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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Chapter 5 Part 1

Chapter 5 Part 1

When I came home to West Egg that night I was afraid for a moment that my house was on fire. Two o'clock and the whole corner of the peninsula was blazing with light, which fell unreal on the shrubbery and made thin elongating glints upon the roadside wires. Turning a corner, I saw that it was Gatsby's house, lit from tower to cellar.

At first I thought it was another party, a wild rout that had resolved itself into “hide-and-go-seek” or “sardines-in-the-box” with all the house thrown open to the game. But there wasn't a sound. Only wind in the trees, which blew the wires and made the lights go off and on again as if the house had winked into the darkness. As my taxi groaned away I saw Gatsby walking toward me across his lawn.

“Your place looks like the World's Fair,” I said.

“Does it?” He turned his eyes toward it absently. “I have been glancing into some of the rooms. Let's go to Coney Island, old sport. In my car.”

“It's too late.”

“Well, suppose we take a plunge in the swimming pool? I haven't made use of it all summer.”

“I've got to go to bed.”

“All right.”

He waited, looking at me with suppressed eagerness.

“I talked with Miss Baker,” I said after a moment. “I'm going to call up Daisy tomorrow and invite her over here to tea.”

“Oh, that's all right,” he said carelessly. “I don't want to put you to any trouble.”

“What day would suit you?”

“What day would suit you?” he corrected me quickly. “I don't want to put you to any trouble, you see.”

“How about the day after tomorrow?”

He considered for a moment. Then, with reluctance: “I want to get the grass cut,” he said.

We both looked down at the grass—there was a sharp line where my ragged lawn ended and the darker, well-kept expanse of his began. I suspected that he meant my grass.

“There's another little thing,” he said uncertainly, and hesitated.

“Would you rather put it off for a few days?” I asked.

“Oh, it isn't about that. At least—” He fumbled with a series of beginnings. “Why, I thought—why, look here, old sport, you don't make much money, do you?”

“Not very much.”

This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.

“I thought you didn't, if you'll pardon my—you see, I carry on a little business on the side, a sort of side line, you understand. And I thought that if you don't make very much—You're selling bonds, aren't you, old sport?”

“Trying to.”

“Well, this would interest you. It wouldn't take up much of your time and you might pick up a nice bit of money. It happens to be a rather confidential sort of thing.”

I realize now that under different circumstances that conversation might have been one of the crises of my life. But, because the offer was obviously and tactlessly for a service to be rendered, I had no choice except to cut him off there.

“I've got my hands full,” I said. “I'm much obliged but I couldn't take on any more work.”

“You wouldn't have to do any business with Wolfshiem.” Evidently he thought that I was shying away from the “gonnegtion” mentioned at lunch, but I assured him he was wrong. He waited a moment longer, hoping I'd begin a conversation, but I was too absorbed to be responsive, so he went unwillingly home.

The evening had made me lightheaded and happy; I think I walked into a deep sleep as I entered my front door. So I don't know whether or not Gatsby went to Coney Island, or for how many hours he “glanced into rooms” while his house blazed gaudily on. I called up Daisy from the office next morning, and invited her to come to tea.

“Don't bring Tom,” I warned her.

“What?”

“Don't bring Tom.”

“Who is ‘Tom'?” she asked innocently.

The day agreed upon was pouring rain. At eleven o'clock a man in a raincoat, dragging a lawn-mower, tapped at my front door and said that Mr. Gatsby had sent him over to cut my grass. This reminded me that I had forgotten to tell my Finn to come back, so I drove into West Egg Village to search for her among soggy whitewashed alleys and to buy some cups and lemons and flowers.

The flowers were unnecessary, for at two o'clock a greenhouse arrived from Gatsby's, with innumerable receptacles to contain it. An hour later the front door opened nervously, and Gatsby in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-coloured tie, hurried in. He was pale, and there were dark signs of sleeplessness beneath his eyes.

“Is everything all right?” he asked immediately.

“The grass looks fine, if that's what you mean.”

“What grass?” he inquired blankly. “Oh, the grass in the yard.” He looked out the window at it, but, judging from his expression, I don't believe he saw a thing.

“Looks very good,” he remarked vaguely. “One of the papers said they thought the rain would stop about four. I think it was The Journal. Have you got everything you need in the shape of—of tea?”

I took him into the pantry, where he looked a little reproachfully at the Finn. Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop.

“Will they do?” I asked.

“Of course, of course! They're fine!” and he added hollowly, “… old sport.”

The rain cooled about half-past three to a damp mist, through which occasional thin drops swam like dew. Gatsby looked with vacant eyes through a copy of Clay's Economics, starting at the Finnish tread that shook the kitchen floor, and peering towards the bleared windows from time to time as if a series of invisible but alarming happenings were taking place outside. Finally he got up and informed me, in an uncertain voice, that he was going home.

“Why's that?”

“Nobody's coming to tea. It's too late!” He looked at his watch as if there was some pressing demand on his time elsewhere. “I can't wait all day.”

