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aire found him physically robust but on the verge of softmindedness； and； suspecting this； an infinite number of women tried to separate him from his money。 The none too savory ramifications by which Ella Kaye； the newspaper woman； played Madame de Maintenon to his weakness and sent him to sea in a yacht； were mon knowledge to the turgid subjournalism of 1902。 He had been coasting along all too hospitable shores for five years when he turned up as James Gatz’s destiny at Little Girls Point。 科迪当时五十岁，他是内华达州的银矿、育空地区①、一八七五年以来每一次淘金热的产物。他做蒙大拿州铜的生意发了好几百万的财，结果虽然身体仍然健壮，可是脑子已经接近于糊涂。无数的女人对这个情况有所觉察，于是想方设法使他和他的钱分手。那个名叫埃拉？凯的女记者抓住他的弱点扮演了德曼特农夫人②的角色，怂恿他乘上游艇会航海，她所耍的那些不太体面的手腕是一九○二年耸人听闻的报刊争相报道的新闻。他沿着有着过分殷勤好客的居民的海岸航行了五年之后，就在这天驶人小姑娘湾，成为杰姆斯？盖兹命运的主宰。 ①育空地区（Yukon），加拿大西部地区，19世纪末叶发现新金矿。 ②德曼特农夫人（Madame de Maintenon），17世纪法国国土路易十四的情妇，后秘密成婚。
To the young Gatz； resting on his oars and looking up at the railed deck； the yacht represented all the beauty and glamour in the world。 I suppose he smiled at Cody—he had probably discovered that people liked him when he smiled。 At any rate Cody asked him a few questions （one of them elicited the brand new name） and found that he was quick and extravagantly ambitious。 A few days later he took him to Duluth and bought him a blue coat； six pair of white duck trousers； and a yachting cap。 And when the TUOLOMEE left for the West Indies and the Barbary Coast Gatsby left too。 年轻的盖兹，两手靠在船桨上，抬头望着有栏杆围着的甲板，在他眼中，那只船代表了世界上所有的美和魅力。我猜想他对科边笑了一笑他大概早已发现他笑的时候很讨人欢喜。不管怎样，科迪问了他几个问题（其中之一引出了这个崭新的名字），发觉他聪明伶俐而且雄心不小。几天之后他把他带到德卢恩城①，替他买了一件蓝色海员服、六条白帆布裤子和一顶游艇帽。等到托洛美号启程前往西印度群岛和巴巴平海岸②的时候，盖茨比也走了。 ①德卢恩（Duluth），苏必利尔湖上的一个港口。 ②巴巴里海岸（Barbary Coast），埃及以西的北非伊斯兰教地区。
He was employed in a vague personal capacity—while he remained with Cody he was in turn steward； mate； skipper； secretary； and even jailor； for Dan Cody sober knew what lavish doings Dan Cody drunk might soon be about； and he provided for such contingencies by reposing more and more trust in Gatsby。 The arrangement lasted five years； during which the boat went three times around the Continent。 It might have lasted indefinitely except for the fact that Ella Kaye came on board one night in Boston and a week later Dan Cody inhospitably died。 他以一种不太明确的私人雇员身份在科迪手下工作先后于过听差、大副、船长、秘书，甚至还当过监守，因为丹？科迪清醒的时候知道自己酒一喝醉什么挥金如土的傻事都干得出来，因此他越来越信赖盖茨比，以防止这一类的意外事故。这种安排延续了五年，在这期间那艘船环绕美洲大陆三次。它本来可能无限期地继续下去，要不是有一晚在波士顿，埃拉？凯上了船，一星期后丹？科边就毫不客气地死掉了。
I remember the portrait of him up in Gatsby’s bedroom； a gray； florid man with a hard； empty face—the pioneer debauchee； who during one phase of American life brought back to the Eastern seaboard the savage violence of the frontier brothel and saloon。 It was indirectly due to Cody that Gatsby drank so little。 Sometimes in the course of gay parties women used to rub champagne into his hair； for himself he formed the habit of letting liquor alone。 我记得他那张挂在盖茨比卧室里的相片，一个头发花白、服饰花哨的老头子，一张冷酷无情、内心空虚的脸…典型的沉湎酒色的拓荒者，这帮人在美国生活的某一阶段把边疆妓院酒馆的粗野狂暴带回到了东部滨海地区。盖茨比酒喝得极少，这得间接地归功于科迪。有时在欢闹的宴席上女人会把香摈揉进他的头发，他本人却养成了习惯不去沾酒。
