话说宝玉在黛玉房中说“耗子精”，宝钗撞来，讽刺宝玉元宵不知“绿蜡”之典，三人正在房中互相取笑。	We have shown how Bao-yu was in Dai-yu's room telling her the story of the magic mice; how Bao-chai burst in on them and twitted Bao-yu with his failure to remember the 'green wax' allusion on the night of the Lantern Festival; and how the three of them sat teasing each other with good-humoured banter.
那宝玉恐黛玉饭后贪眠，一时存了食，或夜间走了困，身体不好；幸而宝钗走来，大家谈笑，那黛玉方不欲睡，自己才放了心。	Bao-yu had been afraid that by sleeping after her meal Dai-yu would give herself indigestion or suffer from insomnia through being insufficiently tired when she went to bed at night, but Bao-chai's arrival and the lively conversation that followed it banished all Dai-yu's desire to sleep and enabled him to lay aside his anxiety on her behalf.
忽听他房中嚷起来，大家侧耳听了一听，黛玉先笑道：“这是你妈妈和袭人叫唤呢。	Just then a sudden commotion arose from the direction of Bao-yu's room, and the three of them stopped talking and turned their heads to listen. Dai-yu was the first to speak: 'That's your Nannie quarrelling with Aroma,' she said.
那袭人待他也罢了，你妈妈再要认真排揎他，可见老背晦了。”	'To think how that poor girl goes out of her way to be nice to the old woman, yet still she manages to find fault with her! She really must be getting senile.'
宝玉忙欲赶过去，宝钗一把拉住道：“你别和你妈妈吵才是呢!	Bao-yu was for rushing over straight away, but Bao-chai restrained him: 'Don't go quarrelling with your Nannie, whatever you do!
他是老糊涂了，倒要让他一步儿的是。”	She's only a silly old woman. You have to indulge her a bit.'
宝玉道：“我知道了。” 说毕走来。	'Of course,' said Bao-yu and ran off.
只见李嬷嬷拄着拐杖，在当地骂袭人：“忘了本的小娼妇儿!	He found Nannie Li leaning on her stick in the middle of the room abusing Aroma: 'Ungrateful little baggage!
我抬举起你来，这会子我来了，你大模厮样儿的躺在炕上，见了我也不理一理儿。	After all I've done for you – and now when I come to call on you, you lie back there on the kang like a young madam and haven't even the grace to look up and take notice of me! You and your airs and graces!
一心只想妆狐媚子哄宝玉，哄的宝玉不理我，只听你的话。	All you ever think about is how to win Bao-yu over to you. Thanks to you he won't listen to me any more. He only does what you say.
你不过是几两银子买了来的小丫头子罢咧，这屋里你就作起耗来了!	To think that a cheap bit of goods like you that they only paid a few taels of silver for should come along here and turn the whole place upside down!
好不好的，拉出去配一个小子，看你还妖精似的哄人不哄！”	The best thing they could do with you would be to marry you off to one of the boys and send you packing. Then we'd see how you managed to play the siren and lead young gentlemen astray!'
袭人先只道李嬷嬷不过因他躺着生气，少不得分辩说：“病了，才出汗，蒙着头，原没看见你老人家。”	Aroma at first thought that Nannie Li's anger arose solely on account of her failure to get up and welcome her, and had started to excuse herself on that supposition: 'I'm ill, Mrs Li. I've just been sweating. I didn't see you because I had my head under the clothes.'
后来听见他说“哄宝玉”，又说“配小子”，由不得又羞又委屈，禁不住哭起来了。	But when the old woman proceeded to go on about leading young men astray and marrying her off to a servant and what not, she felt wronged and humiliated, and in spite of her efforts to restrain them, burst into tears of sheer helplessness.
宝玉虽听了这些话，也不好怎样，少不得替他分辩，说“病了，吃药”，又说：“你不信，只问别的丫头。”	Bao-yu had heard all this, and though too embarrassed to argue, could scarcely refrain from saying a word or two in Aroma's defence: 'She's ill. She's having to take medicine,' he said. 'If you don't believe me, ask any of the maids.'
李嬷嬷听了这话，越发气起来了，说道：“你只护着那起狐狸，那里还认得我了呢?	This made the old woman even angrier. 'Oh yes! You stick up for the little hussies! You don't care about me any more!
叫我问谁去?	And which of them am I supposed to ask, pray?
