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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Chapter 7 Part 1

Chapter 7 Part 1

It was when curiosity about Gatsby was at its highest that the lights in his house failed to go on one Saturday night—and, as obscurely as it had begun, his career as Trimalchio was over. Only gradually did I become aware that the automobiles which turned expectantly into his drive stayed for just a minute and then drove sulkily away. Wondering if he were sick I went over to find out—an unfamiliar butler with a villainous face squinted at me suspiciously from the door.

“Is Mr. Gatsby sick?”

“Nope.” After a pause he added “sir” in a dilatory, grudging way.

“I hadn't seen him around, and I was rather worried. Tell him Mr. Carraway came over.”

“Who?” he demanded rudely.

“Carraway.”

“Carraway. All right, I'll tell him.”

Abruptly he slammed the door.

My Finn informed me that Gatsby had dismissed every servant in his house a week ago and replaced them with half a dozen others, who never went into West Egg village to be bribed by the tradesmen, but ordered moderate supplies over the telephone. The grocery boy reported that the kitchen looked like a pigsty, and the general opinion in the village was that the new people weren't servants at all.

Next day Gatsby called me on the phone.

“Going away?” I inquired.

“No, old sport.”

“I hear you fired all your servants.”

“I wanted somebody who wouldn't gossip. Daisy comes over quite often—in the afternoons.”

So the whole caravansary had fallen in like a card house at the disapproval in her eyes.

“They're some people Wolfshiem wanted to do something for. They're all brothers and sisters. They used to run a small hotel.”

“I see.”

He was calling up at Daisy's request—would I come to lunch at her house tomorrow? Miss Baker would be there. Half an hour later Daisy herself telephoned and seemed relieved to find that I was coming. Something was up. And yet I couldn't believe that they would choose this occasion for a scene—especially for the rather harrowing scene that Gatsby had outlined in the garden.

The next day was broiling, almost the last, certainly the warmest, of the summer. As my train emerged from the tunnel into sunlight, only the hot whistles of the National Biscuit Company broke the simmering hush at noon. The straw seats of the car hovered on the edge of combustion; the woman next to me perspired delicately for a while into her white shirtwaist, and then, as her newspaper dampened under her fingers, lapsed despairingly into deep heat with a desolate cry. Her pocketbook slapped to the floor.

“Oh, my!” she gasped.

I picked it up with a weary bend and handed it back to her, holding it at arm's length and by the extreme tip of the corners to indicate that I had no designs upon it—but everyone near by, including the woman, suspected me just the same.

“Hot!” said the conductor to familiar faces. “Some weather!… Hot!… Hot!… Hot!… Is it hot enough for you? Is it hot? Is it… ?”

My commutation ticket came back to me with a dark stain from his hand. That anyone should care in this heat whose flushed lips he kissed, whose head made damp the pyjama pocket over his heart!

… Through the hall of the Buchanans' house blew a faint wind, carrying the sound of the telephone bell out to Gatsby and me as we waited at the door.

“The master's body?” roared the butler into the mouthpiece. “I'm sorry, madame, but we can't furnish it—it's far too hot to touch this noon!”

What he really said was: “Yes… Yes… I'll see.”

He set down the receiver and came toward us, glistening slightly, to take our stiff straw hats.

“Madame expects you in the salon!” he cried, needlessly indicating the direction. In this heat every extra gesture was an affront to the common store of life.

The room, shadowed well with awnings, was dark and cool. Daisy and Jordan lay upon an enormous couch, like silver idols weighing down their own white dresses against the singing breeze of the fans.

“We can't move,” they said together.

Jordan's fingers, powdered white over their tan, rested for a moment in mine.

“And Mr. Thomas Buchanan, the athlete?” I inquired.

Simultaneously I heard his voice, gruff, muffled, husky, at the hall telephone.

Gatsby stood in the centre of the crimson carpet and gazed around with fascinated eyes. Daisy watched him and laughed, her sweet, exciting laugh; a tiny gust of powder rose from her bosom into the air.

“The rumour is,” whispered Jordan, “that that's Tom's girl on the telephone.”

We were silent. The voice in the hall rose high with annoyance: “Very well, then, I won't sell you the car at all… I'm under no obligations to you at all… and as for your bothering me about it at lunch time, I won't stand that at all!”

“Holding down the receiver,” said Daisy cynically.

“No, he's not,” I assured her. “It's a bona-fide deal. I happen to know about it.”

Tom flung open the door, blocked out its space for a moment with his thick body, and hurried into the room.

“Mr. Gatsby!” He put out his broad, flat hand with well-concealed dislike. “I'm glad to see you, sir… Nick…”

“Make us a cold drink,” cried Daisy.

As he left the room again she got up and went over to Gatsby and pulled his face down, kissing him on the mouth.

“You know I love you,” she murmured.

“You forget there's a lady present,” said Jordan.

Daisy looked around doubtfully.

“You kiss Nick too.”

“What a low, vulgar girl!”

“I don't care!” cried Daisy, and began to clog on the brick fireplace. Then she remembered the heat and sat down guiltily on the couch just as a freshly laundered nurse leading a little girl came into the room.

“Bles-sed pre-cious,” she crooned, holding out her arms. “Come to your own mother that loves you.”

The child, relinquished by the nurse, rushed across the room and rooted shyly into her mother's dress.

“The bles-sed pre-cious! Did mother get powder on your old yellowy hair? Stand up now, and say—How-de-do.”