“Don't be silly; it's just two minutes to four.”

He sat down miserably, as if I had pushed him, and simultaneously there was the sound of a motor turning into my lane. We both jumped up, and, a little harrowed myself, I went out into the yard.

Under the dripping bare lilac-trees a large open car was coming up the drive. It stopped. Daisy's face, tipped sideways beneath a three-cornered lavender hat, looked out at me with a bright ecstatic smile.

“Is this absolutely where you live, my dearest one?”

The exhilarating ripple of her voice was a wild tonic in the rain. I had to follow the sound of it for a moment, up and down, with my ear alone, before any words came through. A damp streak of hair lay like a dash of blue paint across her cheek, and her hand was wet with glistening drops as I took it to help her from the car.

“Are you in love with me,” she said low in my ear, “or why did I have to come alone?”

“That's the secret of Castle Rackrent. Tell your chauffeur to go far away and spend an hour.”

“Come back in an hour, Ferdie.” Then in a grave murmur: “His name is Ferdie.”

“Does the gasoline affect his nose?”

“I don't think so,” she said innocently. “Why?”

We went in. To my overwhelming surprise the living-room was deserted.

“Well, that's funny,” I exclaimed.

“What's funny?”

She turned her head as there was a light dignified knocking at the front door. I went out and opened it. Gatsby, pale as death, with his hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets, was standing in a puddle of water glaring tragically into my eyes.

With his hands still in his coat pockets he stalked by me into the hall, turned sharply as if he were on a wire, and disappeared into the living-room. It wasn't a bit funny. Aware of the loud beating of my own heart I pulled the door to against the increasing rain.

For half a minute there wasn't a sound. Then from the living-room I heard a sort of choking murmur and part of a laugh, followed by Daisy's voice on a clear artificial note:

“I certainly am awfully glad to see you again.”

A pause; it endured horribly. I had nothing to do in the hall, so I went into the room.

Gatsby, his hands still in his pockets, was reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease, even of boredom. His head leaned back so far that it rested against the face of a defunct mantelpiece clock, and from this position his distraught eyes stared down at Daisy, who was sitting, frightened but graceful, on the edge of a stiff chair.

“We've met before,” muttered Gatsby. His eyes glanced momentarily at me, and his lips parted with an abortive attempt at a laugh. Luckily the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers, and set it back in place. Then he sat down, rigidly, his elbow on the arm of the sofa and his chin in his hand.

“I'm sorry about the clock,” he said.

My own face had now assumed a deep tropical burn. I couldn't muster up a single commonplace out of the thousand in my head.

“It's an old clock,” I told them idiotically.

I think we all believed for a moment that it had smashed in pieces on the floor.

“We haven't met for many years,” said Daisy, her voice as matter-of-fact as it could ever be.

“Five years next November.”

The automatic quality of Gatsby's answer set us all back at least another minute. I had them both on their feet with the desperate suggestion that they help me make tea in the kitchen when the demoniac Finn brought it in on a tray.

Amid the welcome confusion of cups and cakes a certain physical decency established itself. Gatsby got himself into a shadow and, while Daisy and I talked, looked conscientiously from one to the other of us with tense, unhappy eyes. However, as calmness wasn't an end in itself, I made an excuse at the first possible moment, and got to my feet.

“Where are you going?” demanded Gatsby in immediate alarm.

“I'll be back.”

“I've got to speak to you about something before you go.”

He followed me wildly into the kitchen, closed the door, and whispered: “Oh, God!” in a miserable way.

“What's the matter?”

“This is a terrible mistake,” he said, shaking his head from side to side, “a terrible, terrible mistake.”

“You're just embarrassed, that's all,” and luckily I added: “Daisy's embarrassed too.”

“She's embarrassed?” he repeated incredulously.

“Just as much as you are.”

“Don't talk so loud.”

“You're acting like a little boy,” I broke out impatiently. “Not only that, but you're rude. Daisy's sitting in there all alone.”

He raised his hand to stop my words, looked at me with unforgettable reproach, and, opening the door cautiously, went back into the other room.

I walked out the back way—just as Gatsby had when he had made his nervous circuit of the house half an hour before—and ran for a huge black knotted tree, whose massed leaves made a fabric against the rain. Once more it was pouring, and my irregular lawn, well-shaved by Gatsby's gardener, abounded in small muddy swamps and prehistoric marshes. There was nothing to look at from under the tree except Gatsby's enormous house, so I stared at it, like Kant at his church steeple, for half an hour. A brewer had built it early in the “period” craze, a decade before, and there was a story that he'd agreed to pay five years' taxes on all the neighbouring cottages if the owners would have their roofs thatched with straw. Perhaps their refusal took the heart out of his plan to Found a Family—he went into an immediate decline. His children sold his house with the black wreath still on the door. Americans, while willing, even eager, to be serfs, have always been obstinate about being peasantry.

