《了不起的盖茨比·Chapter V》第5节
I took him into the pantry, where he looked a little reproachfully at the Finn. Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop. “Will they do?” I asked. “Of course, of course! They’re fine!” and he added hollowly, “… old sport.” The rain cooled about half-past three to a damp mist, through which occasional thin drops swam like dew. Gatsby looked with vacant eyes through a copy of Clay’s Economics, starting at the Finnish tread that shook the kitchen floor, and peering towards the bleared windows from time to time as if a series of invisible but alarming happenings were taking place outside. Finally he got up and informed me, in an uncertain voice, that he was going home. “Why’s that?” “Nobody’s coming to tea. It’s too late!” He looked at his watch as if there was some pressing demand on his time elsewhere. “I can’t wait all day.” “Don’t be silly; it’s just two minutes to four.” He sat down miserably, as if I had pushed him, and simultaneously there was the sound of a motor turning into my lane. We both jumped up, and, a little harrowed myself, I went out into the yard. Under the dripping bare lilac-trees a large open car was coming up the drive. It stopped. Daisy’s face, tipped sideways beneath a three-cornered lavender hat, looked out at me with a bright ecstatic smile.
注释摘要
这一幕是《了不起的盖茨比》中最精确的紧张感解剖。尼克把盖茨比带进配膳室，盖茨比用“略带责备”的眼神看了一眼那个芬兰女仆。这个眼神的意味很微妙——他可能在责备她为什么还在这里，为什么一切不是完美的。然后两人一起审视熟食店买来的十二块柠檬蛋糕。盖茨比的回答看似爽快：“当然，当然！它们很好！”但菲茨杰拉德加了一个副词“hollowly”（空洞地），这个词像一枚针…