“Still—I was married in the middle of June,” Daisy remembered, “Louisville in June! Somebody fainted. Who was it fainted, Tom?” “尽管如此——我就是在六月中旬结婚的，”黛西回忆道，“六月的路易斯维 尔！有一个人昏倒了。昏倒的是谁，汤姆？”

“Biloxi,” he answered shortly. “A man named Biloxi. ‘Blocks’ Biloxi, and he made boxes—that’s a fact—and he was from Biloxi, Tennessee.” “毕洛克西。”他简慢地答道。“一个姓‘毕洛克西’的人。‘木头人’毕洛克西，他是做盒子的——这是事 实——他又是田纳西州毕洛克西市的人。”

“They carried him into my house,” appended Jordan, “because we lived just two doors from the church. And he stayed three weeks, until Daddy told him he had to get out. The day after he left Daddy died.” After a moment she added as if she might have sounded irreverent, “There wasn’t any connection.” “他们把他抬进我家里，”乔丹补充说，“因为我们住的地方和教堂隔着两家 的距离。他一住就住了三个星期，直到爸爸叫他走路。他走后第二天爸爸就死了。” 过了一会她又加了一句话说，“两件事井没有什么联系。”

“I used to know a Bill Biloxi from Memphis,” I remarked. “我从前也认识一个孟菲斯人叫比尔·毕洛克西。”我说。

“That was his cousin. I knew his whole family history before he left. He gave me an aluminum putter that I use to-day.” “那是他堂兄弟。他走以前我对他的整个家史都一清二楚了。他送了我一根打 高尔夫球的轻击棒，我到今天还在用。”

The music had died down as the ceremony began and now a long cheer floated in at the window, followed by intermittent cries of “Yea—ea—ea!” and finally by a burst of jazz as the dancing began. 婚礼一开始音乐就停了，此刻从窗口又飘进来一阵很长的欢呼声，接着又是一 阵阵“好啊——好——啊”的叫喊，最后响起爵士乐的声音，跳舞开始了。

“We’re getting old,” said Daisy. “If we were young we’d rise and dance.” “我们都衰老了，”黛西说，“如果我们还年轻的话，我们就会站起来跳舞的。”

“Remember Biloxi,” Jordan warned her. “Where’d you know him, Tom?” “别忘了毕洛克西。”乔丹警告她，“你是在哪儿认识他的，汤姆？”

“Biloxi?” He concentrated with an effort. “I didn’t know him. He was a friend of Daisy’s.” “毕洛克西？”他聚精会神想了一会，“我不认识他。他是黛西的朋友。”

“He was not,” she denied. “I’d never seen him before. He came down in the private car.” “他才不是哩，”她否认道，“我在那以前从来没见过他。他是坐你的专车来 的。”

“Well, he said he knew you. He said he was raised in Louisville. Asa Bird brought him around at the last minute and asked if we had room for him.” “对啦，他说他认识你。他说他是在路易斯维尔长大的。阿莎·伯德在最后一 分钟把他带来，问我们是否有地方让他坐。”

Jordan smiled. 

“He was probably bumming his way home. He told me he was president of your class at Yale.” 乔丹笑了一笑。“他多半是不花钱搭车回家。他告诉我他在耶鲁是你们的班长。”
Tom and I looked at each other blankly. 汤姆和我彼此茫然地对看。

“Biloxi?” “毕洛克西？”

“First place, we didn’t have any president—” “首先，我们压根儿没有班长……”

Gatsby’s foot beat a short, restless tattoo and Tom eyed him suddenly. 盖茨比的脚不耐烦地连敲了几声，引起汤姆突然瞧了他一眼。

“By the way, Mr. Gatsby, I understand you’re an Oxford man.” “说起来，盖茨比先生，我听说你是牛津校友。”

“Not exactly.” “不完全是那样。”

“Oh, yes, I understand you went to Oxford.” “哦，是的，我听说你上过牛津。”

“Yes—I went there.” “是的，我上过那儿。”

A pause. Then Tom’s voice, incredulous and insulting: 停顿了一会。然后是汤姆的声音，带有怀疑和侮辱的口吻：

“You must have gone there about the time Biloxi went to New Haven.” “你一定是在毕洛克西上纽黑文的时候去牛津的吧。”

