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“How about the movies？” 〃去看电影怎样？〃
“It’s so hot；” she plained。 “You go。 We’ll ride around and meet you after。” With an effort her wit rose faintly； “We’ll meet you on some corner。 I’ll be the man smoking two cigarettes。” 〃太热了，〃她抱怨道，〃你们去吧。我们去兜兜风，过会儿再和你们碰头。〃她又勉强讲了两句俏皮话。〃我们约好在另一个路口和你们碰头。我就是那个抽着两支香烟的男人。〃
“We can’t argue about it here；” Tom said impatiently； as a truck gave out a cursing whistle behind us。 “You follow me to the south side of Central Park； in front of the Plaza。” 〃我们不能待在这里争论，〃汤姆不耐烦地说，这时我们后面有一辆卡车的司机在拼命按喇叭，〃你们跟我开到中央公园南边广场饭店前面。〃
Several times he turned his head and looked back for their car； and if the traffic delayed them he slowed up until they came into sight。 I think he was afraid they would dart down a side street and out of his life forever。 有好几次他掉过头去向后看，找他们的车子，如果路上的交通把他们耽误了，他就放慢速度，直到他们重新出现。我想他生怕他们会钻进一条小街，从此永远从他生活里消失。
But they didn’t。 And we all took the less explicable step of engaging the parlor of a suite in the Plaza Hotel。 可是他们并没有。而我们大家都采取了这个更难理解的步骤在广场饭店租用了一间套房的客厅。
The prolonged and tumultuous argument that ended by herding us into that room eludes me； though I have a sharp physical memory that； in the course of it； my underwear kept climbing like a damp snake around my legs and intermittent beads of sweat raced cool across my back。 The notion originated with Daisy’s suggestion that we hire five bathrooms and take cold baths； and then assumed more tangible form as “a place to have a mint julep。” Each of us said over and over that it was a “crazy idea。”—we all talked at once to a baffled clerk and thought； or pretended to think； that we were being very funny。 。 。 。 那场长时间的、吵吵嚷嚷的争论，以把我们都赶进那间屋子而告终、我现在也弄不清是怎么回事了，虽然我清清楚楚记得，在这个过程中，我的内衣像一条湿漉漉的蛇一样顺着我的腿往上爬，同时一阵阵冷汗珠横流侠背。这个主意起源于黛西的建议，她要我们租五间浴室去洗冷水澡，后来才采取了〃喝杯凉薄荷酒的地方〃这个更明确的形式。我们每一个人都翻来覆去地说这是个〃馊主意〃我们大家同时开口跟一个为难的旅馆办事员讲话，自认为或者假装认为，我们这样很滑稽。。。。。。
The room was large and stifling； and； though it was already four o’clock； opening the windows admitted Only a gust of hot shrubbery from the Park。 Daisy went to the mirror and stood with her back to us； fixing her hair。 那间房子很大但是很闷，虽然已经是四点了，但打开窗户只不过能感受到从公园里的灌木丛刮来一股热风。黛西走到镜子前面，背朝我们站着，理她的头发。
“It’s a swell suite；” whispered Jordan respectfully； and every one laughed。 〃这个套间真高级。〃乔丹肃然起敬地低声说，引得大家都笑了起来。
“Open another window；” manded Daisy； without turning around。 〃再打开一扇窗户。〃黛西命令道，连头也不回。
“There aren’t any more。” 〃没有窗户可开了。〃
“Well； we’d better telephone for an axe——” 〃那么我们顶好打电话要把斧头。。。。。。〃
“The thing to do is to forget about the heat；” said Tom impatiently。 “You make it ten times worse by crabbing about it。” 〃正确的办法是忘掉热，〃汤姆不耐烦地说，〃像你这样唠唠叨叨只会热得十倍的难受。〃
He unrolled the bottle of whiskey from the towel and put it on the table。 他打开毛巾拿出那瓶威士忌来放在桌上
“Why not let her alone； old sport？” remarked Gatsby。 “You’re the one that wanted to e to town。” 〃何必找她的碴呢，老兄？〃盖茨比说，〃是你自己要进城来的。〃
There was a moment of silence。 The telephone book slipped from its nail and splashed to the floor； whereupon Jordan whispered； “Excuse me。”—but this time no one laughed。 沉默了一会。电话簿从钉子上滑开，啪的一声掉到地上，于是乔丹低声说：〃对不起。〃但是这一次没人笑了。
“I’ll pick it up；” I offered。 〃我去捡起来。〃我抢着说。
“I’ve got it。” Gatsby examined the parted string； muttered “Hum！” in an interested way； and tossed the book on a chair。 〃我捡到了。〃盖茨比仔细看看断开的绳子，表示感兴趣地〃哼〃了一声，然后把电话簿往椅子上一扔。