谁不帮着你呢?	They will all take your side against me.
谁不是袭人拿下马来的?	You are all under Aroma's thumb, every one of you.
我都知道那些事!	I know what goes on here, don't think I don't!
我只和你到老太太、太太跟前去讲讲：把你奶了这么大，到如今吃不着奶了，把我扔在一边儿，逞着丫头们要我的强！”	Well, you can come along with me to see Her Old Ladyship and Her Ladyship about this. Let them hear how you have cast me off – me that reared you at my own breast – now that you don't need my milk any more, and how you encourage a pack of snotty-nosed little maidservants to amuse themselves at my expense!'
一面说，一面哭。	She was in tears herself by now, and wept as she cursed.
彼时黛玉宝钗等也过来劝道：“妈妈，你老人家担待他们些就完了。”	By this time Dai-yu and Bao-chai had also arrived on the scene and did their best to calm her: 'Come, Nannie! Be a bit more forbearing with them! Try to forget about it!'
李嬷嬷见他二人来了，便诉委屈，将当日吃茶，茜雪出去，和昨日酥酪等事，唠唠叨叨说个不了。	Nannie Li turned towards this new audience and proceeded to pour out her troubles in an interminable gabble in which tea and Snowpink and drinking koumiss mingled incoherently.
可巧凤姐正在上房算了输赢帐，听见后面一片声嚷，便知是李嬷嬷老病发了，又值他今儿输了钱，迁怒于人，排揎宝玉的丫头。	Xi-feng happened to be in Grandmother Jia's room totting up the day's scores for the final settlement when she heard this hubbub in the rear apartment. She identified it immediately as Nannie Li on the rampage once more, taking out on Bao-yu's unfortunate maids some of the spleen occasioned by her recent gambling losses.
便连忙赶过来拉了李嬷嬷，笑道：“妈妈别生气。	At once she hurried over, seized Nannie Li by the hand, and admonished her with smiling briskness: 'Now, Nannie, we mustn't lose our tempers!
大节下，老太太刚喜欢了一日。	This is the New Year holiday and Her Old Ladyship has been enjoying herself all day.
你是个老人家，别人吵，你还要管他们才是；难道你倒不知规矩，在这里嚷起来，叫老太太生气不成?	A person of your years ought to be stopping other people from quarrelling, not upsetting Her Old Ladyship by quarrelling yourself. Surely you know better than that?
你说谁不好，我替你打他。	If anyone has been misbehaving, you have only to tell me and I'll have them beaten for you.
我屋里烧的滚热的野鸡，快跟了我喝酒去罢。”	Now I've got a nice hot pheasant stew in my room. You just come along with me and you shall have some of that and a drink to go with it!'
一面说，一面拉着走，又叫：“丰儿，替你李奶奶拿着拐棍子、擦眼泪的绢子。”	She proceeded to haul her off the premises, addressing a few words over her shoulder to her maid Felicity as she went: 'Felicity, bring Nannie's stick for her, there's a good girl! And for goodness' sake give her a handkerchief to wipe her eyes with!'
那李嬷嬷脚不沾地，跟了凤姐儿走了，一面还说：“我也不要这老命了，索性今儿没了规矩，闹一场子，讨了没脸，强似受那些娼妇的气！”	Unable to hold her ground, the old Nannie was borne off in Xi-feng's wake, muttering plaintively as she went: 'I wish I was dead, I really do! But I'd sooner forget meself and make a scene like I have today and be shamed in front of you all than put up with the insolence of those shameless little baggages!'
后面宝钗黛玉见凤姐儿这般，都拍手笑道：“亏他这一阵风来，把个老婆子撮了去了。”	Watching this sudden exit, Bao-chai and Dai-yu laughed and clapped their hands: 'How splendid! Just the sort of wind we needed to blow the old woman away!'
宝玉点头叹道：“这又不知是那里的帐，只拣软的欺负!	But Bao-yu shook his head and sighed: 'I wonder what had really upset her. Obviously she only picked on Aroma because she is weak and can't defend herself.
又不知是那个姑娘得罪了，上在他帐上了。”	I wonder which of the girls had offended her to make her so...'
一句未完，晴雯在旁说道：“谁又没疯了，得罪他做什么?	He was interrupted by Skybright: 'Why should any of us want to upset her? Do you think we're mad ?
