The Great Gatsby — Page 47
人们不是受邀而来的——他们只是自己去了那里。
People were not invited—they went there.
他们坐上汽车，被载往长岛，不知怎的就出现在盖茨比家门口。
They got into automobiles which bore them out to Long Island, and somehow they ended up at Gatsby's door.
一到那里，就有认识盖茨比的人把他们介绍给主人，之后他们便按照游乐园里那套行为准则各自行事。
Once there they were introduced by somebody who knew Gatsby, and after that they conducted themselves according to the rules of behaviour associated with an amusement park.
有时候他们来了又走，根本没见过盖茨比本人，只是带着一颗单纯的心来参加派对，那份单纯本身便是入场的通行证。
Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all, came for the party with a simplicity of heart that was its own ticket of admission.
我是真正受到邀请的。
I had been actually invited.
那个星期六的清晨，一名身着知更鸟蛋蓝色制服的司机穿过我的草坪，送来他雇主写的一封出人意料地正式的便函：
A chauffeur in a uniform of robin's-egg blue crossed my lawn early that Saturday morning with a surprisingly formal note from his employer:
信中说，若蒙我光临他当晚的"小型聚会"，荣幸将完全属于盖茨比。
the honour would be entirely Gatsby's, it said, if I would attend his "little party" that night.
他曾数度见过我，早就有意登门拜访，却因缘际会，种种情形凑在一起阻碍了他——落款是杰·盖茨比，笔迹堂皇大气。
He had seen me several times, and had intended to call on me long before, but a peculiar combination of circumstances had prevented it—signed Jay Gatsby, in a majestic hand.
我换上白色法兰绒装，在七点刚过之后走到他的草坪上，在一群我不认识的人所形成的旋涡与漩流中漫无目的地闲逛，心里颇感局促——尽管偶尔也能看到几张曾在通勤火车上见过的面孔。
Dressed up in white flannels I went over to his lawn a little after seven, and wandered around rather ill at ease among swirls and eddies of people I didn't know—though here and there was a face I had noticed on the commuting train.
我立刻被四处散落的大批年轻英国人所吸引；他们个个衣着得体，个个神情略显饥渴，都用低沉而认真的声音与那些稳健富足的美国人交谈。
I was immediately struck by the number of young Englishmen dotted about; all well dressed, all looking a little hungry, and all talking in low, earnest voices to solid and prosperous Americans.
我确信他们是在推销什么：债券、保险，或者汽车。
I was sure that they were selling something: bonds or insurance or automobiles.
Vocabulary
- invited
- 被邀请，受到正式邀请参加活动
- automobiles
- 汽车，机动车辆的正式说法
- bore
- bear的过去式，此处指运载、带送
- somehow
- 不知何故，以某种不明原因或方式
- Once
- 一旦，表示某条件成立后
- introduced
- 被介绍认识，通过他人引荐相识
- conducted
- 行事，以某种方式表现或行为
- rules
- 规则，行为准则或规范
- behaviour
- 行为，人的举止或行动方式
- associated
- 与某事物相关联，有关联的
- amusement
- 娱乐，使人感到快乐有趣的活动
- simplicity
- 单纯，简单质朴的性格或状态
- ticket
- 票，此处比喻进入的资格或凭证
- admission
- 准许进入，入场或进入的许可
- actually
- 实际上，表示强调真实情况
- chauffeur
- 专职司机，受雇为他人驾车的人
- uniform
- 制服，特定职业或团体穿的统一服装
- robin's-egg
- 知更鸟蛋色，指浅蓝绿色
- crossed
- 穿越，从一侧走到另一侧
- lawn
- 草坪，修剪整齐的户外草地
- surprisingly
- 出人意料地，令人惊讶地
- formal
- 正式的，符合礼仪规范的
- note
- 便条，简短的书面信息
- employer
- 雇主，雇用他人工作的人
- honour
- 荣幸，表示极大的敬意与殊荣
- entirely
- 完全地，全部地，毫无例外
- attend
- 出席，参加某活动或场合
- several
- 几个，数量不多但超过两个
- intended
- 打算，有意计划做某事
- call
- 拜访，亲自前往拜见某人
- peculiar
- 奇特的，不寻常的，令人困惑的
- combination
- 组合，多种事物结合在一起
- circumstances
- 情况，影响事件发展的各种因素
- prevented
- 阻止，使某事无法发生或实现
- signed
- 签名，在文件末尾写上自己名字
- majestic
- 威严的，宏伟庄重令人印象深刻
- hand
- 笔迹，指某人的书写风格
- flannels
- 法兰绒裤，一种软质羊毛休闲裤
- wandered
- 漫步，漫无目的地走动
- rather
- 相当，表示程度较高但不至极端
- ease
- 自在，ill at ease表示感到局促不安
- among
- 在…之中，处于一群人或事物间
- swirls
- 漩涡，旋转流动的人群或事物
- eddies
- 涡流，人群聚集流动形成的旋涡
- though
- 尽管，虽然，表示让步关系
- noticed
- 注意到，看见并留意某人或事物
- commuting
- 通勤，每天往返于住所和工作地
- immediately
- 立刻，马上，没有任何延迟
- struck
- 给人印象深刻，使人注意到
- Englishmen
- 英国男士，来自英格兰的男性
- dotted
- 散布，点缀，分散分布于各处
- dressed
- 穿着得体，衣着讲究整洁
- hungry
- 饥渴的，此处比喻渴望财富机会
- earnest
- 认真的，诚挚严肃地对待某事
- solid
- 稳固的，可靠踏实有社会地位的
- prosperous
- 繁荣的，富裕成功的
- bonds
- 债券，一种金融投资证券产品
- insurance
- 保险，为防范风险而购买的金融产品
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