There was music from my neighbor's house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars. At high tide in the afternoon I watched his guests diving from the tower of his raft or taking the sun on the hot sand of his beach while his two motor-boats slit the waters of the Sound, drawing aquaplanes over cataracts of foam. On week-ends his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city, between nine in the morning and long past midnight, while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains. And on Mondays eight servants including an extra gardener toiled all day with mops and scrubbing-brushes and hammers and garden-shears, repairing the ravages of the night before.?

整個(gè)夏天的夜晚都有音樂聲從我鄰居家傳過來(lái)。在他蔚藍(lán)的花園里，男男女女像飛蛾一般在笑語(yǔ)、香擯和繁墾中間來(lái)來(lái)往往。下午漲潮的時(shí)候，我看著他的客人從他的木筏的跳臺(tái)上跳水，或是躺在他私人海灘的熱沙上曬太陽(yáng)，同時(shí)他的兩艘小汽艇破浪前進(jìn)，拖著滑水板駛過翻騰的浪花。每逢周末，他的羅爾斯一羅伊斯轎車就成了公共汽車，從早晨九點(diǎn)到深更半夜往來(lái)城里接送客人，同時(shí)他的旅行車也像一只輕捷的黃硬殼蟲那樣去火車站接所有的班車。每星期一，八個(gè)仆人，包括一個(gè)臨時(shí)園丁，整整苦于一天，用許多拖把、板刷、榔頭、修技剪來(lái)收拾前一晚的殘局。

slit??[sl?t] v. 切開，割開，拉開；劃破

aquaplane??[??kw?ple?n] n.??滑水板，水橇

cataract??[?k?t?r?kt] n. 大瀑布；洪流

omnibus??[??mn?b?s] n. 公共汽車

station wagon 旅行汽車

scamper??[?sk?mp?(r)] v.??奔跑，疾馳

brisk ?adj.活潑的,輕快的

toil??[t??l] v. 艱苦地工作；辛勞

Every Friday five crates of oranges and lemons arrived from a fruiterer in New York--every Monday these same oranges and lemons left his back door in a pyramid of pulpless halves. There was a machine in the kitchen which could extract the juice of two hundred oranges in half an hour, if a little button was pressed two hundred times by a butler's thumb.

每星期五，五箱橙子和檸檬從紐約一家水果行送到。每星期一，這些橙子和檸檬變成一座半拉半拉的果皮堆成的小金字塔從他的后門運(yùn)出去。他廚房里有一架榨果汁機(jī)，半小時(shí)之內(nèi)可以榨兩百只橙子，只要男管家用大拇指把一個(gè)按鈕按兩百次就行了。

pulpless ? adj. 干燥的；無(wú)漿的

At least once a fortnight a corps of caterers came down with several hundred feet of canvas and enough colored lights to make a Christmas tree of Gatsby's enormous garden. On buffet tables, garnished with glistening hors-d'oeuvre, spiced baked hams crowded against salads of harlequin designs and pastry pigs and turkeys bewitched to a dark gold.

至少每?jī)芍芤淮?，大批包辦筵席的人從城里下來(lái)，帶來(lái)好幾百英尺帆布帳篷和無(wú)數(shù)的彩色電燈，足以把蓋茨比巨大的花園布置得像一棵圣誕樹。自助餐桌上各色冷盤琳瑯滿目，一只只五香火腿周圍擺滿了五花八門的色拉、烤得金黃的乳豬和火雞。

garnish??[?ɡɑ?n??] v. (在食物上)加裝飾菜，加調(diào)料 ?n.??食物上的裝飾物

hors-d'oeuvre ?餐前開胃小吃；前菜

harlequin??[?hɑ?l?kw?n] ?n.??丑角；滑稽角色

bewitch??[b??w?t?] ?vt. 施魔法于；蠱惑 ?2.使銷魂；使陶醉

In the main hall a bar with a real brass rail was set up, and stocked with gins and liquors and with cordials so long forgotten that most of his female guests were too young to know one from another.

大廳里面，設(shè)起了一個(gè)裝著一根真的銅桿的酒吧，備有各種杜松子酒和烈性酒，還有各種早已罕見的甘露酒，大多數(shù)女客年紀(jì)太輕，根本分不清哪個(gè)是哪個(gè)。

cordials ??n. 香甜酒；興奮劑

By seven o'clock the orchestra has arrived--no thin five-piece affair but a whole pitful of oboes and trombones and saxophones and viols and cornets and piccolos and low and high drums. The last swimmers have come in from the beach now and are dressing upstairs; the cars from New York are parked five deep in the drive, and already the halls and salons and verandas are gaudy with primary colors and hair shorn in strange new ways and shawls beyond the dreams of Castile. The bar is in full swing and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden outside until the air is alive with chatter and laughter and casual innuendo and introductions forgotten on the spot and enthusiastic meetings between women who never knew each other's names.

