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芫目掌饣褂斜鸬氖裁丛谏厦嬲踉乓隼础５亲齑椒⒉怀錾簦虼宋壹负跸肫鸬亩骶陀涝段薹ū泶锪恕�
Chapter 7 第七章
It was when curiosity about Gatsby was at its highest that the lights in his house failed to go on one Saturday night—and； as obscurely as it had begun； his career as Trimalchio was over。 Only gradually did I bee aware that the automobiles which turned expectantly into his drive stayed for just a minute and then drove sulkily away。 Wondering if he were sick I went over to find out—an unfamiliar butler with a villainous face squinted at me suspiciously from the door。 正在人们对盖茨比的好奇心达到顶点的时候，有一个星期六晚上他别墅里的灯都没有亮于是，他作为特里马尔乔①的生涯，当初莫名其妙地开始，现在又莫名其妙地结束了，我逐渐发觉那些乘兴而来的一辆辆汽车，稍停片刻之后又扫兴地开走了。我疑心他是否病了，于是走过去看看一个面目狰狞的陌生仆人从门口满腹狐疑地斜着眼看我。①特里马尔乔，古罗马作家皮特罗尼斯作品《讽刺篇》中一个大宴宾客的暴户发。
“Is Mr。 Gatsby sick？” 〃盖茨比先生病了吗？〃
“Nope。” After a pause he added “sir。” in a dilatory； grudging way。 〃没有。〃停了一会他才慢吞吞地、勉勉强强地加了一声〃先生〃。
“I hadn’t seen him around； and I was rather worried。 Tell him Mr。 Carraway came over。” 〃我好久没看见他了，很不放心。告诉他卡罗威先生来过。〃
“Who？” he demanded rudely。 〃谁？〃他粗鲁地问。
“Carraway。” 〃卡罗威。〃
“Carraway。 All right； I’ll tell him。” Abruptly he slammed the door。 〃卡罗威。好啦，我告诉他。〃他粗鲁地砰的一声关上了大门。
My Finn informed me that Gatsby had dismissed every servant in his house a week ago and replaced them with half a dozen others； who never went into West Egg Village to be bribed by the tradesmen； but ordered moderate supplies over the telephone。 The grocery boy reported that the kitchen looked like a pigsty； and the general opinion in the village was that the new people weren’t servants at all。 我的芬兰女佣人告诉我，盖茨比早在一个星期前就辞退了家里的每一个仆人，另外雇用了五六个人，这些人从来不到西卵镇上去受那些仟店的贿赂，而是打电话订购数量不多的生活用品。据食品店送货的伙计报道，厨房看上去像个猪圈，而镇上一般的看法是，这些新人压根儿不是什么仆人。
Next day Gatsby called me on the phone。 第二天盖茨比打电话给我。
“Going away？” I inquired。 〃准备出门吗？〃我问。
“No； old sport。” 〃没有，老兄。〃
“I hear you fired all your servants。” 〃我听说你把所有的仆人都辞了。〃
“I wanted somebody who wouldn’t gossip。 Daisy es over quite often—in the afternoons。” 〃我需要的是不爱讲闲话的人。黛西经常来总是在下千。〃
So the whole caravansary had fallen in like a card house at the disapproval in her eyes。 原来如此，由于她看了不赞成，这座大酒店就像纸牌搭的房子一样整个坍掉了。
“They’re some people Wolfshiem wanted to do something for。 They’re all brothers and sisters。 They used to run a small hotel。” 〃他们是沃尔夫山姆要给帮点儿忙的人。他们都是兄弟姐妹。他们开过一家小旅馆。〃
“I see。” 〃我明白了。〃
He was calling up at Daisy’s request—would I e to lunch at her house tomorrow？ Miss Baker would be there。 Half an hour later Daisy herself telephoned and seemed relieved to find that I was ing。 Something was up。 And yet I couldn’t believe that they would choose this occasion for a scene—especially for the rather harrowing scene that Gatsby had outlined in the garden。 他是应黛西的请求打电话来的…我明天是否可以到她家吃午饭？贝克小姐会去的。半小时之后，黛西亲自打电话来，似乎因为知道我答应去而感到宽慰。一定出了什么事。然而我却不能相信他们竞然会选这样一个场合来大闹一场尤其是盖茨比早先在花园里所提出的那种令人难堪的场面。
The next day was broiling； almost the last； certainly the warmest； of the summer。 As my train emerged from the tunnel into sunlight； only the hot whistles of the National Biscuit pany broke the simmering hush at noon。 The straw seats of the car hovered on the edge of bustion； the woman next to me perspired delicately for a while into her white shirtwaist； and then； as her newspaper dampened under her fingers； lapsed despairingly into deep heat with a desolate cry。 Her pocketbook slapped to the floor。 第二天天气酷热，夏日几乎要终结，然而这也无疑是夏天中最热的一天。当我乘的火车从地道里钻出来驶进阳光里时，只有全国饼干公司热辣辣的汽笛打破了中午闷热的静寂。客车里的草椅垫热得简直要着火了。坐在我旁边的一个妇女起先很斯文地让汗水渗透衬衣，后来，她的报纸在她手指下面也变潮了时，她长叹一声，在酷热中颓然地往后一倒。她的钱包啪的一声掉到了地下。
