"I'm going to have the Mckees come up,"she announced as we rose in the elevator."And of course I got to call up my sister,too."
我要把麥基夫婦請上來，我們乘電梯上樓時她宣佈說，當然，我還要打電話給我妹妹。
The apartment was on the top floor a small living room ,a small dining room ,a small bedroom and a bath .The living room was crowded to the doors with a set of tapestried furniture entirely too large for it so that to move about was to stumble continually over scenes of ladies swinging in the gardens of Versailles.The only picture was an over-enlarged photograph,apparently a hen sitting on a blurred rock .Looked at from a distance however the hen resolved itself into a bonnet and the countenance of a stout old lady beamed down into the room. Several old copies of "Town Tattle "lay on the table together with a copy of "Simon Called Peter"and some of the small scandal magazines of Broadway. Mrs.Wilson was first concerned with the dog. A reluctant elevator boy went for a box full of straw and some milk to which he added on his own initiative a tin of large hard dog biscuits -- one of which decomposed apatehetically in the saucer of milk all afternoon .Meanwhile Tom brought out a bottle of whiskey from a locked bureau door .
他們的一套房間在最高一層－－一間小起居室，一間小餐室，一間小臥室，還有一個洗澡間。起居室被一套大得很不相稱的織錦靠墊傢俱擠得滿滿當當的，以至於要在室內走動就會不斷地絆倒在法國仕女在凡爾賽宮的花園裡打鞦韆的畫面上。牆上掛的唯一的畫是一張放得特大的相片，乍一看是一隻母雞蹲在一塊模糊的岩石上。可是，從遠處看去，母雞化為一頂女帽，一位胖老太太笑眯眯地俯視著屋子。桌上放著幾份舊的《紐約閒話》，還有一本《名字叫彼得的西門》以及兩三本百老匯的八卦刊物。威爾遜太太首先關心的是狗。一個老大不情願的開電梯的工人弄來了一隻墊滿稻草的盒子和一些牛奶，另外他又主動給買了一聽又大又硬的狗餅乾，有一塊餅乾一下午泡在一碟牛奶裡，泡得稀巴爛。同時，湯姆打開了一個上鎖的櫃子的門，拿出一瓶威士忌來。
I have been drunk just twice in my life and the sceond time was that afternoon so everything that happened has a dim hazy cast over it although until eight o'clock the apartment was full of cheerful sun.Sitting on Tom's lap Mrs.Wilson called up several people on the telephone; then there were no cigarettes and I went out to buy some at the drug store on the corner .When I came back they had disappeared so I sat down discreetly in the living room and read a chapter of "Simon Called Peter "--either it was terrible stuff or the whiskey distorted things because it didn't make any sense to me .
我一輩子只喝醉過兩次，第二次就是那天下午。因此當時所發生的一切現在都好像在霧裡一樣，模糊不清，雖然公寓裡直到八點以後還充滿了明亮的 陽光。威爾遜太太在湯姆膝蓋上給好幾個人打了電話。後來香菸沒了，我就出去到街角上的藥店去買菸。我回來的時候，他們倆都不見了，於是我很識相地在起居室裡坐下，看了《名字叫彼得的西門》中的一章－－要麼書得太糟，要麼威士忌使東西變得面目全非，總之我看不出一點名堂來。
Just as Tom and Myrtle -- after the first drink Mrs.Wilson and I called each other by our first names -- reappeared ,company commenced to arrive at the apartment door.
湯姆和茉特爾（第一杯酒下肚之後威爾遜太太和我就彼此喊教名了）一重新露面，客人們就開始來敲公寓的門了。
The sister ,Catherine ,was a slender ,worldly girl of about thirty with a solid sticky bob of red hair and a complexion powdered milky white .Her eyebrows had been plucked and then drawn on again at a more rakish angle but the efforts of nature toward the restoration of the old alignment gave a blurred air to her face .When she moved about there was an incessant cliking as innumerable pottery bracelets jingled up and down upon her arms .She came in with such a proprientary haste and looked around so possessively at the furniture that I wondered if she lived here .But when I asked her she laughed immoderately ,repeated my question aloud and told me she lived with a girl friend at a hotel .
她妹妹凱瑟琳是一個苗條而俗氣的女人，年紀三十上下，一頭濃密的短短的紅頭髮，臉上粉搽得像牛奶一樣白。她的眉毛是拔掉又重畫過的，畫的角度還俏皮一些，可是天然的力量卻要恢復舊觀，弄得她的臉部有點眉目不清。她走動的時候，不斷髮出叮噹叮噹的聲音，因為許多陶製手鐲在她胳臂上面上上下下地抖動。她像主人一樣大模大樣地走了進來，對傢俱掃視一番，彷彿東西是屬於她的，使我懷疑她是否就住在這裡。但是等我問她時，她放聲大笑，大聲重複了我的問題，然後告訴我她和一個女朋友同住在一家旅館裡。
Mr.Mckee was a pale feminine man from the flat below .He had just shaved for there was a white spot of lather on his cheekbone and he was most respectful in his greeting to everyone in the room.He informed me that he was in the "artistic game "and I gathered later that he was a photographer and had made the dim enlargement of Mrs.Wilson's mother which hovered like an ectoplasm which hovered like an ectoplansm on the wall .His wife was shrill, languid ,handsome and horrible .She told me with pride that her husband had photographed her a hundred and twenty-seven times since they had been married .
