《了不起的盖茨比·Chapter V》第7节
With his hands still in his coat pockets he stalked by me into the hall, turned sharply as if he were on a wire, and disappeared into the living-room. It wasn’t a bit funny. Aware of the loud beating of my own heart I pulled the door to against the increasing rain. For half a minute there wasn’t a sound. Then from the living-room I heard a sort of choking murmur and part of a laugh, followed by Daisy’s voice on a clear artificial note: “I certainly am awfully glad to see you again.” A pause; it endured horribly. I had nothing to do in the hall, so I went into the room. Gatsby, his hands still in his pockets, was reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease, even of boredom. His head leaned back so far that it rested against the face of a defunct mantelpiece clock, and from this position his distraught eyes stared down at Daisy, who was sitting, frightened but graceful, on the edge of a stiff chair. “We’ve met before,” muttered Gatsby. His eyes glanced momentarily at me, and his lips parted with an abortive attempt at a laugh. Luckily the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers, and set it back in place. Then he sat down, rigidly, his elbow on the arm of the sofa and his chin in his hand.
注释摘要
尼克出去开门时，盖茨比已经绕到前门来了。他站在一滩水里，脸色惨白，双手像重物般插在外套口袋里，一副奔赴刑场的模样。他不看尼克，径直大步迈进走廊，然后像一个被线牵着的木偶般猛地转身，消失进客厅。这个"as if he were on a wire"的比喻精确得可怕——盖茨比此刻完全没有自主的流畅动作，整个人是僵硬、机械的，仿佛有某种外力在操纵他残存的意志。尼…