Gatsby and I in turn leaned down and took the small reluctant hand. Afterward he kept looking at the child with surprise. I don't think he had ever really believed in its existence before.

“I got dressed before luncheon,” said the child, turning eagerly to Daisy.

“That's because your mother wanted to show you off.” Her face bent into the single wrinkle of the small white neck. “You dream, you. You absolute little dream.”

“Yes,” admitted the child calmly. “Aunt Jordan's got on a white dress too.”

“How do you like mother's friends?” Daisy turned her around so that she faced Gatsby. “Do you think they're pretty?”

“Where's Daddy?”

“She doesn't look like her father,” explained Daisy. “She looks like me. She's got my hair and shape of the face.”

Daisy sat back upon the couch. The nurse took a step forward and held out her hand.

“Come, Pammy.”

“Goodbye, sweetheart!”

With a reluctant backward glance the well-disciplined child held to her nurse's hand and was pulled out the door, just as Tom came back, preceding four gin rickeys that clicked full of ice.

Gatsby took up his drink.

“They certainly look cool,” he said, with visible tension.

We drank in long, greedy swallows.

“I read somewhere that the sun's getting hotter every year,” said Tom genially. “It seems that pretty soon the earth's going to fall into the sun—or wait a minute—it's just the opposite—the sun's getting colder every year.

“Come outside,” he suggested to Gatsby, “I'd like you to have a look at the place.”

I went with them out to the veranda. On the green Sound, stagnant in the heat, one small sail crawled slowly toward the fresher sea. Gatsby's eyes followed it momentarily; he raised his hand and pointed across the bay.

“I'm right across from you.”

“So you are.”

Our eyes lifted over the rose-beds and the hot lawn and the weedy refuse of the dog-days alongshore. Slowly the white wings of the boat moved against the blue cool limit of the sky. Ahead lay the scalloped ocean and the abounding blessed isles.

“There's sport for you,” said Tom, nodding. “I'd like to be out there with him for about an hour.”

We had luncheon in the dining-room, darkened too against the heat, and drank down nervous gaiety with the cold ale.

“What'll we do with ourselves this afternoon?” cried Daisy, “and the day after that, and the next thirty years?”

“Don't be morbid,” Jordan said. “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”

“But it's so hot,” insisted Daisy, on the verge of tears, “and everything's so confused. Let's all go to town!”

Her voice struggled on through the heat, beating against it, moulding its senselessness into forms.

“I've heard of making a garage out of a stable,” Tom was saying to Gatsby, “but I'm the first man who ever made a stable out of a garage.”

“Who wants to go to town?” demanded Daisy insistently. Gatsby's eyes floated toward her. “Ah,” she cried, “you look so cool.”

Their eyes met, and they stared together at each other, alone in space. With an effort she glanced down at the table.

“You always look so cool,” she repeated.

She had told him that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw. He was astounded. His mouth opened a little, and he looked at Gatsby, and then back at Daisy as if he had just recognized her as someone he knew a long time ago.

“You resemble the advertisement of the man,” she went on innocently. “You know the advertisement of the man—”

“All right,” broke in Tom quickly, “I'm perfectly willing to go to town. Come on—we're all going to town.”

He got up, his eyes still flashing between Gatsby and his wife. No one moved.

“Come on!” His temper cracked a little. “What's the matter, anyhow? If we're going to town, let's start.”

His hand, trembling with his effort at self-control, bore to his lips the last of his glass of ale. Daisy's voice got us to our feet and out on to the blazing gravel drive.

“Are we just going to go?” she objected. “Like this? Aren't we going to let anyone smoke a cigarette first?”

“Everybody smoked all through lunch.”

“Oh, let's have fun,” she begged him. “It's too hot to fuss.”

He didn't answer.

“Have it your own way,” she said. “Come on, Jordan.”

They went upstairs to get ready while we three men stood there shuffling the hot pebbles with our feet. A silver curve of the moon hovered already in the western sky. Gatsby started to speak, changed his mind, but not before Tom wheeled and faced him expectantly.

“Have you got your stables here?” asked Gatsby with an effort.

“About a quarter of a mile down the road.”

“Oh.”

A pause.

“I don't see the idea of going to town,” broke out Tom savagely. “Women get these notions in their heads—”

“Shall we take anything to drink?” called Daisy from an upper window.

“I'll get some whisky,” answered Tom. He went inside.

Gatsby turned to me rigidly:

“I can't say anything in his house, old sport.”

“She's got an indiscreet voice,” I remarked. “It's full of—” I hesitated.

“Her voice is full of money,” he said suddenly.

That was it. I'd never understood before. It was full of money—that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it… High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl…

Tom came out of the house wrapping a quart bottle in a towel, followed by Daisy and Jordan wearing small tight hats of metallic cloth and carrying light capes over their arms.

