Chapter2-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《了不起的盖茨比The Great Gatsby》

CHAPTER 2 About half way between West Egg and New York the motor road hastily joins the railroad and runs beside it for a quarter of a mile,so as to shrink away from a certain desolate area of land.This is a valley of ashes-a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally,with a transcendent effort,of ashgrey men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air.Occasionally a line of gray cars crawls along an invisible track,gives out a ghastly creak,and comes to rest, and immediately the ashgrey men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud,which screens their obscure operations from your sight. But above the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it,you perceive,after a moment,the eyes of Doctor T.J.Eckleburg.The eyes of Doctor T.J.Eckleburg are blue and gigantic-their retinas are one yard high.They look out of no face,but,instead,from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose.Evidently some wild wag of an oculist set them there to fatten his practice in the borough of Queens,and then sank down himself into eternal blindness,or forgot them and moved away.But his eyes,dimmed a little by many paintless days,under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground. ·042· 第二章 大概在西卵至纽约的中间位置，公路同铁路不期而 遇。公路同铁路并行延伸了四分之一英里，为的是要绕 开一片荒凉的地域。这是一条灰烬形成的峡谷一一座 古怪离奇的农场，灰烬像麦子似的会生长，长成山峦小 grotesque [grou'tesk]a. 形怪状的 丘和奇形怪状的园子，在那里，灰烬堆成房舍和烟囱的 形状，还有袅袅上升的炊烟，最后，经过艰苦卓绝的努 @transcendent [traen'sendont] 力，形成了一个个淡灰色的人。他们在朦朦胧胧之中移 a.卓越的 ③crumble[krambl]v.破碎 动着，但已经消失在尘土飞扬的空气中。时不时地，有 ④powdery[paudari]a.布 一列灰色的车厢缓慢行进在一条看不见的轨道上，发出 满灰尘的 ⑥creak[kri:k]n.咯吱声 一声恐怖的吱嘎声，随后便停止了。紧接着，淡灰色的 6 impenetrable [im penitrabl] 人蜂拥上来，手里拿着笨重的铁锹，扬起一片浓密的烟 a.透不过的 ⑦spasm['spazom]n.迸发 尘，遮蔽了他们的活动，让你什么也看不见。 gigantic [d3ai gaentik]a. 但是，过了一会儿，在这片被灰色尘土永久笼罩的 巨大的 ⑨retina[retina]n视网膜 灰蒙蒙的土地上，你可以看见TJ埃克尔伯格大夫的眼 0 spectacles ['spektaklz]n. 睛。埃克尔伯格大夫的那双眼晴湛蓝而巨大一视网膜 眼镜 ①oculist〔kjulist]m.眼科 就有一码高。眼睛并不是从脸部朝外看的，而是从一副 医生 巨大的黄色边框眼镜朝外看的。眼镜架在一具子虚乌有 @borough[bAra]n.自治的 市镇 的鼻梁上。很显然，某个异想天开的眼科大夫把那双眼 ⑧eternal[ita:nala.永久的 睛固定在那儿了，目的是要在皇后区拓展眼科业务。后 来，他自己永远闭上了眼睛，消失得无声无息了，或 ④brood[bru:dg沉思 者忘记了它们，自己迁移他处了。不过，虽然他的那 双眼睛，由于日晒雨淋，长久没有油漆，已经有点黯 然失色了，却依旧若有所思地俯视着这片堆满灰烬的 地域。 ·043· CHAPTER 2 The valley of ashes is bounded on one side by a small foul river,and, when the drawbridge is up to let barges through,the passengers on waiting trains can stare at the dismal scene for as long as half an hour.There is always a halt there of at least a minute,and it was because of this that I first met Tom Buchanan's mistress. The fact that he had one was insisted upon wherever he was known.His acquaintances resented the fact that he turned up in popular cafes with her and,leaving her at a table,sauntered about,chatting with whomsoever he knew.Though I was curious to see her,I had no desire to meet her-but I did.I went up to New York with Tom on the train one afternoon,and when we stopped by the ash-heaps he jumped to his feet and,taking hold of my elbow, literally forced me from the car. “We're getting off,"he insisted..“I want you to meet my girl.” I think he'd tanked up a good deal at luncheon,and his determination to have my company bordered on violence.The supercilious assumption was that on Sunday afternoon I had nothing better to do. I followed him over a low white-washed railroad fence,and we walked back a hundred yards along the road under Doctor Eckleburg's persistent stare. The only building in sight was a small block of yellow brick sitting on the edge of the waste land,a sort of compact Main Street ministering to it,and contiguous to absolutely nothing.One of the three shops it contained was for rent and another was an all-night restaurant,approached by a trail of ashes;the third was a garage-Repairs.GEORGE B.WILSON.Cars bought and sold. -and I followed Tom inside. The interior was unprosperous and bare;the only car visible was the dust-covered wreck of a Ford which crouched in a dim corner.It had occurred ·044· 第二章「 灰烬峡谷的一侧是一条肮脏的小河。每当拉起吊桥 ①barge [ba:d]n.驳船 让驳船通过时，火车上等待着过桥的乘客便可以注视着 眼前这片荒凉的景象达半个小时之久。平常时候，火车 也得在此停上至少一分钟。正是因为这个原由，我才第 一次遇上了汤姆·布坎南的情妇。 ②mistress[mistras]n.情妇 凡是认识他的人都认定他有个情妇。令熟悉他的人 反感的是，他总是领着她出现在著名的咖啡馆，然后把 ③resent[ri'zent]n.对… 她一个人晾在桌子边，自己则到处闲逛，速着认识的人 感到愤怒 ④saunter[so:ntog闲逛 便聊起天来。尽管我充满了好奇，想要一睹她的尊容， 但我并不想同她照面一不过，我还是同她照面了。一 天下午，我和汤姆一道乘火车上纽约去。当火车在灰烬 ⑤ash-hcap['aShi:p]n.灰堆 堆旁停下来时，他一跃身子蹦了起来，拽住我的胳膊 肘，硬是把我拽下了车厢。 “我们这就下车，”他语气坚定地说，“我想让你 见见我的女朋友。” 我估计，他中午饭时一定是喝多了，因此一意孤行 6 assumption ['sAmpfn]n. 假设 地要我陪同他的行为近乎于暴力。他目空一切，想当然 地认为，我星期六下午没有什么事情好做。 我跟随着他，跨过了一道低矮的刷成白色的铁路 护栏。我们在埃克尔伯格大夫目不转睛的注视下，顺着 公路往回走了一百码。放眼望去，唯一的建筑就是一小 ⑦compact[kam'pakt]a.简 排黄色砖头砌成的房屋。房屋坐落在这片荒凉之地的边 单的 ⑧minister[minista],辅助 缘，这大概就是给当地居民提供日常必需品的小型“主 contiguous [kan'tigjuas]a. 街”1，附近便再没有别的什么了。“主街”上一共三 邻近的 家店铺，其中一家正在招租，另一家是全天候营业的餐 馆，门前有一条炉渣铺成的小路。第三家是个汽车修理 @interior [in'tiori)]m.内部 行一招牌上写着：乔治·B.威尔逊车行，专营汽车 修理、汽车买卖。一我跟随汤姆走了进去。 