Chapter9-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《了不起的盖茨比The Great Gatsby》

CHAPTER 9 After two years I remember the rest of that day,and that night and the next day,only as an endless drill of police and photographers and newspaper men in and out of Gatsby's front door.A rope stretched across the main gate and a policeman by it kept out the curious,but little boys soon discovered that they could enter through my yard,and there were always a few of them clustered open-mouthed about the pool.Someone with a positive manner,perhaps a detective,used the expression "madman"as he bent over Wilson's body that afternoon,and the adventitious authority of his voice set the key for the newspaper reports next morning. Most of those reports were a nightmare-grotesque,circumstantial, eager,and untrue.When Michaelis's testimony at the inquest brought to light Wilson's suspicions of his wife I thought the whole tale would shortly be served up in racy pasquinade-but Catherine,who might have said anything,didn't say a word.She showed a surprising amount of character about it too-looked at the coroner with determined eyes under that corrected brow of hers, and swore that her sister had never seen Gatsby,that her sister was completely happy with her husband,that her sister had been into no mischiefwhatever. She convinced herself of it,and cried into her handkerchief,as if the very suggestion was more than she could endure.So Wilson was reduced to a man "deranged by grief'in order that the case might remain in its simplist form.And it rested there. But all this part of it seemed remote and unessential.I found myself ·296· 第九章 事情过去两年了，我现在回忆起当天白天剩下的时 间、晚上和翌日的情形时，只记得警察、摄影师和新闻 记者在盖茨比宅邸的前门进进出出。宅邸大门口拉起了 绳子，有位警察站立在绳子边上，把好奇看热闹的人挡 在外面。但是，小男孩们很快就发现，他们可以穿过我 的院子进入，因此，游泳池周围总会簇拥着几个孩子， 一个个目瞪口呆。当天下午，有个人态度积极，可能是 个侦探。他俯身看着威尔逊的遗体时，用了“疯子”这 Dadventitious [,dven'tifas] 个词。记者们偶然听见了这个颇具权威的说法，于是成 a.偶然的 了翌日早上各家报纸报道的基调。 ②nightmare['naitmea]n.噩 报纸上的大多数报道都是一场噩梦—荒诞离奇 梦 渲染细节，夸大其词，无中生有。面对死因调查，米海 3 circumstantial [sa:kom- 'staenfol]a.描述详细的 利斯在证词中表示，威尔逊对自己的太太怀有疑心。而 pasquinade [,paskwineid] 我估计，那些格调低俗的无聊小报很快就登出整件事 n.讽刺文章 情一但是，原本可能信口开河的凯瑟琳却三缄其口。 ⑤coroner[korana]n.验尸 官 关于这件事情，她也表现出了一种令人惊讶的态度一 @brow[brou]n.眉毛 她看着验尸官，修整过的眉字下，目光坚毅沉静。她发 ⑦mischief['mistfif)n.不端 行为 誓说，姐姐从未见过盖茨比，同丈夫生活得绝对幸福美 handkerchief ['hankatfif] 满，从未有过任何不端行为。凯瑟琳自己都信以为真 n.手帕 了，用手帕捂着脸哭了起来，好像提出这样的疑问让她 忍受不了似的。因此，威尔逊被定性为是一个“因悲伤 而精神错乱”的人，这样一来，这桩案件便再简单不过 unessential [Ani'senfol]a 了。于是，案件就此了结。 不重要的 但是，案件的这一部分内容似乎属于细枝末节，无 ·297· ICHAPTER9 on Gatsby's side,and alone.From the moment I telephoned news of the catastrophe to West Egg village,every surmise about him,and every practical question,was referred to me.At first I was surprised and confused; then,as he lay in his house and didn't move or breathe or speak,hour upon hour,it grew upon me that I was responsible,because no one else was interested -interested,I mean,with that intense personal interest to which everyone has some vague right at the end. I called up Daisy half an hour after we found him,called