This responsiveness had nothing to do with that flabby impressionability which is dignified under the name of the “creative temperament.”

it was an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall ever find again.

No - Gatsby turned out all right at the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men.


这种敏感性与那种因为“创造性的气质”而生辉的轻微的敏感毫无关系

(这种敏感和通常美其名曰“创造性气质”的那种软绵绵的感受性毫不相干)

【responsiveness 响应性/反应性 flabby 软弱的/松弛的 impressionability 易感性/敏感性 dignify 使高贵 temperament 气质/性情】


那是一种超凡的希望的天赋,一种我从未从他人找到可能永远也不会再找到的浪漫的欢欣

(它是一种异乎寻常的永葆希望的天赋,-种富于浪漫色彩的敏捷,这是我在别人身上从未发现过的,也是我今后不大可能会再发现的)

【readiness 准备就绪/欣然/敏捷】


不,盖茨比的本质是好的,是吞没他的那些,是短暂地中止了我对于一个人惨败的悲痛或短促的狂喜的兴趣的使盖茨比美梦破碎的肮脏的浮尘。

(不——盖茨比本人到头来倒是无可厚非的,使我对人们短暂的悲哀和片刻的欢欣暂时丧失兴趣的,却是那些吞噬盖茨比心灵的东西,是在他的幻梦消逝后跟踪而来的恶浊的灰尘。)

【turn out 结果/出现 close out 抛售/停止 prey on捕食 abortive 失败的/流产的 elation 得意洋洋/兴高采烈 winded 喘不过气的】


My family have been prominent, well-to-do people in this Middle Western city for three generations.

The Carraways are something of a clan, and we have a tradition that we’re descended from the Dukes of Buccleuch, but the actual founder of my line was my grandfather’s brother, who came here in fifty-one, sent a substitute to the Civil War, and started the wholesale hardware business that my father carries on to-day.


我的家境殷实,在这座中西部城市已勤勤恳恳地生活了三代

卡威斯由氏族构成,传统说法是我们有巴克卢公爵的血脉,但事实上我这一脉的祖宗是祖父的兄弟,51岁时以一战的替补队员身份来到这里,开创了我父亲传承至今的批发硬件商务。

(我家三代以来都是这个中西部城市家道殷实的头面人物。姓卡罗威的也可算是个世家,据家里传说我们是布克娄奇公爵3的后裔,但是我们家系的实际创始人却是我祖父的哥哥。他在一八五一年来到这里,买了个替身去参加南北战争,开始做起五金批发生意,也就是我父亲今天还在经营的买卖。)

【clan 帮派/氏族 descend 降临/遗传/突然袭击 wholesale 批发】