盖茨比全文翻译（了不起的盖茨比第一章）

Miss Baker and I exchanged a short glance consciously devoid of meaning . I was about to speak when she sat up alertly and said "Sh"! in a warning voice . A subdued impassioned murmur was audible in the room beyond and Miss Baker leaned forward ,unashamed ,trying to hear .The murmur trembled on the verge of coherence ,sank down ,mounted excitedly ,and then ceased altogether .

贝克小姐和我互相使了一下眼色，故意表示没有任何意思。我刚想开口的时候，她警觉地坐直身子，用警告的声音说了一声“嘘”。可以听得见那边屋子里有一阵低低的、激动的交谈声，贝克小姐就毫无顾忌地探身竖起耳朵去听。喃喃的话语声几次接近听得真的程度，降低下去，又激动地高上去，然后完全终止。

"This Mr.Gatsby you spoke of is my neighbor ----"I said .

你刚才提到的那位盖茨比先生是我的邻居----我开始说。

"Don't talk .I want to hear what happens."

别说话，我要听听出了什么事。

"Is something happening ?"I inquired innocently .

是出了事吗？我天真地问。

"You mean to say you don't know ?"said Miss Baker ,honestly surprised ."I thought everybody knew ."

难道说你不知道吗？贝克小姐说，她真的感到奇怪，我以为人人都知道了。

"I don't."

我可不知道。

"Why -- --- "she said hesitantly ,"Tom's got some woman in New York."

哎呀……她犹疑了一下说，汤姆在纽约有个女人。

"Got some woman ?"I repeated blankly.

有个女人？我茫然地跟着说。

Miss Baker nodded .

贝克小姐点点头。

"She might have the decency not to telephone him at dinner-time .Don't you think?"

她起码该顾点大体，不在吃饭的时候给他打电话嘛。你说呢？

Almost before I had grasped her meaning there was the flutter of a dress and the crunch of leather boots and Tom and Daisy were back at the table .

我几乎还没明白她的意思，就听见一阵裙衣和皮靴窸窣的声响，汤姆和黛西回到餐桌上来了。

"It couldn't be helped !"cried Daisy with tense gayety .

真没办法！黛西强作欢愉地大声说。

She sat down ,glanced searhingly at Miss Baker and then at me and continued :"I looked outdoors for a minute and it's very romantic outdoors .There's a bird on the lawn that I think must be a nightingale come over on the Cunard or White Star Line. He's singing away-- --"her voice sang "-- -- It's romantic ,isn't it Tom ?"

她坐了下来，先朝贝克小姐然后朝我察看了一眼，又接着说：我到外面看了一下，看到外面浪漫极了。草坪上有一只鸟，我想一定是搭康拉德或者白星轮船公司的船过来的一只夜莺。它在不停地歌唱…她的声音也像唱歌一般，很浪漫，是不是，汤姆？

"Very romantic ,"he said ,and then miserably to me :"If it's light enough after dinner I want to take you down to the stables ."

非常浪漫，他说，然后哭丧着脸对我说，吃过饭要是天还够亮的话，我要领你到马房去看看。

The telephone rang inside startlingly ,and as Daisy shook her head decisively at Tom the subject of the stables ,in fact all subjects ,vanished into air .Among the broken fragments of the last five minutes at table I remember the candles being lit again ,pointlessly,and I was conscious of wanting to look squarely at every one and yet to avoid all eyes . I couldn't guess what Daisy and Tom were thinking but I doubt if even Miss Baker who seemed to have mastered a certain hardy skepticism was able utterly to put this fifth guest's shrill metallic urgency out of mind .To a certain temperament the situation might have seemed intriguing--- my own instinct was to telephone immediately for the police .

里面电话又响了，大家都吃了一惊。黛西断然地对汤姆头，于是马房的话题，事实上所有的话题，都化为乌有了。在餐桌上最后五分钟残存的印象中，我记得蜡烛又无缘无故地点着了，同时我意识到自己很想正眼看看大家，然而却又想避开大家的目光。我猜不出黛西和汤姆在想什么，但是我也怀疑，就连贝克小姐那样似乎玩世不恭的人，是否能把这第五位客人尖锐刺耳的迫切呼声完全置之度外。对某种性情的人来说，这个局面可能倒怪有意思的---我自已本能的反应是立刻去打电话叫警察。

The horses , needless to say ,were not mentioned again.Tom and Miss Baker,with several feet of twiloght between them strolled back into the library, as if to a vigil beside a perfectly tangible body ,while trying to look pleasantly interested and a little deaf I followed Daisy around a chain of connecting verandas to the porch in front .In its deep gloom we sat down side by side on a wicker settee.