里面很不景气，空空荡荡的，唯一看到的一辆车停 放在一个昏暗的角落里，上面满是灰尘，是一辆破旧不 1美国小城镇的各种店铺一般集中设置在一条街上，通常称为“主 街” ·045· CHAPTER 2 to me that this shadow of a garage must be a blind,and that sumptuous and romantic apartments were concealed overhead,when the proprietor himself appeared in the door of an office,wiping his hands on a piece of waste.He was a blond,spiritless man,anemic,and faintly handsome.When he saw us a damp gleam of hope sprang into his light blue eyes. "Hello,Wilson,old man,"said Tom,slapping him jovially on the shoulder. How's business?” "I can't complain,"answered Wilson unconvincingly."When are you going to sell me that car?” "Next week;I've got my man working on it now." "Works pretty slow,don't he?" “No,he doesn't,”said Tom coldly.“And if you feel that way about it,. maybe I'd better sell it somewhere else after all." Idon't mean that,,”explained Wilson quickly.“I just meant-”His voice faded off and Tom glanced impatiently around the garage.Then I heard footsteps on a stairs,and in a moment the thickish figure of a woman blocked out the light from the office door.She was in the middle thirties,and faintly stout,but she carried her flesh sensuously as some women can.Her face, above a spotted dress of dark blue crepe-de-chine,contained no facetor gleam of beauty,but there was an immediately perceptible vitality about her as if the nerves of her body were continually smoldering.She smiled slowly and,walking through her husband as if he were a ghost,shook hands with Tom, looking him flush in the eye.Then she wet her lips,and without turning around spoke to her husband in a soft,coarse,voice: "Get some chairs,why don't you,so somebody can sit down." "Oh,sure,"agreed Wilson hurriedly,and went towards the little office, mingling immediately with the cement color of the walls.A white ashen dust veiled his dark suit and his pale hair as it veiled everything in the vicinity ·046· 第二章 sumptuous ['sAmptfuas]a. 堪的福特牌轿车。我突然感觉到，这家有名无实的汽 奢华的 @proprietor [pra'praiata]n. 车修理行一定是个幌子，楼上准是隐藏着奢华而浪漫的 业主 住所。这时，车行的主人出现在一个办公室的门口，用 一块抹布擦拭着双手。他长着一头亚麻色的头发，没精 ③anemic[ani:mik]a.贫血 的 打采，脸色苍白，长相还算帅气。他看见我们后，那双 浅蓝色的眼睛中便立刻闪现出一线淡淡的希望。 “你好哇，威尔逊老伙计，”汤姆说着，一面笑逐 颜开，拍了拍对方的肩膀，“生意如何啊？” “我不能不知足啊，”威尔逊回答说，这话令人难 以相信，“你打算什么时候把那辆车卖给我啊？” “下个星期吧。我已经叫我的人在办了。” “他进展挺缓慢的，对吧？” “才不慢呢，”汤姆说，态度很冷漠，“如果你这 么看的话，那我还是卖到别处去的好。” “我不是这个意思啊，”威尔逊急忙解释说，“我 只是想—” 他的声音慢慢没有了，汤姆显得很不耐烦，环顾了 一番汽车修理行。随后，我听见楼梯上传来了脚步声， ④stout[staut]a.结实的 少顷，一个丰满的女性身体挡住了办公室门口的光线。 5 sensuously ['senfuasli]ad. 她三十五六岁的样子，身体有点发胖了，不过还是像有 性感地 crepe-de-chine ['kreip'da- 些女人一样，虽然有点胖，但颇具魅力。她身穿一条沾 'tfain]n双绉连衣裙 满油污的深蓝色双绉连衣裙，脸部并不漂亮，但立刻会 ⑦facet[fesi订n,部分 ⑧smolder[smouldo],有烟 令人感觉到，她充满了活力，仿佛全身的神经都在不停 无火地燃烧 地燃烧。她缓慢地露出了微笑，从自己丈夫身边经过， 仿佛他是个幽灵，然后同汤姆握手，直勾勾地看着他的 @coarse [ka:sa.