her instinctively and without hesitation.But she and Tom had gone away early that afternoon, and taken baggage with them. "Left no address?" No.” "Say when they'd be back?" No” "Any idea where they are?How I could reach them?" "I don't know.Can't say." I wanted to get somebody for him.I wanted to go into the room where he lay and reassure him,"I'll get somebody for you,Gatsby.Don't worry.Just trust me and I'll get somebody for you-" Meyer Wolfshiem's name wasn't in the phone book.The butler gave me his office address on Broadway,and I called Information,but by the time I had the number it was long after five,and no one answered the phone. “Will you ring again?" "I've rung them three times." “It's very important.” “Sorry.I'm afraid no one's there.” I went back to the drawing-room and thought for an instant that they were chance visitors,all these official people who suddenly filled it.But,though they drew back the sheet and looked at Gatsby with shocked eyes,his protest continued in my brain: "Look here,old sport,you've got to get somebody for me.You've got to try hard.I can't go through this alone." ·298· 第九章 关紧要。我发现自己站在盖茨比一边，孤立无援。从我 catastrophe [ka'taestrofi]n. 打电话到西卵镇报告惨案的那一刻起，有关盖茨比的每 大灾难 ②surmise[s3'maiz].猜测 种猜测，每一个实际问题，都会涉及到我。刚开始时， 我感到惊讶而又困惑。后来，一个小时又一个小时过 去，他躺在自己的宅邸里，一动不动，不能呼吸，不能 说话，这时候，我慢慢地才意识到，自己的肩上承担着 责任，因为没有任何人会关心他一我的意思是说，每 个人在生命终了的时候，多少有权享有别人真挚的关切 之情。 我们发现了盖茨比半小时后，我便给黛西打了电 ③baggage[bgid3]n.行李 话，我是出于本能才毫不迟疑地打电话给她的。但是， 她和汤姆当天下午早早地就外出了，而且还带了行李。 “没有留下地址吗？” “没有。” “他们说了什么时候回来吗？” “没有说。” “知道他们去哪儿了吗？我如何才能找到他们 呢？ “我不知道，说不准。” 我想替他找个人来。我走进他躺着的房间，向他保 证说，“我会替你找个人来的，盖茨比。别担心，相信 我好啦，我会替你找个人来的—” 电话薄里没有迈耶·沃尔夫希姆的名字。管家给了 我他在百老汇的办公室地址。我打电话到问讯处去，但 是，等我知道电话号码时，时间早过了五点，没有人接 电话。 “请您再接一次好吗？” “我已经接过三次啦。 “我有至关重要的事情。” “对不起，恐怕那儿已经没有人了。” 我返回到了客厅。里面突然挤满了官方人员，我瞬 ④protest[prautest)n.抗议 间觉得他们是偶然上门来的人。但是，虽说他们掀开床 单，目光惊恐地看着盖茨比，但他的争辩声持续在我脑 海里回荡： “听好啦，老朋友，你必须得替我找个人来。我们 必须得努力想办法，我一个人应付不了这个啊。” ·299· ICHAPTER9 Someone started to ask me questions,but I broke away and going upstairs looked hastily through the unlocked parts of his desk-he'd never told me definitely that his parents were dead.But there was nothing-only the picture of Dan Cody,a token of forgotten violence,staring down from the wall. Next morning I sent the butler to New York with a letter to Wolfshiem, which asked for information and urged him to come out on the next train.That request seemed superfluous when I wrote it.I was sure he'd start when he saw the newspapers,just as I was sure there'd be a wire from Daisy before noon-but neither a wire nor Mr.Wolfshiem arrived;no one arrived except more police and photographers and newspaper men.When the butler brought back Wolfshiem's answer I began to have a feeling of defiance,of scornful solidarity between Gatsby and me against them all. DEAR MR.CARRAWAY, This has been one of the most terrible shocks of my life to me I hardly can believe it that it is true at all.Such a mad act as that man did should make us all think.I cannot come down now as I am tied up in some very important business and