Chapter5-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《了不起的盖茨比The Great Gatsby》

CHAPTER5 When I came home to West Egg that night I was afraid for a moment that my house was on fire. Two o'clock and the whole corner of the peninsula^{①} was blazing{②}with light, which fell unreal on the shrubbery③} and made thin elongating{} glints upon the roadside wires. Turning a corner, I saw that it was Gatsby's house, lit from tower to cellar At first I thought it was another party, a wild rout{} that had resolved itself into "hide-and-go-seek" or"sardines-in-the-box" with all the house thrown open to the game. But there wasn't a sound. Only wind in the trees, which blew the wires and made the lights go off and on again as if the house had winked into the darkness. As my taxi groaned away I saw Gatsby walking towards me across his lawn. "Your place looks like the World's Fair."I said. "Does it?" He turned his eyes towards it absently. "I have been glancing into some of the rooms. Let's go to Coney Island, old sport. In my car." “It's too late." "Well, suppose we take a plunge{} in the swimming-pool? I haven't made use of it all summer." "I've got to go tobed." “All right." He waited, looking at me with suppressed^{} eagerness. .150· 第五章 我当晚回到西卵的家里时,瞬间害怕起来了,担心 ① peninsula [po'ninsjala]n 自己的房子起火。当时已经是凌晨两点钟,半岛的这一 半岛 ②blaze [bleizlv 发光 角灯光通明,灯光漂浮不定地倾泻在灌木从上,照在路 ③ shrubbery ['frabaril n. 灌 边一条条电线上反射出一道道又细又长的光线。转过一 木林 ④ elongating li:longeitin]a 个拐角,我这才看出,那是盖茨比的宅郎,从塔楼到地 延长的 害全是亮光。 rout [raut]n.盛大的晚会 起初,我以为又是一次聚会,一次纵情狂欢,整 个宅郎敞开着,大家一同玩“捉迷藏”或者“罐头沙丁 鱼”的游戏。但是,那里没有一丁点声响。只有风吹过 树丛,吹动了电线,使得灯光忽明忽暗,宅邮似乎在对 着黑夜眨巴着眼睛。载我回家的出租车发出吱嘎声驶离 时,我看见盖茨比穿过草坪朝着我走来。 “你的府上像是在开世界博览会啊。”我说。 “是嘛?”他转过身看了看,显得心不在焉, “我 刚才看了几个房间。我们去康尼岛吧,老朋友,坐我 的车去。” “太晚了吧。” plunge [pland3l n. 投入水 中 “那我们就到游冰池去游一游吧?我整个夏天都没 有游过呢。 “我得睡觉去了。” “那好吧。” suppressed [sa'prest] a. 扣 制的 他等待着,一边看着我,一边抑制着急切的态度。 1 康尼岛(ConeyIsland)是地处美国纽约布洛克伦区南端的一座半 岛,是美国最早的大型游乐场 ·151· CHAPTER5 "I talked with Miss Baker," I said after a moment. "T'm going to call up Daisy tomorrow and invite her over here to tea." “Oh, that's all right." he said carelessly. "I don't want to put you to any trouble." "What day would suit you?" "What day would suit you?" he corrected me quickly."I don't want to put you to any trouble, you see." "How about the day after tomorrow?" He considered for a moment. Then, with reluctance{}: "I want to get the grass cut,"he said. We both looked at the grass - there was a sharp line where my ragged^{②} lawn ended and the darker, well-kept expanse of his began. I suspected that he meant my grass. "There's another little thing." he said uncertainly, and hesitated “Would you rather put it off for a few days?" I asked “Oh, it isn't about that. At least -”He fumbled{}with a series of beginnings. "Why, I thought -why, look here, old sport. you don't make much money, do you?" “Not very much." This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently "I thought you didn't, if you'll pardon my - You see, I carry on a little business on the side, a sort of side line, you understand. And