Chapter 7 Part 1 Kapitel 7 Teil 1 Capítulo 7, primera parte Capitolo 7 Parte 1 第7章 前編 Rozdział 7 Część 1 Capítulo 7 Parte 1 Глава 7 Часть 1 Bölüm 7 Kısım 1 第 7 章 第 1 部分

It was when curiosity about Gatsby was at its highest that the lights in his house failed to go on one Saturday night—and, as obscurely as it had begun, his career as Trimalchio was over. Es war zu dem Zeitpunkt, als die Neugierde auf Gatsby am größten war, dass die Lichter in seinem Haus an einem Samstagabend nicht angingen - und so unklar, wie es begonnen hatte, war seine Karriere als Trimalchio vorbei. Only gradually did I become aware that the automobiles which turned expectantly into his drive stayed for just a minute and then drove sulkily away. Nur allmählich wurde mir bewusst, dass die Autos, die erwartungsvoll in seine Auffahrt abbogen, nur eine Minute blieben und dann mürrisch wieder weg fuhren. Solo a poco a poco mi resi conto che le automobili che giravano attente nel suo viale rimanevano solo per un minuto e poi si allontanavano imbronciate. Wondering if he were sick I went over to find out—an unfamiliar butler with a villainous face squinted at me suspiciously from the door. Ich fragte mich, ob er krank sei, und ging hinüber, um es herauszufinden - ein unbekannter Butler mit einem bösartigen Gesicht schielte misstrauisch aus der Tür auf mich. Chiedendomi se fosse malato, mi sono avvicinato per scoprirlo: un maggiordomo sconosciuto con una faccia malvagia mi ha guardato con sospetto dalla porta.

“Is Mr. Gatsby sick?”

“Nope.” After a pause he added “sir” in a dilatory, grudging way. "No". Dopo una pausa aggiunse "signore" in modo dilatorio e rancoroso.

“I hadn't seen him around, and I was rather worried. „Ich hatte ihn nicht gesehen und war ziemlich besorgt.“ Tell him Mr. Carraway came over.” „Sagen Sie ihm, dass Mr. Carraway vorbeigekommen ist.“ Digli che è venuto il signor Carraway".

“Who?” he demanded rudely. „Wer?“ forderte er unhöflich. "Chi?", chiese sgarbatamente.

“Carraway.”

“Carraway. All right, I'll tell him.”

Abruptly he slammed the door.

My Finn informed me that Gatsby had dismissed every servant in his house a week ago and replaced them with half a dozen others, who never went into West Egg village to be bribed by the tradesmen, but ordered moderate supplies over the telephone. Mein Finn informierte mich, dass Gatsby vor einer Woche alle Diener in seinem Haus entlassen und durch ein halbes Dutzend anderer ersetzt hatte, die nie ins Dorf West Egg gingen, um von den Kaufleuten bestochen zu werden, sondern moderate Vorräte per Telefon bestellten. Il mio Finn mi informò che Gatsby aveva licenziato tutti i domestici della sua casa una settimana fa e li aveva sostituiti con una mezza dozzina di altri, che non andavano mai nel villaggio di West Egg per farsi corrompere dai commercianti, ma ordinavano forniture moderate per telefono. The grocery boy reported that the kitchen looked like a pigsty, and the general opinion in the village was that the new people weren't servants at all. Der Lebensmitteljunge berichtete, dass die Küche wie ein Saustall aussah, und die allgemeine Meinung im Dorf war, dass die neuen Leute überhaupt keine Diener waren. Il ragazzo della drogheria riferì che la cucina sembrava un porcile e l'opinione generale del villaggio era che i nuovi arrivati non fossero affatto dei domestici.

Next day Gatsby called me on the phone. Am nächsten Tag rief mich Gatsby an.

“Going away?” I inquired. "Partire?" Mi sono informato.

“No, old sport.”

“I hear you fired all your servants.”

“I wanted somebody who wouldn't gossip. "Volevo qualcuno che non facesse pettegolezzi. Daisy comes over quite often—in the afternoons.” Daisy kommt ziemlich oft - nachmittags.

So the whole caravansary had fallen in like a card house at the disapproval in her eyes. So war die ganze Karawanserei wie ein Kartenhaus zusammengefallen angesichts der Missbilligung in ihren Augen. Così l'intero caravanserraglio era crollato come un castello di carte di fronte alla disapprovazione dei suoi occhi.

“They're some people Wolfshiem wanted to do something for. "Es sind einige Leute, denen Wolfshiem etwas Gutes tun wollte." "Sono persone per le quali Wolfshiem voleva fare qualcosa. They're all brothers and sisters. Sie sind alle Brüder und Schwestern. They used to run a small hotel.” Sie pflegten ein kleines Hotel zu führen.

“I see.” “Ich verstehe.”

He was calling up at Daisy's request—would I come to lunch at her house tomorrow? Er rief auf Daisys Bitte an - würde ich morgen zum Mittagessen zu ihr nach Hause kommen? Stava chiamando su richiesta di Daisy: "Posso venire a pranzo a casa sua domani?". Miss Baker would be there. Miss Baker würde auch da sein. Half an hour later Daisy herself telephoned and seemed relieved to find that I was coming. Eine halbe Stunde später rief Daisy selbst an und schien erleichtert zu sein, dass ich kommen würde. Something was up. C'era qualcosa che non andava. And yet I couldn't believe that they would choose this occasion for a scene—especially for the rather harrowing scene that Gatsby had outlined in the garden. Und doch konnte ich nicht glauben, dass sie diese Gelegenheit für eine Szene wählen würden - insbesondere für die ziemlich erschütternde Szene, die Gatsby im Garten skizziert hatte. Eppure non potevo credere che avessero scelto questa occasione per una scena, soprattutto per la scena piuttosto straziante che Gatsby aveva delineato nel giardino.

