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“That so？” 〃是吗？〃
Tom turned to me。 汤姆掉脸朝着我。
“You live near here； Nick？” 〃你住在这附近吗，尼克？〃
“Next door。” 〃就在隔壁。〃
“That so？” 〃是吗？〃
Mr。 Sloane didn’t enter into the conversation； but lounged back haughtily in his chair； the woman said nothing either—until unexpectedly； after two highballs； she became cordial。 斯隆光生没有参加谈话，而是大模大样地仰靠在他的椅子上。那个女的也没说什么直到两杯姜汁威一f：忌下肚之后，她忽然变得有说有笑了。
“We’ll all e over to your next party； Mr。 Gatsby；” she suggested。 “What do you say？” 〃我们都来参加你下次的晚会，盖茨比先生，〃她提议说，〃你看好不好？〃
“Certainly； I’d be delighted to have you。”“Thank you for your supporting” 〃当然好了。你们能来，我太高兴了。〃
“nice；” said Mr。 Sloane； without gratitude。 “Well—think ought to be starting home。” 〃那很好吧，〃斯隆先生毫不承情地说，〃呃…我看该回家了。〃
“Please don’t hurry；” Gatsby urged them。 He had control of himself now； and he wanted to see more of Tom。 “Why don’t you—why don’t you stay for supper？ I wouldn’t be surprised if some other people dropped in from New York。” 〃请不要忙着走。〃盖茨比劝他们。他现在已经能控制自己，并且他要多看看汤姆。〃你们何不你们何不就在这儿吃晚饭呢？说不定纽约还有一些别的人会来。〃
“You e to supper with ME；” said the lady enthusiastically。 “Both of you。” 〃你到我家来吃晚饭，〃那位太太热烈地说，〃你们俩都来。〃
This included me。 Mr。 Sloane got to his feet。“e along；” he said—but to her only。 这也包括了我。斯隆先生站起身来。
“I mean it；” she insisted。 “I’d love to have you。 Lots of room。” 〃我是当真的，〃她坚持说，〃我真希望你们来。都坐得下。〃
Gatsby looked at me questioningly。 He wanted to go； and he didn’t see that Mr。 Sloane had determined he shouldn’t。 盖茨比疑惑地看着我。他想去，他也看不出斯隆先生打定了主意不让他去。
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to；” I said。 〃我恐怕去不了。〃我说。
“Well； you e；” she urged； concentrating on Gatsby。 〃那么你来。〃她极力怂恿盖茨比一个人。
Mr。 Sloane murmured something close to her ear。 斯隆先生凑着她耳边咕哝了一下。
“We won’t be late if we start now；” she insisted aloud。 〃我们如果马上就走，一点都不会晚的。〃她固执地大声说。
“I haven’t got a horse；” said Gatsby。 “I used to ride in the army； but I’ve never bought a horse。 I’ll have to follow you in my car。 Excuse me for just a minute。” 〃我没有马，〃盖茨比说，〃我在军队里骑过马的，但是我自己从来没买过马。我只好开车跟你们走。对不起，等一下我就来。〃
The rest of us walked out on the porch； where Sloane and the lady began an impassioned conversation aside。 我们其余几个人走到外面阳台上，斯隆和那位太太站在一边。开始气冲冲地交谈。
“My God； I believe the man’s ing；” said Tom。 “Doesn’t he know she doesn’t want him？” 〃我的天，我相信这家伙真的要来，〃汤姆说，〃难道他不知道她并不要他来吗？〃
“She says she does want him。” 〃她说她要他来的嘛。〃
“She has a big dinner party and he won’t know a soul there。” He frowned。 “I wonder where in the devil he met Daisy。 By God； I may be oldfashioned in my ideas； but women run around too much these days to suit me。 They meet all kinds of crazy fish。” 〃她要举行盛大的宴会，他在那儿一个人都不会认得的。〃他皱皱眉头，〃我真纳闷他到底在哪儿认识黛西的。天晓得，也许我的思想太古板，但是这年头女人家到处乱跑，我可看不惯。她们遇上各式各样的怪物。〃
Suddenly Mr。 Sloane and the lady walked down the steps and mounted their horses。 忽然间斯隆先生和那位太太走下台阶，随即上了马。
“e on；” said Mr。 Sloane to Tom； “we’re late。 We’ve got to go。” And then to me： “Tell him we couldn’t wait； will you？” 〃来吧，〃斯隆先生对汤姆说，〃我们已经晚了。我们一定得走了。〃然后对我说，〃请你告诉他我们不能等了，行吗？〃
Tom and I shook hands； the rest of us exchanged a cool nod； and they trotted quickly down the drive； disappearing under the August foliage just as Gatsby； with hat and light overcoat in hand； came out the front door。 汤姆跟我握握手，我们其余几个人彼此冷冷地点了点头，他们就骑着马沿着车道小跑起来，很快消失在八月的树阴里，这时，盖茨比手里拿着帽子和薄大衣，正从大门里走出来。
