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

«Sophisticated – God, I’m sophisticated!»

The moment her voice stopped, I felt the basic insincerity of what she had said. It made me uneasy, as though the whole evening had been a trick of some sort to extract a contributory emotion from me. I waited, and sure enough, in a moment she looked at me with a grin on her lovely face, as if she had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged.

Inside, the crimson room bloomed with light.

Tom and Miss Baker sat at either end of the long sofa and she read aloud to him from the SATURDAY EVENING POST.

When we came in she held us silent for a moment with a lifted hand.

«To be continued[16 - Продолжение следует.]», she said, putting the magazine on the table, «in our next issue».

She stood up.

«Ten o’clock», she remarked, apparently finding the time on the ceiling. «Time for this good girl to go to bed».

«Jordan’s going to play in the tournament tomorrow», explained Daisy, «over at Westchester».

«Oh – you’re Jordan BAKER».

I knew now why her face was familiar – its scornful expression had looked out at me from many pictures of the sporting life at Asheville and Hot Springs and Palm Beach. I had heard some story of her too, a critical, unpleasant story, but what it was I had forgotten long ago.

«Good night», she said softly. «Wake me at eight, won’t you».

«If you’ll get up».

В«I will. Good night, Mr. Carraway. See you soonВ».

«Of course you will», confirmed Daisy. «In fact I think I’ll arrange a marriage. Come over often, Nick, and I’ll sort of – oh – fling you together. You know – lock you up accidentally in linen closets and push you out to sea in a boat, and all that sort of thing…»

«Good night», called Miss Baker from the stairs. «I haven’t heard a word».

«She’s a nice girl», said Tom after a moment. «They shouldn’t let her run around the country this way».

«Who shouldn’t to?» inquired Daisy coldly.

В«Her familyВ».

«Her family is one aunt about a thousand years old. Besides, Nick’s going to look after her, aren’t you, Nick? She’s going to spend lots of week-ends out here this summer. I think the home influence will be very good for her».

Daisy and Tom looked at each other for a moment in silence.

В«Is she from New York?В» I asked quickly.

В«From Louisville. Our girlhood was passed together thereВ».