經(jīng)典名著《了不起的蓋茨比》精彩選段
《了不起的蓋茨比》（The Great Gatsby），出版于1925年，是美國(guó)作家弗朗西斯·斯科特·基·菲茨杰拉德所寫(xiě)的一部以20世紀(jì)20年代的紐約市及長(zhǎng)島為背景的短篇小說(shuō)，被視為美國(guó)文學(xué)“爵士時(shí)代”的象徵。
它在初出版時(shí)并不受歡迎——菲茨杰拉德在世時(shí)的總銷量只有少于二萬(wàn)四千本。在大蕭條以及二戰(zhàn)時(shí)被忽略，直至20世紀(jì)50年代再版時(shí)才受到廣泛注目。其后的數(shù)十年它更成為高中、大學(xué)文學(xué)課的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)教材。經(jīng)常有人把它稱為20世紀(jì)最偉大的英文小說(shuō)之一[1]。1999年改編為同名歌劇《了不起的蓋茨比》演出。
本書(shū)有許多中文翻譯版本，書(shū)名也有許多譯法，例如《永恆之戀》，黃淑慎譯，1954年?！洞笤?！蓋世比》，王潤(rùn)華、?，撟g，1969年?！洞蠛嘈鳌罚瑔讨胃撸ǜ呖艘悖┳g，1970年、2001年（增訂版）。《大亨──凱士畢》，丁士奇譯，1971年?！读瞬黄鸬纳w茨比》，巫寧坤譯，2007年。
In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.
"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."
The Great Gatsby
Chapter 1, opening words.
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.
The Great Gatsby
Chapter 1, Nick on Gatsby.
[Tom] would drift on forever seeking, a little wistfully, for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game.
The Great Gatsby
Chapter 1.
In two weeks it'll be the longest day in the year....Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day in the year and then miss it.
The Great Gatsby
Chapter 1.
Civilization's going to pieces. I've gotten to be a terrible pessimist about things... The idea is if we don't look out the white race will be -- will be utterly submerged... It's up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things.
The Great Gatsby
Chapter 1, Tom.
All right...I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool -- that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.
The Great Gatsby
Chapter 1, Daisy on her newborn girl.
I KNOW. I've been everywhere and seen everything and done everything…Sophisticated - God, I'm sophisticated.
The Great Gatsby
Chapter 1, Daisy.
This is a valley of ashes - a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air. Occasionally a line of gray cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak, and comes to rest, and immediately the ash-gray men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud, which screens their obscure operations from your sight.
The Great Gatsby
Chapter 2.
He thinks she goes to see her sister in New York. He's so dumb he doesn't know he's alive.
The Great Gatsby
Chapter 2, Tom, on Wilson and his wife Myrtle, with whom Tom is having an affair.
I married him because I thought he was a gentleman...I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn't fit to lick my shoe.
The Great Gatsby
Chapter 2, Myrtle on Wilson.