《了不起的盖茨比·Chapter VII》第3节
“Oh, my!” she gasped. I picked it up with a weary bend and handed it back to her, holding it at arm’s length and by the extreme tip of the corners to indicate that I had no designs upon it—but everyone near by, including the woman, suspected me just the same. “Hot!” said the conductor to familiar faces. “Some weather! … Hot! … Hot! … Hot! … Is it hot enough for you? Is it hot? Is it … ?” My commutation ticket came back to me with a dark stain from his hand. That anyone should care in this heat whose flushed lips he kissed, whose head made damp the pyjama pocket over his heart! … Through the hall of the Buchanans’ house blew a faint wind, carrying the sound of the telephone bell out to Gatsby and me as we waited at the door. “The master’s body?” roared the butler into the mouthpiece. “I’m sorry, madame, but we can’t furnish it—it’s far too hot to touch this noon!” What he really said was: “Yes … Yes … I’ll see.” He set down the receiver and came toward us, glistening slightly, to take our stiff straw hats. “Madame expects you in the salon!” he cried, needlessly indicating the direction. In this heat every extra gesture was an affront to the common store of life.
注释摘要
这段文字始于一个极微小的动作。车厢里邻座的女人手提包滑落，尼克弯腰捡起来，却刻意捏着包角、伸直胳膊递还——他要用这个夸张的姿势向所有人宣告自己绝无偷窃之意。结果呢？满车厢的人，包括那女人自己，照样怀疑他。菲茨杰拉德在这里玩了一个绝妙的反讽：尼克越是想证明清白，就越显得可疑。那个“by the extreme tip of the corners”（捏着最边…