"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."
我要把麦基夫妇请上来，我们乘电梯上楼时她宣布说，当然，我还要打电话给我妹妹。
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 .
他们的一套房间在最高一层－－一间小起居室，一间小餐室，一间小卧室，还有一个洗澡间。起居室被一套大得很不相称的织锦靠垫家具挤得满满当当的，以至于要在室内走动就会不断地绊倒在法国仕女在凡尔赛宫的花园里打秋千的画面上。墙上挂的唯一的画是一张放得特大的相片，乍一看是一只母鸡蹲在一块模糊的岩石上。可是，从远处看去，母鸡化为一顶女帽，一位胖老太太笑眯眯地俯视着屋子。桌上放着几份旧的《纽约闲话》，还有一本《名字叫彼得的西门》以及两三本百老汇的八卦刊物。威尔逊太太首先关心的是狗。一个老大不情愿的开电梯的工人弄来了一只垫满稻草的盒子和一些牛奶，另外他又主动给买了一听又大又硬的狗饼干，有一块饼干一下午泡在一碟牛奶里，泡得稀巴烂。同时，汤姆打开了一个上锁的柜子的门，拿出一瓶威士忌来。
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 .
我一辈子只喝醉过两次，第二次就是那天下午。因此当时所发生的一切现在都好像在雾里一样，模糊不清，虽然公寓里直到八点以后还充满了明亮的 阳光。威尔逊太太在汤姆膝盖上给好几个人打了电话。后来香烟没了，我就出去到街角上的药店去买烟。我回来的时候，他们俩都不见了，于是我很识相地在起居室里坐下，看了《名字叫彼得的西门》中的一章－－要么书得太糟，要么威士忌使东西变得面目全非，总之我看不出一点名堂来。
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.
汤姆和茉特尔（第一杯酒下肚之后威尔逊太太和我就彼此喊教名了）一重新露面，客人们就开始来敲公寓的门了。
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 .
她妹妹凯瑟琳是一个苗条而俗气的女人，年纪三十上下，一头浓密的短短的红头发，脸上粉搽得像牛奶一样白。她的眉毛是拔掉又重画过的，画的角度还俏皮一些，可是天然的力量却要恢复旧观，弄得她的脸部有点眉目不清。她走动的时候，不断发出叮当叮当的声音，因为许多陶制手镯在她胳臂上面上上下下地抖动。她像主人一样大模大样地走了进来，对家具扫视一番，仿佛东西是属于她的，使我怀疑她是否就住在这里。但是等我问她时，她放声大笑，大声重复了我的问题，然后告诉我她和一个女朋友同住在一家旅馆里。
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 .
麦基先生是住在楼下一层的一个白净的、女人气的男人。他刚刮过胡子，因为他颧骨上还有一点白肥皂沫。他和屋里每一个人打招呼时都毕恭毕敬。他告诉我他是“吃艺术饭”的，后来我才明白他是摄影师，墙上挂的威尔逊太太的母亲的那幅像就是他放大的，像一片胚叶似的模糊不清。他老婆尖声尖气、没精打采，漂漂亮亮，可是非常讨厌。她得意洋洋地告诉我，自从他们结婚以来她丈夫已经替她照过一百二十七次相了。
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 .
威尔逊太太不知什么时候又换了一套衣服，现在穿的是一件精致的奶油色雪纺绸的连衣裙，是下午做客穿的那种，她在屋子里来回走动的时候，衣裙就不断地沙沙作响。由于衣服的影响，她的个性也跟着起了变化。早先在车行里那么显著的活力变成了目空一切的傲慢。她的笑声、她的姿势、她的言谈，每一刻都变得越来越矫揉造作，同时随着她逐渐膨胀，她周围的屋子就显得越来越小，后来，她仿佛在烟雾弥漫的空气中坐在一个吱吱喳喳的木轴上不停地转动。
"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 ."
亲爱的，她装腔作势地大声告诉她妹妹，这年头不论是谁都想欺骗你。他们的脑子里只有钱。上星期我找了个女的来看看我的脚，等她把帐单给我，你还以为她给我割了阑尾哩。
"What was the name of the woman ?"asked Mrs.McKee.
那女人姓什么？麦基太太问。
"Mrs .Eberhardt .She goes around looking at people's feet in their own homes ."
埃伯哈特太太，她经常到人家里去替人看脚。
"I' like your dress ,"remarked Mrs.McKee,"I think it's adorable."
我喜欢你这件衣服，麦基太太说，我觉得它真漂亮。
Mrs .Wilson rejected the compliment by raising her eyebrow in disdain .
威尔逊太太不屑地把眉毛一扬，否定了这句恭维话。
"It's just a crazy old thing ,"she said ."I just slip it on sometimes when I don't care what I look like ."
