了不起的盖茨比-The-Great-Gatsby

1TheGreatGatsbyChapter1Thenwearthegoldhat,ifthatwillmoveher;Ifyoucanbouncehigh,bounceforhertoo,TillshecryLover,gold-hatted,high-bouncinglover,Imusthaveyou!--THOMASPARKED'INVILLIERSChapter1InmyyoungerandmorevulnerableyearsmyfathergavemesomeadvicethatI'vebeenturningoverinmymindeversince.Wheneveryoufeellikecriticizinganyone,hetoldme,justrememberthatallthepeopleinthisworldhaven'thadtheadvantagesthatyou'vehad.Hedidn'tsayanymorebutwe'vealwaysbeenunusuallycommunicativeinareservedway,andIunderstoodthathemeantagreatdealmorethanthat.InconsequenceI'minclinedtoreservealljudgments,ahabitthathasopenedupmanycuriousnaturestomeandalsomademethevictimofnotafewveteranbores.Theabnormalmindisquicktodetectandattachitselftothisqualitywhenitappearsinanormalperson,andsoitcameaboutthatincollegeIwasunjustlyaccusedofbeingapolitician,becauseIwasprivytothesecretgrievesofwild,unknownmen.Mostoftheconfidenceswereunsought--frequentlyIhavefeignedsleep,preoccupation,orahostilelevitywhenIrealizedbysomeunmistakablesignthatanintimaterevelationwasquiveringonthehorizon--fortheintimaterevelationsofyoungmenoratleastthetermsinwhichtheyexpressthemareusuallyplagiaristicandmarredbyobvioussuppressions.Reservingjudgmentsisamatterofinfinitehope.IamstillalittleafraidofmissingsomethingifIforgetthat,asmyfathersnobbishlysuggested,andIsnobbishlyrepeatasenseofthefundamentaldecenciesisparceledoutunequallyatbirth.And,afterboastingthiswayofmytolerance,Icometotheadmissionthatithasalimit.ConductmaybefoundedonthehardrockorthewetmarshesbutafteracertainpointIdon'tcarewhatit'sfoundedon.WhenIcamebackfromtheEastlastautumnIfeltthatIwantedtheworldtobeinuniformandatasortofmoralattentionforever;Iwantednomoreriotousexcursionswithprivilegedglimpsesintothehumanheart.OnlyGatsby,themanwhogiveshisnametothisbook,wasexemptfrommyreaction--GatsbywhorepresentedeverythingforwhichIhaveanunaffectedscorn.Ifpersonalityisanunbrokenseriesofsuccessfulgestures,thentherewassomethinggorgeousabouthim,someheightenedsensitivitytothepromisesoflife,asifhewererelatedtooneofthoseintricatemachinesthatregisterearthquakestenthousandmilesaway.Thisresponsivenesshadnothingtodowiththatflabbyimpressionabilitywhichisdignifiedunderthenameofthecreativetemperament--itwasanextraordinarygiftforhope,aromanticreadinesssuchasIhaveneverfoundinanyotherpersonandwhichitisnotlikelyIshalleverfindagain.No--Gatsbyturnedoutallrightattheend;itiswhatpreyedonGatsby,whatfouldustfloatedinthewakeofhisdreamsthattemporarilyclosedoutmyinterestintheabortivesorrowsandshort-windedelationsofmen.Myfamilyhavebeenprominent,well-to-dopeopleinthismiddle-westerncityforthreegenerations.TheCarrawaysaresomethingofaclanandwehaveatraditionthatwe'redescendedfromtheDukesofBuccleuch,buttheactualfounderofmylinewasmygrandfather'sbrotherwhocamehereinfifty-one,sentasubstitutetotheCivilWarandstartedthewholesalehardwarebusinessthatmyfathercarriesontoday.Ineversawthisgreat-unclebutI'msupposedtolooklikehim--withspecialreferencetotheratherhard-boiledpaintingthathangsinFather'soffice.IgraduatedfromNewHavenin1915,justaquarterofacenturyaftermyfather,andalittlelaterIparticipatedinthatdelayedTeutonicmigrationknownasthe2GreatWar.Ienjoyedthecounter-raidsothoroughlythatIcamebackrestless.Insteadofbeingthewarmcenteroftheworldthemiddle-westnowseemedliketheraggededgeoftheuniverse--soIdecidedtogoeastandlearnthebondbusiness.EverybodyIknewwasinthebondbusinesssoIsupposeditcouldsupportonemoresingleman.Allmyauntsandunclestalkeditoverasiftheywerechoosingaprep-schoolformeandfinallysaid,Why--yeeswithverygrave,hesitantfaces.FatheragreedtofinancemeforayearandaftervariousdelaysIcameeast,permanently,Ithought,inthespringoftwenty-two.ThepracticalthingwastofindroomsinthecitybutitwasawarmseasonandIhadjustleftacountryofwidelawnsandfriendlytrees,sowhenayoungmanattheofficesuggestedthatwetakeahousetogetherinacommutingtownitsoundedlikeagreatidea.Hefoundthehouse,aweatherbeatencardboardbungalowateightyamonth,butatthelastminutethefirmorderedhimtoWashingtonandIwentouttothecountryalone.Ihadadog,atleastIhadhimforafewdaysuntilheranaway,andanoldDodgeandaFinnishwomanwhomademybedandcookedbreakfastandmutteredFinnishwisdomtoherselfovertheelectricstove.Itwaslonelyforadayorsountilonemorningsomeman,morerecentlyarrivedthanI,stoppedmeontheroad.HowdoyougettoWestEggvillage?heaskedhelplessly.Itoldhim.AndasIwalkedonIwaslonelynolonger.Iwasaguide,apathfinder,anoriginalsettler.Hehadcasuallyconferredonmethefreedomoftheneighborhood.Andsowiththesunshineandthegreatburstsofleavesgrowingonthetrees--justasthingsgrowinfastmovies--Ihadthatfamiliarconvictionthatlifewasbeginningoveragainwiththesummer.Therewassomuchtoreadforonethingandsomuchfinehealthtobepulleddownoutoftheyoungbreath-givingair.Iboughtadozenvolumesonbankingandcreditandinvestmentsecuritiesandtheystoodonmyshelfinredandgoldlikenewmoneyfromthemint,promisingtounfoldtheshiningsecretsthatonlyMidasandMorganandMaecenasknew.AndIhadthehighintentionofreadingmanyotherbooksbesides.Iwasratherliteraryincollege--oneyearIwroteaseriesofverysolemnandobviouseditorialsfortheYaleNews--andnowI