《了不起的盖茨比·Chapter VII》第1节
It was when curiosity about Gatsby was at its highest that the lights in his house failed to go on one Saturday night—and, as obscurely as it had begun, his career as Trimalchio was over. Only gradually did I become aware that the automobiles which turned expectantly into his drive stayed for just a minute and then drove sulkily away. Wondering if he were sick I went over to find out—an unfamiliar butler with a villainous face squinted at me suspiciously from the door. “Is Mr. Gatsby sick?” “Nope.” After a pause he added “sir” in a dilatory, grudging way. “I hadn’t seen him around, and I was rather worried. Tell him Mr. Carraway came over.” “Who?” he demanded rudely. “Carraway.” “Carraway. All right, I’ll tell him.” Abruptly he slammed the door. My Finn informed me that Gatsby had dismissed every servant in his house a week ago and replaced them with half a dozen others, who never went into West Egg village to be bribed by the tradesmen, but ordered moderate supplies over the telephone. The grocery boy reported that the kitchen looked like a pigsty, and the general opinion in the village was that the new people weren’t servants at all.
注释摘要
好，我们来看这一段。字面上，这是一个关于“终结”的时刻。叙述者尼克告诉我们，在人们对盖茨比的好奇心达到顶峰的那个星期六晚上，他家的灯没有亮——他那如同古罗马暴发户特里马尔奇奥般的款待生涯，和它开始时一样神秘地结束了。这里的“Trimalchio”是菲茨杰拉德从古罗马作家佩特罗尼乌斯的作品《萨蒂利孔》中借用的典故。特里马尔奇奥是一个靠投机倒把获得自由的奴隶，…