麥基先生是住在樓下一層的一個白淨的、女人氣的男人。他剛刮過鬍子，因為他顴骨上還有一點白肥皂沫。他和屋裡每一個人打招呼時都畢恭畢敬。他告訴我他是“吃藝術飯”的，後來我才明白他是攝影師，牆上掛的威爾遜太太的母親的那幅像就是他放大的，像一片胚葉似的模糊不清。他老婆尖聲尖氣、沒精打采，漂漂亮亮，可是非常討厭。她得意洋洋地告訴我，自從他們結婚以來她丈夫已經替她照過一百二十七次相了。
Mrs .Wilson had changed her costume some time before and was now attired in an elaborate afternoon dress of cream colored chiffon ,which gave out a continual rustle as she swept about the room. With the influence of the dress her personality had also undergone a change .The intense vitality that had been so remarkable in the garage was converted into impressive hauteur .Her laughter ,her gestures ,her assertions became more violently affected moment by moment and as she expanded the room grew smaller around her until she seemed to be revolving on a noisy ,creaking pivot through the smoky air .
威爾遜太太不知什麼時候又換了一套衣服，現在穿的是一件精緻的奶油色雪紡綢的連衣裙，是下午做客穿的那種，她在屋子裡來回走動的時候，衣裙就不斷地沙沙作響。由於衣服的影響，她的個性也跟著起了變化。早先在車行裡那麼顯著的活力變成了目空一切的傲慢。她的笑聲、她的姿勢、她的言談，每一刻都變得越來越矯揉造作，同時隨著她逐漸膨脹，她周圍的屋子就顯得越來越小，後來，她彷彿在煙霧瀰漫的空氣中坐在一個吱吱喳喳的木軸上不停地轉動。
"My dear ."she told her sister in a high mincing shout ,"most of these fellas will cheat you every time.All they think of is money .I had a woman up here last week to look at my feet and when she gave me the bill you'd of thought she had ny appendicitus out ."
親愛的，她裝腔作勢地大聲告訴她妹妹，這年頭不論是誰都想欺騙你。他們的腦子裡只有錢。上星期我找了個女的來看看我的腳，等她把帳單給我，你還以為她給我割了闌尾哩。
"What was the name of the woman ?"asked Mrs.McKee.
那女人姓什麼？麥基太太問。
"Mrs .Eberhardt .She goes around looking at people's feet in their own homes ."
埃伯哈特太太，她經常到人家裡去替人看腳。
"I' like your dress ,"remarked Mrs.McKee,"I think it's adorable."
我喜歡你這件衣服，麥基太太說，我覺得它真漂亮。
Mrs .Wilson rejected the compliment by raising her eyebrow in disdain .
威爾遜太太不屑地把眉毛一揚，否定了這句恭維話。
"It's just a crazy old thing ,"she said ."I just slip it on sometimes when I don't care what I look like ."
這只是一件破爛的舊貨，她說，我不在乎自己是什麼樣子的時候，我就把它往身一套。
"But it looks wonderful on you ,if you know what I mean ,"pursued Mrs.McKee ."If Chester could only get you in that pose I think he could make something of it ."
可是穿在你身上就顯得特別漂亮，如果你懂得我的意思的話，麥基太太緊跟著說，只要切斯特能把你這個姿勢拍下來，我想這一定會是一幅傑作。
We all looked in silence at Mrs.Wilson who removed a strand of hair from over her eyes and looked back at us with a brilliant smile .Mr.McKee regarded her intently with his head on one side and then moved his hand back and forth slowly in front of his face .
我們大家都默默地看著威爾遜太太，她把一縷頭髮從眼前掠開，笑吟吟地看著我們大家。麥基先生歪著頭，目不轉睛地端說著她，然後又伸出一隻手在面前慢慢地來回移動。
" I should change the light ,"he said after a moment ."I'd like to bring out the the modelling of thr features .And I'd try to get hold of all the back hair ."
我得改換光線，他過了一會兒說道，我很想把面貌的立體感表現出來。我還要把後面的頭髮全部攝進來。
"I wouldn't think of changing the light ,"cried Mrs.McKee ."I think it's --"
我認為根本不應該改換光線，麥基太太大聲說，我認為…
Her husband said "Sh!"and we all looked at the subject again whereupon Tom Buchanan yawned audibly and got to his feet .
她丈夫“噓”了一聲，於是我們大家又都把目光轉向攝影的題材，這時湯姆.布坎農出聲地打了一個哈欠，站了起來。
"You McKee have something to drink ,"he said ."Get some more ice and mineral water ,Myrtle ,before everybody goes to sleep."
你們麥基家兩口子喝點什麼吧，他說，再搞點冰和礦泉水來，茉特爾，不然的話大家都睡著了。
"I told that boy about the ice ."Myrtle raised her eyebrows in despair at the shiftlessness of the lower orders ."These people !You have to keep after them all the time ."
