The Great Gatsby — Page 4

English → Chinese Full Text Level 7/10

Instead of being the warm centre of the world, the Middle West now seemed like the ragged edge of the universe—so I decided to go East and learn the bond business.

中西部曾经是世界温暖的中心，如今却像是宇宙破败的边缘——于是我决定去东部，学习债券生意。

Everybody I knew was in the bond business, so I supposed it could support one more single man.

我认识的人都在做债券生意，所以我想这一行再多养活一个单身汉应该不成问题。

All my aunts and uncles talked it over as if they were choosing a prep school for me, and finally said, "Why—ye-es," with very grave, hesitant faces.

我所有的叔伯姑舅都像是在为我挑选预备学校一般商量了一番，最终带着十分严肃、迟疑的神情说道："这个——好——吧。"

Father agreed to finance me for a year, and after various delays I came East, permanently, I thought, in the spring of twenty-two.

父亲同意资助我一年，经过种种耽搁之后，我于二二年的春天来到了东部，我以为这将是永久的定居。

The practical thing was to find rooms in the city, but it was a warm season, and I had just left a country of wide lawns and friendly trees, so when a young man at the office suggested that we take a house together in a commuting town, it sounded like a great idea.

务实的做法是在城里找几间房，但那正是温暖的季节，而我刚刚离开了一片有着宽阔草坪和亲切树木的乡野，所以当办公室里一个年轻人建议我们一起在通勤小镇租一栋房子时，这听起来是个好主意。

He found the house, a weather-beaten cardboard bungalow at eighty a month, but at the last minute the firm ordered him to Washington, and I went out to the country alone.

他找到了那栋房子，一座饱经风吹日晒、薄板搭建的平房，月租八十美元，但就在最后关头，公司命令他前往华盛顿，于是我一个人去了乡下。

I had a dog—at least I had him for a few days until he ran away—and an old Dodge and a Finnish woman, who made my bed and cooked breakfast and muttered Finnish wisdom to herself over the electric stove.

我养了一条狗——至少养了几天，直到它跑掉——还有一辆旧道奇车和一个芬兰女人，她替我铺床、做早饭，还在电炉旁自言自语地念叨着芬兰人的智慧。

It was lonely for a day or so until one morning some man, more recently arrived than I, stopped me on the road.