既得罪了他，就有本事承任，犯不着带累别人！”	And even if we had offended her, we should be perfectly capable of owning up to it and not letting someone else take the blame!'
袭人一面哭，一面拉着宝玉道：“为我得罪了一个老奶奶，你这会子又为我得罪这些人，这还不够我受的，还只是拉扯人！”	Aroma grasped Bao-yu's hand and wept: 'Because I offended one old nurse, you have to go offending a whole roomful of people. Don't you think there's been enough trouble already without dragging other people into it?'
宝玉见他这般病势，又添了这些烦恼，连忙忍气吞声，安慰他仍旧睡下出汗。	Seeing how ill she looked and realizing that distress of mind could only aggravate her condition, Bao-yu stifled his indignation and did his best to comfort her so that she might be able to settle down once more and continue sweating out the fever.
又见他汤烧火热，自己守着他，歪在旁边劝他：“只养病，别想那些没要紧的事。”	Her skin was burning to the touch. He decided to stay with her for a while, and lying down beside her, spoke to her soothingly: 'Just try to get better, now! Never mind all that other nonsense! It's of no importance.'
袭人冷笑道：“要为这些事生气，这屋里一刻还住得了?	Aroma smiled bitterly. 'If I had allowed myself to get upset about things like that, I shouldn't have lasted in this room for five minutes!
但只是天长日久，尽着这么闹，可叫人怎么过呢!	Still, if we're always going to have this sort of trouble, I think in the long run I just shan't be able to stand any more.
你只顾一时为我得罪了人，他们都记在心里，遇着坎儿，说的好说不好听的，大家什么意思呢？”	You don't seem to realize. You offend people on my account and the next moment you've forgotten all about it. But they haven't. It's all scored up against me; and as soon as something goes a bit wrong, they come out with all these horrible things about me. It makes it so unpleasant for all of us.'
一面说，一面禁不住流泪，又怕宝玉烦恼，只得又勉强忍着。	She cried weakly as she said this, but presently checked herself for fear of upsetting Bao-yu.
一时杂使的老婆子端了二和药来。	Soon the odd-job woman came in with the second infusion of Aroma's medicine.
宝玉见他才有点汗儿，便不叫他起来，自己端着给他就枕上吃了，即令小丫鬟们铺炕。	Bao-yu could see that she had started sweating again and told her not to get up, holding the medicine for her himself and supporting her while she drank it. Then he told one of the junior maids to make up a bed for her on the kang.
袭人道：“你吃饭不吃饭，到底老太太、太太跟前坐一会子，和姑娘们玩一会子，再回来。	'Whether you're going to eat there or not,' Aroma said to him, 'you'd better go and sit with Her Old Ladyship and Her Ladyship for a bit and play a while with the young ladies before you come back here again.
我就静静的躺一躺也好啊。”	I shall be all right if I lie here quietly on my own.'
宝玉听说，只得依他，看着他去了簪环躺下，才去上屋里跟着贾母吃饭。	Bao-yu thought he had better do as she said, and after waiting until she had taken off her ornaments and was lying tucked up in bed, he went to the front apartment and took his dinner with Grandmother Jia.
饭毕，贾母犹欲和那几个老管家的嬷嬷斗牌。	After dinner Grandmother Jia wanted to go on playing cards with some of the old stewardesses.
宝玉惦记袭人，便回至房中，见袭人朦胧睡去。	Bao-yu, still worrying about Aroma, returned to his own room, where he found her sleeping fitfully.
自己要睡，天气尚早。	He thought of going to bed himself, but it was still too early.
彼时晴雯、绮霞、秋纹、碧痕都寻热闹，找鸳鸯、琥珀等耍戏去了。	Skybright, Mackerel, Ripple and Emerald had gone off in quest of livelier entertainment, hoping to persuade Grandmother Jia's maids, Faithful and Amber, to join them in a game.
见麝月一人在外间屋里灯下抹骨牌。	Only Musk was left in the outer room, playing Patience under the lamp with a set of dominoes.
宝玉笑道：“你怎么不和他们去？”	Bao-yu smiled at her. 'Why don't you go off to join the others?'
麝月道：“没有钱。”	'I haven't got any money.'
宝玉道：“床底下堆着钱，还不够你输的？”	'There's a great pile of money under the bed. Isn't that enough for you to lose?'
