We had luncheon in the?dining-room, darkened too against the?heat, and drank down nervous gayety with the cold ale.?
我們在餐廳里吃的午飯,里面也遮得很陰涼,大家把緊張的歡笑和涼啤酒一起喝下肚去。
luncheon [l'?nt??n] (luncheons) A?luncheon?is a formal lunch, for example to celebrate an important event or to raise money for charity.
gayety?['ɡei?ti] =gaiety?n. 愉快;輕快?the state of being happy
“What'll we do with ourselves this afternoon?” cried Daisy, “and the day after that, and the next thirty years?”
"我們今天下午做什么好呢?"黛西大聲說,"還有明天,還有今后三十年?"
“Don’t be morbid,” Jordan said. “Life starts all over again when it gets?crisp in the fall.”
"不要這樣病態,"喬丹說,"秋天一到,天高氣爽,生活就又重新開始了。"
morbid [?m??bid] adj. 病的,由病引起的,病態的,恐怖的
crisp?[kr?sp]?describes weather that is cold, dry and bright; describes air that is cold, dry and fresh
“But it’s so hot,” insisted Daisy, on the verge of tears, “and everything’s so confused. Let’s all go to town!”
"可是天真熱得要命,"黛西固執地說,差點要哭出來了,"一切又都混亂不堪。咱們都進城去吧!"
Her voice struggled on?through the heat, beating against it, molding its senselessness into forms.
她的聲音繼續在熱浪中掙扎,向它沖擊著,把無知覺的熱氣塑成一些形狀。
“I’ve heard of making a garage out of a stable,” Tom was saying to Gatsby, “but I’m the first man who ever made a stable out?of a garage.”
"我聽說過把馬房改做汽車間,"湯姆在對蓋茨比說,"但是我是第一個把汽車間變成馬房的人。"
garage??[?ɡ?rɑ??] n. 汽車庫,汽車間
stable??[?ste?b(?)l]?畜欄,廄,馬房;(同屬一主人并由一個人馴養的)一群賽馬
“Who wants to go to town?” demanded Daisy?insistently. Gatsby’s eyes floated toward her. “Ah,” she cried, “you look so cool.”
"誰愿意進城去?"黛西執拗地問道。蓋茨比的眼睛慢慢朝她看過去。"啊,"她喊道,'你看上去真帥。"
Their eyes met, and they stared together at each other, alone in space. With an effort she glanced down at the table.
他們的眼光相遇了,他們彼此目不轉睛地看著對方,超然物外。她好不容易才把視線轉回到餐桌上。
“You always look so cool,”she repeated.
"你看上去總是那么帥。"她重復說。
She had told him that she?loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw. He?was astounded. His mouth opened a little, and he looked at Gatsby, and then back at Daisy as if he had just recognized her as some one he knew a long time ago.
她已經告訴他她愛他,湯姆·布坎農也看出來了。他大為震驚。他的嘴微微張開,他看看蓋茨比,又看看黛西,仿佛他剛剛認出她是他很久以前就認識的一個人。
“You resemble the advertisement of the man,” she went on innocently. “You know the advertisement of the man——”
"你很像廣告里那個人,"她恬然地繼續說,"你知道廣告里那個人……"
“All right,” broke in Tom quickly, “I’m perfectly willing to go to town. Come?on—we’re all going to town.”
"好吧,"湯姆趕緊打斷了她的話,"我非常樂意進城去。走吧--我們大家都進城去。"
He got up, his eyes still flashing between Gatsby and his wife. No one moved.
他站了起來,他的眼睛還是在蓋茨比和他妻子之間間來閃去。誰都沒動。
“Come on!” His temper cracked a little. “What’s the matter, anyhow? If we’re going to town, let’s start.”
"走啊!"他有點冒火了,"到底怎么回事?咱們要進城,那就走吧。"
His hand, trembling with his effort at self-control, bore to his lips the last of his glass of?ale. Daisy’s voice got us to our feet and out on to the blazing gravel drive.
