上。
“Are we just going to go?” she objected。 “Like this? Aren’t we going to let any one smoke a cigarette first?” 〃我们马上就走吗?〃她不以为然地说,〃就像这样?难道我们不让人家先抽支烟吗?〃
“Everybody smoked all through lunch。” 〃吃饭的时候大家从头到尾都在抽烟。〃
“Oh; let’s have fun;” she begged him。 “It’s too hot to fuss。” He didn’t answer。 〃哦,咱们高高兴兴地玩吧,〃她央求他,〃天太热了,别闹吧。〃他没有回答。
“Have it your own way;” she said。 “e on; Jordan。” 〃随你的便吧,〃她说,〃来吧,乔丹。〃
They went upstairs to get ready while we three men stood there shuffling the hot pebbles with our feet。 A silver curve of the moon hovered already in the western sky。 Gatsby started to speak; changed his mind; but not before Tom wheeled and faced him expectantly。 她们上楼去做好准备,我们三个男的就站在那儿用我们的脚把滚烫的小石子踢来踢去。一弯银月已经悬在西天。盖茨比刚开日说话,又改变了主意,想闭上嘴巴,但汤姆也转过身来面对着他等他说。
“Have you got your stables here?” asked Gatsby with an effort。 〃你的马房是在这里吗?〃盖茨比勉强地问道。
“About a quarter of a mile down the road。” 〃沿这条路下去大约四分之一英里。〃
“Oh。” 〃哦〃
A pause。 停了一会。
“I don’t see the idea of going to town;” broke out Tom savagely。 “Women get these notions in their heads——” 〃我真不明白进城去干什么,〃汤姆怒气冲冲地说,〃女人总是心血来潮。。。。。。〃
“Shall we take anything to drink?” called Daisy from an upper window。 〃我们带点儿什么东西喝吗?〃黛西从楼上窗口喊道。
“I’ll get some whiskey;” answered Tom。 He went inside。 〃我去拿点威士忌。〃汤姆答道。他走进屋子里去。
Gatsby turned to me rigidly: 盖茨比硬邦邦地转向我说:
“I can’t say anything in his house; old sport。” 〃我在他家里不能说什么,老兄。〃
“She’s got an indiscreet voice;” I remarked。 “It’s full of——” I hesitated。 〃她的声音很不谨慎,〃我说,〃它充满了。。。。。。〃我犹疑了一下。
“Her voice is full of money;” he said suddenly。 〃她的声音充满了金钱。〃他忽然说。
That was it。 I’d never understood before。 It was full of money—that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it; the jingle of it; the cymbals’ song of it。 。 。 。 high in a white palace the king’s daughter; the golden girl。 。 。 。 正是这样。我以前从来没有领悟过。它是充满了金钱…这正是她声音里抑扬起伏的无穷无尽的魅力的源泉,金钱了当的声音,铙钹齐鸣的歌声。。。。。。高高的在一座白色的宫殿里,国王的女儿,黄金女郎。。。。。。
Tom came out of the house wrapping a quart bottle in a towel; followed by Daisy and Jordan wearing small tight hats of metallic cloth and carrying light capes over their arms。 汤姆从屋子里出来,一面把一瓶一夸脱酒用毛巾包起来,后面跟着黛西和乔丹,两人都戴着亮晶晶的硬布做的又小又紧的帽子,手臂上搭着薄纱披肩。
“Shall we all go in my car?” suggested Gatsby。 He felt the hot; green leather of the seat。 “I ought to have left it in the shade。” 〃人家都坐我的车去好吗?〃盖茨比提议。他摸了摸滚烫的绿皮坐垫。〃我应当把它停在树阴里的。〃
“Is it standard shift?” demanded Tom。 〃这车用的是普通排挡吗?〃汤姆问。
“Yes。” 〃是的。〃
“Well; you take my coupe and let me drive your car to town。” 〃好吧,你开我的小轿车,让我开你的车进城。〃
The suggestion was distasteful to Gatsby。 这个建议不合盖茨比的口胃。
“I don’t think there’s much gas;” he objected。 〃恐怕汽油不多了。〃他表示不同意。
“Plenty of gas;” said Tom boisterously。 He looked at the gauge。 “And if it runs out I can stop at a drugstore。 You can buy anything at a drugstore nowadays。” 〃汽油多得很。〃汤姆闹嚷嚷地说。他看了看油表。〃如果用光了,我可以找一个药房停下来。这年头药房里你什么东西都买得到。〃