麝月道：“都乐去了，这屋子交给谁呢?	'If we all went off to play,' said Musk, 'who would look after this room?
那一个又病了，满屋里上头是灯，下头是火，那些老婆子们都‘老天拔地’，伏侍了一天，也该叫他们歇歇儿了。	There's her sick inside. And lamps and stoves burning everywhere. The old women were practically dead on their feet after waiting on you all day; I had to let them go and rest.
小丫头们也伏侍了一天，这会子还不叫玩玩儿去吗?	And the girls have been on duty all day, too. You could scarcely grudge them some time off now for amusement.
所以我在这里看着。”	-Which leaves only me to look after the place.'
宝玉听了这话，公然又是一个袭人了。 因笑道：“我在这里坐着，你放心去罢。”	'Another Aroma,' thought Bao-yu to himself and gave her another smile. 'I'll sit here while you're away. There's nothing to worry about here if you'd like to go.'
麝月道：“你既在这里，越发不用去了。	'There's even less excuse for going if you are here,' said Musk.
咱们两个说话儿不好？”	'Why can't we both sit here and talk?'
宝玉道：“咱们两个做什么呢?	'What can we do?' said Bao-yu.
怪没意思的。	'Just sitting here talking is going to be rather dull.
也罢了，早起你说头上痒痒，这会子没什么事，我替你篦头罢。”	I know! You were saying this morning that your head was itchy. As you haven't got anything else to do now, I'll comb it for you.'
麝月听了道：“使得。” 说着，将文具镜匣搬来，卸去钗镮，打开头发，宝玉拿了篦子替他篦。	'All right,' said Musk, and fetching her toilet-box with the mirror on top she proceeded to take off her ornaments and shake her hair out. Bao-yu took a comb and began to comb it for her.
只篦了三五下儿，见晴雯忙忙走进来取钱，一见他两个，便冷笑道：“哦!	But he had not drawn it more than four or five times through her hair, when Skybright came bursting in to get some more money. Seeing the two of them together, she smiled sarcastically: 'Fancy!
交杯盏儿还没吃，就上了头了！”	Doing her hair already – before you've even drunk the marriage-cup!'
宝玉笑道：“你来，我也替你篦篦。”	Bao-yu laughed. 'Come here! I'll do yours for you too, if you like!'
晴雯道：“我没这么大造化。”	'I wouldn't presume, thanks all the same!'
说着，拿了钱，摔了帘子，就出去了。	She took the money, and with a swish of the door-blind was gone.
宝玉在麝月身后，麝月对镜，二人在镜内相视而笑。	Bao-yu was standing behind Musk as she sat looking at herself in the mirror. Their eyes met in the glass and they both laughed.
宝玉笑着道：“满屋里就只是他磨牙。”	'Of all the girls in this room she has the sharpest tongue,' said Bao-yu.
麝月听说，忙向镜中摆手儿。	Musk signalled to him agitatedly in the glass with her hand.
宝玉会意，忽听“唿”一声帘子响，晴雯又跑进来问道：“我怎么磨牙了?	Bao-yu took her meaning; but it was too late. With another swish of the door-blind, Skybright had already darted in again. 'Oh! Sharp-tongued, am I?
咱们倒得说说！”	Perhaps you'd like to say a bit more on that subject?'
麝月笑道：“你去你的罢，又来拌嘴儿了。”	'Get along with you!' laughed Musk. 'Don't go starting any more arguments!'
晴雯也笑道：“你又护着他了!	'And don't you go sticking up for him!' said Skybright gaily.
你们瞒神弄鬼的，打量我都不知道呢!	'I know what you're up to, you two. You don't deceive me with your goings-on.
等我捞回本儿来再说。”	I'll have something to say to you about this when I get back later. Just wait until I've won some of my money back!'
说着，一径去了。	With that she darted off once more.
这里宝玉通了头，命麝月悄悄的伏侍他睡下，不肯惊动袭人。	When Bao-yu had finished combing her hair, he asked Musk to help him get to bed – very quietly, so as not to disturb Aroma.
一宿无话。	And that ends our account of that day.
次日清晨，袭人已是夜间出了汗，觉得轻松了些，只吃些米汤静养。	First thing next morning Aroma awoke to find that she had sweated heavily during the night and that her body felt very much lighter; but she would take only a little congee for breakfast in order not to tax her system too soon.