Chapter 5 Part 1 Kapitel 5 Teil 1 Chapter 5 Part 1 Capítulo 5 Parte 1 Capitolo 5 Parte 1 第5章 前編 Rozdział 5 Część 1 Capítulo 5 Parte 1 Глава 5 Часть 1 Bölüm 5 Kısım 1 Розділ 5, частина 1 第 5 章第 1 部分

When I came home to West Egg that night I was afraid for a moment that my house was on fire. Als ich an diesem Abend nach West Egg kam, hatte ich einen Moment lang Angst, dass mein Haus in Flammen steht. Two o'clock and the whole corner of the peninsula was blazing with light, which fell unreal on the shrubbery and made thin elongating glints upon the roadside wires. Erano le due e l'intero angolo della penisola era illuminato da una luce che cadeva irreale sugli arbusti e produceva sottili bagliori allungati sui fili della strada. Turning a corner, I saw that it was Gatsby's house, lit from tower to cellar. Als ich um eine Ecke bog, sah ich, dass es Gatsbys Haus war, das vom Turm bis zum Keller beleuchtet war. Girando un angolo, vidi che si trattava della casa di Gatsby, illuminata dalla torre alla cantina.

At first I thought it was another party, a wild rout that had resolved itself into “hide-and-go-seek” or “sardines-in-the-box” with all the house thrown open to the game. Zuerst dachte ich, es handele sich um eine weitere Party, ein wildes Treiben, das sich in "Verstecken" oder "Sardinen in der Schachtel" verwandelt hatte, wobei das ganze Haus für das Spiel geöffnet war. In un primo momento ho pensato che si trattasse di un'altra festa, di una sfrenata rissa che si era risolta in un "nascondino" o in una "scatola di sardine" con tutta la casa aperta al gioco. But there wasn't a sound. Ma non c'era alcun suono. Only wind in the trees, which blew the wires and made the lights go off and on again as if the house had winked into the darkness. Solo il vento tra gli alberi, che faceva saltare i fili e spegneva e riaccendeva le luci come se la casa avesse fatto l'occhiolino al buio. As my taxi groaned away I saw Gatsby walking toward me across his lawn. Mentre il mio taxi si allontanava, vidi Gatsby che camminava verso di me attraverso il suo prato.

“Your place looks like the World's Fair,” I said. "La tua casa sembra l'Esposizione Universale", dissi.

“Does it?” He turned his eyes toward it absently. “I have been glancing into some of the rooms. "Ich habe einen Blick in einige der Zimmer geworfen. "Ho dato un'occhiata ad alcune stanze. Let's go to Coney Island, old sport. In my car.”

“It's too late.”

“Well, suppose we take a plunge in the swimming pool? "Wie wär's, wenn wir ins Schwimmbad gehen? "E se facessimo un tuffo in piscina? I haven't made use of it all summer.”

“I've got to go to bed.”

“All right.”

He waited, looking at me with suppressed eagerness. Er wartete und sah mich mit unterdrücktem Eifer an. Aspettò, guardandomi con impazienza repressa.

“I talked with Miss Baker,” I said after a moment. "Ho parlato con la signorina Baker", dissi dopo un attimo. “I'm going to call up Daisy tomorrow and invite her over here to tea.” "Ich werde Daisy morgen anrufen und sie hierher zum Tee einladen." "Domani chiamerò Daisy e la inviterò a prendere un tè".

“Oh, that's all right,” he said carelessly. "Oh, non c'è problema", disse con noncuranza. “I don't want to put you to any trouble.” "Ich möchte Ihnen keine Schwierigkeiten bereiten." "Non voglio metterti in difficoltà".

“What day would suit you?” "Che giorno le va bene?".

“What day would suit __you__?” he corrected me quickly. “I don't want to put you to any trouble, you see.”

“How about the day after tomorrow?”

He considered for a moment. Er überlegte einen Moment lang. Then, with reluctance: “I want to get the grass cut,” he said. Dann sagte er zögernd: "Ich möchte den Rasen mähen lassen", sagte er.

We both looked down at the grass—there was a sharp line where my ragged lawn ended and the darker, well-kept expanse of his began. Entrambi guardammo l'erba: c'era una linea netta in cui finiva il mio prato stracciato e iniziava la sua distesa più scura e ben curata. I suspected that he meant my grass. Ich vermutete, dass er mein Gras meinte. Sospettavo che si riferisse alla mia erba.

“There's another little thing,” he said uncertainly, and hesitated. "Da ist noch eine Kleinigkeit", sagte er unsicher und zögerte.

“Would you rather put it off for a few days?” I asked. "Möchten Sie es lieber ein paar Tage aufschieben?", fragte ich. "Preferisci rimandare di qualche giorno?". Chiesi.

“Oh, it isn't about that. At least—” He fumbled with a series of beginnings. Almeno...", annaspò con una serie di inizi. “Why, I thought—why, look here, old sport, you don't make much money, do you?” "Perché, ho pensato... Senti un po', vecchio mio, tu non guadagni molto, vero?".

“Not very much.”

This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.