声音沙哑 眼晴。她湿润了一下自己的双唇，没有转过身便用柔和 的 而又沙哑的嗓子对丈夫说话： “怎么不搬几把椅子来，好让人家坐下啊。” mingle['mingl]v.混合 “噢，可不是嘛。”威尔逊赶忙附和着说，朝着小 ④vicinity[vo'sinati]n.周围 办公室走去，立刻同四周墙壁的水泥颜色融为一体了。 他深色的上衣和浅色的头发上盖着一层灰白色的尘埃， 1福特汽车(Ford)是美国著名的汽车品牌。福特汽车公司是世界 最大的汽车企业之一，1903年由亨利·福特先生创办于美国底特律 市。现在的福特汽车公司是世界超级跨国公司，总部设在美国密歌 根州的迪尔伯恩市。福特汽车的标志是采用福特英文Fod字样，蓝底 白字。 ·047· CHAPTER 2 except his wife,who moved close to Tom. I want to see you,”said Tom intently..“Get on the next train.” “All right..” "I'll meet you by the news-stand on the lower level."She nodded and moved away from him just as George Wilson emerged with two chairs from his office door.We waited for her down the road and out of sight.It was a few days before the Fourth of July,and a gray,serawny Italian child was setting torpedoes in a row along the railroad track. "Terrible place,isn't it,"said Tom,exchanging a frown with Doctor Eckleburg. “Awful.” "It does her good to get away." "Doesn't her husband object?" "Wilson?He thinks she goes to see her sister in New York.He's so dumb he doesn't know he's alive." So Tom Buchanan and his girl and I went up together to New York-or not quite together,for Mrs.Wilson sat discreetly in another car.Tom deferredthat much to the sensibilities of those East Eggers who might be on the train. She had changed her dress to a brown figured muslin,which stretched tight over her rather wide hips as Tom helped her to the platform in New York. At the news-stand she bought a copy of Town Tattle and a moving-picture magazine,and in the station drugstore some cold cream and a small flask of perfume.Upstairs,in the solemn echoing drive she let four taxicabs drive away before she selected a new one,lavender-colored with gray upholstery,and in this we slid out from the mass of the station into the glowing sunshine.But ·048· 第二章 周围一切东西的表面也都是如此一只有他妻子除外， 她移步靠近汤姻。 “我想要看看你，”汤姆说，神情专注热切，“搭 乘下一趟火车吧。” “那好。” “我在车站底层报摊亭旁边等你。” 她点了点头，从他身边离开了，这时乔治·威尔逊 scrawny[skrp:nia.瘦的 正好从自己办公室里拿着两把椅子出来了。 ③torpedo[to:pi:dou]n.小 我们在路边没有人看见的地方等待她，这时候还差 孩玩的掼炮 几日就是7月4日了。有个脸色苍白、骨瘦如柴的意大 利孩子顺着铁轨燃放一挂“掼炮”2。 “很可怕的地方啊，是不是？”汤姆说，对着埃克 尔伯格大夫皱起了眉头。 “可怕得很。” “离开对她有好处。” ③dumb[dam]a.愚蠢的 “她丈夫不反对吗？” “威尔逊吗？他以为她是去纽约看她妹妹呢。他迟 钝愚昧，连自己是否活着都不知道。” discreetly [di'skri:tli]ad. 小心谨慎地 于是，汤姆·布坎南和他的情人，还有我，一块儿 ⑤defer[difb:]v遵从 乘火车去纽约一其实说不上是一块儿，因为威尔逊太 ⑥muslin['mAzlin]n.平纹 细布衣服 太很谨慎，坐在另外一节车厢里。汤姆还是遵从了这种 做法，因为他不想惹得可能在火车上的东卵人反感。 她换了一条褐色花布连衣裙，到了纽约后，汤姆扶 着她下车时，她那宽大的臀部把裙子鼓胀得满满当当。 她在报摊亭买了一份《纽约闲话》3和一本电影杂志， 7upholstery [Ap'haulstari]n. 还在车站的药店买了一些冷霜和一小瓶香水。到了楼 椅套 层，在黝暗阴沉而又充满回声的车道上，她放过去了四 辆出租汽车，最后选择了一辆崭新的、配有灰色坐垫的 浅紫色出租车。