宝玉才放了心，因饭后走到薛姨妈这边来闲逛。	Bao-yu saw that there was no further cause for concern, and after his meal drifted off to Aunt Xue's apartment in search of amusement.
彼时正月内，学房中放年学，闺阁中忌针黹，都是闲时，因贾环也过来玩。	Now this was the prime of the year, when the schoolroom is closed for the New Year holiday and the use of the needle is forbidden to maidenly fingers throughout the whole of the Lucky Month, so that boys and girls alike are all agreeably unemployed, and Bao-yu's half-brother Jia Huan, on holiday like all the rest, had also drifted over to Aunt Xue's place in search of amusement.
正遇见宝钗、香菱、莺儿三个赶围棋作耍，贾环见了也要玩。	He found Bao-chai, Caltrop and Oriole there playing a game of Racing Go, and after watching them for a bit, wanted to play too.
宝钗素日看他也如宝玉，并没他意，今儿听他要玩，让他上来，坐在一处玩。	Bao-chai had always behaved towards Jia Huan in exactly the same way as she did towards Bao-yu and made no distinctions between them. Consequently, when he asked to play, she at once made a place for him and invited him to join them on the kang.
一注十个钱。	They played for stakes of ten cash each a game.
头一回，自己赢了，心中十分喜欢。	Jia Huan won the first game and felt very pleased.
谁知后来接连输了几盘，就有些着急。	But then, as luck would have it, he lost several times in a row and began to get somewhat rattled.
赶着这盘正该自己掷骰子，若掷个七点便赢了，若掷个六点，下该莺儿掷个三点就赢了。	It was now his turn to throw the dice. He needed seven to win, and if he threw anything less than seven, the dice would go next to Oriole, who needed only three.
因拿起骰子来狠命一掷，一个坐定了二，那一个乱转。	He hurled them from the pot with all his might. One of them rested at two. The other continued rather erratically to roll about.
莺儿拍着手儿叫“么！”	'Ace! Ace! Ace!' cried Oriole, clapping her hands.
贾环便瞪着眼，“六！” “七！” “八！” 混叫。	'Six! Seven! Eight!' shouted Jia Huan glaring at Oriole and commanding the die to perform the impossible.
那骰子偏生转出么来。	But the perverse wanderer finally came to rest with the ace uppermost, making a grand total of three.
贾环急了，伸手便抓起骰子来，就要拿钱，说是个六点。	With the speed of desperation Jia Huan reached out and snatched it up, claiming, as he did so, that it was a six.
莺儿便说：“明明是个么！”	'It was an ace,' said Oriole, 'as plain as anything!'
宝钗见贾环急了，便瞅了莺儿一眼，说道：“越大越没规矩!	Bao-chai could see that Jia Huan was rattled, and darting a sharp look at Oriole, commanded her to yield. 'You grow more unmannerly every day,' she told her.
难道爷们还赖你?	'Surely you don't think one of the masters would cheat you?
还不放下钱来呢。”	Come on! Put your money down!'
莺儿满心委屈，见姑娘说，不敢出声，只得放下钱来，口内嘟囔说：“一个做爷的，还赖我们这几个钱，连我也瞧不起!	Oriole smarted with the injustice of this, but her mistress had ordered it, so she had to pay up without arguing. She could not, however, forbear a few rebellious mutterings: 'Huh! One of the masters! Cheating a maid out of a few coppers! Even I should be ashamed!
前儿和宝二爷玩，他输了那些也没着急，下剩的钱还是几个小丫头子们一抢，他一笑就罢了。”	Look how much money Bao-yu lost when he was playing with us the other day, yet he didn't mind. Even when some of the maids took all he had left, he only laughed...'
宝钗不等说完，连忙喝住了。	She would have gone on, but Bao-chai checked her angrily.
贾环道：“我拿什么比宝玉? 你们怕他，都和他好，都欺负我不是太太养的！” 说着便哭。	'How can I hope to compete with Bao-yu?' said Jia Huan, beginning to blubber.
你们怕他，都和他好，都欺负我不是太太养的！”	'You're all afraid of him. You all take his part against me because I'm only a concubine's son.'
宝钗忙劝他：“好兄弟，快别说这话，人家笑话。”	Bao-chai was shocked: 'Please don't say things like that, Cousin! You'll make yourself ridiculous.'
又骂莺儿。	Once more she rebuked Oriole.