“I thought you didn't, if you'll pardon my—you see, I carry on a little business on the side, a sort of side line, you understand. "Ich dachte, Sie wüssten es nicht, wenn Sie mich entschuldigen - sehen Sie, ich betreibe ein kleines Geschäft nebenbei, eine Art Nebengeschäft, Sie verstehen. "Pensavo che non lo facesse, se mi perdona... Vede, io svolgo una piccola attività a margine, una specie di linea secondaria, capisce? And I thought that if you don't make very much—You're selling bonds, aren't you, old sport?” Und ich dachte, wenn du nicht viel verdienst... Du verkaufst doch Anleihen, nicht wahr, alter Knabe?"

“Trying to.” "Ich versuche es."

“Well, this would interest you. It wouldn't take up much of your time and you might pick up a nice bit of money. Es würde nicht viel von Ihrer Zeit in Anspruch nehmen und Sie könnten ein nettes Sümmchen einnehmen. Non vi porterebbe via molto tempo e potreste guadagnare un bel po' di soldi. It happens to be a rather confidential sort of thing.” Es handelt sich um eine ziemlich vertrauliche Angelegenheit". Si dà il caso che sia una cosa piuttosto riservata".

I realize now that under different circumstances that conversation might have been one of the crises of my life. Heute weiß ich, dass dieses Gespräch unter anderen Umständen vielleicht eine der Krisen meines Lebens gewesen wäre. Ora mi rendo conto che in circostanze diverse quella conversazione avrebbe potuto essere una delle crisi della mia vita. But, because the offer was obviously and tactlessly for a service to be rendered, I had no choice except to cut him off there. Da es sich aber offensichtlich und taktlos um ein Angebot für eine Dienstleistung handelte, hatte ich keine andere Wahl, als ihn dort zu unterbrechen. Ma, poiché l'offerta era ovviamente e senza tatto per un servizio da rendere, non avevo altra scelta se non quella di interromperlo lì.

“I've got my hands full,” I said. “I'm much obliged but I couldn't take on any more work.”

“You wouldn't have to do any business with Wolfshiem.” Evidently he thought that I was shying away from the “gonnegtion” mentioned at lunch, but I assured him he was wrong. "Offensichtlich dachte er, dass ich vor der beim Mittagessen erwähnten "Gonnegtion" zurückschrecken würde, aber ich versicherte ihm, dass er sich irrte. "Non dovresti fare affari con Wolfshiem". Evidentemente pensava che stessi evitando la "gonnegtion" di cui si parlava a pranzo, ma gli ho assicurato che si sbagliava. He waited a moment longer, hoping I'd begin a conversation, but I was too absorbed to be responsive, so he went unwillingly home. Aspettò ancora un momento, sperando che iniziassi una conversazione, ma ero troppo assorta per rispondere, così se ne tornò a malincuore a casa.

The evening had made me lightheaded and happy; I think I walked into a deep sleep as I entered my front door. La serata mi aveva reso stordito e felice; credo di essere caduto in un sonno profondo quando sono entrato nella porta di casa. So I don't know whether or not Gatsby went to Coney Island, or for how many hours he “glanced into rooms” while his house blazed gaudily on. Ich weiß also nicht, ob Gatsby nach Coney Island gefahren ist oder nicht, und ich weiß auch nicht, wie viele Stunden er "in die Zimmer geschaut" hat, während sein Haus in voller Pracht erstrahlte. Quindi non so se Gatsby sia andato o meno a Coney Island, né per quante ore abbia "dato un'occhiata alle stanze" mentre la sua casa sfavillava vistosamente. I called up Daisy from the office next morning, and invited her to come to tea.

“Don't bring Tom,” I warned her.

“What?”

“Don't bring Tom.”

“Who is ‘Tom'?” she asked innocently. "Wer ist 'Tom'?", fragte sie unschuldig.

The day agreed upon was pouring rain. Der vereinbarte Tag war von strömendem Regen geprägt. At eleven o'clock a man in a raincoat, dragging a lawn-mower, tapped at my front door and said that Mr. Gatsby had sent him over to cut my grass. Alle undici un uomo in impermeabile, che trascinava un tosaerba, bussò alla mia porta e disse che il signor Gatsby lo aveva mandato a tagliarmi l'erba. This reminded me that I had forgotten to tell my Finn to come back, so I drove into West Egg Village to search for her among soggy whitewashed alleys and to buy some cups and lemons and flowers. Das erinnerte mich daran, dass ich vergessen hatte, meiner Finnin zu sagen, dass sie zurückkommen sollte, also fuhr ich nach West Egg Village, um sie in den feuchten, weißgetünchten Gassen zu suchen und ein paar Tassen, Zitronen und Blumen zu kaufen. Questo mi ha ricordato che avevo dimenticato di dire alla mia Finn di tornare, così sono andata a West Egg Village per cercarla tra i vicoli fradici e imbiancati e per comprare tazze, limoni e fiori.