他把杯中剩下的啤酒舉到了唇邊,他的手由于他盡力控制自己而在發抖。黛西的聲音促使我們站了起來,走到外面熾熱的石子汽車道上。
blazing [bl'e?z??] ?Blazing?sun or?blazing hot?weather is very hot.
gravel [?ɡr?v?l] n.砂礫,砂礫層
“Are we just going to go?” she objected. “Like this? Aren’t we going to let any one smoke a cigarette?first?”
"我們馬上就走嗎?"她不以為然地說,"就像這樣?難道我們不讓人家先抽支煙嗎?"
“Everybody smoked all through lunch.”
"吃飯的時候大家從頭到尾都在抽煙。"
“Oh, let’s have fun,” she begged him. “It’s too hot to fuss.” He didn’t answer.
"哦,咱們高高興興地玩吧,"她央求他,"天太熱了,別鬧吧。"他沒有回答。
“Have it your own way,” she said. “Come on, Jordan.”
"隨你的便吧,"她說,"來吧,喬丹。"
They went up-stairs to?get ready while we three men stood there shuffling the hot pebbles with our?feet. A silver curve of the moon hovered already in the western sky. Gatsby?started to speak, changed his mind, but not before Tom wheeled and faced him expectantly.
她們上樓去做好準備,我們三個男的就站在那兒用我們的腳把滾燙的小石子踢來踢去。一彎銀月已經懸在西天。蓋茨比剛開日說話,又改變了主意,想閉上嘴巴,但湯姆也轉過身來面對著他等他說。
shuffle?(MOVE AROUND) [???f.?] v.? to move similar things from one position or place to another, often to give an appearance of activity when nothing useful is being done
“Have you got your stables here?”asked Gatsby with an effort.
"你的馬房是在這里嗎?"蓋茨比勉強地問道。
“About a quarter of a mile down the road.”
"沿這條路下去大約四分之一英里。"
“Oh.”
"哦"
A pause.
停了一會。
“I don’t see the idea of going to town,” broke out Tom savagely. “Women get these notions in their heads——”
"我真不明白進城去干什么,"湯姆怒氣沖沖地說,"女人總是心血來潮……"
savage??[?s?v?d?] adj. 兇殘的, 野蠻的,殘暴的
“Shall we take anything to drink?”called Daisy from an upper window.
"我們帶點兒什么東西喝嗎?"黛西從樓上窗口喊道。
“I’ll get some whiskey,”answered Tom. He went inside.
"我去拿點威士忌。"湯姆答道。他走進屋子里去。
Gatsby turned to merigidly:
蓋茨比硬邦邦地轉向我說:
“I can’t say anything in his house, old sport.”
"我在他家里不能說什么,老兄。"
“She’s got an indiscreet voice,” I remarked. “It’s full of——”I hesitated.
"她的聲音很不謹慎,"我說,"它充滿了……"我猶疑了一下。
indiscreet??[?nd?s?kri?t] adj. 不慎重的;輕率的
“Her voice is full of money,”he said suddenly.
"她的聲音充滿了金錢。"他忽然說。
That was it. I’d never understood before. It was full of?money—that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it. . . . high in a white palace?the king’s daughter, the golden girl. . . .
正是這樣。我以前從來沒有領悟過。它是充滿了金錢--這正是她聲音里抑揚起伏的無窮無盡的魅力的源泉,金錢了當的聲音,鐃鈸齊鳴的歌聲……高高的在一座白色的宮殿里,國王的女兒,黃金女郎……
Tom came out of the house?wrapping a quart bottle in a towel, followed by Daisy and Jordan wearing small tight hats of metallic cloth and carrying light capes over their arms.
湯姆從屋子里出來,一面把一瓶一夸脫酒用毛巾包起來,后面跟著黛西和喬丹,兩人都戴著亮晶晶的硬布做的又小又緊的帽子,手臂上搭著薄紗披肩。
metallic cloth?金屬線織物
cape ?[ke?p] n. 披風, 斗篷
“Shall we all go in my car?” suggested Gatsby. He?felt the hot, green leather of the?seat. “I ought to have left it?in the shade.”
"人家都坐我的車去好嗎?"蓋茨比提議。他摸了摸滾燙的綠皮坐墊。"我應當把它停在樹陰里的。"
“Is it standard shift?”demanded Tom.
"這車用的是普通排擋嗎?"湯姆問。
shift [??ft]?MAINLY US?to move the gears of a vehicle into different positions in order to make it go faster or slower
“Yes.”