正值宝玉走来，见了这般景况，问：“是怎么了？”	Just at that moment Bao-yu walked in, and seeing the state that Jia Huan was in, asked him what was the matter.
贾环不敢则声。	But Jia Huan dared not say anything.
宝钗素知他家规矩，凡做兄弟的怕哥哥。	Bao-chai, familiar with the state of affairs, normal in other families, which places the younger brother in fearful subjection to the elder, assumed that Jia Huan was afraid of Bao-yu.
却不知那宝玉是不要人怕他的。	She was unaware that Bao-yu positively disliked anyone being afraid of him.
他想着：“兄弟们一并都有父母教训，何必我多事，反生疏了。 况且我是正出，他是庶出，饶这样看待，还有人背后谈论，还禁得辖治了他？”	'We are both equally subject to our parents' control,' he would say of himself and Jia Huan. 'Why should I create a greater distance between us by trying to control him myself – especially when I am the wife's son and he is the concubine's? People already talk behind our backs, even when I do nothing. It would be ten times worse if I were to start bossing him about.'
更有个呆意思存在心里。	But there was another, zanier, notion which contributed to this attitude.
你道是何呆意?	Let us try to explain it.
因他自幼姐妹丛中长大，亲姊妹有元春探春，叔伯的有迎春惜春，亲戚中又有湘云、黛玉、宝钗等人，他便料定天地间灵淑之气，只钟于女子，男儿们不过是些渣滓浊沫而已。	Bao-yu had from early youth grown up among girls. There were his sisters Yuan-chun and Tan-chun, his cousins of the same surname Ying-chun and Xi-chun, and his distaff-cousins Shi Xiang-yun, Lin Dai-yu and Xue Bao-chai. As a result of this upbringing, he had come to the conclusion that the pure essence of humanity was all concentrated in the female of the species and that males were its mere dregs and off-scourings.
因此把一切男子都看成浊物，可有可无。	To him, therefore, all members of his own sex without distinction were brutes who might just as well not have existed.
只是父亲、伯叔、兄弟之伦，因是圣人遗训，不敢违忤，所以弟兄间亦不过尽其大概就罢了，并不想自己是男子，须要为子弟之表率。	Only in the case of his father, uncles and brother, where rudeness and disobedience were expressly forbidden by the teachings of Confucius, did he make an exception – and even then the allowances he made in respect of the fraternal bond were extremely perfunctory. It certainly never occurred to him that his own maleness placed him under any obligation to set an example to the younger males in his clan.
是以贾环等都不甚怕他，只因怕贾母不依，才只得让他三分。	The latter – Jia Huan included – reciprocated with a healthy disrespect only slightly tempered by their fear of his doting grandmother.
现今宝钗生怕宝玉教训他，倒没意思，便连忙替贾环掩饰。	But Bao-chai was ignorant of all this; and fearing that Bao-yu might embarrass them all by delivering a big brother's telling-off, she hastened to Jia Huan's defence.
宝玉道：“大正月里，哭什么?	'What are you crying about in the middle of the New Year holidays?' said Bao-yu to Jia Huan, ignoring Bao-chai's excuses.
这里不好，到别处玩去。	'If you don't like it here, why don't you go somewhere else?
你天天念书，倒念糊涂了。	I think your brains must have been addled by too much study.
譬如这件东西不好，横竖那一件好，就舍了这件取那件。	Can't you see that if there is something you don't like, there must be something else you do like, and that all you've got to do is leave the one and go after the other?
难道你守着这件东西哭会子就好了不成?	Not hang on to it and cry. Crying won't make it any better.
你原是要取乐儿，倒招的自己烦恼。	You came here to enjoy yourself, didn't you? And now you're here you're miserable, right?
还不快去呢！”	Then the thing to do is to go somewhere else, isn't it?'
贾环听了，只得回来。 赵姨娘见他这般，因问：“是那里垫了踹窝来了？” 一问不答，再问时，贾环便说：“同宝姐姐玩来着。	In the face of such an argument Jia Huan could not very well remain. When he got back to his own apartment, his real mother, 'Aunt' Zhao (Lady Wang was his mother only in name) observed the dejected state he was in. 'Who's been making a doormat of you this time?' she asked him, and, obtaining no immediate reply, asked again. 'I've just been playing at Bao-chai's.
