《了不起的盖茨比·Chapter I》第19节
The horses, needless to say, were not mentioned again. Tom and Miss Baker, with several feet of twilight between them, strolled back into the library, as if to a vigil beside a perfectly tangible body, while, trying to look pleasantly interested and a little deaf, I followed Daisy around a chain of connecting verandas to the porch in front. In its deep gloom we sat down side by side on a wicker settee. Daisy took her face in her hands as if feeling its lovely shape, and her eyes moved gradually out into the velvet dusk. I saw that turbulent emotions possessed her, so I asked what I thought would be some sedative questions about her little girl. “We don’t know each other very well, Nick,” she said suddenly. “Even if we are cousins. You didn’t come to my wedding.” “I wasn’t back from the war.” “That’s true.” She hesitated. “Well, I’ve had a very bad time, Nick, and I’m pretty cynical about everything.” Evidently she had reason to be. I waited but she didn’t say any more, and after a moment I returned rather feebly to the subject of her daughter. “I suppose she talks, and—eats, and everything.” “Oh, yes.” She looked at me absently. “Listen, Nick; let me tell you what I said when she was born. Would you like to hear?”
注释摘要
这一段的开头，尼克用一句简短的陈述收束了刚才餐桌上的混乱：“马的事，不用说，再也没人提了。” 这句话的语气很值得玩味——它不只是在说一个话题被搁置，更像在暗示刚才整场晚餐中所有未被说破的东西（汤姆的情妇打来的电话、黛西手指的淤青、那些关于文明和种族的荒谬高论）都像那个关于马厩的提议一样，被大家默契地掩埋了。尼克用“needless to say”这个短语，…