《了不起的盖茨比·Chapter II》第2节
The valley of ashes is bounded on one side by a small foul river, and, when the drawbridge is up to let barges through, the passengers on waiting trains can stare at the dismal scene for as long as half an hour. There is always a halt there of at least a minute, and it was because of this that I first met Tom Buchanan’s mistress. The fact that he had one was insisted upon wherever he was known. His acquaintances resented the fact that he turned up in popular cafés with her and, leaving her at a table, sauntered about, chatting with whomsoever he knew. Though I was curious to see her, I had no desire to meet her—but I did. I went up to New York with Tom on the train one afternoon, and when we stopped by the ash-heaps he jumped to his feet and, taking hold of my elbow, literally forced me from the car. “We’re getting off,” he insisted. “I want you to meet my girl.” I think he’d tanked up a good deal at luncheon, and his determination to have my company bordered on violence. The supercilious assumption was that on Sunday afternoon I had nothing better to do.
注释摘要
这段文字从灰烬之谷的地理边界说起。将这片灰暗荒原界定出来的，不是什么围墙或大路，而是一条“又小又脏的河”——small foul river。值得留意的是菲茨杰拉德对尺度和感官的精准把控：small说明它无足轻重，foul则诉诸嗅觉，暗示河水散发着臭味，与上一段那些“飘荡不息”、呛人的灰烬尘埃相互呼应。开合桥（drawbridge）一旦升起让驳船通过，火车…