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The large room was full of people。 One of the girls in yellow was playing the piano； and beside her stood a tall； redhaired young lady from a famous chorus； engaged in song。 She had drunk a quantity of champagne； and during the course of her song she had decided； ineptly； that everything was very； very sad—she was not only singing； she was weeping too。 Whenever there was a pause in the song she filled it with gasping； broken sobs； and then took up the lyric again in a quavering soprano。 The tears coursed down her cheeks—not freely； however； for when they came into contact with her heavily beaded eyelashes they assumed an inky color； and pursued the rest of their way in slow black rivulets。 A humorous suggestion was made that she sing the notes on her face； whereupon she threw up her hands； sank into a chair； and went off into a deep vinous sleep。 大房间里挤满了人。穿黄衣的姑娘有一个在弹钢琴，她身旁站着一个高高的红发少妇，是从一个有名的歌舞团来的，正在那里唱歌。她已经喝了大量的香摈，在她唱歌的过程中她又不合时宜地认定一切都非常非常悲惨…她不仅在唱，而且还在哭。每逢曲中有停顿的地方，她就用抽抽噎噎的哭声来填补，然后又用震颤的女高音继续去唱歌词。眼泪沿着她的面颊往下流…可不是畅通无阻地流，因为眼泪一碰到画得浓浓的睫毛之后就变成了黑墨水，像两条黑色的小河似的慢慢地继续往下流。有人开玩笑，建议她唱脸上的那些音符，她听了这话把两手向上一甩，倒在一张椅子上，醉醺醺地呼呼大睡起来。
“She had a fight with a man who says he’s her husband；” explained a girl at my elbow。 〃她刚才跟一个自称是她丈夫的人打过一架。〃我身旁一个姑娘解释说。
I looked around。 Most of the remaining women were now having fights with men said to be their husbands。 Even Jordan’s party； the quartet from East Egg； were rent asunder by dissension。 One of the men was talking with curious intensity to a young actress； and his wife； after attempting to laugh at the situation in a dignified and indifferent way； broke down entirely and resorted to flank attacks—at intervals she appeared suddenly at his side like an angry diamond； and hissed： “You promised！” into his ear。 我向四周看看，剩下的女客现在多半都在跟她们所谓的丈夫吵架。连乔丹的那一伙，从东卵来的那四位，也由于意见不和而四分五裂了。男的当中有一个正在劲头十足地跟一个年轻的女演员交谈，他的妻子起先还保持尊严，装得满不在乎，想一笑置之，到后来完全垮了，就采取侧面攻击不时突然出现在他身边，像一条袖脊蛇愤怒时口腔里发出嘶嘶声一般，对着他的耳朵从牙缝里挤出一句话：〃你答应过的！〃
The reluctance to go home was not confined to wayward men。 The hall was at present occupied by two deplorably sober men and their highly indignant wives。 The wives were sympathizing with each other in slightly raised voices。 舍不得回家的并不限于任性的男客。穿堂里此刻有两个毫无醉意的男客和他们怒气冲天的太太。两位太太略微提高了嗓子在互相表示同情。
“Whenever he sees I’m having a good time he wants to go home。” 〃每次他一看见我玩得开心他就要回家。〃
“Never heard anything so selfish in my life。” 〃我这辈子从来没见过有谁像他这么自私。〃
“We’re always the first ones to leave。” 〃我们总是第一个走。〃
“So are we。” 〃我们也是一样。〃
“Well； we’re almost the last tonight；” said one of the men sheepishly。 “The orchestra left half an hour ago。” 〃不过，今晚我们几乎是最后的了，〃两个男的中的一个怯生生地说，〃乐队半个钟头以前就走了。〃
In spite of the wives’ agreement that such malevolence was beyond credibility； the dispute ended in a short struggle； and both wives were lifted； kicking； into the night。 尽管两位太太一致认为这种恶毒心肠简直叫人难以置信，这场纠纷终于在一阵短短的揪斗中结束，两位太太都被抱了起来，两腿乱踢，消失在黑夜里。
As I waited for my hat in the hall the door of the library opened and Jordan Baker and Gatsby came out together。 He was saying some last word to her； but the eagerness in his manner tightened abruptly into formality as several people approached him to say goodbye。 我在穿堂里等我帽子的时候，图书室的门开了，乔丹？贝克和盖茨比一同走了出来。他还在跟她说最后一句话，可是这时有几个人走过来和他告别，他原先热切的态度陡然收敛，变成了拘谨。