Another pause. A waiter knocked and came in with crushed mint and ice but, the silence was unbroken by his “thank you” and the soft closing of the door. This tremendous detail was to be cleared up at last. 又停顿了一会。一个茶房敲门，端着敲碎了的薄荷叶和冰走进来，但是他的一 声“谢谢您”和轻轻的关门声也没打破沉默。这个关系重大的细节终于要澄清了。

“I told you I went there,” said Gatsby. “我跟你说过了我上过那儿。”盖茨比说。

“I heard you, but I’d like to know when.” “我听见了，可是我想知道在什么时候。”

“It was in nineteen-nineteen, I only stayed five months. That’s why I can’t really call myself an Oxford man.” “是一九一九年，我只待了五个月。这就是为什么我不能自称是牛津校友的原 因。”

Tom glanced around to see if we mirrored his unbelief. But we were all looking at Gatsby. 汤姆瞥了大家一眼，看看我们脸上是否也反映出他的怀疑。但是我们都在看着 盖茨比。

“It was an opportunity they gave to some of the officers after the Armistice,” he continued. “We could go to any of the universities in England or France.” “那是停战以后他们为一些军官提供的机会，”他继续说下去，“我们可以上 任何英国或者法国的大学。”

I wanted to get up and slap him on the back. I had one of those renewals of complete faith in him that I’d experienced before. 我真想站起来拍拍他的肩膀。我又一次感到对他完全信任，这是我以前体验过的。

Daisy rose, smiling faintly, and went to the table. 黛西站了起来，微微一笑，走到桌子前面。

“Open the whiskey, Tom,” she ordered, “and I’ll make you a mint julep. Then you won’t seem so stupid to yourself. . . . look at the mint!” “打开威士忌，汤姆，”她命令道，“我给你做一杯薄荷酒。然后你就不会觉 得自己那么蠢了……你看这些薄荷叶子！”
“Wait a minute,” snapped Tom, “I want to ask Mr. Gatsby one more question.” “等一会，”汤姆厉声道，“我还要问盖茨比先生一个问题。”

“Go on,” Gatsby said politely. “请问吧。”盖茨比很有礼貌地说。

“What kind of a row are you trying to cause in my house anyhow?” “你到底想在我家里制造什么样的纠纷？”

They were out in the open at last and Gatsby was content. 他们终于把话挑明了，盖茨比倒也满意。

“He isn’t causing a row.” Daisy looked desperately from one to the other. “You’re causing a row. Please have a little self-control.” 他没制造纠纷，"黛西惊惶地看看这一个又看看那一个，"你在制造纠纷。请你自制一点儿。"

“Self-control!” Repeated Tom incredulously. “I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife. Well, if that’s the idea you can count me out. . . . nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions, and next they’ll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black and white.” "自制！"汤姆不能置信地重复道，"我猜想最时髦的事情大概是装聋作哑，让不知从哪儿冒出来的阿猫阿狗跟你老婆凋情。哼，如果那样才算时髦，你可以把我除外……这年头人们开始对家庭生活和家庭制度嗤之以鼻，再下一步他们就该抛弃一切，搞黑人和白人通婚了。"

Flushed with his impassioned gibberish, he saw himself standing alone on the last barrier of civilization. 他满口胡言乱语，脸涨得通红，俨然自以为单独一个人站在文明最后的壁垒上。

“We’re all white here,” murmured Jordan. 

"我们这里大家都是白人嘛。"乔丹咕哝着说。

“I know I’m not very popular. I don’t give big parties. I suppose you’ve got to make your house into a pigsty in order to have any friends—in the modern world.” . "我知道我不得人心。我不举行大型宴会。大概你非得把自己的家搞成猪圈才能交朋友--在这个现代世界上。

Angry as I was, as we all were, I was tempted to laugh whenever he opened his mouth. The transition from libertine to prig was so complete. 尽管我和大家一样感到很气愤，每次他一张口我就忍不住想笑。一个酒徒色鬼竟然摇身一变就成了道学先生。