孤独了一天左右，直到某天早晨，一个比我更晚到来的人在路上拦住了我。

Vocabulary

中西部: zhōng xī bù — The Midwest region of a country
曾经: céng jīng — Once; at a certain time in the past
是: shì — To be; is, am, are
世界: shì jiè — The world; all of existence
温暖: wēn nuǎn — Warm; giving a feeling of warmth
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification
中心: zhōng xīn — Center; the central point of something
如今: rú jīn — Nowadays; at the present time
却: què — But; yet; however (contrast marker)
像是: xiàng shì — Seems like; resembles; looks as if
宇宙: yǔ zhòu — Universe; cosmos; outer space
破败: pò bài — Dilapidated; run-down; fallen into decay
边缘: biān yuán — Edge; margin; fringe of something
于是: yú shì — Therefore; as a result; so then
我: wǒ — I; me; first-person singular pronoun
决定: jué dìng — To decide; to make a decision
去: qù — To go; to travel to a place
东部: dōng bù — Eastern part; the eastern region
学习: xué xí — To study; to learn; to acquire knowledge
债券: zhài quàn — Bond; a debt investment security
生意: shēng yi — Business; trade; commercial activity
认识: rèn shi — To know; to be acquainted with someone
人: rén — Person; people; human being
都: dōu — All; both; entirely; without exception
在: zài — At; in; to be present; engaged in
做: zuò — To do; to make; to engage in
所以: suǒ yǐ — Therefore; so; for that reason
想: xiǎng — To think; to want; to consider
这: zhè — This; referring to something nearby
一行: yī háng — This line of work; this profession
再: zài — Again; once more; in addition
多: duō — Many; much; more; additionally
养活: yǎng huó — To support; to feed and sustain someone
一个: yī gè — One; a single (measure word + numeral)
单身汉: dān shēn hàn — Bachelor; an unmarried man living alone
应该: yīng gāi — Should; ought to; must
不成: bù chéng — Should not be a problem; won't fail
问题: wèn tí — Problem; question; issue; difficulty
所有: suǒ yǒu — All; every; all of the
叔伯: shū bó — Paternal uncles; father's brothers collectively
姑舅: gū jiù — Aunts and maternal uncles; relatives
为: wèi — For; for the sake of; on behalf of
挑选: tiāo xuǎn — To select; to choose carefully among options
预备: yù bèi — To prepare; to get ready in advance
学校: xué xiào — School; an educational institution
一般: yī bān — Generally; ordinary; like; as if
商量: shāng liang — To discuss; to consult; to talk over
了: le — Completed action particle; change of state
一番: yī fān — A round of; a period of effort or activity
最终: zuì zhōng — Finally; ultimately; in the end
带着: dài zhe — Carrying; bearing; with (something) in tow
十分: shí fēn — Very; extremely; fully; completely
严肃: yán sù — Serious; solemn; grave in manner
迟疑: chí yí — To hesitate; to waver; showing uncertainty
神情: shén qíng — Expression; look; demeanor on one's face
说道: shuō dào — Said; spoke; uttered (narrative dialogue verb)
这个: zhè gè — This one; this thing; this matter
好: hǎo — Good; fine; okay; well
吧: ba — Suggestion or mild agreement particle
父亲: fù qīn — Father; a formal term for one's dad
同意: tóng yì — To agree; to consent; to approve
资助: zī zhù — To fund; to financially support someone
一年: yī nián — One year; a period of twelve months
经过: jīng guò — After; through; to pass through or experience
种种: zhǒng zhǒng — Various; all kinds of; numerous sorts
耽搁: dān ge — To delay; to hold up; to be held back
之后: zhī hòu — After; afterwards; following that time
于: yú — At; in; on (formal preposition of time/place)
春天: chūn tiān — Spring; the spring season of the year
来到: lái dào — To arrive at; to come to a place
以为: yǐ wéi — To mistakenly think; to assume incorrectly
将是: jiāng shì — Will be; shall be (future tense marker)
永久: yǒng jiǔ — Permanent; forever; long-lasting
定居: dìng jū — To settle down; to establish permanent residence
务实: wù shí — Pragmatic; practical; realistic in approach
做法: zuò fǎ — Method; approach; way of doing something
城里: chéng lǐ — In the city; inside the urban area
找: zhǎo — To look for; to search; to find
几间: jǐ jiān — Several rooms; a few (rooms)
房: fáng — Room; house; building; dwelling
但: dàn — But; however; yet (contrast connector)
那: nà — That; those; referring to something distant
正是: zhèng shì — It is exactly; precisely; just happens to be
季节: jì jié — Season; a division of the year
而: ér — And; yet; but (connective conjunction)
