When I came home to Wext Egg that night I was afraid for a moment that my house was on fire .Two o'clock and the whole corner of the peninsula was blazing with light which fell unreal on the shrubbery and made thin elongating glints upon the roadside wires .Turning a corner I saw that it was Gatsby's house ,lit from tower to cellar .

那天夜裡我回到西卵的時候，有一會兒我疑心是我的房子著了火。半夜兩點鐘了，而半島的那整個一角照得亮堂堂的，光線照在灌木叢好像是假的，又照在路旁電線上映出細細的一長條一長條的閃光。轉彎以後，我才看出原來是蓋茨比的別墅，從塔樓到地窖都燈火通明。

At first I thought it was another party ,a wild rout that had resolved itself into "hide-and-go-seek"or "sardines-in-the-box"with all the house thrown open to the game .But there wasn't a sound .Only wind in the trees which blew the wires and made the lights go off and on again as if the house had winked into the darkness .As my taxi groaned away I saw Gatsby walking toward me across his lawn.

起初我還以為又是一次晚會，一次狂歡的盛會。整個別墅統統敞開，好讓大家做遊戲，玩捉迷藏或罐頭沙丁魚。可是一點聲音都沒有。只有樹叢中的風聲作響，風把電線吹動，電燈忽暗忽明，好像房子在對著黑夜眨眼。當送我回家的出租汽車哼哼著開走的時候，我看到蓋茨比穿過他的草坪朝著我走過來。

"Your place looks like the world's fair ,"I said .

你府上看上去像世界博覽會一樣。我說。

"Does it ?"He turned his eyes toward it absently ."I have been glancing into some of the rooms .Let's go to Coney Island ,old sport .In my car ."

是嗎？他心不在焉地轉過身去望望，我剛才打開了幾間屋子隨便看看。咱們到康尼島去玩吧，老兄。坐我的車子去。

It's too late .

時間太晚了。

"Well ,suppose we take a plunge in the swimming pool ? I haven't made use of it all summer ."

那麼，到游泳池裡泡一泡怎麼樣？我一夏天還不泡過哩。

"I've got to go to bed ."

我得上床睡覺了。

All right

好吧。

He waited ,looking at me with suppressed eagerness .

他等待著，急巴巴地望著我。

"I talked with Miss Baker ,"I said after a moment .I'm going to call up Daisy tomorrow and invite her over here to tea ."

我和貝克小姐談過了，我等了一會才說，我明天打電話給黛西，請她到這裡來喝茶。

"Oh ,that's all right ,he siad carelessly ,I don't want to put you to any trouble ."

哦，那好嘛，他漫不經心地說，我不希望給您添麻煩。

"What day would suit you ?"

哪天對您合適？

"What day would suit you ?he corrected me quickly .I don't want to put you to any trouble ,you see ."

哪天對您合適？他馬上糾正了我的話，我不希望給你添麻煩，你明白。

"How about the day after tomorrow ?"He considered for a moment .Then ,with reluctance:

"I want to get the grass cut ,"he said .

明天怎麼樣？他考慮了一會。然後，他勉強地說：我要讓人把草地平整一下。

We both looked at the grass --there was a sharp line where my ragged lawn ended and the darker ,well-kept expanse of his began .I suspected that he meant my grass .

我們倆都低頭看了看草地－－在我的亂蓬蓬的草地和他那一大片剪得整整齊齊的的深綠色草坪之間有一條很清楚的分界線。我猜他指的是我的草地。

"There's another little thing ,"he said uncertainly ,and hesitated .

另外還有一件小事。他含混地說，然後猶疑了一會。

"Would you rather put it off for a few days?" I asked .

你是不是希望推遲幾天？我問道。

"Oh ,it isn't about that .At least --"He fumbled with a series of beginnings ."Why ,I thought --why ,look here ,old sport ,you don't make much money ,do you ?"

哦，跟那個沒關係。至少…他笨拙地一連開了幾口，呃，我猜想…呃，我說，老兄，你掙錢不多，是吧？

"Not very much ."