The next day was broiling, almost the last, certainly the warmest, of the summer. Der nächste Tag war drückend heiß, fast der letzte, sicherlich der wärmste, des Sommers. Il giorno successivo era bollente, quasi l'ultimo, certamente il più caldo, dell'estate. As my train emerged from the tunnel into sunlight, only the hot whistles of the National Biscuit Company broke the simmering hush at noon. Als mein Zug aus dem Tunnel ins Sonnenlicht fuhr, durchbrachen nur die heißen Pfeifen der National Biscuit Company das schwüle Mittagsstille. Quando il mio treno uscì dalla galleria alla luce del sole, solo i fischi roventi della National Biscuit Company ruppero il silenzio di mezzogiorno. The straw seats of the car hovered on the edge of combustion; the woman next to me perspired delicately for a while into her white shirtwaist, and then, as her newspaper dampened under her fingers, lapsed despairingly into deep heat with a desolate cry. Die Strohsitze des Autos schwebten am Rande der Entzündung; die Frau neben mir schwitzte eine Weile zart in ihr weißes Hemd und fiel dann, als ihre Zeitung unter ihren Fingern feucht wurde, verzweifelt in eine tiefe Hitze mit einem trostlosen Schrei. I sedili di paglia dell'auto erano in bilico sull'orlo della combustione; la donna accanto a me sudò delicatamente per un po' nella sua camicia bianca e poi, mentre il giornale si inumidiva sotto le dita, cadde disperata in un caldo profondo con un grido desolato. Her pocketbook slapped to the floor. Ihre Handtasche klatschte auf den Boden. Il suo portafoglio è caduto a terra.

“Oh, my!” she gasped. "Oh, mein Gott!" keuchte sie.

I picked it up with a weary bend and handed it back to her, holding it at arm's length and by the extreme tip of the corners to indicate that I had no designs upon it—but everyone near by, including the woman, suspected me just the same. Ich hob es mit einem müden Biegen auf und reichte es ihr zurück, indem ich es in einer Armlänge hielt und an den äußersten Ecken, um anzudeuten, dass ich keine Absichten darauf hatte - aber trotzdem verdächtigten mich alle in der Nähe, einschließlich der Frau. Lo raccolsi con una curva stanca e glielo riconsegnai, tenendolo a distanza e per la punta estrema degli angoli per indicare che non avevo alcun disegno su di esso, ma tutti i vicini, compresa la donna, sospettavano lo stesso di me.

“Hot!” said the conductor to familiar faces. “Heiß!”, sagte der Schaffner zu bekannten Gesichtern. "Caldo!", ha detto il conduttore a volti noti. “Some weather!… Hot!… Hot!… Hot!… Is it hot enough for you? “Ein Wetter!… Heiß!… Heiß!… Heiß!… Ist es dir heiß genug?” "Che tempo!... caldo!... caldo!... caldo!... è abbastanza caldo per te? Is it hot? Is it… ?”

My commutation ticket came back to me with a dark stain from his hand. Il mio biglietto di pendolarismo mi è tornato indietro con una macchia scura dalla sua mano. That anyone should care in this heat whose flushed lips he kissed, whose head made damp the pyjama pocket over his heart! Dass es jemanden interessieren sollte, in dieser Hitze, dessen gerötete Lippen er küsste, dessen Kopf die Pyjamatasche über seinem Herzen feucht machte! Che qualcuno si preoccupi, con questo caldo, di chi bacia le labbra arrossate, di chi rende umida la tasca del pigiama sul suo cuore!

… Through the hall of the Buchanans' house blew a faint wind, carrying the sound of the telephone bell out to Gatsby and me as we waited at the door. ... Durch den Flur des Hauses der Buchanans wehte ein schwacher Wind, der den Klang der Telefonklingel zu Gatsby und mir am Eingang trug. ... Nell'atrio della casa dei Buchanan soffiava un vento leggero, che portava il suono del campanello del telefono a Gatsby e a me, mentre aspettavamo alla porta.

“The master's body?” roared the butler into the mouthpiece. "Der Körper des Herrn?" brüllte der Butler in den Hörer. "Il corpo del padrone?", ruggì il maggiordomo nel bocchino. “I'm sorry, madame, but we can't furnish it—it's far too hot to touch this noon!” "Mi dispiace, signora, ma non possiamo arredarlo: è troppo caldo per toccare questo mezzogiorno!".

What he really said was: “Yes… Yes… I'll see.”

He set down the receiver and came toward us, glistening slightly, to take our stiff straw hats. Er legte den Hörer ab und kam leicht glänzend auf uns zu, um unsere steifen Strohhüte entgegenzunehmen. Posò il ricevitore e si avvicinò a noi, leggermente scintillante, per prendere i nostri cappelli di paglia rigida.

“Madame expects you in the salon!” he cried, needlessly indicating the direction. „Madame erwartet Sie im Salon!“, rief er und deutete unnötigerweise in die Richtung. In this heat every extra gesture was an affront to the common store of life. In dieser Hitze war jede zusätzliche Geste ein Affront gegen das allgemeine Lebensbedürfnis. Con questo caldo ogni gesto in più era un affronto al comune bagaglio di vita.

The room, shadowed well with awnings, was dark and cool. La stanza, ben ombreggiata da tende da sole, era buia e fresca. Daisy and Jordan lay upon an enormous couch, like silver idols weighing down their own white dresses against the singing breeze of the fans. Daisy und Jordan lagen auf einem riesigen Sofa, wie silberne Idole, die ihre weißen Kleider gegen die singende Brise der Fächer drückten. Daisy e Jordan giacevano su un enorme divano, come idoli d'argento che appesantivano i loro abiti bianchi contro la brezza canora dei ventilatori.