七點(diǎn)以前樂隊(duì)到達(dá)，決不是什么五人小樂隊(duì)，而是配備齊全的整班人馬，雙簧管、長(zhǎng)號(hào)、薩克斯管、大小提琴、短號(hào)、短笛、高低音銅鼓，應(yīng)有盡有。最后一批游泳的客人已經(jīng)從海灘上進(jìn)來(lái)，現(xiàn)在正在樓上換衣服。紐約來(lái)的轎車五輛一排停在車道上，同時(shí)所有的廳堂、客室、陽(yáng)臺(tái)已經(jīng)都是五彩繽紛，女客們的發(fā)型爭(zhēng)奇斗妍，披的紗巾是卡斯蒂爾人做夢(mèng)也想不到的。酒吧那邊生意興隆，同時(shí)一盤盤雞尾酒傳送到外面花園電的每個(gè)角落，到后來(lái)整個(gè)空氣里充滿了歡聲笑語(yǔ)，充滿了脫口而出、轉(zhuǎn)眼就忘的打趣和介紹，充滿了彼此始終不知姓名的太太們之間親熱無(wú)比的會(huì)見。

orchestra??[???k?str?] ?n. 1.交響樂團(tuán)；管弦樂隊(duì) ?2.樂池

pitful 樂隊(duì)

oboes?雙簧管?

trombones 長(zhǎng)號(hào)

saxophones 薩克斯管

viols 六弦提琴

cornets 短號(hào)

piccolos 短笛

The lights grow brighter as the earth lurches away from the sun and now the orchestra is playing yellow cocktail music and the opera of voices pitches a key higher. Laughter is easier, minute by minute, spilled with prodigality, tipped out at a cheerful word. The groups change more swiftly, swell with new arrivals, dissolve and form in the same breath--already there are wanderers, confident girls who weave here and there among the stouter and more stable, become for a sharp, joyous moment the center of a group and then excited with triumph glide on through the sea-change of faces and voices and color under the constantly changing light.

大地蹣跚著離開太陽(yáng)，電燈顯得更亮，此刻樂隊(duì)正在奏黃色雞尾酒會(huì)音樂，于是大合唱般的人聲又提高了一個(gè)音凋。笑聲每時(shí)每刻都變得越來(lái)越容易，毫無(wú)節(jié)制地傾瀉出來(lái)，只要一句笑話就會(huì)引起哄然大笑。人群的變化越來(lái)越快，忽而隨著新來(lái)的客人而增大，忽而分散后又立即重新組合。已經(jīng)有一些人在東飄西蕩——臉皮厚的年輕姑娘在比較穩(wěn)定的人群中間鉆進(jìn)鉆出，一會(huì)兒在片刻的歡騰中成為一群人注意的中心，一會(huì)兒又得意洋洋在不斷變化的燈光下穿過變幻不定的面孔、聲音和色彩揚(yáng)長(zhǎng)而去。

lurch ?[l??t?] n. 突然傾斜；突然向一邊傾倒 ?vi. 東倒西歪地走

prodigality?[prɑd??ɡ?l?ti] ?n. ?放蕩,淫逸,揮霍浪費(fèi)

swell??[swel] ?v.??(常與up連用) 膨脹；腫大；增加，增大；使自負(fù)；得意洋洋

Suddenly one of these gypsies in trembling opal, seizes a cocktail out of the air, dumps it down for courage and moving her hands like Frisco dances out alone on the canvas platform. A momentary hush; the orchestra leader varies his rhythm obligingly for her and there is a burst of chatter as the erroneous news goes around that she is Gilda Gray's understudy from the "Follies." The party has begun.

忽然間，這些吉卜賽人式的姑娘中有一個(gè)，滿身珠光寶氣，一伸手就抓來(lái)一杯雞尾酒，一回于下去壯壯膽子，然后手舞足蹈，一個(gè)人跳到篷布舞池中間去表演。片刻的寂靜，樂隊(duì)指揮殷勤地為她改變了拍子，隨后突然響起了一陣嘰嘰喳喳的說話聲，因?yàn)橛兄{言傳開，說她是速演劇團(tuán)的吉爾德·格雷的替角。晚會(huì)正式開始了。

gypsy??[?d??ps?] ?n.??吉卜賽人

Frisco ?n. 弗里斯科（美國(guó)西部城市，等于San Francisco）

obligingly ?[?'blaid?i?li] ?adv.?親切地

erroneous??[??r??n??s] ?adj.??錯(cuò)誤的，不正確的

I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby's house I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited. People were not invited--they went there. They got into automobiles which bore them out to Long Island and somehow they ended up at Gatsby's door. Once there they were introduced by somebody who knew Gatsby and after that they conducted themselves according to the rules of behavior associated with amusement parks. Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all, came for the party with a simplicity of heart that was its own ticket of admission.

