《了不起的盖茨比·Chapter III》第19节
A man in a long duster had dismounted from the wreck and now stood in the middle of the road, looking from the car to the tyre and from the tyre to the observers in a pleasant, puzzled way. “See!” he explained. “It went in the ditch.” The fact was infinitely astonishing to him, and I recognized first the unusual quality of wonder, and then the man—it was the late patron of Gatsby’s library. “How’d it happen?” He shrugged his shoulders. “I know nothing whatever about mechanics,” he said decisively. “But how did it happen? Did you run into the wall?” “Don’t ask me,” said Owl Eyes, washing his hands of the whole matter. “I know very little about driving—next to nothing. It happened, and that’s all I know.” “Well, if you’re a poor driver you oughtn’t to try driving at night.” “But I wasn’t even trying,” he explained indignantly, “I wasn’t even trying.” An awed hush fell upon the bystanders. “Do you want to commit suicide?” “You’re lucky it was just a wheel! A bad driver and not even trying!” “You don’t understand,” explained the criminal. “I wasn’t driving. There’s another man in the car.” The shock that followed this declaration found voice in a sustained “Ah-h-h!” as the door of the coupé swung slowly open. The crowd—it was now a crowd—stepped back involuntarily, and when the door had opened wide there was a ghostly pause. Then, very gradually, part by part, a pale, dangling individual stepped out of the wreck, pawing tentatively at the ground with a large uncertain dancing shoe.
注释摘要
这场深夜的闹剧发生在盖茨比的派对散场之时。一辆崭新的双门轿车刚从盖茨比的车道开出去不到两分钟，就撞在了路边，一个轮子被猛力切掉。一个穿着长款防尘罩衣的男人从残骸里爬出来，站在路中央，来回看着车子、掉落的轮胎和围观者，神情愉快而困惑。他指着现场，用一种发现新大陆般的惊异语气宣布：“瞧！它掉沟里了。”尼克认出了这种非同寻常的惊奇感，随即认出了这个人——正是之前…