按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ng parties to and from the city between nine in the morning and long past midnight； while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains。 And on Mondays eight servants； including an extra gardener； toiled all day with mops and scrubbingbrushes and hammers and gardenshears； repairing the ravages of the night before。 整个夏天的夜晚都有音乐声从我邻居家传过来。在他蔚蓝的花园里，男男女女像飞蛾一般在笑语、香摈和繁垦中间来来往往。下午涨潮的时候，我看着他的客人从他的木筏的跳台上跳水，或是躺在他私人海滩的热沙上晒太阳，同时他的两艘小汽艇破浪前进，拖着滑水板驶过翻腾的浪花。每逢周末，他的罗尔斯一罗伊斯轿车就成了公共汽车，从早晨九点到深更半夜往来城里接送客人，同时他的旅行车也像一只轻捷的黄硬壳虫那样去火车站接所有的班车。每星期一，八个仆人，包括一个临时园丁，整整苦于一天，用许多拖把、板刷、榔头、修技剪来收拾前一晚的残局。
Every Friday five crates of oranges and lemons arrived from a fruiterer in New York—every Monday these same oranges and lemons left his back door in a pyramid of pulpless halves。 There was a machine in the kitchen which could extract the juice of two hundred oranges in half an hour if a little button was pressed two hundred times by a butler’s thumb。 每星期五，五箱橙子和柠檬从纽约一家水果行送到。每星期一，这些橙子和柠檬变成一座半拉半拉的果皮堆成的小金字塔从他的后门运出去。他厨房里有一架榨果汁机，半小时之内可以榨两百只橙子，只要男管家用大拇指把一个按钮按两百次就行了。
At least once a fortnight a corps of caterers came down with several hundred feet of canvas and enough colored lights to make a Christmas tree of Gatsby’s enormous garden。 On buffet tables； garnished with glistening horsd’oeuvre； spiced baked hams crowded against salads of harlequin designs and pastry pigs and turkeys bewitched to a dark gold。 In the main hall a bar with a real brass rail was set up； and stocked with gins and liquors and with cordials so long forgotten that most of his female guests were too young to know one from another。 至少每两周一欼？大批包办筵席的人从城里下来，带来好几百英尺帆布帐篷和无数的彩色电灯，足以把盖茨比巨大的花园布置得像一棵圣诞树。自助餐桌上各色冷盘琳琅满目，一只只五香火腿周围摆满了五花八门的色拉、烤得金黄的乳猪和火鸡。大厅里面，设起了一个装着一根真的铜杆的酒吧，备有各种杜松子酒和烈性酒，还有各种早已罕见的甘露酒，大多数女客年纪太轻，根本分不清哪个是哪个。
By seven o’clock the orchestra has arrived； no thin fivepiece affair； but a whole pitful of oboes and trombones and saxophones and viols and cors and piccolos； and low and high drums。 The last swimmers have e in from the beach now and are dressing upstairs； the cars from New York are parked five deep in the drive； and already the halls and salons and verandas are gaudy with primary colors； and hair shorn in strange new ways； and shawls beyond the dreams of Castile。 The bar is in full swing； and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden outside； until the air is alive with chatter and laughter； and casual innuendo and introductions forgotten on the spot； and enthusiastic meetings between women who never knew each other’s names。 七点以前乐队到达，决不是什么五人小乐队，而是配备齐全的整班人马，双簧管、长号、萨克斯管、大小提琴、短号、短笛、高低音铜鼓，应有尽有。最后一批游泳的客人已经从海滩上进来，现在正在楼上换衣服。纽约来的轿车五辆一排停在车道上，同时所有的厅堂、客室、阳台已经都是五彩缤纷，女客们的发型争奇斗妍，披的纱巾是卡斯蒂尔①人做梦也想不到的。酒吧那边生意兴隆，同时一盘盘鸡尾酒传送到外面花园电的每个角落，到后来整个空气里充满了欢声笑语，充满了脱口而出、转眼就忘的打趣和介绍，充满了彼此始终不知姓名的太太们之间亲热无比的会见。
①西班牙一地区，以产头巾出名。 The lights grow brighter as the earth lurches away from the sun； and now the orchestra is playing yellow cocktail music； and the opera of voices pitches a key higher。 Laughter is easier minute by minute； spilled with prodigality； tipped out at a cheerful word。 The groups change more swiftly； swell with new arrivals； dissolve and form in the same breath； already there are wanderers； confident girls who weave here and there among the stouter and more stable； bee for a sharp； joyous moment the centre of a group； and then； excited with triumph； glide on through the seachange of faces and voices and color under the constantly changing light。