I thought that if you don't make very much - You're selling bonds, aren't you, old sport?" “Trying to." "Well, this would interest you. It wouldn't take up much of your time and you might pick up a nice bit of money. It happens to be a rather confidential sort of thing." I realize now that under different circumstances that conversation migh have been one of the crises{④} of my life. But, because the offer was obviously and tactlessly} for a service to be rendered{}. I had no choice except to cut him offthere. "I've got my hands full," I said. "I'm much obliged but I couldn't take on any more work." .152· 第五章 “我与贝克小姐谈过了,”我过了一会儿说,“我 明天就打电话给黛西,邀请她过来喝茶。 “噢,这样很好,”他说着,显得漫不经心, “我 不想给你添麻烦。” “你哪天方便呢?” “要看你哪天方便?”他急忙纠正了我的话, “你 知道,我不想给你添麻烦。” “后天怎么样?” 他思忖了片刻,然后,犹豫迟疑着:“我想叫人把 ① reluctance [ri'lAktans]n 草坪修剪一下。 勉强 我们两个人低头看着草-我的草坪乱糟糟的,他 ② ragged ['raeqid]a. 参差不 的草坪葱郁茂密,平整宽阔,两者之间有一条明显的分 齐的 界线。我估计,他所指的是我的草坪 “还有另外一件小事。”他说着,闪烁其词,犹豫 迟疑。 “你是想要推迟数日吗?”我问。 ③ fumble 'fambllv 结结巴 巴地说 “噢,不是说这个。至少-”他欲言又止,结结 巴巴,“呃,我觉得--呃,你看吧,老朋友,你挣钱 不多,对吧?” “不是很多啊。” 他这么一说似乎安心了,于是信心更足地接着说 “我觉得是这样的,如果你不介意--你看吧,我 顺便做点小生意,算是副业了,你明白的。而我觉得, 如果你挣钱不是很多一你是在卖债券,对吧,老朋 友?” “试着干吧。” “对啦,你或许会感兴趣的。不需要花费太多时 间,但却可以挣到一笔可观的钱。这是件很隐秘的事 情。 我现在意识到,如果在其他情形之下,那次交谈 ④crisis [kraisis]n. 转折点 说不定是我人生的一次关键转折。但是,由于他把这件 事情说得太露骨,太不得体,显然是为了答谢我给他帮 tactlessly ['taektlasli] ad 忙,因此,我别无选择,只能当即打断他的话 不得体地 “我手边有一大堆事情,”我说,“我非常感谢 render ['rendol: 提出 但是,不能再应付更多事情了。” “你用不着同沃尔夫希姆打交道。”很显然,他以 ·153· CHAPTER5 "You wouldn't have to do any business with Wolfshiem." Evidently he thought that I was shying away from the "gonnegtion" mentioned at lunch, but I assured him he was wrong. He waited a moment longer, hoping I'd begin a conversation, but I was too absorbed to be responsive, so he went unwillingly home. The evening had made me light-headed and happy: I think I walked into a deep sleep as I entered my front door. So I don't know whether or not Gatsby went to Coney Island, or for how many hours he "glanced into rooms" while his house blazed gaudily on. I called up Daisy from the office next morning, and invited her to come to tea. "Don't bring Tom."I warned her “What?" "Don't bring Tom." “Who is 'Tom'?"she asked innocently The day agreed upon was pouring rain. At eleven o'clock a man in a raincoat, dragging a lawn-mower^{①}, tapped at my front door and said that Mr. Gatsby had sent him over to cut my grass. This reminded me that I had forgotten to tell my Finn to come back, so I drove into West Egg Village tc search for her among soggy②}, white-washed alleys③} and to buy some cups and lemons and flowers. The flowers were unnecessary, for at two o'clock a green-house arrived from Gatsby's. with innumerable receptacles④ to contain it. An hour later the front door opened nervously, and Gatsby, in a white flannel suit, silver shirt and gold-colored tie, hurried in. He was pale, and there were dark signs of sleeplessness beneath his eyes. "Is everything all right?" he asked immediately. "The grass looks fine, if that's what you mean." “What grass?" he inquired blankly. "Oh, the grass in the yard."He looked out the window at it. but, judging from his expression, I don't believe he saw a thing. “Looks very good," he remarked vaguely. "One of the papers said they thought the rain would stop about four. I think it was the Journal. Have you got .154· 第五章 为,我是在回避午餐时提到的“惯系”,但是,我向他 保证,我不是那个意思。