“We can't move,” they said together. "Wir können uns nicht bewegen", sagten sie zusammen.

Jordan's fingers, powdered white over their tan, rested for a moment in mine. Jordans Finger, pudrig weiß über ihrer Bräune, ruhten einen Moment in meinen. Le dita di Jordan, incipriate di bianco sull'abbronzatura, si posarono per un attimo sulle mie.

“And Mr. Thomas Buchanan, the athlete?” I inquired.

Simultaneously I heard his voice, gruff, muffled, husky, at the hall telephone. Contemporaneamente sentii la sua voce, burbera, ovattata, roca, al telefono dell'ingresso.

Gatsby stood in the centre of the crimson carpet and gazed around with fascinated eyes. Gatsby si trovava al centro del tappeto cremisi e si guardava intorno con occhi affascinati. Daisy watched him and laughed, her sweet, exciting laugh; a tiny gust of powder rose from her bosom into the air. Daisy lo guardò e rise, la sua dolce ed eccitante risata; una piccola folata di polvere si levò dal suo seno nell'aria.

“The rumour is,” whispered Jordan, “that that's Tom's girl on the telephone.” „Das Gerücht besagt“, flüsterte Jordan, „dass das Toms Mädchen am Telefon ist.“ "Si dice", sussurrò Jordan, "che quella al telefono sia la ragazza di Tom".

We were silent. Wir schwiegen. The voice in the hall rose high with annoyance: “Very well, then, I won't sell you the car at all… I'm under no obligations to you at all… and as for your bothering me about it at lunch time, I won't stand that at all!” Die Stimme im Flur wurde laut vor Ärger: „Na gut, dann verkaufe ich dir das Auto überhaupt nicht... Ich bin dir überhaupt keine Verpflichtung eingegangen... Und was dein Belästigen wegen dessen während der Mittagszeit betrifft, das lasse ich überhaupt nicht zu!“ La voce nella sala si alzò alta e infastidita: "Molto bene, allora non le venderò affatto l'auto... non ho alcun obbligo nei suoi confronti... e per quanto riguarda il fatto che mi disturba all'ora di pranzo, non lo sopporterò affatto!".

“Holding down the receiver,” said Daisy cynically. "Tenendo premuto il ricevitore", disse cinicamente Daisy.

“No, he's not,” I assured her. „Nein, ist er nicht", versicherte ich ihr. "No, non lo è", le assicurai. “It's a bona-fide deal. „Es ist ein echtes Geschäft. "È un accordo in buona fede. I happen to know about it.” Ich weiß zufällig davon." Si dà il caso che io ne sia a conoscenza".

Tom flung open the door, blocked out its space for a moment with his thick body, and hurried into the room. Tom riss die Tür auf, blockierte ihren Platz für einen Moment mit seinem kräftigen Körper und eilte in den Raum. Tom spalancò la porta, ne bloccò per un attimo lo spazio con il suo corpo massiccio e si precipitò nella stanza.

“Mr. Gatsby!” He put out his broad, flat hand with well-concealed dislike. Gatsby!" Allungò la mano larga e piatta con un'antipatia ben celata. “I'm glad to see you, sir… Nick…”

“Make us a cold drink,” cried Daisy.

As he left the room again she got up and went over to Gatsby and pulled his face down, kissing him on the mouth. Quando lui uscì di nuovo dalla stanza, lei si alzò, si avvicinò a Gatsby e gli abbassò il viso, baciandolo sulla bocca.

“You know I love you,” she murmured.

“You forget there's a lady present,” said Jordan.

Daisy looked around doubtfully. Daisy sah zweifelnd um sich.

“You kiss Nick too.” „Du küsst auch Nick.“ "Bacia anche Nick".

“What a low, vulgar girl!” „Was für ein niedriges, vulgäres Mädchen!“ "Che ragazza bassa e volgare!".

“I don't care!” cried Daisy, and began to clog on the brick fireplace. „Mir ist das egal!“, rief Daisy aus und begann auf dem Ziegelkamin herumzutrampeln. "Non mi interessa!", esclamò Daisy, e cominciò a intasare il camino di mattoni. Then she remembered the heat and sat down guiltily on the couch just as a freshly laundered nurse leading a little girl came into the room. Dann erinnerte sie sich an die Hitze und setzte sich schuldbewusst auf das Sofa, genau in dem Moment, als eine frisch gewaschene Krankenschwester mit einem kleinen Mädchen in den Raum kam. Poi si ricordò del caldo e si sedette colpevolmente sul divano proprio mentre entrava nella stanza un'infermiera fresca di bucato con una bambina.

“Bles-sed pre-cious,” she crooned, holding out her arms. „Ge-se-gnetes Schät-chen“, trällerte sie und streckte ihre Arme aus. "Bles-sed pre-cious", cantilenò, tendendo le braccia. “Come to your own mother that loves you.”

The child, relinquished by the nurse, rushed across the room and rooted shyly into her mother's dress. La bambina, abbandonata dall'infermiera, attraversò di corsa la stanza e si infilò timidamente nel vestito della madre.

