The Great Gatsby — Page 195

当我年轻的时候，情况不同——如果我的一个朋友去世了，不管是什么原因，我都会陪伴他们到最后。

When I was a young man it was different—if a friend of mine died, no matter how, I stuck with them to the end.

你可能认为这很伤感，但我是认真的——直到最后的苦涩时刻。"

You may think that's sentimental, but I mean it—to the bitter end."

我看出他出于某种自己的原因，决意不肯来，于是我站了起来。

I saw that for some reason of his own he was determined not to come, so I stood up.

"你上过大学吗？"他突然问道。

"Are you a college man?" he inquired suddenly.

有那么一瞬间，我以为他要提出什么"关系"，但他只是点了点头，和我握了握手。

For a moment I thought he was going to suggest a "gonnegtion," but he only nodded and shook my hand.

"让我们学会在一个人活着的时候就表达我们的友情，而不是等他死后才这样做，"他说。

"Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead," he suggested.

"此后，我自己的原则就是对一切事情都不去干涉。"

"After that my own rule is to let everything alone."

当我离开他的办公室时，天色已经变暗，我在蒙蒙细雨中回到了西卵。

When I left his office the sky had turned dark and I got back to West Egg in a drizzle.

换好衣服后，我去了隔壁，发现盖茨先生正在大厅里激动地踱来踱去。

After changing my clothes I went next door and found Mr. Gatz walking up and down excitedly in the hall.

他对儿子的自豪以及对儿子财产的自豪与日俱增，而且现在他有东西要给我看。

His pride in his son and in his son's possessions was continually increasing and now he had something to show me.

"吉米寄给我这张照片。"他用颤抖的手指取出钱包。"你看。"

"Jimmy sent me this picture." He took out his wallet with trembling fingers. "Look there."

那是一张房子的照片，四角已经开裂，被许多双手摸得脏兮兮的。

It was a photograph of the house, cracked in the corners and dirty with many hands.

他热切地向我指出每一个细节，"你看！"然后从我的眼神中寻求赞赏。

He pointed out every detail to me eagerly. "Look there!" and then sought admiration from my eyes.

他把这张照片展示了太多次，我想那张照片对他来说已经比房子本身更加真实了。

He had shown it so often that I think it was more real to him now than the house itself.