"是的。"
“Well, you take my coupe and let me drive your?car to town.”
"好吧,你開我的小轎車,讓我開你的車進城。"
The suggestion was distasteful to Gatsby.
這個建議不合蓋茨比的口胃。
“I don’t think there’s much gas,”he objected.
"恐怕汽油不多了。"他表示不同意。
“Plenty of gas,” said Tom boisterously. He looked at the?gauge. “And if it runs out I can?stop at a drug-store. You can buy anything at a drug-store nowadays.”
"汽油多得很。"湯姆鬧嚷嚷地說。他看了看油表。"如果用光了,我可以找一個藥房停下來。這年頭藥房里你什么東西都買得到。"
boisterous??[?b??st?r?s] adj. 喧鬧的(人及其行為),狂歡的; 狂暴的,狂風暴雨的(天氣)
A pause followed this?apparently pointless remark. Daisy looked at Tom frowning, and an indefinable expression, at once definitely unfamiliar and vaguely?recognizable, as if I had only heard?it described in words, passed over Gatsby’s face.
這句似乎沒有什么意義的話說完之后,大家沉默了一會。黛西皺著眉頭瞧瞧湯姆,同時蓋茨比臉上掠過一種難以形容的表情,既十分陌生又似曾相識,仿佛我以前只是聽人用言語描述過似的。
“Come on, Daisy,” said Tom, pressing her with his hand toward Gatsby’s car. “I’ll take you in this circus wagon.”
"走吧,黛西,"湯姆說,一面用手把她朝蓋茨比的車子推過去,"我帶你坐這輛馬戲團的花車。"
He opened the door, but she moved out from the circle of his arm.
他打開車門,但她從他手臂的圈子里走了出去。
“You take Nick and Jordan. We’ll follow you in the coupe.”
"你帶尼克和喬丹去。我們開小轎車跟在你后面。"
She walked close to?Gatsby, touching his coat with?her hand. Jordan and Tom and I got into the front seat of Gatsby’s car, Tom pushed the unfamiliar gears?tentatively, and we shot off into the?oppressive heat, leaving them out of sight behind.
她緊挨著蓋茨比走,用手摸著他的上衣。喬丹、湯姆和我坐進蓋茨比車子的前座,湯姆試著扳動不熟悉的排檔,接著我們就沖進了悶熱,把他們甩在后面看不見的地方。
tentatively ?['tent?tivli] adv. 暫時地;試驗性地
“Did you see that?”demanded Tom.
"你們看到那個沒有?"湯姆問。
“See what?”
"看到什么?"
He looked at me keenly, realizing that Jordan and I must have known all along.
他敏銳地看著我,明白了我和喬丹一定一直就知道。
“You think I’m pretty dumb, don’t you?” he suggested. “Perhaps I am, but I have a—almost a second sight, sometimes, that tells me what to do. Maybe you don’t believe that, but science——”
"你們以為我很傻,是不是?"他說,"也許我是傻,但是有時候我有一種--幾乎是一種第二視覺,它告訴我該怎么辦。也許你們不相信這個,但是科學……"
He paused. The immediate?contingency overtook him, pulled him back from the edge of the theoretical abyss.
他停了一下。當務之急追上了他,把他從理論深淵的邊緣拉了回來。
contingency [k?n?tind??nsi] n.偶然,可能性,意外事故,可能發生的附帶事件
abyss??[??b?s] n.??深淵;無底洞
“I’ve made a small investigation of this?fellow,” he continued. “I could have gone deeper if I’d known——”
"我已經對這個家伙做了一番小小的調查,"他繼續說,"我大可以調查得更深人一些,要是我知道……"?
“Do you mean you’ve been to a medium?”inquired Jordan humorously.
"你是說你找過一個巫婆嗎?"喬丹幽默地問。
medium?(PERSON) [?mi?.di.?m] noun?[C]?plural?mediums a person who says that they can receive messages from people who are dead
“What?” Confused, he stared at us as we laughed. “A medium?”
"什么?"他摸不著頭腦,瞪眼看著我們哈哈笑,"巫婆?"
“About Gatsby.”