这只是一件破烂的旧货，她说，我不在乎自己是什么样子的时候，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 ."
可是穿在你身上就显得特别漂亮，如果你懂得我的意思的话，麦基太太紧跟着说，只要切斯特能把你这个姿势拍下来，我想这一定会是一幅杰作。
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 .
我们大家都默默地看着威尔逊太太，她把一缕头发从眼前掠开，笑吟吟地看着我们大家。麦基先生歪着头，目不转睛地端说着她，然后又伸出一只手在面前慢慢地来回移动。
" 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 ."
我得改换光线，他过了一会儿说道，我很想把面貌的立体感表现出来。我还要把后面的头发全部摄进来。
"I wouldn't think of changing the light ,"cried Mrs.McKee ."I think it's --"
我认为根本不应该改换光线，麦基太太大声说，我认为…
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“嘘”了一声，于是我们大家又都把目光转向摄影的题材，这时汤姆.布坎农出声地打了一个哈欠，站了起来。
"You McKee have something to drink ,"he said ."Get some more ice and mineral water ,Myrtle ,before everybody goes to sleep."
你们麦基家两口子喝点什么吧，他说，再搞点冰和矿泉水来，茉特尔，不然的话大家都睡着了。
"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来了，茉特尔把眉毛一扬，对下等人的懒惰无能表示绝望，这些人！你非得老盯着他们不可。
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来。接着她蹦蹦跳跳跑到小狗跟前，欢天喜地地亲亲它，然后又大摇大摆地走进厨房，那神气就好似那里有十几个大厨在听侯她的吩咐。
"I've done some nice things out on Long Island ,"asserted Mr.McKee .
我在长岛那边拍过几张好的。麦基先生断言。
Tom looked at him blankly.
汤姆茫然在看看他。
"Two of them we have framed downstairs ."
有两幅我们配了镜框挂在楼下。
"Two what ?"demanded Tom .
两幅什么？汤姆追问。
"Two studies .One of them I call Montauk Point -- the Gulls',and the other I call 'Montauk Point -- -the Sea."
两幅习作，其在一幅我称之为《蒙涛角--海鸥》，另一幅叫《蒙涛角--大海》。
The sister Catherine sat down beside me on the couch.
那位名叫凯瑟琳的妹妹挨着我在沙发上坐下。那位名叫凯瑟琳的妹妹挨着我在沙发上坐下。
"Do you live down on Long Island ,too ?"she inquried.
你也住在长岛那边吗？她问我。
"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."
是吗？我到那儿参加过一次聚会，大约一个月以前。在一个叫盖茨比的人的家里。你认识他吗？
"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，人家说他是德国威廉皇帝的侄儿，或者什么别的亲戚。他的钱都是那么来的。
"Really?"
真的吗？
She nodded.
她点了点头。
"I'm scared of him .I'd hate to have him get anything on me ."
我害怕他，我可不愿意落到他手里。
This absorbing information about my neighbor was interrupted by Mrs.McKee's pointing suddenly at Catherine:
关于我邻居的这段引人入胜的报道，由于麦基太太突然伸手指着凯瑟琳而被打断了。
"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，我觉得你满可以给她拍一张好的。她大声嚷嚷，可是麦基先生光是懒洋洋地点了点头，把注意力又转向汤姆。
"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 ."
我很想在长岛多搞点业务，要是有人介绍的话。我唯一的要求就是他们帮我开个头。
"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 ?"
问茉特尔好了，汤姆哈哈一笑说，正好威尔逊太太端了个托盘走了进来，她可以给你写封介绍信，是不是，茉特尔？
"Do whtat ?"she asked ,startled.
干什么？她吃惊地问道。
"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 ."
你给麦基写一封信去见丈夫，他就可以为你丈夫拍几张特写。他嘴唇不出声地动了一会儿，接着胡诌道，《乔治B.威尔逊在油泵前》，或者诸如此类的玩意。
Catherine leaned close to me and whispered in my ear :"Neither of them can stand the person they're married to ."
凯瑟琳凑到我耳边，跟我小声说：他们俩谁都受不了自己的那口子。
"Can't they?"
是吗？
"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，她先看看茉特尔，又看看汤姆。依我说，既然受不了，何必还在一起过下去呢？要是我，我就离婚，然后马上重新结婚。
"Doesn't she like Wilson either ?"
她不喜欢威尔逊吗？
The answer to this was unexpected .It came from Myrtle who had overheard the question and it was violent and obscene.
对这个问题的答复是出乎意外的。茉特尔凑巧听见了问题，而她的回答是又粗暴又不干净的。
"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，凯瑟琳得意洋洋地大声说，然后又压低了嗓门，使他们不能结婚的其实是他老婆。她是天主教徒，那些人是不赞成离婚的。
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