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！
“You’re revolting；” said Daisy。 She turned to me； and her voice； dropping an octave lower； filled the room with thrilling scorn： “Do you know why we left Chicago？ I’m surprised that they didn’t treat you to the story of that little spree。” 〃你真叫人恶心。〃黛西说。她转身向着我，她的声音降低了一个音阶，使整个屋子充满了难堪的轻蔑。〃你知道我们为什么离开芝加哥吗？我真奇怪人家没给你讲过那次小胡闹的故事。〃
Gatsby walked over and stood beside her。 盖茨比走过来站在她身边。
“Daisy； that’s all over now；” he said earnestly。 “It doesn’t matter any more。 Just tell him the truth—that you never loved him—and it’s all wiped out forever。” 〃黛西，那一切都过去了，〃他认真地说，〃现在没什么关系了。就跟他说真话…你从来没爱过他…一切山就永远勾销了。〃
She looked at him blindly。 “Why—how could I love him—possibly？” 她茫然地看着他。〃是啊我怎么会爱他怎么可能呢？〃
“You never loved him。” 〃你从来没有爱过他。〃
She hesitated。 Her eyes fell on Jordan and me with a sort of appeal； as though she realized at last what she was doing—and as though she had never； all along； intended doing anything at all。 But it was done now。 It was too late。 她犹疑不定一她的眼光哀诉似地落在乔丹和我的身上，仿佛她终于认识到她正在于什么仿佛她一直并没打算干任何事，但是现在事情已经干了，为时太晚了。
“I never loved him；” she said； with perceptible reluctance。 〃我从来没爱过他。〃她说，但看得出很勉强。
“Not at Kapiolani？” demanded Tom suddenly。 〃在凯皮奥兰尼时也没爱过吗？〃汤姆突然质问道。
“No。” 〃没有。〃
From the ballroom beneath； muffled and suffocating chords were drifting up on hot waves of air。 从下面的舞厅里，低沉而闷人的乐声随着一阵阵热气飘了上来。
“Not that day I carried you down from the Punch Bowl to keep your shoes dry？” There was a husky tenderness in his tone。 。 。 。 “Daisy？” 〃那大我把你从'甜酒钵'①上抱下来，不让你鞋子沾湿，你也不爱我吗？〃他沙哑的声音流露着柔情，〃黛西？〃 ①甜酒钵，游艇的名字。
“Please don’t。” Her voice was cold； but the rancor was gone from it。 She looked at Gatsby。 “There； Jay；” she said—but her hand as she tried to light a cigarette was trembling。 Suddenly she threw the cigarette and the burning match on the carpet。 〃请别说了。〃她的声音是冷淡的，但是怨尤已从中消失。她看看盖茨比。〃你瞧，杰。〃她说，可是她要点支烟时手却在发抖。突然她把香烟和点着的火柴都扔到地毯上。
“Oh； you want too much！” she cried to Gatsby。 “I love you now—isn’t that enough？ I can’t help what’s past。” She began to sob helplessly。 “I did love him once—but I loved you too。” 〃啊，你的要求太过分了！〃她对盖茨比喊道，〃我现在爱你…难道这还不够吗？过去的事我没法挽回。〃她无可奈何地抽抽噎噎哭了起来。〃我一度受过他但是我也爱过你。〃
Gatsby’s eyes opened and closed。 盖茨比的眼睛张开来又闭上。
“You loved me TOO？” he repeated。 〃你也爱过我？〃他重复道。
“Even that’s a lie；” said Tom savagely。 “She didn’t know you were alive。 Why—there’re things between Daisy and me that you’ll never know； things that neither of us can ever forget。” 〃连这个都是瞎话，〃汤姆恶狠狠地说，〃她根本不知道你还活着。要知道，黛西和我之间有许多事你永远也不会知道，我俩永远也不会忘记。〃
The words seemed to bite physically into Gatsby。 他的话刺痛了盖茨比的心。
“I want to speak to Daisy alone；” he insisted。 “She’s all excited now——” 〃我要跟黛西单独谈谈，〃他执意说，〃她现在太激动了。。。。。。〃
“Even alone I can’t say I never loved Tom；” she admitted in a pitiful voice。 “It wouldn’t be true。” 〃单独谈我也不能说我从来没爱过汤姆，〃她用伤心的声调吐露道，〃那么说不会是真话。〃
“Of course it wouldn’t；” agreed Tom。 〃当然不会是真话。〃汤姆附和道。
She turned to her husband。 她转身对着她丈夫。
“As if it mattered to you；” she said。 〃就好像你还在乎似的。〃她说。
“Of course it matters。 I’m going to take better care of you from now on。” 〃当然在乎。从今以后我要更好地照顾你。〃
“You don’t understand；” said Gatsby； with a touch of panic。 “You’re not going to take care of her any more。” 〃你还不明白，〃盖茨比说，有点慌张了，〃你没有机会再照顾她了。〃
“I’m not？” Tom opened his eyes wide and laughed。 He could afford to control himself now。 “Why’s that？” 〃我没有机会了？〃汤姆睁大了眼睛，放声大笑。他现在大可以控制自己了。〃什么道理呢？〃