The flowers were unnecessary, for at two o'clock a greenhouse arrived from Gatsby's, with innumerable receptacles to contain it. Die Blumen waren überflüssig, denn um zwei Uhr kam ein Gewächshaus von Gatsby's mit unzähligen Behältern für die Blumen. I fiori non erano necessari, perché alle due arrivò una serra da Gatsby, con innumerevoli recipienti per contenerla. An hour later the front door opened nervously, and Gatsby in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-coloured tie, hurried in. Eine Stunde später öffnete sich die Haustür nervös, und Gatsby in seinem weißen Flanellanzug, dem silbernen Hemd und der goldfarbenen Krawatte eilte herein. Un'ora dopo la porta d'ingresso si aprì nervosamente e Gatsby, in abito di flanella bianco, camicia argentata e cravatta color oro, entrò di corsa. He was pale, and there were dark signs of sleeplessness beneath his eyes. Er war blass, und unter seinen Augen zeigten sich dunkle Zeichen der Schlaflosigkeit.

“Is everything all right?” he asked immediately.

“The grass looks fine, if that's what you mean.”

“What grass?” he inquired blankly. "Quale erba?", chiese con aria assente. “Oh, the grass in the yard.” He looked out the window at it, but, judging from his expression, I don't believe he saw a thing. "Er schaute aus dem Fenster, aber seinem Gesichtsausdruck nach zu urteilen, glaube ich nicht, dass er etwas gesehen hat. "Oh, l'erba del cortile". Guardò fuori dalla finestra, ma, a giudicare dalla sua espressione, non credo che abbia visto nulla.

“Looks very good,” he remarked vaguely. "Sieht sehr gut aus", bemerkte er vage. "Sembra molto buono", osservò vagamente. “One of the papers said they thought the rain would stop about four. "Uno dei giornali ha detto che pensavano che la pioggia sarebbe cessata verso le quattro. I think it was __The Journal__. Have you got everything you need in the shape of—of tea?” Haben Sie alles, was Sie brauchen, in Form von Tee?" Avete tutto quello che vi serve sotto forma di tè?".

I took him into the pantry, where he looked a little reproachfully at the Finn. Lo portai nella dispensa, dove guardò con un po' di rimprovero il finlandese. Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop. Insieme abbiamo esaminato le dodici torte al limone del negozio di gastronomia.

“Will they do?” I asked. "Werden sie es tun?", fragte ich. "Lo faranno?" Chiesi.

“Of course, of course! They're fine!” and he added hollowly, “… old sport.” Stanno bene!" e aggiunse, con un filo di voce, "... vecchio sport".

The rain cooled about half-past three to a damp mist, through which occasional thin drops swam like dew. Verso le tre e mezza la pioggia si raffreddò fino a diventare una nebbiolina umida, attraverso la quale ogni tanto scorrevano gocce sottili come rugiada. Gatsby looked with vacant eyes through a copy of Clay's __Economics__, starting at the Finnish tread that shook the kitchen floor, and peering towards the bleared windows from time to time as if a series of invisible but alarming happenings were taking place outside. Gatsby sfogliava con occhi vacui una copia di Economia di Clay, partendo dal battito finlandese che scuoteva il pavimento della cucina, e sbirciando di tanto in tanto verso le finestre sbiancate, come se all'esterno si stesse verificando una serie di eventi invisibili ma allarmanti. Finally he got up and informed me, in an uncertain voice, that he was going home. Schließlich stand er auf und teilte mir mit unsicherer Stimme mit, dass er nach Hause gehen würde. Alla fine si alzò e mi informò, con voce incerta, che stava andando a casa.

“Why's that?”

“Nobody's coming to tea. It's too late!” He looked at his watch as if there was some pressing demand on his time elsewhere. Es ist zu spät", er schaute auf die Uhr, als ob seine Zeit anderweitig dringend benötigt würde. È troppo tardi!". Guardò l'orologio come se il suo tempo fosse richiesto altrove. “I can't wait all day.”

“Don't be silly; it's just two minutes to four.” "Non essere sciocco, mancano solo due minuti alle quattro".

He sat down miserably, as if I had pushed him, and simultaneously there was the sound of a motor turning into my lane. Er setzte sich unglücklich hin, als ob ich ihn geschubst hätte, und gleichzeitig ertönte das Geräusch eines Motors, der in meine Fahrspur einbog. Si sedette miseramente, come se l'avessi spinto, e contemporaneamente si sentì il rumore di un motore che svoltava nella mia corsia. We both jumped up, and, a little harrowed myself, I went out into the yard. Ci alzammo entrambi di scatto e, un po' arruffato, uscii in cortile.

Under the dripping bare lilac-trees a large open car was coming up the drive. Sotto gli alberi di lillà spogli e gocciolanti, una grande auto aperta stava salendo dal viale. It stopped. Daisy's face, tipped sideways beneath a three-cornered lavender hat, looked out at me with a bright ecstatic smile. Daisys Gesicht, das unter einem lavendelfarbenen Dreispitzhut zur Seite geneigt war, blickte mich mit einem strahlenden, ekstatischen Lächeln an. Il viso di Daisy, inclinato di lato sotto un cappello a tre angoli color lavanda, mi guardava con un sorriso luminoso ed estatico.