"去問蓋茨比的事。"
“About Gatsby! No, I haven’t. I said I’d been making a small investigation of his?past.”
"問蓋茨比的事!不,我沒有。我剛才說我已經對他的來歷做過一番小小的調查。"
“And you found he was an Oxford man,”said Jordan helpfully.
"結果你發現他是牛津大學畢業生。"喬丹幫忙地說。
“An Oxford man!” He was incredulous. “Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit.”
"牛津大學畢業生!"他完全不相信,"他要是才他媽的怪哩!他穿一套粉紅色衣服。"
incredulous??[?n?kredj?l?s] adj.??不相信的;不可輕信的
“Nevertheless he’s an Oxford man.”
"不過他還是牛津畢業生。"
“Oxford, New Mexico,” snorted Tom contemptuously, “or something like that.”
"新墨西哥州的牛津鎮,"湯姆嗤之以鼻地說,"或者類似的地方。"
“Listen, Tom. If you’re such a snob, why did you invite him to lunch?”demanded Jordan crossly.
"我說,湯姆,你既然這樣瞧不起人,那么為什么請他吃午飯呢?"喬丹氣惱地質問道。
crossly ?['kr?:sli] adv. 橫地;故意為難地;相反地;發怒地
“Daisy invited him; she knew him before we were married—God?knows where!”
"黛西請他的。她是在我們結婚以前認識他的--天曉得在什么地方!"
We were all irritable now?with the fading ale, and aware of it we drove for a while in silence. Then as?Doctor T. J. Eckleburg's faded eyes came into sight down the road, I remembered Gatsby’s caution about gasoline.
啤酒的酒性已過,我們現在都感到煩躁,又因為意識到這一點,我們就一聲不響地開了一會車子。然后當T·J·埃克爾堡大夫暗淡的眼睛在大路的前方出現時,我想起了蓋茨比提出的關于汽油不夠的警告。
irritable??[??r?t?b(?)l] adj.??易怒的;易激怒的
“We’ve got enough to get us to town,”said Tom.
"我們有足夠的汽油開到城里。"湯姆說。
“But there’s a garage right here,” objected Jordan. “I don’t want to get stalled in this baking heat.” Tom threw on both brakes impatiently, and we slid to an abrupt dusty stop under?Wilson’s sign. After a moment the proprietor emerged from the interior of his establishment and gazed hollow-eyed at the car.
"可是這里就有一家車行,"喬丹提出了反對,"我可不要在這種大熱天拋錨。"?湯姆不耐煩地把兩個剎車都踩了,車子揚起一陣塵土突然在威爾遜的招牌下面停了下來。過了一會老板從車行的里面走了出來,兩眼呆呆地盯著看我們的車子。
stall?(ENGINE) [st??l] verb?[I?or?T]? If an engine stalls, or if you stall it, it stops working suddenly and without you intending it to happen
“Let’s have some gas!” cried Tom roughly. “What do you think we stopped for—to admire?the view?”
"給我們加點汽油!"湯姆粗聲大氣地叫道,"你以為我們停下來干什么--欣賞風景嗎?"
“I’m sick,” said Wilson without moving. “Been sick all day.”
"我病了,"威爾遜站著不動說道,"病了一整天啦。"
“What’s the matter?”
"怎么啦?"
“I’m all run down.”
"我身體都垮了。"
“Well, shall I help myself?” Tom demanded. “You sounded well enough on the phone.”
"那么我要自己動手嗎?"湯姆問,"你剛才在電話里聽上去還挺好的嘛。"
With an effort Wilson?left the shade and support of the doorway and, breathing hard, unscrewed the cap of the tank. In the sunlight his face was green.
威爾遜很吃力地從門口陰涼的地方走出來,喘著大氣把汽油箱的蓋子擰了下來。在太陽里他的臉色發青。
support ?[s??p??t] n. something that holds something firmly or bears its weight, especially from below to stop it from falling
“I didn’t mean to interrupt your lunch,” he said. “But I need money pretty bad, and I was wondering what you were going to?do with your old car.”
"我并不是有意在午飯時打擾你,"他說,"可是我急需用錢,因此我想知道你那輛舊車打算怎么辦。"
“How do you like this one?” inquired Tom. “I bought it last week.”