Jordan’s party were calling impatiently to her from the porch； but she lingered for a moment to shake hands。 乔丹那一伙人从阳台上不耐烦地喊她，可是她还逗留了片刻和我握手。
“I’ve just heard the most amazing thing；” she whispered。 “How long were we in there？” 〃我刚才听到一件最惊人的事情，〃她出神地小声说，〃我们在那里边待了多久？〃
“Why； about an hour。” “It was—simply amazing；” she repeated abstractedly。 〃哦，个把钟头。〃
“But I swore I wouldn’t tell it and here I am tantalizing you。” She yawned gracefully in my face： “Please e and see me。 。 。 。 Phone book 。 。 。 Under the name of Mrs。 Sigourney Howard 。 。 。 My aunt 。 。 。” She was hurrying off as she talked—her brown hand waved a jaunty salute as she melted into her party at the door。 〃这事。。。。。。太惊人了，〃她出神地重复说，〃可是我发过誓不告诉别人，而我现在已经在逗你了。〃她对着我的脸轻轻打了个阿欠，〃有空请过来看我。。。。。。电话簿。。。。。。西古奈？霍华德太太名下。。。。。。我的姑妈。。。。。。〃她一边说一边匆匆离去她活泼地挥了一下那只晒得黑黑的手表示告别，然后就消失在门口她的那一伙人当中了。
Rather ashamed that on my first appearance I had stayed so late； I joined the last of Gatsby’s guests； who were clustered around him。 I wanted to explain that I’d hunted for him early in the evening and to apologize for not having known him in the garden。 我觉得怪难为情的，第一次来就待得这么晚，于是走到包围着盖茨比的最后几位客人那边去。我想要解释一下我一来就到处找过他，同时为刚才在花园里与他面对面却不知道他是何许人向他道歉。
“Don’t mention it；” he enjoined me eagerly。 “Don’t give it another thought； old sport。” The familiar expression held no more familiarity than the hand which reassuringly brushed my shoulder。 “And don’t forget we’re going up in the hydroplane tomorrow morning； at nine o’clock。” 〃没有关系，〃他恳切地嘱咐我。〃别放在心上，老兄。〃这个亲热的称呼还比不上非常友好地拍拍我肩膀的那只手所表示的亲热。〃别忘了明天早上九点我们要乘水上飞机上人哩。〃
Then the butler； behind his shoulder： “Philadelphia wants you on the ‘phone； sir。” 接着男管家来了，站在他背后。〃先生，有一个找您的来自费城的长途电话。〃
“All right； in a minute。 Tell them I’ll be right there。 。 。 。 good night。” 〃好，就来。告诉他们我就来。晚安。〃
“Good night。” 〃晚安。〃
“Good night。” He smiled—and suddenly there seemed to be a pleasant significance in having been among the last to go； as if he had desired it all the time。 “Good night； old sport。 。 。 。 good night。” 〃晚安。〃他微微一笑。突然之间，我待到最后才走，这其中好像含有愉快的深意，仿佛他是一直希望如此的。〃晚安，老兄。。。。。。晚安。〃
But as I walked down the steps I saw that the evening was not quite over。 Fifty feet from the door a dozen headlights illuminated a bizarre and tumultuous scene。 In the ditch beside the road； right side up； but violently shorn of one wheel； rested a new coupe which had left Gatsby’s drive not two minutes before。 The sharp jut of a wall accounted for the detachment of the wheel； which was now getting considerable attention from half a dozen curious chauffeurs。 However； as they had left their cars blocking the road； a harsh； discordant din from those in the rear had been audible for some time； and added to the already violent confusion of the scene。 可是，当我走下台阶时，我看到晚会还没有完全结束。离大门五十英尺，十几辆汽车的前灯照亮了一个不寻常的、闹哄哄的场面。在路旁的小沟里，右边向上，躺着一辆新的小轿车，可是一只轮子撞掉了。这辆车离开盖茨比的车道还不到两分钟，一堵墙的突出部分是造成车轮脱落的原因。现在有五六个好奇的司机在围观，可是，由于他们让自己的车于挡住了路，后面车子上的司机已经按了好久喇叭，一片刺耳的噪音更增添了整个场面本来就很严重的混乱。
A man in a long duster had dismounted from the wreck and now stood in the middle of the road； looking from the car to the tire and from the tire to the observers in a pleasant； puzzled way。 一个穿着长风衣的男人已经从撞坏的车子里出来，此刻站在大路中间，从车子看到轮胎，又从轮胎看到旁观的人，脸上带着愉快而迷惑不解的表情。
“See！” he explained。 “It went in the ditch。” 〃请看！〃他解释道，〃车子开到沟里去了。〃
The fact was infinitely astonishing to him； and I recognized first the unusual quality of wonder； and then the man—it was the late patron of Gatsby’s library。 这个事实