The Great Gatsby. Адаптированная книга для чтения на английском языке. Уровень B1

Wilson had changed her costume some time before, and was now in an elaborate afternoon dress of cream-colored silk, which gave out a rustle as she swept about the room. With the influence of the dress her personality had also undergone a change. The intense vitality that had been so remarkable in the garage was converted into impressive arrogance.

«I like your dress», remarked Mrs. McKee, the neighbor, «I think it’s adorable».

Mrs. Wilson rejected the compliment by raising her eyebrow in contempt.

«It’s just a crazy old thing», she said.

«I just put it on sometimes when I don’t care what I look like».

В«But it looks wonderful on youВ», insisted Mrs. McKee.

Myrtle looked at me and laughed pointlessly. Then she kissed the dog with ecstasy, and swept into the kitchen, implying that a dozen chefs awaited her orders there.

The sister Catherine sat down beside me on the sofa.

В«Do you live down on Long Island?В» she inquired.

В«I live at West EggВ».

В«Really? I was down there at a party about a month ago.

At a man named Gatsby’s. Do you know him?»

В«I live next door to himВ».

«Well, they say he’s a nephew or a cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm’s.

That’s where all his money comes from».

В«Really?В»

She nodded.

This absorbing information about my neighbor was interrupted by Mrs. McKee who pointed suddenly at Catherine:

В«Chester, I think you could do something with HERВ», she said, but Mr. McKee only nodded in a bored way, and turned his attention to Tom.

«I’d like to do more work on Long Island», said Mr. McKee, «if I could get the entry. All I ask is that they should give me a start».

«Ask Myrtle», said Tom, laughing, as Mrs. Wilson entered with a tray. «She’ll give you a letter of introduction[21 - Рекомендательное письмо.], won’t you Myrtle?»

В«Do what?В» she asked, startled.

«You’ll give McKee a letter of introduction to your husband, so he can do some studies of him». His lips moved silently for a moment as he invented.

В«GEORGE B. WILSON AT THE GASOLINE PUMP, or something like thatВ».

Catherine leaned close to me and whispered in my ear: «Neither of them can stand the person they’re married to».

«Can’t they?»

«Can’t STAND them». She looked at Myrtle and then at Tom. «What I say is, why go on living with them if they can’t stand them? If I were them I’d get a divorce and get married to each other right away».