他等待了片刻,希望我能够排 起一个新的话题,但是,我在想着自己的心事,所以未 加理会,他便悖悖然地回家去了。 夜晚的活动过后,我感到轻飘飘的,心情愉悦。我 一进门之后便酣睡过去了,所以不知道盖茨比是否去了 康尼岛,或者他宅邮灯火通明的时候,他花费了多少个 小时“看房间”。翠日上午,我在证券所给黛西打了申 话,邀请她来喝茶。 “别带汤姆来啊。”我提醒她说。 “什么啊?” “别带汤姆来。” “谁是‘汤姆'?”她装糊涂。 我们约定好的那个日子大雨倾盆。十一点钟时,有 个穿雨衣的人拖着一台剪草机来敲我家的前门,说盖茨 比先生打发他过来修剪草坪。这让我想起来了,我忘记 叫我的那位芬兰女拥回来,于是我开车去西卵镇,到潮 ① lawn-mower ['lo:nmaua]n 湿的、墙壁刷成白色的小巷里去找她,同时买些杯子、 割草机 宁檬和鲜花回来。 鲜花倒是不必要买的,因为中午两点钟时,盖茨比 ② soggy ['sogila. 湿透的 的府上送来了一温室的鲜花,还有无数个插花的器I。 ③alley [eli]n. 小巷 一个小时后,前门被战战兢兢地推开了,盖茨比身穿一 套白色法兰绒西装,银色衬衫,金色领带,匆匆忙忙地 走了进来。他一脸倦容,眼圈是黑的,显然没有睡好 ④ receptacle [ri'septakl] n 觉。 容器 “样样事情都妥帖了吗?”他进门后便立刻问 “草地看起来挺漂亮的,如果你指的是这个的 话。” “什么草地?”他问了一声,神色茫然,“噢,院 子里的草地。”他看着窗户外面的草地,但是,根据他 的表情来判断,我觉得,他并没有在看某一样东西。 “看起来很不错啊,”他评价着说,所指含糊 “有一家报纸上说,四点钟左右雨就会停。那份报纸 ·155· CHAPTER5 everything you need in the shape of - of tea?" I took him into the pantry, where he looked a little reproachfully at the Finn. Together we scrutinized^{}the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen^{②} shop. “Will they do?"I asked. “Of course, of course! They're fine!" and he added hollowly, "... old sport." The rain cooled about half-past three to a damp mist, through which occasional thin drops swam like dew{}. Gatsby looked with vacant eyes through a copy of Clay's Economics, startling at the Finnish tread{④} that shook the kitchen floor, and peering towards the bleared^{} windows from time to time as if a series of invisible but alarming happenings were taking place outside Finally he got up and informed me, in an uncertain voice, that he was going home. “Why's that?" "Nobody's coming to tea. It's too late!" He looked at his watch as if there was some pressing demand on his time elsewhere. "I can't wait all day." "Don't be silly: it's iust two minutes to four." He sat down miserably, as if I had pushed him, and simultaneously{t there was the sound of a motor turning into my lane. We both jumped up, and. a little harrowed^{}myself, I went out into the yard. Under the dripping bare lilac-trees a large open car was coming up the drive. It stopped. Daisy's face, tipped sideways beneath a three-cornered lavender hat, looked out at me with a bright ecstatic{}smile. "Is this absolutely where you live, my dearest one?" .156. 第五章 我看是《纽约晚报》吧。喝茶需要的东西都准备好了 吗?” ① scrutinize [skru:tonaiz] v. 我把他领到了备腾间,他看着芬兰女拥,显得有点 仔细检查 不满意。我们一同把从甜点店买来的十二块拧檬蛋糕仔 ② delicatessen Idelika'tesan 仔细细地察看了一遍。 n. 熟食店,这里指甜点 店 “这样行吗?”我问。 “当然行,当然行!很好啊!”然后他多此一举地 补充说, “.....老朋友。” 大概三点半钟时,大雨渐渐平息下来,化作了一股 ③dew [diu:]n. 露珠 潮湿的雾气,偶尔还会有几滴像露珠儿一样的雨滴透 ④ tread [tred]n. 踏 过雾气飘落下来。盖茨比心不在焉地翻阅着一本克菜 bleared lbliadla. 模糊的 的《经济学》。每当芬兰女拥踩得厨房的地板震动时, 他就会怔一下,还会时不时地朝着模糊的窗外警上一 眼,似乎外面正发生着一系列看不见但却是惊心动魄的 事情。最后,他站起身,犹犹豫豫地告诉我说,他要回 去了。 “怎么啦?” “不会有人来喝茶了。已经太晚!”他看了看表, 好像他时间紧迫,必须得赶到别的什么地方去似的 “我不能在此等待一整天啊。” simultaneously Isimal- “别犯傻了,四点还差两分呢。 