我们坐的车徐徐驶出了庞大的车站，进 17月4日是美国的国庆日，也叫独立纪念日。1776年7月4日，大陆 会议在费城正式通过由托马斯·杰斐逊起草的《独立宣言》，并由大 陆会议主席约翰·汉考克签字生效。每年的这一天，美国举国欢腾， 万家同乐，展现着美国人民的爱国热诚。 2掼炮(torpedo)是指一种掷地爆裂发声的爆竹。 3当时的一本通俗刊物。 4美国的药店(drugstore)常常兼售软饮料、化妆品、杂志等杂 货。 ·049· CHAPTER 2 immediately she turned sharply from the window and,leaning forward,tapped on the front glass. "I want to get one of those dogs,"she said earnestly."I want to get one for the apartment.They're nice to have-a dog." We backed up to a gray old man who bore an absurd resemblance to John D.Rockefeller.In a basket swung from his neck cowereda dozen very recent puppies of an indeterminate breed. "What kind are they?"asked Mrs.Wilson eagerly,as he came to the taxi- window. "All kinds.What kind do you want,lady?" "I'd like to get one of those police dogs;I don't suppose you got that kind?" The man peered doubtfully into the basket,plunged in his hand and drew one up,wriggling,by the back of the neck. “That's no police dog,.”said Tom. "No,it's not exactly a police dog,"said the man with disappointment in his voice."It's more of an Airedale."He passed his hand over the brown wash-rag of a back."Look at that coat.Some coat.That's a dog that'll never bother you with catching cold..” "I think it's cute,"said Mrs.Wilson enthusiastically."How much is it?" “That dog?”He looked at it admiringly..“That dog will cost you ten dollars..” The Airedale-undoubtedly there was an Airedale concerned in it somewhere,though its feet were startlingly white-changed hands and settled down into Mrs.Wilson's lap,where she fondled the weather-proof coat with ·050· 第二章 入到明媚的阳光里。但是，她立刻从窗户口猛然转过 头，身子前倾，敲了敲前面的玻璃。 “那儿有狗，我想要买一条，”她说，语气很恳 切，“我想买一条在公寓里养着一养条狗挺有情趣 ①absurd[eb'sa:da.荒唐的 的。” 我们的车退到一位头发灰白的老人跟前，简直不可 ②cower[kaua]v.蜷缩 思议，他长得很像约翰·D.洛克菲勒'。一只篮子挂在 3indeterminate [indi'ta:mint] a.不明确的 他的脖子上，里面蜷缩着十几条刚出生的小狗，还看不 ④breed[bri:dn.品种 出是什么品种。 “是什么品种的？”老人走近出租汽车窗口时，威 尔逊太太问了一声，语气显得很迫切。 “什么品种的都有，您想要哪一种，太太？” “我想要一条警犬，估计您没有吧？ ⑤peer[pio]盯若看 老人态度迟疑，对着篮子费劲地凝视了一番，把一 只手伸进篮子里，捏着小狗的颈背提出了一条，小狗挣 扎着身子。 “这根本就不是什么警犬，”汤姆说。 “对，这不是百分之百的警犬，”老人说，声音里 透着失望，“它更像是一只艾尔谷梗犬2。”他用一只 手抚摸着小狗后背棕褐色的皮毛。“看看这皮毛，上等 的好皮毛啊。这种狗从来都不会患感冒来烦您。” “我觉得很漂亮呢，”威尔逊太太说，热情洋溢， “多少钱呢？” “这条狗吗？”他看着小狗，充满了赞赏的目光， “这条狗得收您十美元。” 这条艾尔谷梗犬一毫无疑问，它具有艾尔谷梗犬 @la即[lxp)n.大腿部 的某些特征，尽管它的脚白得惊人一易主了，并且在 ⑦fondle[fndx抚弄 威尔逊太太的膝上安顿了下来。她如痴如醉地抚摸着小 1约·戴维森·洛克菲勒(John Davison Rockefeller,1839-1937) 是美国慈善家、资本家，1870年创立标准石油，也是上世纪第一个亿 万富翁。他漫长的一生，评价毁誉参半。《福布斯》网站曾公布过 “美国史上十五大富豪”排行榜，最终约瀚·洛克菲勒名列榜首。 2艾尔谷梗犬(Airedale)是梗犬中体型最大的一种。拥有黑色和棕 褐色相间的独特皮毛，身上的硬毛既浓密又能防水，每年会脱两次 毛。黄眼睛，猎犬式的耳朵，白色的脚，软毛。19世纪时，在英格兰 南部的约克郡艾尔谷培育出，故名，属于古老的梗犬和猎水獭犬的后 代。 ·051·