Tom was evidently perturbed at Daisy’s running around alone； for on the following Saturday night he came with her to Gatsby’s party。 Perhaps his presence gave the evening its peculiar quality of oppressiveness—it stands out in my memory from Gatsby’s other parties that summer。 There were the same people； or at least the same sort of people； the same profusion of champagne； the same manycolored； manykeyed motion； but I felt an unpleasantness in the air； a pervading harshness that hadn’t been there before。 Or perhaps I had merely grown used to it； grown to accept West Egg as a world plete in itself； with its own standards and its own great figures； second to nothing because it had no consciousness of being so； and now I was looking at it again； through Daisy’s eyes。 It is invariably saddening to look through new eyes at things upon which you have expended your own powers of adjustment。 汤姆对于黛西单独四处乱跑显然放不下心，因为下一个星期六晚上他和她要一道来参加盖茨比的晚会。也许是由于他的在场，那次晚会有一种特殊的沉闷气氛…它鲜明地留在我记忆里，与那个夏天盖茨比的其他晚会迥然不同。还是那些同样的人，或者至少是同一类的人、同样的源源不绝的香摈、同样的五颜六色、七嘴八舌的喧闹，可是我觉得无形中有一种不愉快的感觉，弥漫着一种以前从没有过的恶感。要不然，或许是我本来已经逐渐习惯于这一套，逐渐认为西卵是一个独立完整的世界，自有它独特的标准和大人物，首屈一指因为它并不感到相形见继，而此刻我却通过黛西的眼睛重新去看这一切。要通过新的眼睛去看那些你已经花了很多气力才适应的事物，那总是令人难受的。
They arrived at twilight； and； as we strolled out among the sparkling hundreds； Daisy’s voice was playing murmurous tricks in her throat。 他们在黄昏时刻到达，然后当我们几人漫步走到几百名珠光宝气的客人当中时，黛西的声音在她喉咙里玩着呢呢喃喃的花样。
“These things excite me so；” she whispered。 〃这些东西真叫我兴奋，〃她低声说，
“If you want to kiss me any time during the evening； Nick； just let me know and I’ll be glad to arrange it for you。 Just mention my name。 Or present a green card。 I’m giving out green——” 〃如果你今晚上任何时候想吻我，尼克，你让我知道好了，我一定高兴为你安排。只要提我的名字就行，或者出示一张绿色的请帖。我正在散发绿色的。。。。。。〃
“Look around；” suggested Gatsby。 〃四面看看。〃盖茨比敦促她。
“I’m looking around。 I’m having a marvelous——” 〃我正在四面看啊。我真开心极。。。。。。〃
“You must see the faces of many people you’ve heard about。” 〃你一定看到许多你听见过的人物的面孔。〃
Tom’s arrogant eyes roamed the crowd。 汤姆傲慢的眼睛向人群一扫。
“We don’t go around very much；” he said。 “In fact； I was just thinking I don’t know a soul here。” 〃我们平时不大外出，〃他说，〃实际上，我刚才正在想我这里一个人都不认识。〃
“Perhaps you know that lady。” Gatsby indicated a gorgeous； scarcely human orchid of a woman who sat in state under a white plum tree。 Tom and Daisy stared； with that peculiarly unreal feeling that acpanies the recognition of a hitherto ghostly celebrity of the movies。 〃也许你认得那位小姐。〃盖茨比指出一位如花似玉的美人，端庄地坐在一棵白梅树下。汤姆和黛西目不转睛地看着，认出来这是一位一向只在银幕上见到的大明星，几乎不敢相信是真的。
“She’s lovely；” said Daisy。 〃她真美啊。〃黛西说。
“The man bending over her is her director。” 〃站在她身边弯着腰的是她的导演。〃
He took them ceremoniously from group to group： 盖茨比礼貌周全地领着他们向一群又一群的客人介绍。
“Mrs。 Buchanan 。 。 。 and Mr。 Buchanan——” After an instant’s hesitation he added： “the polo player。” 〃布坎农夫人。。。。。。命坎农先生，〃踌躇片刻之后，他又补充说，〃马球健将。〃
“Oh no；” objected Tom quickly； “not me。” 〃不是的，〃汤姆连忙否认，〃我可不是。〃
But evidently the sound of it pleased Gatsby； for Tom remained “the polo player。” for the rest of the evening。 但是盖茨比显然喜欢这个名称的含意，因为以后整个晚上汤姆就一直是〃马球健将〃。
“I’ve never met so many celebrities！” Daisy exclaimed。 “I liked that man—what was his name？—with the sort of blue nose。” 〃我从来没见过这么多名人，〃黛西兴奋地说，〃我喜欢那个人。。。。。。他叫什么名字来着？就是鼻子有点发青的那个。〃
Gatsby identified him； adding that he was a small producer。 盖茨比报