马房，不用说，就没有再提了，汤姆和贝克小姐，两人中间隔着几英尺的暮色，慢慢溜达着回书房去，仿佛走到一个确实存在的尸体旁边去守夜。同时，我一面装出感兴趣的样子，一面装出有点聋，跟着黛西穿过一连串的走廊，走到前面的阳台上去。在苍茫的暮色中我们并排在一张柳条的长靠椅上坐下。

Daisy took her face in her hands ,as if feeling its lovely shape ,and her eyes moved gradually out into the velvet dusk . I saw that turbulent emotions possessed her ,so I asked what I thought would be some sedative questions about her little girl .

黛西把脸捧在手里，好像在抚摩她那可爱的面庞，同时她渐渐放眼去看那天鹅绒般的暮色。我看出她心潮澎湃，于是我问了几个关于她小女儿的问题，想让她平静下来。

"We don't know each other very Well, Nick ,"she said suddenly ."Even if we are cousins .You didn't come to my wedding ."

我们彼此并不熟识，尼克，她忽然说，尽管我们是表亲。你没有参加我的婚礼。

"I wasn't back from the war ."

我打仗还没回来。

"That's true."She hesitated. "Well, I've had a very bad time ,Nick ,and I'm pretty cynical about everyghing."

确实，她犹疑了一下，哎，我可真够受的，尼克，所以我把一切都差不多看透了。

Evidently she had reason to be .I waited but she didn't say any more,and after a moment I returned rather feebly to the subject of her daughter.

显然她抱这种看法是有缘故的。我等着听，可是她没再往下说，过了一会儿我又吞吞吐吐地回到了她女儿这个话题。

"I suppose she talks ,and ---eats ,and everything.

我想她一定会说话，又…会吃饭，什么都会了吧。

"Oh, yes ."She looked at me absently ."Listen ,Nick ; let me tell you what I said when she was born .Would you like to hear?"

呃！是啊。她心不在焉地看着我，听我说，尼克，让我告诉你她出世的时候我说了什么话。你想听吗？

"Very much."

非常想听。

"It's show you how I've gotten to feel about -- things.Well ,she was less than an hour old and Tom was God knows where . I woke up out of the ether with an utterly abandoned feeling and asked the nurse right away if it was a boy or a girl .She told me it was a girl,and so I turned my head away and wept ,'All right', I said ,I'm glad it's a girl .And I hope she'll be a fool -- that's the best thing a girl can be in this world , a beautiful little fool ."

你听了就会明白我为什么会这样看待----一切事物。她出世还不到一个钟头，汤姆就是晓得跑到哪里了。我从乙醚麻醉中醒过来，有一种孤苦伶仃的感觉，马上问护士是男孩还是女孩。她告诉我是个女孩，我就转过脸哭了起来。好吧，我说，我很高兴是个女孩。而且我希望她将来是个傻瓜---这就是女孩子在这种世界上最好的出路，当一个美丽的小傻瓜。

"You see I think everything's terrible anyhow ,"she went on in a convinced way."Everybody thinks so --- the most advanced people .And I know.I've been everywhere and seen everything and done everything ."Her eyes flashed around her in a defiant way ,rather like Tom's ,and she laughed with thrilling scorn."Sophisticated --- God , I'm sophisticated !"

你看，我认为反正一切都糟透了，她深信不疑地继续说，人人都这样认为---那些最聪明的人也不例外。而我知道，我什么地方都去过了，什么也都见过了，什么也都干过了。她两眼闪闪有光，环顾四周，俨然不可一世的神气，很像汤姆，她又放声大笑，笑声里充满了可怕的讥嘲。饱经世故…天哪，我可是饱经世故了。

The instant her voice broke off ,ceasing to compel my attention , my belief , I felt the basic insincerity of what she had said .It made me uneasy ,as though the whole evening had been a trick of some sort to exact a contributory emotion from me .I waited ,and sure enough ,in a moment she looked at me with an absolute smirk on her membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged .

她的话音一落，不再强迫我注意她和相信她时，我就感到她刚才说的根本不是真心话。这使我感到不安，似乎整个晚上都是一个圈套，强使我也付出一份相应的感情。我等着，果然过了一会儿她看着我时，她那可爱的脸上就确实露出了假笑，仿佛她已经表明，他和汤姆同属于一个上流社会的秘密团体中的一分子。

Inside ,the crimson room bloomed with light .Tom and Miss Baker sat at either end of the long couch and she read aloud to him from the "Saturday Evening Post"-- the words ,murmurous and uninflected ,running together in a soothing rune .The lamp-light ,bright on his boots and dull on the autumn-leaf yellow of her hair ,glinted along the paper as she turned a page with a flutter of slender muscles in her arms .