“Is this absolutely where you live, my dearest one?” "Wohnst du wirklich hier, meine Liebste?" "È proprio qui che vivi, mia cara?".

The exhilarating ripple of her voice was a wild tonic in the rain. Das erheiternde Plätschern ihrer Stimme war wie ein wildes Tonikum im Regen. L'increspatura esaltante della sua voce era un tonico selvaggio nella pioggia. I had to follow the sound of it for a moment, up and down, with my ear alone, before any words came through. Ich musste dem Geräusch einen Moment lang folgen, auf und ab, nur mit dem Ohr, bevor ich etwas hörte. Dovetti seguirne il suono per un attimo, su e giù, solo con l'orecchio, prima che arrivasse qualche parola. A damp streak of hair lay like a dash of blue paint across her cheek, and her hand was wet with glistening drops as I took it to help her from the car. Eine feuchte Haarsträhne lag wie ein blauer Farbklecks auf ihrer Wange, und ihre Hand war nass von glitzernden Tropfen, als ich sie nahm, um ihr aus dem Auto zu helfen. Una striscia umida di capelli si stendeva come una macchia di vernice blu sulla sua guancia, e la sua mano era bagnata di gocce scintillanti quando la presi per aiutarla a scendere dall'auto.

“Are you in love with me,” she said low in my ear, “or why did I have to come alone?” "Sei innamorato di me", mi disse a bassa voce nell'orecchio, "o perché sono dovuta venire da sola?".

“That's the secret of Castle Rackrent. "Das ist das Geheimnis von Castle Rackrent. "Questo è il segreto di Castle Rackrent. Tell your chauffeur to go far away and spend an hour.”

“Come back in an hour, Ferdie.” Then in a grave murmur: “His name is Ferdie.”

“Does the gasoline affect his nose?” "Wirkt das Benzin auf seine Nase?" "La benzina ha effetti sul suo naso?".

“I don't think so,” she said innocently. "Das glaube ich nicht", sagte sie unschuldig. “Why?”

We went in. To my overwhelming surprise the living-room was deserted. Con mia grande sorpresa il salotto era deserto.

“Well, that's funny,” I exclaimed. "Das ist ja lustig", rief ich aus.

“What's funny?”

She turned her head as there was a light dignified knocking at the front door. Girò la testa quando un leggero e dignitoso bussare alla porta d'ingresso. I went out and opened it. Gatsby, pale as death, with his hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets, was standing in a puddle of water glaring tragically into my eyes. Gatsby, totenbleich, die Hände wie Gewichte in die Manteltaschen gesteckt, stand in einer Wasserpfütze und blickte mir tragisch in die Augen. Gatsby, pallido come la morte, con le mani affondate come pesi nelle tasche del cappotto, era in piedi in una pozza d'acqua e mi guardava tragicamente negli occhi.

With his hands still in his coat pockets he stalked by me into the hall, turned sharply as if he were on a wire, and disappeared into the living-room. Die Hände immer noch in den Manteltaschen, schlich er an mir vorbei in den Flur, drehte sich abrupt um, als ob er auf einem Draht wäre, und verschwand im Wohnzimmer. Con le mani ancora nelle tasche del cappotto, mi passò accanto nell'ingresso, girò bruscamente come se fosse su un filo, e scomparve nel salotto. It wasn't a bit funny. Non era affatto divertente. Aware of the loud beating of my own heart I pulled the door to against the increasing rain. Im Bewusstsein des lauten Klopfens meines eigenen Herzens zog ich die Tür gegen den zunehmenden Regen zu. Consapevole del forte battito del mio cuore, tirai la porta contro la pioggia crescente.

For half a minute there wasn't a sound. Then from the living-room I heard a sort of choking murmur and part of a laugh, followed by Daisy's voice on a clear artificial note: Dann hörte ich aus dem Wohnzimmer eine Art ersticktes Gemurmel und einen Teil eines Lachens, gefolgt von Daisys Stimme mit einem klaren, künstlichen Ton: Poi dal salotto sentii una specie di mormorio soffocato e parte di una risata, seguita dalla voce di Daisy su una chiara nota artificiale:

“I certainly am awfully glad to see you again.” "Ich bin wirklich sehr froh, dich wiederzusehen." "Sono davvero molto felice di rivederti".

A pause; it endured horribly. Eine Pause; sie hielt schrecklich an. I had nothing to do in the hall, so I went into the room.