cannot get mixed up in this thing now.If there is anything I can do a little later let me know in a letter by Edgar.I hardly know where I am when I hear about a thing like this and am completely knocked down and out. Yours truly MEYER WOLFSHIEM and then hasty addenda beneath: Let me know about the funeral etc.Do not know his family at all. When the phone rang that afternoon and Long Distance said Chicago was calling I thought this would be Daisy at last.But the connection came through as a man's voice,very thin and far away. ·300· 第九章 有人开始向我提出问题，但是，我突然离开，跑到 楼上去了，匆匆忙忙查看了盖茨比写字台那些没有上锁 的抽屉一他从来没有明确地告诉过我，他父母已经去 世了。但是，没有寻找到什么东西一只有丹·科迪的 ①token[toukan]n.象征 那幅照片，那是一段已经遗忘的粗犷人生经历的象征。 科迪从墙壁上朝下注视着。 翌日上午，我差遣管家到纽约去给沃尔夫希姆送 @superfluous [su:pa:fluas] a.多余的 一封信，向他了解一些情况，并且敦促他乘坐下一趟火 车过来。我写信时，觉得这个要求是多余的。我可以肯 定，他看到报纸后一定会感到震惊，如同我肯定中午前 黛西会发电报来一样一但是，既没有电报，沃尔夫希 ③defiance[di'faions]n,蔑 姆先生也没有过来。除了更多警察、摄影师和新闻记 视 solidarity soli'daeroti]n. 者之外，没有任何人到场。管家带回沃尔夫希姆的回信 团结一致 时，我开始产生了一种傲慢的感觉，感觉我和盖茨比可 以团结一致，藐视他们所有人。 尊敬的卡拉韦先生： 此事是我生平听到的最恐怖震惊的事情之一， 我简直难以置信。那人如此疯狂的行为应该引起我 们大家的思考。我眼下不能过去，因为有其他一些 重要的事情缠身，无力参与到这件事情当中来。过 些时日，若是有什么我能够做到的事情，请差遣埃 德加送信过来告知。得知这样一个消息时，我都几 乎不知道自己身处何处，人完全懵了。 您忠实的 5 addendum [o'dendom]n. 迈耶·沃尔夫希姆 附录(addenda为adden dum的名词复数) @funeral['fu:noral]n.葬礼 接着又在后面匆匆地加上了这样一句： 请告知葬礼等等事宜。我对其家庭情况一无所知。 下午有电话来了，长途电话局说是芝加哥的电话。 当时，我以为，黛西终于打电话来了。但是，电话接通 后是位男士的声音，感觉声音很细，很遥远。 ·301· CHAPTER 9 "This is Slagle speaking..." "Yes?"The name was unfamiliar. "Hell of a note,isn't it?Get my wire?" “There haven't been any wires.” “Young Parke's in trouble,”he said rapidly..“They picked him up when he handed the bonds over the counter.They got a circular from New York giving'em the numbers just five minutes before.What d'you know about that, hey?You never can tell in these hick②towns-” "Hello!"I interrupted breathlessly."Look here-this isn't Mr.Gatsby.Mr. Gatsby's dead.” There was a long silence on the other end of the wire,followed by an exclamation...then a quick squawk as the connection was broken. I think it was on the third day that a telegram signed Henry C.Gatz arrived from a town in Minnesota.It said only that the sender was leaving immediately and to postpone the funeral until he came. It was Gatsby's father,a solemn old man,very helpless and dismayed, bundled up in a long cheap ulster against the warm September day.His eyes leaked continuously with excitement,and when I took the bag and umbrella from his hands he began to pull so incessantly at his sparse gray beard that I had difficulty in getting off his coat.He was on the point of collapse,so I took him into the music room and made him sit down while I sent for something to eat. But he wouldn't eat,and the glass of milk spilled from his trembling hand. "I saw it in the Chicago newspaper,"he said."It was all in the Chicago newspaper.I started right away." "I didn't know how to reach you." His eyes,seeing nothing,moved ceaselesslyabout the room. ·302· 第九章 “我是斯莱格尔…” “呃？”这个名字不熟悉。 “是个不想听到的声音，对不对啊？收到我的电报 了吗？” “没有任何电报啊。” ①circular[sa:kjala]n.