“The bles-sed pre-cious! „Der geseg-nete Pre-zi-ose! Did mother get powder on your old yellowy hair? Hat Mutter Puder auf dein altes gelbliches Haar bekommen? La mamma ha messo la polvere sui tuoi vecchi capelli gialli? Stand up now, and say—How-de-do.” Steh jetzt auf und sag - Wie geht's.“ Alzatevi ora e dite: "Come si fa?".

Gatsby and I in turn leaned down and took the small reluctant hand. Io e Gatsby ci chinammo a nostra volta e prendemmo la piccola mano riluttante. Afterward he kept looking at the child with surprise. Danach betrachtete er das Kind überrascht. In seguito ha continuato a guardare il bambino con sorpresa. I don't think he had ever really believed in its existence before. Ich glaube nicht, dass er jemals wirklich an dessen Existenz geglaubt hatte. Non credo che prima d'ora avesse mai creduto davvero nella sua esistenza.

“I got dressed before luncheon,” said the child, turning eagerly to Daisy. „Ich habe mich vor dem Mittagessen angezogen“, sagte das Kind aufgeregt zu Daisy. "Mi sono vestita prima di pranzo", disse la bambina, rivolgendosi con impazienza a Daisy.

“That's because your mother wanted to show you off.” Her face bent into the single wrinkle of the small white neck. „Das liegt daran, dass deine Mutter dich zeigen wollte.“ Ihr Gesicht bog sich in die einzige Falte des kleinen weißen Halses. "Questo perché tua madre voleva metterti in mostra". Il suo viso si piegò nell'unica ruga del piccolo collo bianco. “You dream, you. „Du träumst, du. You absolute little dream.” Du absoluter kleiner Traum.“

“Yes,” admitted the child calmly. „Ja“, gab das Kind ruhig zu. “Aunt Jordan's got on a white dress too.” „Tante Jordan hat auch ein weißes Kleid an.“ "Anche la zia Jordan ha un vestito bianco".

“How do you like mother's friends?” Daisy turned her around so that she faced Gatsby. „Wie findest du Mamas Freunde?“ Daisy drehte sie um, so dass sie Gatsby gegenüberstand. “Do you think they're pretty?”

“Where's Daddy?”

“She doesn't look like her father,” explained Daisy. “She looks like me. She's got my hair and shape of the face.”

Daisy sat back upon the couch. The nurse took a step forward and held out her hand. L'infermiera fece un passo avanti e tese la mano.

“Come, Pammy.”

“Goodbye, sweetheart!”

With a reluctant backward glance the well-disciplined child held to her nurse's hand and was pulled out the door, just as Tom came back, preceding four gin rickeys that clicked full of ice. Mit einem widerwilligen Blick nach hinten hielt das disziplinierte Kind die Hand ihrer Kinderfrau fest und wurde herausgezogen, gerade als Tom zurückkam, gefolgt von vier Gin Rickeys, die voller Eis klirrten. Con uno sguardo riluttante all'indietro, la bambina ben disciplinata si aggrappò alla mano della nutrice e fu tirata fuori dalla porta, proprio mentre Tom tornava, precedendo quattro gin rickeys che scattavano pieni di ghiaccio.

Gatsby took up his drink. Gatsby griff nach seinem Getränk.

“They certainly look cool,” he said, with visible tension. "Sie sehen auf jeden Fall kühl aus", sagte er mit sichtbarer Spannung. "Sono sicuramente belli", ha detto, con visibile tensione.

We drank in long, greedy swallows. Abbiamo bevuto in lunghe e avide sorsate.

“I read somewhere that the sun's getting hotter every year,” said Tom genially. "Ho letto da qualche parte che il sole diventa sempre più caldo ogni anno", disse Tom con gentilezza. “It seems that pretty soon the earth's going to fall into the sun—or wait a minute—it's just the opposite—the sun's getting colder every year. “Es scheint, dass die Erde bald in die Sonne fallen wird - oder Moment mal - es ist genau das Gegenteil - die Sonne wird jedes Jahr kälter.

“Come outside,” he suggested to Gatsby, “I'd like you to have a look at the place.” “Komm raus,” schlug er Gatsby vor, “ich würde dich gerne den Ort sehen lassen.”

I went with them out to the veranda. Ich ging mit ihnen auf die Veranda hinaus. On the green Sound, stagnant in the heat, one small sail crawled slowly toward the fresher sea. Sul verde Sound, stagnante nella calura, una piccola vela strisciava lentamente verso il mare più fresco. Gatsby's eyes followed it momentarily; he raised his hand and pointed across the bay. Gatsbys Augen folgten ihm kurz; er hob seine Hand und zeigte über die Bucht.

“I'm right across from you.” „Ich bin direkt gegenüber von dir.“ "Sono proprio di fronte a te".

“So you are.” „Das bist du.“

Our eyes lifted over the rose-beds and the hot lawn and the weedy refuse of the dog-days alongshore. Unsere Blicke schweiften über die Rosenbeete, den heißen Rasen und den Unrat der Hundstage am Ufer entlang. I nostri occhi si sollevarono sulle aiuole di rose e sul prato caldo e sui rifiuti erbosi delle giornate canicolari lungo la costa. Slowly the white wings of the boat moved against the blue cool limit of the sky. Langsam bewegten sich die weißen Flügel des Bootes gegen die blaue kühle Grenze des Himmels. Lentamente le ali bianche della barca si mossero contro il limite blu del cielo. Ahead lay the scalloped ocean and the abounding blessed isles. Voraus lagen das gekräuselte Meer und die reich gesegneten Inseln. Davanti a noi l'oceano smerlato e le numerose isole benedette.