“That’s a great expression of yours； isn’t it？” said Tom sharply。 〃那是你得意的口头掸，是不是？〃汤姆尖锐地说。
“What is？” 〃什么是？〃
“All this ‘old sport’ business。 Where’d you pick that up？” 〃张口闭口都是'老兄'。你是从哪里学来的？〃
“Now see here； Tom；” said Daisy； turning around from the mirror； “if you’re going to make personal remarks I won’t stay here a minute。 Call up and order some ice for the mint julep。” 〃你听着，汤姆，〃黛西说，一面从镜子前面掉转身来，〃如果你打算进行人身攻击，我就一分钟都不待。打个电话要点冰来做薄荷酒。〃
As Tom took up the receiver the pressed heat exploded into sound and we were listening to the portentous chords of Mendelssohn’s Wedding March from the ballroom below。 汤姆一拿起话筒，那憋得紧紧的热气突然爆发出声音，这时我们听到门德尔松的《婚礼进行曲》惊心动魄的和弦从底下舞厅里传上来。
“Imagine marrying anybody in this heat！” cried Jordan dismally。 〃这么热竟然还有人结婚！〃乔丹很难受地喊道。
“Still—I was married in the middle of June；” Daisy remembered； “Louisville in June！ Somebody fainted。 Who was it fainted； Tom？” 〃尽管如此我就是在六月中旬结婚的，〃黛西回忆道，〃六月的路易斯维尔！有一个人昏倒了。昏倒的是谁，汤姆？〃
“Biloxi；” he answered shortly。 〃毕洛克西。〃他简慢地答道。
“A man named Biloxi。 ‘blocks’ Biloxi； and he made boxes—that’s a fact—and he was from Biloxi； Tennessee。” 〃一个姓'毕洛克西'的人。'木头人'毕洛克西，他是做盒子的…这是事实他又是田纳西州毕洛克西①市的人。〃 ①木头人、盒子在原文里都和毕洛克西谐音。
“They carried him into my house；” appended Jordan； “because we lived just two doors from the church。 And he stayed three weeks； until Daddy told him he had to get out。 The day after he left Daddy died。” After a moment she added as if she might have sounded irreverent； “There wasn’t any connection。” 〃他们把他抬进我家里，〃乔丹补充说，〃因为我们住的地方和教堂隔着两家的距离。他一住就住了三个星期，直到爸爸叫他走路。他走后第二天爸爸就死了。〃过了一会她又加了一句话说，〃两件事井没有什么联系。〃
“I used to know a Bill Biloxi from Memphis；” I remarked。 〃我从前也认识一个孟菲斯①人叫比尔？毕洛克西。〃我说。 ①孟菲斯（Memphis），田纳西州的城市。
“That was his cousin。 I knew his whole family history before he left。 He gave me an aluminum putter that I use today。” 〃那是他堂兄弟。他走以前我对他的整个家史都一清二楚了。他送了我一根打高尔夫球的轻击棒，我到今天还在用。〃
The music had died down as the ceremony began and now a long cheer floated in at the window； followed by intermittent cries of “Yeaeaea！” and finally by a burst of jazz as the dancing began。 婚礼一开始音乐就停了，此刻从窗口又飘进来一阵很长的欢呼声，接着又是一阵阵〃好啊好…啊〃的叫喊，最后响起爵士乐的声音，跳舞开始了。
“We’re getting old；” said Daisy。 “If we were young we’d rise and dance。” 〃我们都衰老了，〃黛西说，〃如果我们还年轻的话，我们就会站起来跳舞的。〃
“Remember Biloxi；” Jordan warned her。 “Where’d you know him； Tom？” 〃别忘了毕洛克西。〃乔丹警告她，〃你是在哪儿认识他的，汤姆？〃
“Biloxi？” He concentrated with an effort。 “I didn’t know him。 He was a friend of Daisy’s。” 〃毕洛克西？〃他聚精会神想了一会，〃我不认识他。他是黛西的朋友。〃
“He was not；” she denied。 “I’d never seen him before。 He came down in the private car。” 〃他才不是哩，〃她否认道，〃我在那以前从来没见过他。他是坐你的专车来的。〃
“Well； he said he knew you。 He said he was raised in Louisville。 Asa Bird brought him around at the last minute and asked if we had room for him。” 〃对啦，他说他认识你。他说他是在路易斯维尔长大的。阿莎？伯德在最后一分钟把他带来，问我们是否有地方让他坐。〃
Jordan smiled。 乔丹笑了一笑。
“He was probably bumming his way home。 He told me he was president of your class at Yale。” 〃他多半是不花钱搭车回家。他告诉我他在耶鲁是你们的班长。〃
Tom and I looked at each other blankly。 汤姆和我彼此茫然地对看。
“Biloxi？” 〃毕洛克西？〃
“First place； we didn’t have any president——” 〃首先，我们压根儿没有班长。。。。。。〃
Gatsby’s foot beat a short； restless tattoo and Tom eyed him suddenly。 盖茨比的脚不耐烦地连敲了几声，引起汤姆突然瞧了他一眼。
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