And it was from Cody that he inherited money—a legacy of twentyfive thousand dollars。 He didn’t get it。 He never understood the legal device that was used against him； but what remained of the millions went intact to Ella Kaye。 He was left with his singularly appropriate education； the vague contour of Jay Gatsby had filled out to the substantiality of a man。 他也正是从科边那里继承了钱…一笔二万五千美元的遗赠。他并没拿到钱。他始终也没懂得人家用来对付他的法律手段，但是千百万财产剩下多少通通归了埃拉？凯。他只落了他那异常恰当的教育：杰伊？盖茨比的模糊轮廓已经逐渐充实成为一个血肉丰满的人了。
He told me all this very much later； but I’ve put it down here with the idea of exploding those first wild rumors about his antecedents； which weren’t even faintly true。 Moreover he told it to me at a time of confusion； when I had reached the point of believing everything and nothing about him。 So I take advantage of this short halt； while Gatsby； so to speak； caught his breath； to clear this set of misconceptions away。 这一切都是他好久以后才告诉我的，但是我在这里写了下来，为的是驳斥早先那些关于他的来历的荒唐谣言，那些都是连一点儿影子也没有的事。再有，他是在一个十分混乱的时刻告诉我的，那时关于他的种种传闻我已经到了将信将疑的地步。所以我现在利用这个短暂的停顿，仿佛趁盖茨比喘口气的机会，把这些误解清除一下。
It was a halt； too； in my association with his affairs。 For several weeks I didn’t see him or hear his voice on the phone—mostly I was in New York； trotting around with Jordan and trying to ingratiate myself with her senile aunt—but finally I went over to his house one Sunday afternoon。 I hadn’t been there two minutes when somebody brought Tom Buchanan in for a drink。 I was startled； naturally； but the really surprising thing was that it hadn’t happened before。 在我和他的交往之中，这也是一个停顿。有好几个星期我既没和他见面，也没在电话里听到过他的声音…大部分时间我是在纽约跟乔丹四处跑，同时极力讨她那老朽的姑妈的欢心但是我终于在一个星期日下午到他家去了。我待了还没两分钟就有一个人把汤姆？布坎农带进来喝杯酒。我自然吃了一惊，但是真正令人惊奇的却是以前竟然还没发生过这样的事。
They were a party of three on horseback—Tom and a man named Sloane and a pretty woman in a brown ridinghabit； who had been there previously。 他们一行三人是骑马来的…汤姆和一个姓斯隆的男人，还有一个身穿棕色骑装的漂亮女人，是以前来过的。
“I’m delighted to see you；” said Gatsby； standing on his porch。 “I’m delighted that you dropped in。” 〃我很高兴见到你们，〃盖茨比站在阳台上说，〃我很高兴你们光临。〃
As though they cared！ 仿佛承他们的情似的！
“Sit right down。 Have a cigarette or a cigar。” He walked around the room quickly； ringing bells。 “I’ll have something to drink for you in just a minute。” 〃请坐，请坐。抽支香烟或者抽支雪茄。〃他在屋子里跑来跑去，忙着打铃喊人，〃我马上就让人给你们送点什么喝的来。〃
He was profoundly affected by the fact that Tom was there。 But he would be uneasy anyhow until he had given them something； realizing in a vague way that that was all they came for。 Mr。 Sloane wanted nothing。 A lemonade？ No； thanks。 A little champagne？ Nothing at all； thanks。 。 。 。 I’m sorry—— 汤姆的到来使他受到很大震动。但是他反正会感到局促不安，直到他招待了他们一点什么才行，因为他也隐约知道他们就是为了这个才来的。斯隆先生什么都不要。来杯柠檬水？不要，谢谢。来点香摈吧？什么都不要，谢谢。。。。。。对不起。。。。。。
“Did you have a nice ride？” 〃你们骑马骑得很痛快吧？〃
“Very good roads around here。” 〃这一带的路很好。〃
“I suppose the automobiles——” 〃大概来往的汽车。。。。。。〃
“Yeah。” 〃是嘛。〃
Moved by an irresistible impulse； Gatsby turned to Tom； who had accepted the introduction as a stranger。 刚才介绍的时候汤姆只当彼此是初次见面，此刻盖茨比突然情不自禁地掉脸朝着他。
“I believe we’ve met somewhere before； Mr。 Buchanan。” 〃我相信我们以前在哪儿见过面，布坎农先生。〃
“Oh； yes；” said Tom； gruffly polite； but obviously not remembering。 “So we did。 I remember very well。” 〃噢，是的，〃汤姆生硬而有礼貌地说，他显然并不记得，〃我们是见过的，我记得很清楚。〃
“About two weeks ago。” 〃大概两个星期以前。〃
“That’s right。 You were with Nick here。” 〃对啦。你是跟尼克在一起的。〃
“I know your wife；” continued Gatsby； almost aggressively。 〃我认识你太太。〃盖茨比接下去说，几乎有一点挑衅的意味。
“That so？” 〃是吗？〃
Tom turned to me。 汤姆掉脸朝着我。
“You live near here； Nick？” 〃你住在这附