“There's sport for you,” said Tom, nodding. „Da hast du deinen Spaß“, sagte Tom nickend. "C'è dello sport per te", disse Tom, annuendo. “I'd like to be out there with him for about an hour.” „Ich würde gerne eine Stunde lang draußen bei ihm sein.“ "Vorrei stare là fuori con lui per circa un'ora".

We had luncheon in the dining-room, darkened too against the heat, and drank down nervous gaiety with the cold ale. Wir hatten Mittagessen im Esszimmer, das auch gegen die Hitze verdunkelt war, und tranken mit dem kalten Ale unsere nervöse Fröhlichkeit hinunter. Abbiamo pranzato nella sala da pranzo, anch'essa oscurata contro il caldo, e abbiamo smaltito l'allegria nervosa con la birra fredda.

“What'll we do with ourselves this afternoon?” cried Daisy, “and the day after that, and the next thirty years?” "Was werden wir heute Nachmittag mit uns anfangen?", rief Daisy, "und am Tag danach, und in den nächsten dreißig Jahren?" "Cosa faremo di noi stessi oggi pomeriggio?", gridò Daisy, "e il giorno dopo, e i prossimi trent'anni?".

“Don't be morbid,” Jordan said. "Sei nicht morbide", sagte Jordan. “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” "Das Leben fängt im Herbst ganz von vorne an, wenn es frisch wird." "La vita ricomincia quando l'autunno diventa frizzante".

“But it's so hot,” insisted Daisy, on the verge of tears, “and everything's so confused. „Aber es ist so heiß“, beharrte Daisy kurz vor Tränen, „und alles ist so durcheinander.“ "Ma fa così caldo", insistette Daisy, sull'orlo delle lacrime, "e tutto è così confuso. Let's all go to town!” „Lasst uns alle in die Stadt gehen!“

Her voice struggled on through the heat, beating against it, moulding its senselessness into forms. Ihre Stimme kämpfte sich durch die Hitze hindurch, schlug dagegen an, formte ihre Sinnlosigkeit in Formen. La sua voce ha lottato attraverso il calore, battendo contro di esso, plasmando la sua insensatezza in forme.

“I've heard of making a garage out of a stable,” Tom was saying to Gatsby, “but I'm the first man who ever made a stable out of a garage.” „Ich habe gehört, dass man aus einer Scheune eine Garage machen kann,“ sagte Tom zu Gatsby, „aber ich bin der erste Mann, der jemals eine Scheune aus einer Garage gemacht hat.“ "Ho sentito dire che si può ricavare un garage da una stalla", stava dicendo Tom a Gatsby, "ma io sono il primo uomo che ha ricavato una stalla da un garage".

“Who wants to go to town?” demanded Daisy insistently. „Wer möchte in die Stadt fahren?“ forderte Daisy nachdrücklich. Gatsby's eyes floated toward her. Gatsbys Augen glitten zu ihr hinüber. Gli occhi di Gatsby fluttuarono verso di lei. “Ah,” she cried, “you look so cool.” „Ah,“ rief sie, „du siehst so cool aus.“ "Ah", ha esclamato, "sei così figo".

Their eyes met, and they stared together at each other, alone in space. Ihre Blicke trafen sich, und sie starrten gemeinsam aufeinander, allein im Raum. I loro occhi si incontrarono e si fissarono insieme, soli nello spazio. With an effort she glanced down at the table. Mit Mühe warf sie einen Blick auf den Tisch. Con uno sforzo abbassò lo sguardo sul tavolo.

“You always look so cool,” she repeated.

She had told him that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw. Lei gli aveva detto di amarlo e Tom Buchanan se ne accorse. He was astounded. Era sbalordito. His mouth opened a little, and he looked at Gatsby, and then back at Daisy as if he had just recognized her as someone he knew a long time ago. Sein Mund öffnete sich ein wenig, und er sah zu Gatsby, dann zurück zu Daisy, als hätte er sie gerade als jemanden erkannt, den er vor langer Zeit kannte. La sua bocca si aprì un po', guardò Gatsby e poi di nuovo Daisy come se l'avesse appena riconosciuta come una persona che conosceva da tempo.

“You resemble the advertisement of the man,” she went on innocently. „Du ähnelst der Werbung des Mannes", fuhr sie unschuldig fort. "Lei assomiglia alla pubblicità dell'uomo", proseguì con innocenza. “You know the advertisement of the man—” „Du kennst die Werbung des Mannes—"

“All right,” broke in Tom quickly, “I'm perfectly willing to go to town. „In Ordnung“, unterbrach Tom schnell, „ich bin völlig bereit, in die Stadt zu fahren. "Va bene", interviene rapidamente Tom, "sono perfettamente disposto ad andare in città. Come on—we're all going to town.” Komm schon - wir fahren alle in die Stadt.

He got up, his eyes still flashing between Gatsby and his wife. Er stand auf, seine Augen blitzten immer noch zwischen Gatsby und seiner Frau hin und her. Si alzò, con lo sguardo ancora fisso tra Gatsby e sua moglie. No one moved.

