《了不起的盖茨比》的开头如下：

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.’

这段话是小说的开篇，通过叙述者尼克的视角展开，表达了他父亲在他年轻时给予的忠告，提醒他在批评别人时要保持谦逊和理解，因为并不是每个人都具备他所拥有的优越条件。这个开头不仅引出了小说的主题，也为后续的故事情节奠定了基础。