《了不起的盖茨比·Chapter IX》第2节
But all this part of it seemed remote and unessential. I found myself on Gatsby’s side, and alone. From the moment I telephoned news of the catastrophe to West Egg village, every surmise about him, and every practical question, was referred to me. At first I was surprised and confused; then, as he lay in his house and didn’t move or breathe or speak, hour upon hour, it grew upon me that I was responsible, because no one else was interested—interested, I mean, with that intense personal interest to which everyone has some vague right at the end. I called up Daisy half an hour after we found him, called her instinctively and without hesitation. But she and Tom had gone away early that afternoon, and taken baggage with them. “Left no address?” “No.” “Say when they’d be back?” “No.” “Any idea where they are? How I could reach them?” “I don’t know. Can’t say.” I wanted to get somebody for him. I wanted to go into the room where he lay and reassure him: “I’ll get somebody for you, Gatsby. Don’t worry. Just trust me and I’ll get somebody for you—” Meyer Wolfshiem’s name wasn’t in the phone book. The butler gave me his office address on Broadway, and I called Information, but by the time I had the number it was long after five, and no one answered the phone.
注释摘要
这一节开始，尼克在叙述上做了一个重要的切割。他说验尸、报纸、威尔逊的疯癫这些事“遥远而无足轻重”，然后立刻转到一个更私密、也更沉重的真相上：他发现自己是唯一站在盖茨比这边的人。这句话的措辞很讲究，“I found myself on Gatsby’s side, and alone”——“and alone”单独挂在句尾，被逗号隔开，像一个平静的结论，也像…