"你喜歡這一輛嗎?"湯姆問,"我上星期才買的。"
“It’s a nice yellow one,” said Wilson, as he strained at the handle.
"好漂亮的黃車。"威爾遜說,一面費勁地打著油。
“Like to buy it?”
"想買嗎?"
“Big chance,” Wilson smiled faintly. “No, but I could make some money on the other.”
"沒門兒,"威爾遜淡淡地一笑,"不想這個,可是我可以在那部車上賺點錢。"
“What do you want money for, all of a sudden?”
"你要錢干什么,有什么突然的需要?"
“I’ve been here too long. I want to get away.?My wife and I want to go West.”
"我在這兒待得太久了。我想離開這里。我老婆和我想搬到西部去。"
“Your wife does,” exclaimed Tom, startled.
"你老婆想去。"湯姆吃驚地叫道。
“She’s been talking about it for ten years.” He rested for a moment against the pump, shading his eyes. “And now she’s going whether she wants to or not. I’m going to get her away.”
"她說要去,說了有十年了。"他靠在加油機上休息了一會,用手搭在眼睛上遮住陽光,"現在她真的要去了,不管她想不想去。我要讓她離開這里。"
The coupe flashed by us with a flurry of dust and the flash of a waving hand.
小轎車從我們身邊疾馳而過,揚起了一陣塵土,車上有人揮了揮手。
coupe??[?ku?pe?] n.(單排座)雙人小汽車
“What do I owe you?”demanded Tom harshly.
"我該付你多少錢?"湯姆粗魯地問道。
“I just got wised up to something funny the?last two days,” remarked Wilson. “That’s why I want to get away. That’s why I been bothering you about the car.”
"就在這兩天我才發現了一點蹊蹺的事情,"威爾遜說,"這就是我為什么要離開這里的原因。這就是我為什么為那輛車子打擾你的原因。"
“What do I owe you?”
"我該付你多少錢?"
“Dollar twenty.”
"一塊兩角。"
The relentless beating?heat was beginning to confuse me and I had a bad moment there before I realized?that so far his suspicions hadn’t alighted on Tom. He had discovered that Myrtle had some?sort of life apart from him in another world, and the shock had made him physically?sick. I stared at him and then at Tom, who had made a parallel discovery less?than an hour before—and it occurred to me that there was no difference between?men, in intelligence or race, so profound as the difference between the?sick and the well. Wilson was so sick that he looked guilty, unforgivably guilty—as if he had just got some poor girl with child.
酷烈的熱浪已經開始搞得我頭昏眼花,因此我有一會兒感到很不舒服,然后才意識到,到那時為止他的疑心還沒落到湯姆身上。他發現了茉特爾背著他在另外一個世界里有她自己的生活,而這個震動使他的身體患病了。我盯著他看看,又盯著湯姆看看,他在不到半小時以前也有了同樣的發現--因此我想到人們在智力或種族方面的任何差異都遠不如病人和健康的人二者之間的差異那么深刻。威爾遜病得那么厲害,因此看上去好像犯了罪,犯了不可饒恕的罪--仿佛他剛剛把一個可憐的姑娘的肚子搞大了。
relentless [ri?lentlis] adj.無情的
alight [??lait] vi.落下 adj.點著的,發亮的
“I’ll let you have that car,” said Tom. “I’ll send it over tomorrow afternoon.”
"我把那輛車子賣給你吧,"湯姆說,"我明天下午給你送來。"
That locality was always?vaguely disquieting, even in the broad glare of afternoon, and now I turned my head as though I had?been warned of something behind. Over the ash heaps the giant eyes of Doctor T.?J. Eckleburg kept their vigil, but I perceived, after a moment, that other eyes were regarding us with peculiar intensity from less than twenty feet away.
那一帶地方一向隱隱約約使人感到心神不安,甚至在下午耀眼的陽光里也一樣,因此現在我掉過頭去,仿佛有人要我提防背后有什么東西。在灰堆上方,T·J·埃克爾堡大夫的巨眼在守望著,但是過了一會我覺察另外一雙眼睛正在從不到二十英尺以外聚精會神地注視著我們。
vigil??[?v?d??l] n. 守夜;值夜班