Великий Гэтсби / The Great Gatsby

The younger of the two was a stranger to me. The other girl, Daisy, made an attempt to rise. She murmured that the surname of the other girl was Baker.

My cousin began to ask me questions in her low, thrilling voice. Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth.

“You ought to see the baby,” she said.

“I’d like to.”

“She’s asleep. She’s three years old. Haven’t you ever seen her?”

“Never.”

Tom Buchanan stopped and rested his hand on my shoulder.

“What you doing, Nick?”

“I’m a bond man[20 - I’m a bond man.

“Who with?”

I told him.

“Never heard of them,” he remarked.

This annoyed me[21 - This annoyed me. – Это меня задело.].

“You will,” I answered shortly. “You will if you stay in the East.”

“Oh, I’ll stay in the East, don’t you worry,” he said, glancing at Daisy and then back at me.

At this point Miss Baker said “Absolutely!” It was the first word she uttered since I came into the room.

I looked at Miss Baker, I enjoyed looking at her. She was a slender girl, with an erect carriage[22 - with an erect carriage – с очень прямой спиной]. It occurred to me now that I had seen her, or a picture of her, somewhere before.

“You live in West Egg,” she remarked contemptuously. “I know somebody there.”

“I don’t know a single —”

“You must know Gatsby.”

“Gatsby?” demanded Daisy. “What Gatsby?”

Before I could reply that he was my neighbour dinner was announced.

“Civilization’s going to pieces,” said Tom. “We don’t look out the white race will be submerged. It’s all scientific stuff; it’s been proved.”

The telephone rang and Tom left. Daisy suddenly threw her napkin on the table and excused herself and went into the house, too.

“Tom’s got some woman in New York[23 - Tom’s got some woman in New York. – У Тома есть женщина в Нью-Йорке.],” said Miss Baker. “She might have the decency not to telephone him at dinner-time.

Tom and Daisy were back at the table.

“We don’t know each other very well, Nick,” said Daisy. “Well, I’ve had a very bad time, and I’m pretty cynical about everything. I think everything’s terrible anyhow. I KNOW. I’ve been everywhere and seen everything and done everything.”

Chapter 2

Tom Buchanan had a mistress[24 - mistress – любовница]. Though I was curious to see her I had no desire to meet her – but I did.