《了不起的盖茨比·Chapter VI》第15节
“I’d like to know who he is and what he does,” insisted Tom. “And I think I’ll make a point of finding out.” “I can tell you right now,” she answered. “He owned some drugstores, a lot of drugstores. He built them up himself.” The dilatory limousine came rolling up the drive. “Good night, Nick,” said Daisy. Her glance left me and sought the lighted top of the steps, where “Three O’Clock in the Morning,” a neat, sad little waltz of that year, was drifting out the open door. After all, in the very casualness of Gatsby’s party there were romantic possibilities totally absent from her world. What was it up there in the song that seemed to be calling her back inside? What would happen now in the dim, incalculable hours? Perhaps some unbelievable guest would arrive, a person infinitely rare and to be marvelled at, some authentically radiant young girl who with one fresh glance at Gatsby, one moment of magical encounter, would blot out those five years of unwavering devotion. I stayed late that night. Gatsby asked me to wait until he was free, and I lingered in the garden until the inevitable swimming party had run up, chilled and exalted, from the black beach, until the lights were extinguished in the guestrooms overhead. When he came down the steps at last the tanned skin was drawn unusually tight on his face, and his eyes were bright and tired.
注释摘要
汤姆在派对尾声突然发问，用的是那种不容置疑的语气，他要查清盖茨比的底细。黛西立刻接话，替他挡了回去——“他开了些药房，好多药房，全是他自己一手建起来的。”这回答利落、笃定，像在背一句准备好的台词。她是在替他辩护，也像是在替他圆一个体面的身份。但读者都知道，一九二〇年代美国禁酒令时期，“药房”是个微妙的字眼：当时药房是唯一可以合法出售医用酒精的渠道，不少私酒…