不太多。

This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently .

這似乎使他放心一點，於是他更有信心地繼續說了下去。

"I thought you didn't ,if you'll pardon my -- you see ,I carry on a little business on the side ,a sort of sideline ,you understand .And I thought that if you don't make very much -- You're selling bonds ,aren't you ,old sport ?"

我猜想你掙錢不多，如果你不介意--你知道，我附帶做點小生意，搞點副業，你明白。我也想到既然你掙錢不多--你在賣債券，是吧，老兄？

"Trying to ."

學著幹。

"Well ,this would interest you, It wouldn't take up much of your time and you might pick up a nice bit of money .It happens to be a rather confidential sort of thing ."

那麼，這也許會引起你的興趣。不需要花費很多時間，你就可以掙一筆可觀的錢。不過這是一件相當機密的事。

I realize now that under different circumstances that conversation might have been one of the crises of my life .But .because the offer was obviously and tactlessly for a service to be rendered ,I had no choice except to cut him off there .

我現在認識到，如果當時情況不同，那次談話可能會是我一生中的一個轉折點，但是，因為這個建議說得很露骨，很不得體，明擺著是為了酬謝我給他幫的忙，我別無選擇，只有當場把他的話打斷。

"I've got my hands full," I said ." I'm much obliged but I couldn't take on any more work ."

我手頭工作很忙，我說，我非常感激，可是我不可能再承擔更多的工作。

"You wouldn't have to do any business with Wolfshiem ."Evidently he thought that I was shying away from the "gonnegtion" mentioned at lunch ,but I assured him he was wrong .He waited a moment longer ,hoping I'd begin a conversation ,but I was too absorbed to responsive, so he went unwillingly home .

你不需要沃爾山姆打任何交道的。顯然他以為我討厭中飯時候提到的那種“關係”，但我告訴他他搞錯了。他又等了一會，希望我找個話題，但是我的心完全不在這兒，沒有答茬，結果他只好勉勉強強地回家去了。

The evening had made me light-headed and happy ; I think I walked into a deep sleep as I entered my front door .So I didn't know whether or not Gatsby went to Coney Island or for how many hours he "glanced into rooms "while his house blazed gaudily on .I called up Daisy from the office next morning and invited her to come to tea .

這一晚使我感到又輕飄又快樂。大概我一走進自己的大門就倒頭大睡，因此我不知道蓋茨比究竟有沒有去康尼島，也不知他又花了幾個小時“隨便看看房間，”他的房子繼續刺眼地大放光明。第二天早晨我從辦公室給黛西打了個電話，請她過來喝茶。

"Don't bring Tom ," I warned her .

別帶湯姆來。我警告她。

"What ?"

什麼？

"Don't bring Tom ."

別帶湯姆來。

"Who is Tom ?"she asked innocently .

誰是湯姆？她裝傻地問道。

The day agreed upon was pouring rain .At eleven o'clock a man in a raincoat dragging a lawn-mower tapped at my front door and said that Mr.Gatsby had sent him over to cut my grass .This reminded me that I had forgotten to tell my Finn to come back so I drove into West Egg Village to search for her among soggy white-washed alleys and to buy some cups and lemons and flowers .

我們約定的那天大雨傾盆。上午十一點鐘，一個男的身穿雨衣，拖著一架刈草機，敲敲我的大門，說蓋茨比先生派他過來刈我的草。這使我想起忘了叫我那芬蘭女用人回來，於是我就開車到西卵鎮上去，在溼淋淋的、兩邊是白石灰牆的小巷裡找她，同時買了一些茶杯、檸檬和鮮花。

The flowers were unnecessary ,for at two o'clock a greenhouse arrived from Gatsby's ,with innumerable receptacles to contain it .An hour later the front door opened nervously ,and Gatsby in a white flannel suit ,silver shirt and gold-colored tie hurried in .He was pale and there were dark signs of sleeplessness beneath his eyes .