Gatsby, his hands still in his pockets, was reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease, even of boredom. Gatsby, die Hände immer noch in den Taschen, lehnte sich an den Kaminsims und täuschte eine vollkommene Ruhe, ja sogar Langeweile vor. Gatsby, con le mani ancora in tasca, era appoggiato alla mensola del caminetto in una contraffazione tesa di perfetto agio, persino di noia. His head leaned back so far that it rested against the face of a defunct mantelpiece clock, and from this position his distraught eyes stared down at Daisy, who was sitting, frightened but graceful, on the edge of a stiff chair. Er lehnte seinen Kopf so weit zurück, dass er an das Zifferblatt einer ausgedienten Kaminuhr stieß, und aus dieser Position starrten seine verstörten Augen auf Daisy hinunter, die verängstigt, aber anmutig auf der Kante eines steifen Stuhls saß. La sua testa era talmente reclinata all'indietro da poggiare contro il quadrante di un orologio da caminetto in disuso, e da questa posizione i suoi occhi sconvolti fissavano Daisy, che era seduta, spaventata ma aggraziata, sul bordo di una sedia rigida.

“We've met before,” muttered Gatsby. "Wir sind uns schon einmal begegnet", murmelte Gatsby. "Ci siamo già incontrati", mormorò Gatsby. His eyes glanced momentarily at me, and his lips parted with an abortive attempt at a laugh. Seine Augen blickten mich kurz an, und seine Lippen verzogen sich zu einem vergeblichen Versuch, zu lachen. I suoi occhi mi guardarono per un attimo e le sue labbra si aprirono in un tentativo abortito di risata. Luckily the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers, and set it back in place. Glücklicherweise kippte die Uhr in diesem Moment unter dem Druck seines Kopfes gefährlich um, woraufhin er sich umdrehte, sie mit zitternden Fingern auffing und wieder in Position brachte. Per fortuna l'orologio si inclinò pericolosamente sotto la pressione della sua testa; allora egli si voltò, lo afferrò con dita tremanti e lo rimise al suo posto. Then he sat down, rigidly, his elbow on the arm of the sofa and his chin in his hand. Dann setzte er sich starr hin, den Ellbogen auf die Sofalehne gestützt und das Kinn in die Hand gestützt.

“I'm sorry about the clock,” he said.

My own face had now assumed a deep tropical burn. Mein eigenes Gesicht hatte inzwischen eine tiefe tropische Verbrennung angenommen. Il mio stesso viso aveva ormai assunto una profonda bruciatura tropicale. I couldn't muster up a single commonplace out of the thousand in my head. Ich konnte nicht einen einzigen Gemeinplatz aus den Tausenden in meinem Kopf auftreiben. Non riuscivo a trovare un solo luogo comune tra le migliaia che avevo in testa.

“It's an old clock,” I told them idiotically.

I think we all believed for a moment that it had smashed in pieces on the floor. Ich glaube, wir haben alle einen Moment lang geglaubt, dass es auf dem Boden zerbrochen ist.

“We haven't met for many years,” said Daisy, her voice as matter-of-fact as it could ever be. "Wir haben uns seit vielen Jahren nicht mehr gesehen", sagte Daisy mit einer so sachlichen Stimme, wie sie nur sein kann. "Sono molti anni che non ci incontriamo", disse Daisy, con la voce più semplice che mai.

“Five years next November.”

The automatic quality of Gatsby's answer set us all back at least another minute. Die automatische Qualität von Gatsbys Antwort hat uns alle mindestens eine weitere Minute zurückgeworfen. La qualità automatica della risposta di Gatsby ci ha fatto tornare indietro di almeno un altro minuto. I had them both on their feet with the desperate suggestion that they help me make tea in the kitchen when the demoniac Finn brought it in on a tray. Ich hatte beide auf den Beinen mit dem verzweifelten Vorschlag, dass sie mir in der Küche beim Teekochen helfen sollten, als der dämonische Finn den Tee auf einem Tablett hereinbrachte. Li avevo messi in piedi con la disperata proposta di aiutarmi a preparare il tè in cucina, quando il demoniaco Finn lo portò su un vassoio.

Amid the welcome confusion of cups and cakes a certain physical decency established itself. Inmitten des willkommenen Durcheinanders von Tassen und Kuchen setzte sich ein gewisser körperlicher Anstand durch. In mezzo alla gradita confusione di tazze e torte si è affermata una certa decenza fisica. Gatsby got himself into a shadow and, while Daisy and I talked, looked conscientiously from one to the other of us with tense, unhappy eyes. Gatsby stellte sich in einen Schatten und schaute, während Daisy und ich uns unterhielten, mit angespannten, unglücklichen Augen gewissenhaft von einem zum anderen. Gatsby si mise all'ombra e, mentre Daisy e io parlavamo, ci guardava coscienziosamente da uno all'altro con occhi tesi e infelici. However, as calmness wasn't an end in itself, I made an excuse at the first possible moment, and got to my feet. Da Ruhe aber kein Selbstzweck war, entschuldigte ich mich im erstbesten Moment und stand auf. Tuttavia, poiché la calma non era fine a se stessa, mi sono giustificato al primo momento possibile e mi sono alzato in piedi.

“Where are you going?” demanded Gatsby in immediate alarm.

“I'll be back.”

