《了不起的盖茨比·Chapter VII》第6节
“I got dressed before luncheon,” said the child, turning eagerly to Daisy. “That’s because your mother wanted to show you off.” Her face bent into the single wrinkle of the small white neck. “You dream, you. You absolute little dream.” “Yes,” admitted the child calmly. “Aunt Jordan’s got on a white dress too.” “How do you like mother’s friends?” Daisy turned her around so that she faced Gatsby. “Do you think they’re pretty?” “Where’s Daddy?” “She doesn’t look like her father,” explained Daisy. “She looks like me. She’s got my hair and shape of the face.” Daisy sat back upon the couch. The nurse took a step forward and held out her hand. “Come, Pammy.” “Goodbye, sweetheart!” With a reluctant backward glance the well-disciplined child held to her nurse’s hand and was pulled out the door, just as Tom came back, preceding four gin rickeys that clicked full of ice. Gatsby took up his drink. “They certainly look cool,” he said, with visible tension. We drank in long, greedy swallows. “I read somewhere that the sun’s getting hotter every year,” said Tom genially. “It seems that pretty soon the earth’s going to fall into the sun—or wait a minute—it’s just the opposite—the sun’s getting colder every year.
注释摘要
这一小段是整部小说里最让人心头发紧的段落之一，但它表面上看去却轻飘飘的，甚至带着一种刻意的甜美。 先说字面发生了什么。黛西的女儿帕米被保姆带进客厅。小女孩一进来就说自己在午饭前就换好了衣服，黛西解释说那是因为自己想“炫耀”她。接着黛西弯腰把脸埋在孩子细小的白脖子上，叫她“小美人儿，你这个小美人儿”。帕米很平静地接受了这个称呼，然后注意到乔丹阿姨也穿了白裙子…