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with the beads and chiffon of an evening dress tangled among dying orchids on the floor beside her bed。 And all the time something within her was crying for a decision。 She wanted her life shaped now； immediately—and the decision must be made by some force—of love； of money； of unquestionable practicality—that was close at hand。 在这个朦胧的宇宙里，黛西随着社交忙季又开始活跃了。忽然间她又重新每天和五六个男人订五六次约会，到破晓才困顿不堪地入睡，夜礼服的珠子和薄绸同凋零的兰花缠在一起，丢在她床边的地板上，在这整个期间她内心深处渴望做出一个决定。她现在就要解决自己的终身大事，刻不容缓而且这个决定必须由一股近在眼前的力量来做出…爱情啦、金钱啦、实实在在的东西。
That force took shape in the middle of spring with the arrival of Tom Buchanan。 There was a wholesome bulkiness about his person and his position； and Daisy was flattered。 Doubtless there was a certain struggle and a certain relief。 The letter reached Gatsby while he was still at Oxford。 那股力量在春天过了一半的时候，随着汤姆？布坎农的到来而出现了他的身材和身价都很有分布，因此黛西也觉得很光彩。毫无疑问，有过一番思想斗争，后来也如释重负。盖茨比收到信时还在牛津。
It was dawn now on Long Island and we went about opening the rest of the windows downstairs； filling the house with grayturning； goldturning light。 The shadow of a tree fell abruptly across the dew and ghostly birds began to sing among the blue leaves。 There was a slow； pleasant movement in the air； scarcely a wind； promising a cool； lovely day。 这时长岛上已是黎明，我们走过去把楼下其余的窗子也都打开，让屋子里充满渐渐发白、渐渐金黄的光线。一棵树的影子突然横投在露水上，同时幽灵般的鸟儿在蓝色的树叶中开始歌唱。空气中有一种慢慢的愉快的动静，还说不上是风，预示着凉爽宜人的天气。
“I don’t think she ever loved him。” Gatsby turned around from a window and looked at me challengingly。 “You must remember； old sport； she was very excited this afternoon。 He told her those things in a way that frightened her—that made it look as if I was some kind of cheap sharper。 And the result was she hardly knew what she was saying。” 〃我相信她从来没爱过他，〃盖茨比从一扇窗前转过身来，用挑战的神气看着我，〃你一定得记住，老兄，她今天下午非常紧张。他跟她讲那些话的方式把她吓唬住了他把我说成是一个一文不值的骗子，结果她几乎不知道自己在说些什么，〃
He sat down gloomily。 他闷闷不乐地坐了下来。
“Of course she might have loved him just for a minute； when they were first married—and loved me more even then； do you see？” 〃当然她可能爱过他一阵子，在他们刚结婚的时候…就在那时也更加爱我，你明白吗？〃
Suddenly he came out with a curious remark。 忽然间他说出了一句很奇怪的话。
“In any case；” he said； “it was just personal。” 〃无论如何，〃他说，〃这只是个人的事。〃
What could you make of that； except to suspect some intensity in his conception of the affair that couldn’t be measured？ 你怎么理解这句话呢，除非猜测在他对这件事的看法中有一种无法估量的强烈感情？
He came back from France when Tom and Daisy were still on their wedding trip； and made a miserable but irresistible journey to Louisville on the last of his army pay。 He stayed there a week； walking the streets where their footsteps had clicked together through the November night and revisiting the outoftheway places to which they had driven in her white car。 Just as Daisy’s house had always seemed to him more mysterious and gay than other houses； so his idea of the city itself； even though she was gone from it； was pervaded with a melancholy beauty。 他从法国回来后，汤姆和黛西还在做结婚旅行，他痛苦不堪而又不由自主地用他军饷所余的最后的钱到路易斯维尔去了一趟。他在那里待了一个星期，走遍当年他俩在十一月的夜晚并肩散步的街道，又重访他俩当年开着她那辆白色汽车去过的那些偏僻地方。正如黛西家的房子在他看来一向比别的房子更加神秘和欢乐，现在路易斯维尔这个城市本身，虽然她已一去不回，在他看来还是弥漫着一种忧郁的美。
