《了不起的盖茨比·Chapter V》第12节
I think he hardly knew what he was saying, for when I asked him what business he was in he answered: “That’s my affair,” before he realized that it wasn’t an appropriate reply. “Oh, I’ve been in several things,” he corrected himself. “I was in the drug business and then I was in the oil business. But I’m not in either one now.” He looked at me with more attention. “Do you mean you’ve been thinking over what I proposed the other night?” Before I could answer, Daisy came out of the house and two rows of brass buttons on her dress gleamed in the sunlight. “That huge place there?” she cried pointing. “Do you like it?” “I love it, but I don’t see how you live there all alone.” “I keep it always full of interesting people, night and day. People who do interesting things. Celebrated people.” Instead of taking the shortcut along the Sound we went down to the road and entered by the big postern. With enchanting murmurs Daisy admired this aspect or that of the feudal silhouette against the sky, admired the gardens, the sparkling odour of jonquils and the frothy odour of hawthorn and plum blossoms and the pale gold odour of kiss-me-at-the-gate. It was strange to reach the marble steps and find no stir of bright dresses in and out the door, and hear no sound but bird voices in the trees.
注释摘要
盖茨比此刻心神极度涣散，连自己说了什么都不清楚。尼克只不过顺口问了一句他从事什么行当，他便条件反射般甩出一句"这是我自己的事"——语带防备，几乎粗鲁，随即才猛然醒悟这回答太不妥当，赶紧往回找补。他给出的修正版本依旧语焉不详：以前做过药品生意，后来做过石油生意，现在两样都不做了。这在二十年代美国语境里大有深意。所谓"药品生意"往往就是禁酒令时期私酒贩卖的委婉…