“Come on!” His temper cracked a little. „Komm schon!“ Seine Geduld bröckelte ein wenig. "Andiamo!" Il suo carattere si incrinò un po'. “What's the matter, anyhow? „Was ist denn los, überhaupt? If we're going to town, let's start.” Wenn wir in die Stadt gehen, dann lasst uns loslegen.“ Se dobbiamo andare in città, cominciamo".

His hand, trembling with his effort at self-control, bore to his lips the last of his glass of ale. Seine Hand zitterte vor Anstrengung, als er seine Selbstkontrolle bewahrte und den letzten Rest seines Biers an seine Lippen führte. La sua mano, tremante per lo sforzo di autocontrollo, portava alle labbra l'ultimo bicchiere di birra. Daisy's voice got us to our feet and out on to the blazing gravel drive. Daisys Stimme brachte uns auf die Beine und hinaus auf die brennend heiße Kiesauffahrt. La voce di Daisy ci fece alzare in piedi e uscire sul viale di ghiaia infuocato.

“Are we just going to go?” she objected. „Gehen wir einfach so?“, widersprach sie. "Ce ne andiamo e basta?", obiettò lei. “Like this? Aren't we going to let anyone smoke a cigarette first?” Non facciamo prima fumare una sigaretta a qualcuno?".

“Everybody smoked all through lunch.” „Alle haben während des Mittagessens geraucht.“ "Tutti hanno fumato per tutto il pranzo".

“Oh, let's have fun,” she begged him. „Oh, lass uns Spaß haben“, flehte sie ihn an. "Oh, divertiamoci", lo implorò. “It's too hot to fuss.” „Es ist zu heiß, um sich zu streiten.“ "Fa troppo caldo per agitarsi".

He didn't answer.

“Have it your own way,” she said. „Mach es, wie du möchtest“, sagte sie. "Fate come volete", ha detto. “Come on, Jordan.” „Komm schon, Jordan.“

They went upstairs to get ready while we three men stood there shuffling the hot pebbles with our feet. Während wir drei Männer dort standen und die heißen Kieselsteine mit den Füßen scharrten, gingen sie nach oben, um sich fertig zu machen. Salirono al piano di sopra per prepararsi, mentre noi tre uomini restammo lì in piedi a scuotere i ciottoli caldi con i piedi. A silver curve of the moon hovered already in the western sky. Eine silberne Mondsichel schwebte bereits am westlichen Himmel. Una curva argentea della luna si librava già nel cielo occidentale. Gatsby started to speak, changed his mind, but not before Tom wheeled and faced him expectantly. Gatsby begann zu sprechen, änderte seine Meinung, aber nicht bevor Tom sich erwartungsvoll zu ihm umdrehte. Gatsby iniziò a parlare, cambiò idea, ma non prima che Tom si fosse girato e lo avesse affrontato con aspettativa.

“Have you got your stables here?” asked Gatsby with an effort. „Hast du deine Ställe hier?“, fragte Gatsby mit Anstrengung.

“About a quarter of a mile down the road.”

“Oh.”

A pause.

“I don't see the idea of going to town,” broke out Tom savagely. „Ich sehe nicht den Sinn darin, in die Stadt zu gehen“, platzte Tom wütend heraus. "Non vedo l'idea di andare in città", esclamò Tom selvaggiamente. “Women get these notions in their heads—” „Frauen haben diese Vorstellungen in ihren Köpfen –“ "Le donne hanno queste idee in testa...".

“Shall we take anything to drink?” called Daisy from an upper window. „Wollen wir etwas zu trinken mitnehmen?“ rief Daisy aus einem oberen Fenster.

“I'll get some whisky,” answered Tom. „Ich hole etwas Whisky“, antwortete Tom. He went inside. Er ging hinein.

Gatsby turned to me rigidly: Gatsby wandte sich steif an mich: Gatsby si voltò rigidamente verso di me:

“I can't say anything in his house, old sport.” "Non posso dire nulla in casa sua, vecchio mio".

“She's got an indiscreet voice,” I remarked. “Sie hat eine indiskrete Stimme”, bemerkte ich. "Ha una voce indiscreta", osservai. “It's full of—” I hesitated. “Es ist voll von—” ich zögerte.

“Her voice is full of money,” he said suddenly. “Ihre Stimme ist voller Geld”, sagte er plötzlich. “她的声音里充满了金钱,”他突然说道。

That was it. I'd never understood before. Non l'avevo mai capito prima. It was full of money—that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it… High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl… Es war voller Geld - das war der unerschöpfliche Reiz, der darin aufstieg und fiel, das Klingeln davon, das Lied der Zimbeln… Hoch in einem weißen Palast die Tochter des Königs, das goldene Mädchen… Era pieno di soldi - questo era il fascino inesauribile che si alzava e si abbassava in esso, il tintinnio di esso, il canto dei cembali di esso... In alto in un palazzo bianco la figlia del re, la ragazza d'oro...

Tom came out of the house wrapping a quart bottle in a towel, followed by Daisy and Jordan wearing small tight hats of metallic cloth and carrying light capes over their arms. Tom kam aus dem Haus, wickelte eine Quartflasche in ein Handtuch, gefolgt von Daisy und Jordan, die kleine enge Hüte aus metallischem Stoff trugen und leichte Umhänge über den Armen trugen. Tom uscì dalla casa avvolgendo una bottiglia da un litro in un asciugamano, seguito da Daisy e Jordan che indossavano piccoli cappelli stretti di stoffa metallica e portavano mantelli leggeri sulle braccia.