“I've got to speak to you about something before you go.” "Ich muss mit dir über etwas sprechen, bevor du gehst." "Devo parlarti di una cosa prima che tu vada".

He followed me wildly into the kitchen, closed the door, and whispered: “Oh, God!” in a miserable way. Mi seguì selvaggiamente in cucina, chiuse la porta e sussurrò: "Oh, Dio!" in modo miserabile.

“What's the matter?”

“This is a terrible mistake,” he said, shaking his head from side to side, “a terrible, terrible mistake.” "Das ist ein schrecklicher Fehler", sagte er und schüttelte den Kopf, "ein schrecklicher, schrecklicher Fehler".

“You're just embarrassed, that's all,” and luckily I added: “Daisy's embarrassed too.”

“She's embarrassed?” he repeated incredulously.

“Just as much as you are.”

“Don't talk so loud.” "Non parlare così forte".

“You're acting like a little boy,” I broke out impatiently. “Not only that, but you're rude. "Nicht nur das, Sie sind auch noch unhöflich. "Non solo, ma sei anche maleducato. Daisy's sitting in there all alone.”

He raised his hand to stop my words, looked at me with unforgettable reproach, and, opening the door cautiously, went back into the other room. Er hob die Hand, um meine Worte zu stoppen, sah mich mit einem unvergesslichen Vorwurf an und ging, indem er die Tür vorsichtig öffnete, in das andere Zimmer zurück. Alzò la mano per fermare le mie parole, mi guardò con un rimprovero indimenticabile e, aprendo cautamente la porta, tornò nell'altra stanza.

I walked out the back way—just as Gatsby had when he had made his nervous circuit of the house half an hour before—and ran for a huge black knotted tree, whose massed leaves made a fabric against the rain. Ich ging durch die Hintertür hinaus - genau wie Gatsby es getan hatte, als er eine halbe Stunde zuvor seine nervöse Runde um das Haus gemacht hatte - und rannte zu einem riesigen, schwarzen, geknoteten Baum, dessen dichte Blätter einen Stoff gegen den Regen bildeten. Uscii dal retro, proprio come aveva fatto Gatsby quando aveva fatto il suo giro nervoso della casa mezz'ora prima, e corsi verso un enorme albero dai nodi neri, le cui foglie ammassate facevano da tessuto contro la pioggia. Once more it was pouring, and my irregular lawn, well-shaved by Gatsby's gardener, abounded in small muddy swamps and prehistoric marshes. Wieder einmal goss es in Strömen, und mein unregelmäßiger Rasen, der von Gatsbys Gärtner gut rasiert worden war, wimmelte von kleinen schlammigen Sümpfen und prähistorischen Mooren. Ancora una volta pioveva, e il mio prato irregolare, ben rasato dal giardiniere di Gatsby, abbondava di piccole paludi fangose e acquitrini preistorici. There was nothing to look at from under the tree except Gatsby's enormous house, so I stared at it, like Kant at his church steeple, for half an hour. Unter dem Baum gab es nichts zu sehen außer Gatsbys riesigem Haus, und so starrte ich eine halbe Stunde lang darauf, wie Kant auf seinen Kirchturm. Da sotto l'albero non c'era nulla da guardare se non l'enorme casa di Gatsby, così la fissai per mezz'ora, come Kant sul campanile della sua chiesa. A brewer had built it early in the “period” craze, a decade before, and there was a story that he'd agreed to pay five years' taxes on all the neighbouring cottages if the owners would have their roofs thatched with straw. Ein Bierbrauer hatte es ein Jahrzehnt zuvor in der Zeit des "Zeitgeistes" gebaut, und man erzählte sich, dass er sich bereit erklärt hatte, fünf Jahre lang die Steuern für alle benachbarten Häuser zu zahlen, wenn die Eigentümer ihre Dächer mit Stroh decken ließen. Un birraio l'aveva costruita all'inizio della moda del "periodo", un decennio prima, e si raccontava che avesse accettato di pagare cinque anni di tasse su tutti i cottage vicini se i proprietari avessero fatto ricoprire i loro tetti di paglia. Perhaps their refusal took the heart out of his plan to Found a Family—he went into an immediate decline. Vielleicht hat ihre Ablehnung seinem Plan, eine Familie zu gründen, den Boden entzogen - er ging sofort in die Knie. Forse il loro rifiuto gli ha tolto il cuore dal suo progetto di fondare una famiglia: è andato subito in declino. His children sold his house with the black wreath still on the door. Seine Kinder verkauften sein Haus, an dessen Tür noch der schwarze Kranz hing. I suoi figli hanno venduto la casa con la corona nera ancora sulla porta. Americans, while willing, even eager, to be serfs, have always been obstinate about being peasantry. Die Amerikaner sind zwar bereit, ja sogar erpicht darauf, Leibeigene zu sein, haben sich aber immer dagegen gesträubt, Bauern zu sein. Gli americani, pur essendo disposti, persino desiderosi, di essere servi della gleba, si sono sempre ostinati a essere contadini.