A pause followed this apparently pointless remark。 Daisy looked at Tom frowning; and an indefinable expression; at once definitely unfamiliar and vaguely recognizable; as if I had only heard it described in words; passed over Gatsby’s face。 这句似乎没有什么意义的话说完之后,大家沉默了一会。黛西皱着眉头瞧瞧汤姆,同时盖茨比脸上掠过一种难以形容的表情,既十分陌生又似曾相识,仿佛我以前只是听人用言语描述过似的。
“e on; Daisy;” said Tom; pressing her with his hand toward Gatsby’s car。 “I’ll take you in this circus wagon。” 〃走吧,黛西,〃汤姆说,一面用手把她朝盖茨比的车子推过去,〃我带你坐这辆马戏团的花车。〃
He opened the door; but she moved out from the circle of his arm。 他打开车门,但她从他手臂的圈子里走了出去。
“You take Nick and Jordan。 We’ll follow you in the coupe。” 〃你带尼克和乔丹去。我们开小轿车跟在你后面。〃
She walked close to Gatsby; touching his coat with her hand。 Jordan and Tom and I got into the front seat of Gatsby’s car; Tom pushed the unfamiliar gears tentatively; and we shot off into the oppressive heat; leaving them out of sight behind。 她紧挨着盖茨比走,用手摸着他的上衣。乔丹、汤姆和我坐进盖茨比车子的前座,汤姆试着扳动不熟悉的排档,接着我们就冲进了闷热,把他们甩在后面看不见的地方。
“Did you see that?” demanded Tom。 〃你们看到那个没有?〃汤姆问。
“See what?” 〃看到什么?〃
He looked at me keenly; realizing that Jordan and I must have known all along。 他敏锐地看着我,明白了我和乔丹一定一直就知道。
“You think I’m pretty dumb; don’t you?” he suggested。 “Perhaps I am; but I have a—almost a second sight; sometimes; that tells me what to do。 Maybe you don’t believe that; but science——” 〃你们以为我很傻,是不是?〃他说,〃也许我是傻,但是有时候我有一种…几乎是一种第二视觉,它告诉我该怎么办。也许你们不相信这个,但是科学。。。。。。〃
He paused。 The immediate contingency overtook him; pulled him back from the edge of the theoretical abyss。 他停了一下。当务之急追上了他,把他从理论深渊的边缘拉了回来。
“I’ve made a small investigation of this fellow;” he continued。 “I could have gone deeper if I’d known——” 〃我已经对这个家伙做了一番小小的调查,〃他继续说,〃我大可以调查得更深人一些,要是我知道。。。。。。〃
“Do you mean you’ve been to a medium?” inquired Jordan humorously。 〃你是说你找过一个巫婆吗?〃乔丹幽默地问。
“What?” Confused; he stared at us as we laughed。 “A medium?” 〃什么?〃他摸不着头脑,瞪眼看着我们哈哈笑,〃巫婆?〃
“About Gatsby。” 〃去问盖茨比的事。〃
“About Gatsby! No; I haven’t。 I said I’d been making a small investigation of his past。” 〃问盖茨比的事!不,我没有。我刚才说我已经对他的来历做过一番小小的调查。〃
“And you found he was an Oxford man;” said Jordan helpfully。 〃结果你发现他是牛津大学毕业生。〃乔丹帮忙地说。
“An Oxford man!” He was incredulous。 “Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit。” 〃牛津大学毕业生!〃他完全不相信,〃他要是才他妈的怪哩!他穿一套粉红色衣服。〃
“Nevertheless he’s an Oxford man。” 〃不过他还是牛津毕业生。〃
“Oxford; New Mexico;” snorted Tom contemptuously; “or something like that。” 〃新墨西哥州的牛津镇,〃汤姆嗤之以鼻地说,〃或者类似的地方。〃
“Listen; Tom。 If you’re such a snob; why did you invite him to lunch?” demanded Jordan crossly。 〃我说,汤姆,你既然这样瞧不起人,那么为什么请他吃午饭呢?〃乔丹气恼地质问道。
“Daisy invited him; she knew him before we were married—God knows where!” 〃黛西请他的。她是在我们结婚以前认识他的…天晓得在什么地方!〃
We were all irritable now with the fading ale; and aware of it we drove for a while in silence。 Then as Doctor T。 J。 Eckleburg’s faded eyes came into sight down the road; I remember