花是多餘的，因為下午兩點鐘從蓋茨比家裡送來一暖房的鮮花，連同無數插花的器皿。一小時以後，大門被人戰戰兢兢地推開，蓋茨比一身白法蘭絨西裝，銀色襯衫，金色領帶，慌慌張張跑了進來。他臉色煞白，眼圈黑黑的，看得出他一夜沒睡好。

"Is everyging all right ?"he asked immediately .

一切都準備好了嗎？他一進門就問。

"The grass looks fine ,if that's what you mean ."

草地看上去很漂亮，如果你指的是草地。

"What grass ?"he inquried blankly ."Oh ,the grass in the yard ."He looked out the window at it ,but judging from his expression I don't believe he saw a thing .

什麼草地？他茫然地問道，哦，你院子裡的草地，他從窗子裡向外看，可是從他的表情來看，我相信他什麼都沒看見。

"Look very good ,"he remarked vaguely ."One of the papers said they thought the rain would stop about four .I think it was "The Journal .Have you got everyging you need in the shape of -- of tea ?

看上去很好，他含糊地說，有一家報紙說大概雨在四點 左右會停，大概是《紐約時報》。喝茶所需要的東西都齊全了嗎？

I took him into the pantry where he looked a little reproachfully at the Finn .Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop .

我把他帶到食品間裡去，他有點看不順眼似的向那芬蘭女傭望望。我們一起把甜食店裡買來的十二塊檸檬蛋糕細細打量了一番。

"Will they do?" I asked .

這行嗎？我問道。

"Of course ,of course !They're fine ! and he added hollowly ,- - - old sport ."

當然行，當然行！好得很！然後他又茫然地叫了一聲，老兄！

The rain cooled about half-past three to a damp mist through which occasional thin drops swam like dew .Gatsby looked with vacant eyes through a copy of Clay's "Economics ,"starting at the Finnish tread that shook the kitchen floor and peering toward the bleared windows from time to time as if a series of invisible but alarming happenings were taking place outside .Finally he got up and informed me in an uncertain voice that he was going home .

三點半鐘左右雨漸漸收了，變成了溼霧，不時還有幾滴雨水像露珠一樣地霧裡飄著。蓋茨比心不在焉地翻閱著一本克萊的《經濟學》，每當芬蘭女傭的腳步震動廚房的地板，他就一驚，並且不時朝著模糊的窗戶張望，彷彿一系列看不見然而觸目驚心的事件正在外面發生。最後他站了起來，用猶疑的聲音對我說，他要回家了。

"Why's that ?"

那是為什麼？

"Nobody's coming to tea .It's too late !"He looked at his watch as if there was some pressing demand on his time elsewhere ."I can't wait all day ."

沒有人來喝茶了。時間太晚了！他看了看他的表，彷彿別處還有緊急的事等著他去辦，我不能等一整天。

"Don't be silly ; it's just two minutes to four ."

別傻，現在剛剛是四點差兩分。

He sat down ,miserably ,as if I had pushed him,and simultaneously there was the sound of a motor turning into my lane .We both jumped up and ,a little harrowed myself ,I went out into the yard .

他苦惱地坐了下來，彷彿我推了他似的。正在這時傳來一輛汽車拐進我巷子的聲音。我們倆都跳了起來，然後我自己也有點慌張地跑到院子裡去。

Under the dripping bare lilac trees a large open car was coming up the drive .It stopped .Daisy's face ,tipped sideways beneath a three-cornered lavender hat ,looked out at me with bright ecstatic smile .

在滴著水的沒有花的紫丁香樹下，一輛大型的敞篷汽車沿著汽車道開了上來。車了停了，黛西的臉在一頂三角形的淺紫色帽子下面側向一邊，滿面春風、心花怒放地朝我看著。

"Is this absolutely where you live ,my dearest one ?"