'teiniasli]ad.-同 他神情沮丧地坐了下来,好像是我推着他坐下的 harrow fhaereulv 使...... 与此同时,汽车的声音从通向我家的巷道里传了过来。 苦恼 我们两个人一跃而起,我自已也有点慌乱,跑到了院子 里。 沿着滴水但没有开花的工香树,一辆大型敞篷车从 ⑧ecstatic lik'staetik]a. 狂喜 车道上开了过来,停下了,黛西头戴着一顶浅紫色的三角 帽,微微侧着脸看着我,露出了灿烂而又欣喜的笑容 “你真的住在这儿吗,最最亲爱的?” 《纽约晚报》(NewYorkEveningJournal)是美国报业巨头赫斯 特(WilliamRandolphHearst.1863-1951)所属的报纸之一,创办于 1895年,1937年停办,赫斯特创立了赫斯特报系,曾拥有二十五种日 报,十一种星期刊和多种杂志,以轰动的新闻、醒目的版面和低廉的 售价竞争取胜。 2 此处指英国经济学家亨利·克菜(HenryClay,1883-1954).曾 任牛津大学教授,其《经济学》(1916年英国伦教版,1919年美国纽 约版)是当时英美大学使用的一部导论性的经济学教科书。 ·157· CHAPTER5 The exhilarating^{①} ripple of her voice was a wild tonic②} in the rain. I had to follow the sound of it for a moment. up and down, with my ear alone. before any words came through. A damp streak of hair lay like a dash of blue paint across her cheek, and her hand was wet with glistening drops as I took it to help her from the car. “Are you in love with me."she said low in my ear. "or why did I have tc come alone?" "That's the secret of Castle Rackrent. Tell your chauffeur to go far away and spend an hour." “Come back in an hour, Ferdie." Then in a grave murmur, "His name is Ferdie." "Does the gasoline affect his nose?" "I don't think so."she said innocently."Why?" We went in. To my overwhelming surprise the living-room was deserted "Well, that's funny,"I exclaimed. "What's funny?" She turned her head as there was a light dignified knocking at the front door. I went out and opened it. Gatsby, pale as death, with his hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets, was standing in a puddle③of water glaring tragically into my eyes. With his hands still in his coat pockets he stalked^{}by me into the hall. turned sharply as if he were on a wire, and disappeared into the living-room. I wasn't a bit funny. Aware of the loud beating of my own heart I pulled the doo to against the increasing rain. For half a minute there wasn't a sound. Then from the living-room I heard a sort of choking murmur and part of a laugh, followed by Daisy's voice on a clear artificial note "I certainly am awfully glad to see you again." A pause: it endured{}horribly. I had nothing to do in the hall, so I went into the room. .158. 第五章 ① exhilarating [ig'zilareitin 她悠扬悦耳的说话声荡漾在雨中。一时间,我得 a.令人高兴的 ② tonic [tonik]a. 主音 侧耳倾听,跟随那起伏的声音,才能明自她说的话的意 思。一缕潮湿的秀发贴在她的脸颊上,犹如画笔勾勒出 的一道蓝线。我扶着她下车的当儿,发现她的手被晶莹 的水珠打湿了。 “莫非你爱上了我不成?”她低声对着我的耳朵 说, “否则干嘛请我一个人单独过来啊? “这是个拉克伦特堡的秘密。盼附你的司机离开 上别处去待上一个小时。” “一小时后回来,弗迪。”然后语气严肃地低声 说,“他名字叫弗迪。” “汽油味对他的鼻子有影响吗?” “我看没有吧,”她说着,一副毫不知情的样子, “怎么啦?” 我们进屋了。令我惊诧不已的是,客厅里空无一 人。 “是啊,真有意思。”我激动地说。 “什么有意思啊?” 前门传来一阵轻微得体的敲门声,黛西扭过头。我 ③puddle I'padl]n. 水坑 出去开了门,盖茨比脸色繁白,两手沉重地插在衣服口 袋里,站立在一滩水中,神态沮丧地看着我 ④stalk [sto:k]v高视阔步 他从我身边大步走进厅堂,双手仍然插在口袋里 像个提线木偶似的猛然一转身,走进客厅里不见了。这 一点都不好玩。我感觉到自已的心在砰砰直跳,我一把 关上了门,外面的雨越下越大了。 足足有半分钟时间,没有一点声响。然后,客厅里 传来了硬咽的低语,间或伴有一点笑声,随后是黛西清 晰而又不大自然的说话声: “能够再次见到你,我真的是太高兴了。” 一阵停顿。时间长得令人难以忍受。我在厅堂里百 endure in'djuolv 持续 无聊赖,于是走进了客厅。 1 《拉克伦特堡》(CastleRackrent)是英国作家玛丽亚·埃奇沃思 (MariaEdgeworth,1768-1849)于1800年出版的一部中篇小说,人 们通常认为这部小说创造了英国文学史上的多个第一,第一部历史小 说,第一部英文地域小说,第一部盎格鲁一爱尔兰小说,第一部大庄 园小说和第一部传奇小说。拉克伦特堡是该小说的故事发生地。 ·159·