“Daisy’s leaving you。” 〃黛西要离开你了。〃
“Nonsense。” 〃胡说八道。〃
“I am； though；” she said with a visible effort。 〃不过我确实要离开你。〃她显然很费劲地说。
“She’s not leaving me！” Tom’s words suddenly leaned down over Gatsby。 “Certainly not for a mon swindler who’d have to steal the ring he put on her finger。” 〃她不会离开我的！〃汤姆突然对盖茨比破口大骂，〃反正决不会为了一个鸟骗子离开我，一个给她套在手指上的戒指也得去偷来的鸟骗子。〃
“I won’t stand this！” cried Daisy。 “Oh； please let’s get out。” 〃这么说我可不答应！〃黛西喊道，〃啊呀，咱们走吧。〃
“Who are you； anyhow？” broke out Tom。 “You’re one of that bunch that hangs around with Meyer Wolfshiem—that much I happen to know。 I’ve made a little investigation into your affairs—and I’ll carry it further tomorrow。” 〃你到底是什么人？〃汤姆嚷了起来，〃你是迈耶？沃尔夫山姆的那帮狐群狗党里的货色，这一点我碰巧知道，我对你的事儿做了一番小小的调查明天我还要进一步调查。〃
“You can suit yourself about that； old sport。” said Gatsby steadily。 〃那你尽可以自便，老兄。〃盖茨比镇定地说。
“I found out what your ‘drugstores’ were。” He turned to us and spoke rapidly。 “He and this Wolfshiem bought up a lot of sidestreet drugstores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter。 That’s one of his little stunts。 I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him； and I wasn’t far wrong。” 〃我打听了出来你那些'药房'是什么名堂。〃他转过身来对着我们很快地说，〃他和这个姓沃尔夫山姆的家伙在本地和芝加哥买下了许多小街上的药房，私自把酒精卖给人家喝。那就是他变的许多小戏法中的一个。我头一趟看见他就猜出他是个私酒贩子，我猜的还差不离哩。〃
“What about it？” said Gatsby politely。 “I guess your friend Walter Chase wasn’t too proud to e in on it。” 〃那又该怎么样呢？〃盖茨比很有礼貌地说，〃你的朋友瓦尔特？蔡斯和我们合伙并不觉得丢人嘛。〃
“And you left him in the lurch； didn’t you？ You let him go to jail for a month over in New Jersey。 God！ You ought to hear Walter on the subject of YOU。” 〃你们还把他坑了，是不是？你们让他在新泽西州坐了一个月监牢。天啊！你应当听听瓦尔特议论你的那些话。〃
“He came to us dead broke。 He was very glad to pick up some money； old sport。” 〃他找上我们的时候是个穷光蛋。他很高兴赚几个钱，老兄。〃
“Don’t you call me ‘old sport’！” cried Tom。 Gatsby said nothing。 “Walter could have you up on the betting laws too； but Wolfshiem scared him into shutting his mouth。” 〃你别叫我'老兄'！〃汤姆喊道。盖茨比没搭腔，〃瓦尔特本来还可以告你违犯赌博法的，但是沃尔夫山姆吓得他闭上了嘴。〃
That unfamiliar yet recognizable look was back again in Gatsby’s face。 那种不熟悉可是认得出的表情又在盖茨比的脸上出现了。
“That drugstore business was just small change；” continued Tom slowly； “but you’ve got something on now that Walter’s afraid to tell me about。” 〃那个开药房的事儿不过是小意思，〃汤姆慢慢地接着说，〃但是你们现在又在搞什么花样，瓦尔特不敢告诉我。〃
I glanced at Daisy； who was staring terrified between Gatsby and her husband； and at Jordan； who had begun to balance an invisible but absorbing object on the tip of her chin。 Then I turned back to Gatsby—and was startled at his expression。 He looked—and this is said in all contempt for the babbled slander of his garden—as if he had “killed a man。” For a moment the set of his face could be described in just that fantastic way。 我看了黛西一眼，她吓得目瞪口呆地看看盖茨比，又看看她丈夫，再看看乔丹她已经开始在下巴上面让一件看不见可是引人入胜的东西保持平衼？然后我又回过头去看盖茨比看到他的表情，我大吃一惊。他看上去活像刚〃杀了个人〃似的我说这话可与他花园里的那些流言蜚语毫不相干。可是一刹那间他脸上的表情恰恰可以用那种荒唐的方式来形容。
It passed； and he began to talk excitedly to Daisy； denying everything； defending his name against accusations that had not been made。 But with every word she was drawing further and further into herself； so he gave that up； and only the dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away； trying to touch what was no longer tangible； st