你千真萬確是住在這兒嗎，我最親愛的人兒？

The exhilarating ripple of her voice was a wild tonic in the rain .I had to follow the sound of it for a moment ,up and down ,with my ear alone before any words came through .A damp streak of hair lay like a dash of blue paint across her cheek and her hand was wet with glistening drops as I took it to help her from the car .

她那悠揚的嗓音在雨中聽了使人陶醉。我得先傾聽那高低起伏的聲音，過了一會兒才聽出她所說的話語。一縷潮溼的頭髮貼在她面頰上，像抹了一筆藍色的顏料一樣。你攙她下車的時候，看到她的手也被晶瑩的水珠打溼了。

"Are you in love with me ,"she said low in my ear ."Or why did I have to come alone ?"

你是愛上我了嗎？她悄悄在我耳朵邊說，要不然為什麼我非得一個人來呢？

"That's the secret of Castle Rackrent .Tell your chauffeur to go far away and spend an hour ."

建是雷克蘭特古堡的秘密。叫你的司機走得遠遠的，過一個鐘頭再來。

"Come back in an hour ,Ferdie ."Then in a grave murmur ,"His name is Ferdie ."

過一個鐘頭再回來，弗迪。然後她煞有介事地低聲說，他的名字叫弗迪。

"Does the gasoline affect his nose ?"

汽油味道影響他的鼻子嗎？

"I don't think so ,"she said innocently .Why ?"

我想並不影響，她天真地說，為什麼？

We went in . To my overwhelming surprise the living room was deserted .

我們走進屋子裡。使我大為驚異的是起居室裡空蕩蕩的。

"Well ,that's funny !"I exclaimed .

咦，這真滑稽。我大聲說。

"What's funny ?"

什麼滑稽？

She turned her head as there was a light ,dignified knocking at the front door .I went out and opened it .Gatsby ,pale as death ,with his hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets ,was standing in a puddle of water glaring tragically into my eyes .

正在此刻大門上有人斯文地輕輕敲了一聲，她轉過頭去看。我走到外面去開門。蓋茨比面如死灰，那隻手中東西一樣揣在上衣口袋裡，兩隻腳站在一攤水裡，神色悽惶地盯著我的眼睛。

With his hands still in his coat pockets he stalked by me into the hall ,turned sharply as if he were on a wire and disappeared into the living room .It wasn't a bit funny .Aware of the loud beating of my own heart I pulled the door to against the increasing rain .

他闊步從我身邊跨過進前廳，手還揣在上衣口袋裡，彷彿受牽線操縱似的突然一轉身，走進起居室不見了。那樣子一點也不輕鬆。我意識到自己的心也在撲通撲通跳。外面雨下大了，我伸手把大門關上。

For half a minute there wasn't a sound .Then from the living room I haard a sort of choking murmru and part of a laugh followed by Daisy's voice on a clear artificial note .

有半分鐘之久，一點聲音出沒有。然後我聽到從起居室裡傳來一陣哽咽似的低語聲和一點笑聲，跟著就是黛西嘹亮而做作的聲音：

"I certainly am awfully glad to see you again ."

又見到你，我真高興極了。

A pause ; it endured horribly .I had nothing to do in the hall so I went into the room .

一陣靜寂，時間長得可怕。我在前廳沒事可做，於是我走進屋子。

Gatsby ,his hands still in his pockets ,was reclining against the mantelpiecre in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease ,even of boredom .His head leaned back so far that it rested against the face of a defunct mantelpiece clock ,and from this position his distraught eyes stared down at Daisy ,who was sitting ,frightened but graceful ,on the edge of a stiff chair .

蓋茨比兩手仍然揣在口袋裡，正斜倚在壁爐架旁，勉強裝出一副悠然自得，甚至無精打采的神氣。他的頭往後仰，一直碰到一座早已所廢的大臺鐘的鐘面上。他那雙顯得心神錯亂的眼睛從這個位置向下凝視著黛西，她坐在一把硬背椅子的邊上，神色惶恐，姿態倒很優美。