通知 “小派克遇到麻烦啦，”对方说着，语速很快， “他在进行场外证券交易时，他们认出他来了。五分钟 之前，他们刚接到纽约发来的通知，告诉了他们证券号 ②hick [hik]n.乡下人 码。这个事情你知道吗，嗯？身处乡下小镇，你根本就 不知道—” “喂！”我上气不接下气地打断了对方的话，“您 听好啦—我不是盖茨比先生。盖茨比先生已经死啦。” ③squawk[skw3:k]n.粗砺 的叫声 电话线的另一端久久不吭声，接着是一声惊叹… 然后“咔嚓”一声，电话挂断了。 我估计大概是在第三天，收到了一份从明尼苏达 ④postpone[pau'spaun]g推 州的一座小镇发来的电报，署名是亨利·C盖兹。电报 迟 上只是说发报人即刻动身，要求等到他到达后再举行葬 礼。 ⑤ulster'Alsta)n.阿尔斯特 宽大衣 他是盖茨比的父亲，一位举止庄重的老人，无可奈 何，神情沮丧。在那温暖的九月里，他身上裹着一件乌 @sparse[spa:a.稀疏的 尔斯特大衣'。他情绪激动，不停地留着眼泪。我从他 手上接过提包和雨伞后，他便开始一刻不停地捋着自己 稀疏的灰白胡子，我费了好大一番功夫才脱下了他的大 衣。他快要坚持不住了，于是，我扶着他进了音乐室， 让他坐了下来，一面差人去弄点吃的。但是，他不肯吃 东西，颤抖的手端着的那杯牛奶也洒出来了。 “我是在芝加哥的报纸上看到消息的，”老人说， “芝加哥的报纸上全都登出来了，所以我立刻就出发 ceaselessly ['si:slosli]ad. 了。” 不停地 “我当时不知道如何才能找到您。” 他的眼睛一刻不停地扫视着房间，其实对一切都视 而不见。 1乌尔斯特大衣(ulster)一般有腰带，宽而长，用起绒粗呢或者其 他厚大衣料子所制。这大概是地域不同、气候差异的原因所致，老人 出发时天气寒冷，因为明尼苏达州地处美国与加拿大交界处的苏必利 尔湖沿岸。 ·303· CHAPTER 9 "It was a madman,"he said."He must have been mad." “Wouldn't you like some coffee??”I urged him. "I don't want anything.I'm all right now,Mr.-" “Carraway.” "Well,I'm all right now.Where have they got Jimmy?" I took him into the drawing-room,where his son lay,and left him there. Some little boys had come up on the steps and were looking into the hall;when I told them who had arrived,they went reluctantly away. After a little while Mr.Gatz opened the door and came out,his mouth ajar his face flushed slightly,his eyes leaking isolated and unpunctual tears.He had reached an age where death no longer has the quality of ghastly surprise, and when he looked around him now for the first time and saw the height and splendor of the hall and the great rooms opening out from it into other rooms, his grief began to be mixed with an awed pride.I helped him to a bedroom upstairs;while he took off his coat and vest I told him that all arrangements had been deferred until he came. "I didn't know what you'd want,Mr.Gatsby-" “Gatz is my name.” “-Mr.Gatz.I thought you might want to take the body⑤West.” He shook his head. "Jimmy always liked it better down East.He rose up to his position in the East.Were you a friend of my boy's,Mr.-?" “We were close friends..” "He had a big future before him,you know.He was only a young man,but he had a lot of brain power here." He touched his head impressively,and I nodded. "If he'd of lived,he'd of been a great man.A man like James J.Hill.He'd ·304· 第九章 “那是个疯子，”他说，“他一定是疯了。” “您不来杯咖啡吗？”我敦促着他说。 “我不要任何东西。我现在好好的，您是…” “卡拉韦。” “啊，我现在好好的。他们把吉米安置在哪儿 啦？” 我扶着他走进放置他儿子遗体的客厅，让他一个人 待在那儿。有些小男孩从台阶走了上来，朝着厅堂里面 张望。当我告诉他们来的人是谁时，他们这才老大不情 ④ajar[b'daa.半开着的 愿地离开了。 @unpunctual [An'pAnktjula] 过了一会儿，盖兹先生打开客厅门出来了，嘴巴半 a.时不时的 ③ghastly['ga:stli].可怕的 张开着，脸上捎带红色，眼睛时不时地滴下泪水。他已 经年纪一大把了，死亡对他而言已不再是什么可怕而又 令人惊讶的概念了。他第一次环顾起自己的四周来，看 到厅堂天花板高高的，里面富丽堂皇。厅堂连着一个个 ④vest[vest]n.背心 宽敞的大房间，然后又通向别的房间。他悲痛的神情中 开始显露出惊叹而又骄傲的成分。我扶着他到了楼上的 一间卧室。他脱着外套和背心时，我告诉他说，一切安 排都推迟了，就等着他的到来。 ⑤body[bodi]m.尸体 “我不知道您想要作何打算，盖茨比先生一” “我姓盖兹。” “一盖兹先生。我估计，您可能打算把遗体运回 到西部老家去。” 他摇了摇头。 “吉米一直都更喜欢东部。他是在东部发达起来 的。您是我孩子的朋友吗，什么先生来着？” “我们是挚友。” “他本来是前途无量的，您知道。他虽然人很年 轻，但他的脑袋这儿很有能量啊。” 他特别触碰了一下自己的脑袋。我点了点头。 “如果他活着，他会成为一位了不起的人物，一位 此处指盖茨比，吉米(Jimmy)是他原名詹姆斯(James)的呢 称。 ·305·