我早就叫那小子送冰來了，茉特爾把眉毛一揚，對下等人的懶惰無能表示絕望，這些人！你非得老盯著他們不可。
She looked at me and laughed pointlessly .Then she flounced over to the dog ,kissed it with ecstasy and swept into the kitchen ,implying that a dozen chefs awaited her orders there .
她看看我，忽然莫名其妙地笑了起來。接著她蹦蹦跳跳跑到小狗跟前，歡天喜地地親親它，然後又大搖大擺地走進廚房，那神氣就好似那裡有十幾個大廚在聽侯她的吩咐。
"I've done some nice things out on Long Island ,"asserted Mr.McKee .
我在長島那邊拍過幾張好的。麥基先生斷言。
Tom looked at him blankly.
湯姆茫然在看看他。
"Two of them we have framed downstairs ."
有兩幅我們配了鏡框掛在樓下。
"Two what ?"demanded Tom .
兩幅什麼？湯姆追問。
"Two studies .One of them I call Montauk Point -- the Gulls',and the other I call 'Montauk Point -- -the Sea."
兩幅習作，其在一幅我稱之為《蒙濤角--海鷗》，另一幅叫《蒙濤角--大海》。
The sister Catherine sat down beside me on the couch.
那位名叫凱瑟琳的妹妹挨著我在沙發上坐下。那位名叫凱瑟琳的妹妹挨著我在沙發上坐下。
"Do you live down on Long Island ,too ?"she inquried.
你也住在長島那邊嗎？她問我。
"I live at West Egg ."
我住在西卵。
"Really ?I was down there at a party about a month ago .At a man named Gatsby's .Do you know him."
是嗎？我到那兒參加過一次聚會，大約一個月以前。在一個叫蓋茨比的人的家裡。你認識他嗎？
"I live next door to him ."
我就住在他隔壁。
"Well ,they say he's a nephew or a cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm's .That's where all his money comes from ."
噢，人家說他是德國威廉皇帝的侄兒，或者什麼別的親戚。他的錢都是那麼來的。
"Really?"
真的嗎？
She nodded.
她點了點頭。
"I'm scared of him .I'd hate to have him get anything on me ."
我害怕他，我可不願意落到他手裡。
This absorbing information about my neighbor was interrupted by Mrs.McKee's pointing suddenly at Catherine:
關於我鄰居的這段引人入勝的報道，由於麥基太太突然伸手指著凱瑟琳而被打斷了。
"Chester, I think you could do something with her ,"she broke out ,but Mr.McKee only nodded in a bored way and turned his attention to Tom .
切斯特，我覺得你滿可以給她拍一張好的。她大聲嚷嚷，可是麥基先生光是懶洋洋地點了點頭，把注意力又轉向湯姆。
"I'd like to do more work on Long Island if I could get the entry .All I ask is that they should give me a start ."
我很想在長島多搞點業務，要是有人介紹的話。我唯一的要求就是他們幫我開個頭。
"Ask Myrtle ,"said Tom ,breaking into a short shout of laughter as Mrs.Wilson entered with a tray ."She'll give you a letter of introduction ,won't you ,Myrtle ?"
問茉特爾好了，湯姆哈哈一笑說，正好威爾遜太太端了個托盤走了進來，她可以給你寫封介紹信，是不是，茉特爾？
"Do whtat ?"she asked ,startled.
幹什麼？她吃驚地問道。
"You'll give McKee a letter of introduction to your husband ,so he can do some studies of him ,"His lips moved silently for a moment as he invented ."George B.Wilson at the Gasoline Pump ,or something like that ."
你給麥基寫一封信去見丈夫，他就可以為你丈夫拍幾張特寫。他嘴唇不出聲地動了一會兒，接著胡謅道，《喬治B.威爾遜在油泵前》，或者諸如此類的玩意。
Catherine leaned close to me and whispered in my ear :"Neither of them can stand the person they're married to ."
凱瑟琳湊到我耳邊，跟我小聲說：他們倆誰都受不了自己的那口子。
"Can't they?"
是嗎？
"Can't sthand them ."She looked at Myrtle and then at Tom ."What I say is ,why go on living with them if they can't stand them ?If I was them I'd get a diveorce and married to each other right away."
受不了，她先看看茉特爾，又看看湯姆。依我說，既然受不了，何必還在一起過下去呢？要是我，我就離婚，然後馬上重新結婚。
"Doesn't she like Wilson either ?"
她不喜歡威爾遜嗎？
The answer to this was unexpected .It came from Myrtle who had overheard the question and it was violent and obscene.
對這個問題的答覆是出乎意外的。茉特爾湊巧聽見了問題，而她的回答是又粗暴又不乾淨的。
"You see?"cried Catherine triumphantly .She lowered her voice again."It's really his wife that's keeping them apart .She's a Catholic and they don't believe in divorce."
你瞧，凱瑟琳得意洋洋地大聲說，然後又壓低了嗓門，使他們不能結婚的其實是他老婆。她是天主教徒，那些人是不贊成離婚的。
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