大地蹒跚着离开太阳，电灯显得更亮，此刻乐队正在奏黄色鸡尾酒会音乐，于是大合唱般的人声又提高了一个音凋。笑声每时每刻都变得越来越容易，毫无节制地倾泻出来，只要一句笑话就会引起哄然大笑。人群的变化越来越快，忽而随着新来的客人而增大，忽而分散后又立即重新组合。已经有一些人在东飘西荡脸皮厚的年轻姑娘在比较稳定的人群中间钻进钻出，一会儿在片刻的欢腾中成为一群人注意的中心，一会儿又得意洋洋在不断变化的灯光下穿过变幻不定的面孔、声音和色彩扬长而去。 Suddenly one of the gypsies； in trembling opal； seizes a cocktail out of the air； dumps it down for courage and； moving her hands like Frisco； dances out alone on the canvas platform。 A momentary hush； the orchestra leader varies his rhythm obligingly for her； and there is a burst of chatter as the erroneous news goes around that she is Gilda Gray’s understudy from the FOLLIES。 The party has begun。
忽然间，这些吉卜赛人式的姑娘中有一个，满身珠光宝气，一伸手就抓来一杯鸡尾酒，一回于下去壮壮胆子，然后手舞足蹈，一个人跳到篷布舞池中间去表演。片刻的寂静，乐队指挥殷勤地为她改变了拍子，随后突然响起了一阵叽叽喳喳的说话声，因为有谣言传开，说她是速演剧团的吉尔德？格雷①的替角。晚会正式开始了。 ①吉尔德？格雷（Gilda Gray），名噪一时的纽约舞星。
I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby’s house I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited。 People were not invited—they went there。 They got into automobiles which bore them out to Long Island； and somehow they ended up at Gatsby’s door。 Once there they were introduced by somebody who knew Gatsby； and after that they conducted themselves according to the rules of behavior associated with amusement parks。 Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all； came for the party with a simplicity of heart that was its own ticket of admission。 我相信那天晚上我第一次到盖茨比家去时，我是少数几个真正接到请帖的客人之一。人们并不是邀请来的他们是自己来的。他们坐上汽车，车子把他们送到长岛，后来也不知怎么的他们总是出现在盖茨比的门口。一到之后总会有什么认识盖茨比的人给他们介绍一下，从此他们的言谈行事就像在娱乐场所一样了。有时候他们从来到走根本没见过盖茨比，他们怀着一片至诚前来赴会，这一点就可以算一张人场券了。
I had been actually invited。 A chauffeur in a uniform of robin’segg blue crossed my lawn early that Saturday morning with a surprisingly formal note from his employer： the honor would be entirely Gatsby’s； it said； if I would attend his “little party。” that night。 He had seen me several times； and had intended to call on me long before； but a peculiar bination of circumstances had prevented it—signed Jay Gatsby； in a majestic hand。 我确实是受到邀请的。那个星期六一清早，一个身穿蓝绿色制服的司机穿过我的草地，为他主人送来一封措词非常客气的请柬，上面写道：如蒙我光临当晚他的〃小小聚会〃，盖茨比当感到不胜荣幸。他已经看到我几次，并且早就打算造访，但由于种种特殊原因未能如愿…杰伊？盖茨比签名，笔迹很神气。
Dressed up in white flannels I went over to his lawn a little after seven； and wandered around rather ill at ease among swirls and eddies of people I didn’t know—though here and there was a face I had noticed on the muting train。 I was immediately struck by the number of young Englishmen dotted about； all well dressed； all looking a little hungry； and all talking in low； earnest voices to solid and prosperous Americans。 I was sure that they were selling something： bonds or insurance or automobiles。 They were at least agonizingly aware of the easy money in the vicinity and convinced that it was theirs for a few words in the right key。 晚上七点一过，我身穿一套白法兰绒便装走过去到他的草坪上，很不自在地在一群群我不认识的人中间晃来晃去…虽然偶尔也有一个我在区间火车上见过的面扎。我马上注意到客人中夹着不少年轻的英国人：个个衣着整齐，个个面有饥色，个个都在低声下气地跟殷实的美国人谈话。我敢说他们都在推销什么…或是债券。或是保险，或是汽车。他们最起码都揪心地意识到，近在眼前就有唾手可得的钱，并且相俼？只要几句话说得投机，钱就到手了。
As soon as I arrived I made an attempt to find my host； but the two or three people of whom I asked his whereab