He left feeling that if he had searched harder； he might have found her—that he was leaving her behind。 The daycoach—he was penniless now—was hot。 He went out to the open vestibule and sat down on a foldingchair； and the station slid away and the backs of unfamiliar buildings moved by。 Then out into the spring fields； where a yellow trolley raced them for a minute with people in it who might once have seen the pale magic of her face along the casual street。 他离开的时候觉得，假使他更努力地去找的话，他也许可以找到她的而现在他却留下她走了。三等车里很热…他现在一文不剩了。他走到敞篷的通廊，在一张折叠椅上坐下，接着车站溜了过去，一幢幢陌生的建筑物的背面移动过去。然后驶过春天的田野，一辆黄色电车在那里并排飞驰了一会工夫，电车上可能有人一度无意间在街头看见过她那张迷人的脸庞。
The track curved and now it was going away from the sun； which as it sank lower； seemed to spread itself in benediction over the vanishing city where she had drawn her breath。 He stretched out his hand desperately as if to snatch only a wisp of air； to save a fragment of the spot that she had made lovely for him。 But it was all going by too fast now for his blurred eyes and he knew that he had lost that part of it； the freshest and the best； forever。 铁轨拐了一个弯，现在是背着太阳走，西沉的太阳光芒四射，似乎为这个慢慢消逝的、她曾生活过的城市祝福。他绝望地伸出手去，仿佛只想抓住一缕轻烟，从那个因为她而使他认为是最可爱的地方留下一个碎片。但是在他模糊的泪眼前面一切都跑得太快了，他知道他已经失去了其中的那一部分，最新鲜最美好的部分永远失去了。
It was nine o’clock when we finished breakfast and went out on the porch。 The night had made a sharp difference in the weather and there was an autumn flavor in the air。 The gardener； the last one of Gatsby’s former servants； came to the foot of the steps。 我们吃完早饭走到外面阳台上去时已经九点钟了。一夜之间天气骤然变了，空气中已经有秋意。园丁，盖茨比的老佣人中的最后一名，来到台阶前面。
“I’m going to drain the pool today； Mr。 Gatsby。 Leaves’ll start falling pretty soon； and then there’s always trouble with the pipes。” 〃我今天准备把游泳池的水放掉，盖茨比先生。树叶很快就要开始落了，那样水管子就一定会堵塞。〃
“Don’t do it today；” Gatsby answered。 He turned to me apologetically。 “You know； old sport； I’ve never used that pool all summer？” 〃今天不要搞。〃盖茨比回答。他含有歉意地转身对着我，〃你知道吗，老兄，我整个夏天从来没用过那个游泳池！〃
I looked at my watch and stood up。 我看了看我的表，站起身来。
“Twelve minutes to my train。” 〃离我那班车还有十二分钟。〃
I didn’t want to go to the city。 I wasn’t worth a decent stroke of work； but it was more than that—I didn’t want to leave Gatsby。 I missed that train； and then another； before I could get myself away。 我并不愿意进城去。我也没有精神于一点像样的工作，可是不仅如此我不愿意离开盖茨比。我误了那班车，又误了下一班，然后才勉强离开。
“I’ll call you up；” I said finally。 〃我给你打电话吧。〃我最后说。
“Do； old sport。” 〃一定，老兄。
“I’ll call you about noon。” 〃我中午前后给你打电话。〃
We walked slowly down the steps。 我们慢慢地走下了台阶。
“I suppose Daisy’ll call too。” He looked at me anxiously； as if he hoped I’d corroborate this。 〃我想黛西也会打电话来的。〃他神色不安地看着我，仿佛他希望我证实地的话。
“I suppose so。” 〃我猜想她会的。〃
“Well； goodby。” 〃那么，再见吧。〃
We shook hands and I started away。 Just before I reached the hedge I remembered something and turned around。 我们握握手，然后我就走开。在我快走到树篱之前，我想起了一件事，于是又掉转身来。
“They’re a rotten crowd；” I shouted across the lawn。 “You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together。” 〃他们是一帮混蛋，〃我隔着草坪喊道，〃他们那一大帮子都放在一堆还比不上你。〃
I’ve always been glad I said that。 It was the only pliment I ever gave him； because I disapproved of him from beginning to end。 First he nodded politely； and then his face broke into that radiant and understanding smile； as if we’d been in ecstatic cahoots on that fact all the time。 His gorgeous pink rag of a suit made a bright spot of color against the white steps； and I thought of the night when I first came to his ancestral home； three months before。 The lawn and drive had been crowded with the faces of those who guessed at his corruption—and he had stood on those steps； concealing his incorruptible dream； as he waved them goodby。 我后来一直很高兴找说了那句话。那是我对他说过的唯一的好话，