了不起的盖茨比（汤姆和斯隆来到盖茨比家）

导读：

    本段通过叙述汤姆和斯隆一家对盖茨比的蔑视，再次强调社会阶级间的偏见和不可逾越的鸿沟。汤姆布坎南和他的两个上流社会的朋友——斯隆一家，来盖茨比家喝茶。虽然他们瞧不起盖茨比，但是不妨碍他们利用盖茨比的好客之心来方便自己。盖茨比以礼相待，不但不感谢，反而嘲弄起盖茨比，揭露了这些东海岸贵族的虚伪丑陋面孔。盖茨比不懂这些人的社交套路，误以为这是一次社交拜访，把来访者当作客人。然而在一旁的尼克早已看清楚这一切，当盖茨比误以为斯隆太太的邀请是真诚的，他感到很尴尬。这表明盖茨比相信美国梦，任何人只要像他那样挣到足够的钱，就可以进入上流阶层。当然，汤姆从来没有把盖茨比看成是一个下流的骗子。

这一幕发生在盖茨比和黛西重聚之后，意义重大。盖茨比想要黛西回到他身边，他就要努力寻求上层社会的认可和接受。但残酷的现实进一步说明，无论盖茨比做什么，他永远不会成为汤姆和黛西世界的一部分。

    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.

★Trot：[trɒt] 快步走;小步跑。★Ingratiate：[ɪnˈɡreɪʃieɪt] 讨好;巴结;迎合。★Senile：高龄的。

    在我和他的接触期间，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--大部分时间我都在纽约，跟乔丹一起四处跑，同时努力讨好她那位年迈的姑妈--但是我终于在一个周日的下午，去了盖茨比家。我待了两分钟不到，就有人把汤姆·布坎农带进来喝杯酒。我自然吃了一惊，但真正令人惊异的是汤姆之前从没来过盖茨比家。

　　They were a party of three on horseback—Tom and a man named Sloane and a pretty woman in a brown riding-habit, who had been there previously.

    他们一行三人骑马而来--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，她以前来过这里。

　　“I’m delighted to see you,” said Gatsby, standing on his porch. “I’m delighted that you dropped in.”

     "真高兴见到你们，"盖茨比站在阳台上说，"我很高兴你们光临。"

　　As though they cared!

    好像他们在乎似的！

　　“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。"他快步在屋里走了一圈，摇响了铃铛，"我马上给你们叫点喝的来。"

   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——

★Affect：（感情上）打动，震动，使悲伤（或怜悯）。

    汤姆的到来使他受到很大震动，他感到浑身不自在。直到他给他们招待了点什么，他隐约明白他们过来的目的仅此而已。斯隆先生什么都不要。来杯柠檬水？不要，谢谢。来点香摈吧？什么都不用，谢谢……不好意思……

　　“Did you have a nice ride?”

     "你们骑马之行还顺利吧？"

　　“Very good roads around here.”

     "这一带的路很好。"

　　“I suppose the automobiles——”

     "应该是汽车都……"

　　“Yeah.”

     "是啊。"

　　Moved by an irresistible impulse, Gatsby turned to Tom, who had accepted the introduction as a stranger.

    与陌生人汤姆初次相识，此刻盖茨比有一股难以抑制的冲动，遂转向了汤姆。

　　“I believe we’ve met somewhere before, Mr. Buchanan.”

     "我想我们以前在哪里见过，布坎南先生。"

   “Oh, yes,” said Tom, gruffly polite, but obviously not remembering. “So we did. I remember very well.”

★gruff：低沉粗哑的;生硬的;冷淡的;态度生硬的。

     "哦，是的，"汤姆说得生硬而礼貌，他显然并不记得，"我们是见过的，我记得很清楚。"

　　“About two weeks ago.”

     "大概两周之前。"

　　“That’s right. You were with Nick here.”

    "没错。当时你和尼克在一起，就在这儿。"

　　“I know your wife,” continued Gatsby, almost aggressively.

     "我认识您的太太。"盖茨比接着说道，几乎带有挑衅的意味。

　　“That so?”

     "是吗？"

　　Tom turned to me.

    汤姆转向我。

　　“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.

★Lounged：[laʊndʒd] 懒洋洋地站(或坐、躺)着。★haughtily ：骄傲地；傲慢地。★Cordial：[ˈkɔːdiəl] 热情友好的;和蔼可亲的。

    斯隆先生没有参与谈话，只是懒懒散散、一脸傲慢地靠在椅子上。那个女士也一直无话——直到两杯高杯酒下肚之后，她忽然变得热情起来。

　　“We’ll all come over to your next party, Mr. Gatsby,” she suggested. “What do you say?”

     "我们打算参加您下次的宴会，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。我很高兴，你们能来。"

　　“nice,” said Mr. Sloane, without gratitude. “Well—think ought to be starting home.”

     "那真好，"斯隆先生毫不承情地说，"好了--我想我们该回家了。"

    “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.”

★Urged：敦促;催促;力劝。

     "请不要急。"盖茨比劝他们。这时他已经控制住了情绪，并且他想多观察汤姆。"你们何不--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 come to supper with ME,” said the lady enthusiastically. “Both of you.”

     "你来跟我一起吃晚餐吧，"那位太太热情地说，"你们俩都来。"

　　This included me. Mr. Sloane got to his feet.“Come along,” he said—but to her only.

    这也包括了我。斯隆先生站起身来。“过来”。他说——但只是对那位小姐说。

　　“I mean it,” she insisted. “I’d love to have you. Lots of room.”

    "我是真诚的，"她坚持说，"我真乐意你们来。房间坐得下。"

　　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，但他没察觉斯隆先生已打定主意不让他去了。

　　“I’m afraid I won’t be able to,” I said.

     "我恐怕去不了。"我说。

　　“Well, you come,” she urged, concentrating on Gatsby.

     "那你来。"她转向盖茨比怂恿道。

　　Mr. Sloane murmured something close to her ear.

    斯隆先生凑到她耳边咕哝了一下。

　　“We won’t be late if we start now,” she insisted aloud.

     "我们只要马上出发，就不会迟到。"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，但是从来没买过马。我开车跟着你们好了。抱歉，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门廊上，斯隆和那位太太站在一边，开始激烈地交谈。

　　“My God, I believe the man’s coming,” 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，"难道他不知道她不想他来吗？"

　　“She says she does want him.”

     "她说她希望他来的。"

　　“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 old-fashioned 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，他在那儿没有相识之人。"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。她们会碰上各种古怪疯狂的家伙。"

　　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。

　　“Come 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，好吗？"

　　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.

    大家寒暄已毕，他们就骑着马沿着车道快速前进，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。