室内，那间绯红色的屋子灯火辉煌。汤姆和贝克小姐各坐在长沙发的一头，她在念《星期六晚邮报》给他听，声音很低，没有变化，吐出的一连串的字句有一种让人定心的调子。灯光照在他皮靴上雪亮，照在她秋叶黄的头发上暗淡无光，每当她翻过一页，胳臂上纤细的肌肉颤动的时候，灯光又一晃一晃地照在纸上。

When we came in she held us silent for a moment with a lifted hand .

我们走进屋子，她举起一只手来示意叫我们不要出声。

"To be continued ,"she said ,tossing the magazine on the table ,"in our very next issue."

待续，她念道，一面把杂志扔在桌上，见本刊下期。

Her body asserted itself with a restless movement of her knee ,and she stood up .

她膝盖一动，身子一直，就霍地站了起来。

"Ten o'clock,"she remarked ,apparently finding the time on the ceiling ."Time for this good girl to go to bed ."

十点了，她说，仿佛在天花板上看到了时间，我这个好孩子该上床睡觉了。

"Jordan's going to play in the tournament tomorrow ,"explained Daisy ,"over at Westchester ."

乔丹明天要去参加锦标赛，黛西解释道，在威斯彻斯特那边。

"Oh ,-- you're Jordan Baker."

哦…你是乔丹。贝克。

I knew now why her face was familiar --its pleasing contemptuous expression had looked out at me from many rotogravure pictures of the sporting life at Asheville and Hot Springs and Palm Beach. I had heard some story of her too , a critical ,unpleasant story ,but what it was I had forgotten long ago.

我现在才明白为什么她的面孔很眼熟--从报道阿希维尔、温泉和棕榈海滩体育赛事的许多报刊照片上，我曾见过那可爱的、傲慢的表情。我还听说过关于她的一些闲话，一些说她不好的闲话，至于究竟是什么事我可早已忘掉了。

"Good night ,"she said softly .Wake me at eight ,won't you ."

明天见，她轻声说，八点叫我，好吧？

"If you'll get up ."

只要你起得来。

" I will . Good night ,Mr.Carraway .See you anon."

我一定行，晚安，卡罗威先生。改天见吧。

"Of course you will ,"confirmed Daisy ."In fact I think I'll arrange a marriage .Come over often ,Nick, and I'll sort of -- oh -- fling you together .You know -- lock you up accidentally in linen closets and push you out to sea in a boat ,and all that sort of thing -- --"

你们当然会再见面的，黛西保证道，说实在的，我想我要做个媒。多来几趟，尼克，我就想办法---呃---把你们俩拽到一起。比方说，无意间把你们关在被单储藏室里啦，或者把你们放在小船上往海里一推啦，以及诸如此类的方法……

"Good night ,"called Miss Baker from the stairs ."I haven't heard a word ."

明天见，贝克小姐从楼梯上喊道，我一个字也没听见。

"She's a nice girl ,"said Tom after a moment ."They oughtn't to let her run around the country this way ."

她是个好孩子，过一会儿汤姆说，他们不应当让她这样到处乱跑。

"Who oughtn't to ?"inquired Daisy coldly.

是谁不应当？黛西冷冷地问。

Her family .

她家里人。

"Her family is one aunt about a thousand years old .Besides ,Nick's going to look after her ,aren't you ,Nick?She's going to spend lots of week-ends out here this summer . I think the home influence will be very good for her ."

她家里只有一个七老八十的姑妈，再说，尼克以后可以照应她了，是不是，尼克？她今年夏天会到这里来度许多个周末。我想这里的家庭环境对她会大有好处的。

Daisy and Tom looked at each other for a moment in silence.

黛西和汤姆一声不响地彼此看了一会儿。

"Is she from New York ?"I asked quickly .

她是纽约州的人吗？我赶快问。

"From Louisville. Our white girlhood was passed together there . Our beautiful white-- --"

路易斯维尔人，我们纯洁的少女时期是一道在那里度过的。我们那美丽纯洁的…

"Did you give Nick a little heart to heart talk on the veranda ?"demanded Tom suddenly.

你在阳台上是不是跟尼克把心里话都讲了？汤姆忽然质问。

"Did I ?"She looked at me ."I can't seem to remember ,but I think we talked about the Nordic race .Yes, I'm sure we did .It sort of crept up on us and first thing you know -- --"

我讲了吗？她看着我，我好像不记得，不过我们大概谈到了北欧民族。对了，我可以肯定我们谈的是那个，它不知不觉就进入我们的话题，你还没注意到哩…

Don't believe everything you hear , Nick ,"he advised me .

别听到什么都信以为真，尼克。他告诫我道。

I said light that I had heard nothing at all ,and a few minutes later I got up to go home .They came to the door with me and stood side by side in a cheerful square of light .As I stared my motor Daisy peremptorily called "Wait !

我轻松地说我什么都没听到，几分钟之后我就起身告辞了。他们把我送到门口，两人并肩站在前方一片明亮的灯光里。我发动了汽车，忽然黛西命令式地喊道：等等！

" I forgot to ask you something ,and it's important .We heard you were engaged to a girl out West ."