刚刚: gāng gāng — Just now; just recently; a moment ago
离开: lí kāi — To leave; to depart from a place
一片: yī piàn — A stretch of; an expanse of land
有着: yǒu zhe — Having; possessing; with (descriptive feature)
宽阔: kuān kuò — Broad; wide; spacious; expansive
草坪: cǎo píng — Lawn; grassy area; open grassy ground
和: hé — And; with; together with
亲切: qīn qiè — Warm; friendly; kind; affectionate
树木: shù mù — Trees; woody plants; collective term for trees
乡野: xiāng yě — Rural countryside; fields and open land
当: dāng — When; at the time of; to serve as
办公室: bàn gōng shì — Office; a room used for work
里: lǐ — Inside; within; in (location marker)
年轻人: nián qīng rén — Young person; youth; young people
建议: jiàn yì — To suggest; a recommendation or proposal
我们: wǒ men — We; us; first-person plural pronoun
一起: yī qǐ — Together; at the same time; jointly
通勤: tōng qín — To commute; regular travel to work
小镇: xiǎo zhèn — Small town; a minor township
租: zū — To rent; to lease; rental
一栋: yī dòng — One building; one (measure word for buildings)
房子: fáng zi — House; building; dwelling place
时: shí — When; at the time of; during
听起来: tīng qǐ lái — Sounds like; seems to sound a certain way
个: gè — General measure word for people and things
好主意: hǎo zhǔ yi — Good idea; a clever suggestion or plan
他: tā — He; him; third-person masculine pronoun
找到: zhǎo dào — To find; to successfully locate something
那栋: nà dòng — That building; that (measure word for buildings)
一座: yī zuò — One (measure word for large structures)
饱经: bǎo jīng — To have experienced much; thoroughly worn by
风吹日晒: fēng chuī rì shài — Weathered by wind and sun; exposed to elements
薄板: báo bǎn — Thin planks; thin boards of wood
搭建: dā jiàn — To build; to construct; to put together
平房: píng fáng — Bungalow; single-story house without upper floors
月租: yuè zū — Monthly rent; rental fee per month
美元: měi yuán — US dollar; American currency unit
就在: jiù zài — Right at; just when; exactly at that point
最后: zuì hòu — Finally; last; at the very end
关头: guān tóu — Critical moment; crucial juncture; turning point
公司: gōng sī — Company; corporation; business organization
命令: mìng lìng — Order; command; to order someone to do
前往: qián wǎng — To head to; to proceed toward a destination
华盛顿: huá shèng dùn — Washington; name of US city or state
一个人: yī gè rén — Alone; by oneself; one person
去了: qù le — Went; has gone away to somewhere
乡下: xiāng xià — Countryside; rural area; outside the city
养了: yǎng le — Kept; raised (a pet or animal)
一条: yī tiáo — One (measure word for long flexible things)
狗: gǒu — Dog; a domestic canine animal
至少: zhì shǎo — At least; no fewer than; minimum
几天: jǐ tiān — Several days; a few days
直到: zhí dào — Until; up to the point when
它: tā — It; third-person pronoun for animals/objects
跑掉: pǎo diào — To run away; to escape by running
还有: hái yǒu — There is also; in addition; furthermore
一辆: yī liàng — One (measure word for vehicles)
旧: jiù — Old; used; worn; not new
车: chē — Vehicle; car; automobile; wheeled transport
芬兰: fēn lán — Finland; a Nordic country in Europe
女人: nǚ rén — Woman; adult female person
她: tā — She; her; third-person feminine pronoun
替我: tì wǒ — For me; on my behalf; in my place
铺床: pū chuáng — To make the bed; to spread bedding
早饭: zǎo fàn — Breakfast; the morning meal
还在: hái zài — Still; still at; continuing to be somewhere
电炉: diàn lú — Electric stove; electric cooker or heater
旁: páng — Beside; next to; alongside
自言自语: zì yán zì yǔ — To talk to oneself; to mutter quietly alone
地: de — Adverbial particle linking manner to verb
念叨: niàn dao — To mutter; to keep talking about something
着: zhe — Ongoing action particle; continuing state marker
智慧: zhì huì — Wisdom; intelligence; insight; sagacity
孤独: gū dú — Lonely; solitary; feeling of isolation
一天: yī tiān — One day; a whole day; all day
左右: zuǒ yòu — About; approximately; more or less
某天: mǒu tiān — One day; a certain day; some day
早晨: zǎo chén — Morning; early morning hours of the day
比: bǐ — Than; compared to; more than
更晚: gèng wǎn — Even later; more late than before
到来: dào lái — To arrive; to come; arrival of something
路上: lù shang — On the road; along the way; en route
拦住: lán zhù — To stop; to block; to intercept someone

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