我相信那天晚上我第一次到蓋茨比家去時(shí)，我是少數(shù)幾個(gè)真正接到請(qǐng)?zhí)目腿酥弧Ｈ藗儾⒉皇茄?qǐng)來(lái)的——他們是自己來(lái)的。他們坐上汽車，車子把他們送到長(zhǎng)島，后來(lái)也不知怎么的他們總是出現(xiàn)在蓋茨比的門口。一到之后總會(huì)有什么認(rèn)識(shí)蓋茨比的人給他們介紹一下，從此他們的言談行事就像在娛樂場(chǎng)所一樣了。有時(shí)候他們從來(lái)到走根本沒見過蓋茨比，他們懷著一片至誠(chéng)前來(lái)赴會(huì)，這一點(diǎn)就可以算一張人場(chǎng)券了。

bore ? v. ?to make a hole in something using a tool

I had been actually invited. A chauffeur in a uniform of robin's egg blue crossed my lawn early that Saturday morning with a surprisingly formal note from his employer--the honor would be entirely Gatsby's, it said, if I would attend his "little party" that night. He had seen me several times and had intended to call on me long before but a peculiar combination of circumstances had prevented it--signed Jay Gatsby in a majestic hand.

我確實(shí)是受到邀請(qǐng)的。那個(gè)星期六一清早，一個(gè)身穿藍(lán)綠色制服的司機(jī)穿過我的草地，為他主人送來(lái)一封措詞非?？蜌獾恼?qǐng)柬，上面寫道：如蒙我光臨當(dāng)晚他的 “小小聚會(huì)”，蓋茨比當(dāng)感到不勝榮幸。他已經(jīng)看到我?guī)状?，并且早就打算造訪，但由于種種特殊原因未能如愿——杰伊·蓋茨比簽名，筆跡很神氣。

majestic??[m??d?est?k] ? adj. 雄偉的，壯麗的，威嚴(yán)的

Dressed up in white flannels I went over to his lawn a little after seven and wandered around rather ill-at-ease among swirls and eddies of people I didn't know--though here and there was a face I had noticed on the commuting train. I was immediately struck by the number of young Englishmen dotted about; all well dressed, all looking a little hungry and all talking in low earnest voices to solid and prosperous Americans. I was sure that they were selling something: bonds or insurance or automobiles. They were, at least, agonizingly aware of the easy money in the vicinity and convinced that it was theirs for a few words in the right key.

晚上七點(diǎn)一過，我身穿一套白法蘭絨便裝走過去到他的草坪上，很不自在地在一群群我不認(rèn)識(shí)的人中間晃來(lái)晃去——雖然偶爾也有一個(gè)我在區(qū)間火車上見過的面扎。我馬上注意到客人中夾著不少年輕的英國(guó)人：個(gè)個(gè)衣著整齊，個(gè)個(gè)面有饑色，個(gè)個(gè)都在低聲下氣地跟殷實(shí)的美國(guó)人談話。我敢說他們都在推銷什么——或是債券?；蚴潜ｋU(xiǎn)，或是汽車。他們最起碼都揪心地意識(shí)到，近在眼前就有唾手可得的錢，并且相信，只要幾句話說得投機(jī)，錢就到手了。

?ill-at-ease ?不安的,不自在的,不舒服的

swirl ??[sw??l] ?n. 旋渦；渦流

eddy??[?ed?] ?n.??eddies 漩渦；渦流 ?v. eddied, eddying??打轉(zhuǎn)，旋轉(zhuǎn)

agonizingly ?['?g?naizi?li] adv.?使人煩惱地,苦悶地

in the vicinity ?在周圍，在附近

As soon as I arrived I made an attempt to find my host but the two or three people of whom I asked his whereabouts stared at me in such an amazed way and denied so vehemently any knowledge of his movements that I slunk off in the direction of the cocktail table--the only place in the garden where a single man could linger without looking purposeless and alone.

我一到之后就設(shè)法去找主人，可是問了兩三個(gè)人他在哪里，他們都大為驚異地瞪著我，同時(shí)矢口否認(rèn)知道他的行蹤，我只好悄悄地向供應(yīng)雞尾酒的桌子溜過去— —整個(gè)花園里只有這個(gè)地方，一個(gè)單身漢可以留連一下而不顯得無(wú)聊和孤獨(dú)。

vehemently ?['vi?m?ntli] ?adv.?激烈地;暴烈地;強(qiáng)烈地

slink off ?溜走

I was on my way to get roaring drunk from sheer embarrassment when Jordan Baker came out of the house and stood at the head of the marble steps, leaning a little backward and looking with contemptuous interest down into the garden.

我百無(wú)聊賴，正準(zhǔn)備喝個(gè)酷配大醉，這時(shí)喬丹·貝克從屋里走了出來(lái)，站在大理石臺(tái)階的最上一級(jí)，身體微向后仰，用輕貌的神氣俯瞰著花園。

contemptuous??[k?n?temptj??s] ?adj. (常與of連用)表示輕蔑的；傲慢的

Welcome or not, I found it necessary to attach myself to someone before I should begin to address cordial remarks to the passers-by.

不管人家歡迎不歡迎，我覺得實(shí)在非依附一個(gè)人不可，不然的話，我恐怕要跟過往的客人寒暄起來(lái)了。

cordial??[?k??d??l] ?adj. 熱誠(chéng)的；衷心的 ?n.??甘露酒；浸果酒；果汁；提神飲料