我忘了问你一件事，很重要的。我们听说人你在西部跟一个姑娘订婚了。

"That's right ,"corroborated Tom kindly ."We heard that you were engaged ."

不错，汤姆和蔼地附和说，我们听说你订婚了。

"It's libel .I'm too poor."

那是造谣诽谤，我太穷了。

"But we heard it ,"insisted Daisy,surprising me by opening up again in a flower-like way ."We heard it from three people so it must be true ."

可是我们听说。黛西坚持说，使我感到惊讶的是她又像花朵一样绽开了。我听三个人说过，所以一定是真的。

Of course I knew what they were referring to ,but I wasn't even vaguely engaged .The fact that goeeip had published the banns was one of the reasons I had come east .You can't stop going with an old friend account of rumors and on the other hand I had no intention of being rumored into marriage.

我当然知道他们指的是什么事，但是我压根儿没有订婚。语言蜚语传播说我订了婚，这正是我之所以到东部来的一个原因。你不能因为怕谣言就和一个老朋友断绝来往，可是另一方面我也无意迫于谣言的压力就去结婚。

Their interest rather touched me and made them less remotely rich -- nevertheless, I was confused and a little disgusted as I drove away . It seemed to me that the thing for Daisy to do was to rush out of the house ,child in arms -- but apparently there were no such intentions in her head .As for Tom ,the fact that he "had some woman in New York"was really less surprising than that he had been depressed by a book .Something was making him nibble at the edge of stale ideas as if his sturdy physical egotism no longer nourished his peremptory heart .

他们对我的关心倒很使我感动，也使他们不显得那么有钱与高不可攀了。虽然如此，在我开车回家的路上，我感到迷惑不解，还有点厌恶。我觉得，黛西应该做的事是抱着孩子跑出这座房子－－可是显然她头脑里丝毫没有这种打算。至于汤姆，他在纽约有个女人这种事倒不足为怪，奇怪的是他会因为读了一本书而感到沮丧。不知什么东西在使他从陈腐的学说里摄取精神食粮，仿佛他那壮硕的体格赋予他的唯我主义已经不再能滋养他那颗唯我独尊的心了。

`Alreadly it was deep summer on roadhouse roofs and in front of wayside garages ,where new red gaspumps sat out in pools of light ,and when I reached my estate at West Egg I ran the car under its shed and sat for a while on an abandoned grass roller in the yard .The wind had blown off ,leaving a loud bright night with wings beating in the trees and a peristent organ sound as the full bellows of the earth blew the frogs full of life .The silhouette of a moving cat wavered across the moonlight and turning my head to watch it I saw that I was not alone -- fifty feet away a figure had emerged from the shadow of my neigbor's mansion and was standing with his hands in his pockets regarding the silver pepper of the stars .Something in his leisurely movements and the secure position of his feet upon the lawn suggested that it was Mr.Gatsby himself ,come out to determine what share was his of our local heavens .

一路上，小旅馆房顶上和路边汽油站门前已经是一片盛夏景象，鲜红的加油机一台台蹲在电灯光圈里。我回到我在西卵的住处，把车停在小车棚之后，在院子里一架闲置的刈草机上坐了一会儿。风已经停了，眼前是一片嘈杂。明亮的夜景，有鸟雀在树上拍翅膀的声音，还有大地的风箱使青蛙鼓足了气力发出的连续不断的风琴声。一只猫的侧影在月光中慢慢地移动，我掉头去看它的时候，发觉我不是一个人－－五十英尺之外一个人已经从我邻居的大厦的阴影里走了出来，现在两手插在口袋里站在那里仰望银白的星光。从他那悠闲的动作和他那两脚稳踏在草坪上的姿态可以看出他就是盖茨比先生本人，出来确定一下我们头顶的天空哪一片是属于他的。

I decidedto call to him .Miss Baker had mentioned him at dinner ,and that would do for an introduction .But I didn't call to him for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone -- he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and far as I was from him I could have sworn he was trembling . Involuntarily I glanced seaward -- and distinguished nothing except a single green light ,minute and far away ,that might have been the end of a dock .When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished ,and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness.

我打定了主意要招呼他。贝克小姐在吃饭时提到过他，那也可以算做介绍了。但我并没有招呼他那他，因为他突然做了个动作，好像表示他满足于独自待着－－他朝着幽暗的海水把两只胳膊伸了出去，那样子真古怪，并且尽管我离他很远，我可以发誓他正在发抖。我也情不自禁地朝海上望去－－什么都看不到，除了一盏绿灯，又小又远，也许是一座码头的尽头。等我回头再去看盖茨比时，他已经不见了，于是我又独自待在不平静的黑夜里。

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