“Oh； my！” she gasped。 〃哎哟！〃她吃惊地喊道。
I picked it up with a weary bend and handed it back to her； holding it at arm’s length and by the extreme tip of the corners to indicate that I had no designs upon it—but every one near by； including the woman； suspected me just the same。 我懒洋洋地弯下腰把它捡了起来，递还给了她，手伸得远远的，捏着钱包的一个角，表示我并无染指的意图…可是附近的每一个人，包括那女人，照样怀疑我。
“Hot！” said the conductor to familiar faces。 “Some weather！ hot！ hot！ hot！ Is it hot enough for you？ Is it hot？ Is it 。 。 。 ？” 〃热！〃查票员对面熟的乘客说，〃够呛的天气！热。。。。。。热。。。。。。热。。。。。。你觉得够热的吗？热吗？你觉得。。。。。。〃
My mutation ticket came back to me with a dark stain from his hand。 That any one should care in this heat whose flushed lips he kissed； whose head made damp the pajama pocket over his heart！ 我的月季票递还给我时上面留下了他手上的黑汗渍。在这种酷热的天气还有谁去管他亲吻的是谁的朱唇，管他是谁的脑袋偎湿了他胸前的睡衣口袋！
。 。 。 Through the hall of the Buchanans’ house blew a faint wind； carrying the sound of the telephone bell out to Gatsby and me as we waited at the door。 。。。。。。盖茨比和我在门口等开门的时候，一阵微风吹过布坎农的住宅的门廊，带来电话铃的声音。
“The master’s body！” roared the butler into the mouthpiece。 “I’m sorry； madame； but we can’t furnish it—it’s far too hot to touch this noon！” 〃主人的尸体？〃男管家大声向话筒里嚷道，〃对不起，太太，可是我们不能提供…今天中午太热了，没法碰！〃
What he really said was： “Yes 。 。 。 yes 。 。 。 I’ll see。” 实际上他讲的是：〃是。。。。。。是。。。。。。我去瞧瞧。〃
He set down the receiver and came toward us； glistening slightly； to take our stiff straw hats。 他放下了话筒，朝我们走过来，头上冒着汗珠，接过我们的硬壳草帽。
“Madame expects you in the salon！” he cried； needlessly indicating the direction。 In this heat every extra gesture was an affront to the mon store of life。 〃夫人在客厅里等您哩！〃他喊道，一面不必要地指着方向。在这酷热的大气，每一个多余的手势都是滥用生活的公有财富。
The room； shadowed well with awnings； was dark and cool。 Daisy and Jordan lay upon an enormous couch； like silver idols weighing down their own white dresses against the singing breeze of the fans。 这间屋子外面有这篷挡着，又阴暗又凉快。黛西和乔丹躺在一张巨大的长沙发上，好像两座银像压住自己的白色衣裙，不让电扇的呼呼响的风吹动。
“We can’t move；” they said together。 〃我们动不了了。〃她们俩同声说。
Jordan’s fingers； powdered white over their tan； rested for a moment in mine。 乔丹的手指，黝黑色上面搽了一层白粉，在我手指里搁了一会。
“And Mr。 Thomas Buchanan； the athlete？” I inquired。 〃体育家托马斯？布坎农①先生呢？〃我问。 ①托马斯？布坎农即上文的汤姆？布坎农。汤姆系托马斯的昵称。
Simultaneously I heard his voice； gruff； muffled； husky； at the hall telephone。 就在同时我听见了他的声音，粗犷、低沉、沙哑，正在用门廓的电话与什么人通着话。
Gatsby stood in the centre of the crimson carpet and gazed around with fascinated eyes。 Daisy watched him and laughed； her sweet； exciting laugh； a tiny gust of powder rose from her bosom into the air。 盖茨比站在绯红的地毯中央，用着了迷的目光向四周张望。黛西看着他，发出了她那甜蜜、动人的笑声。微微的一阵粉从她胸口升入空中。
“The rumor is；” whispered Jordan； “that that’s Tom’s girl on the telephone。” 〃有谣言说，〃乔丹悄悄地说，〃那边是汤姆的情人在打电话。〃〃由Castle制作中英双语版本TXT〃
We were silent。 The voice in the hall rose high with annoyance： “Very well； then； I won’t sell you the car at all。 。 。 。 I’m under no obligations to you at all 。 。 。 and as for your bothering me about it at lunch time； I won’t stand that at all！” 我们都不说话。门廊里的声音气恼地提高了：〃那好吧，我根本不把车子卖给你了。。。。。。我根本不欠你什么情。。。。。。至于你在午饭时候来打扰我，我根本不答应！〃
“Holding down the recei