莺儿欺负我，赖我的钱； 宝玉哥哥撵了我来了。”	Oriole cheated me and Bao-yu turned me out.'
赵姨娘啐道：“谁叫你上高台盘了? 下流没脸的东西!	Aunt Zhao spat contemptuously: 'Nasty little brat! That's what comes of getting above yourself.
那里玩不得? 谁叫你跑了去讨这没意思？”	Who asked you to go playing with that lot? You could have gone anywhere else to play. Asking for trouble!'
正说着，可巧凤姐在窗外过，都听到耳内，便隔着窗户说道：“大正月里，怎么了?	Just at that moment Xi-feng happened to be passing by outside, and hearing what she said, shouted back at her through the window: 'What sort of language is that to be using in the middle of the New Year holiday?
兄弟们小孩子家，一半点儿错了，你只教导他，说这样话做什么?	He's only a child. He hasn't done anything terrible. What do you want to go carrying on at him like that for?
凭他怎么着，还有老爷太太管他呢，就大口家啐他?	No matter where he's been, Sir Zheng and Lady Wang are quite capable of looking after him themselves. There's no cause for you to go biting his head off!
他现是主子，不好，横竖有教导他的人，与你什么相干?	After all, he is one of the masters. If he's misbehaved himself, you should leave the telling-off to those whose job it is. It's no business of yours.
环兄弟，出来!	Huan! Come out here!
跟我玩去。”	Come and play with me!'
贾环素日怕凤姐比怕王夫人更甚，听见叫他，便赶忙出来。	Jia Huan had always been afraid of Xi-feng – more even than he was of Lady Wang – and hearing her call him, came running out immediately.
赵姨娘也不敢出声。	Aunt Zhao dared not say a word.
凤姐向贾环道：“你也是个没性气的东西呦!	'You're a poor-spirited creature!' Xi-feng said to him.
时常说给你：要吃，要喝，要玩，你爱和那个姐姐妹妹哥哥嫂子玩，就和那个玩。	'How many times have I told you that you can eat and drink and play with any of the boys and girls you like?
你总不听我的话，倒叫这些人教的你歪心邪意、狐媚魇道的。	But instead of doing as I say, you hang about with these other people and let them warp your mind for you and fill it up with mischief.
自己又不尊重，要往下流里走，安着坏心，还只怨人家偏心呢。	You've no self-respect, that's your trouble. Can't keep away from the gutter. You insist on making yourself disagreeable and then you complain that people are prejudiced against you!
输了几个钱，就这么个样儿！”	Fancy making a fuss like that about losing a few coppers!
因问贾环：“你输了多少钱？”	How much did you lose?'
贾环见问，只得诺诺的说道：“输了一二百钱。”	'One or two hundred,' Jia Huan muttered abjectly.
凤姐啐道：“亏了你还是个爷，输了一二百钱就这么着！”	'All this fuss about one or two hundred cash! And you one of the masters!'
回头叫：“丰儿，去取一吊钱来； 姑娘们都在后头玩呢，把他送了去。	She turned to Felicity. 'Go and get a string of cash for him, Felicity, and take him round to the back where Miss Ying and the girls are playing!
你明儿再这么狐媚子，我先打了你，再叫人告诉学里，皮不揭了你的!	And if I have any more of this nonsense from you in future, young man,' she went on to Jia Huan, 'I'll first give you a good hiding myself and then send someone to tell the school about you and see if they can knock a bit of sense into you!
为你这不尊贵，你哥哥恨得牙痒痒，不是我拦着，窝心脚把你的肠子还窝出来呢！”	It sets your Cousin Lian's teeth on edge to see you so wanting in self-respect. He'd have disembowelled you by now I shouldn't wonder, if I hadn't kept his hands off you!
喝令：“去罢！”	Now be off with you!'
贾环诺诺的，跟了丰儿得了钱，自去和迎春等玩去，不在话下。	'Yes,' said Jia Huan meekly and went off with Felicity. When he had got his money, he took himself off to play with Ying-chun and the girls. And there we must leave him.
且说宝玉正和宝钗玩笑，忽见人说：“史大姑娘来了。” 宝玉听了，连忙就走。	While Bao-yu was enjoying himself with Bao-chai, a servant announced that Miss Shi had arrived, and he hurriedly got up to go.
宝钗笑道：“等着，咱们两个一齐儿走，瞧瞧他去。”	'Wait!' said Bao-chai. 'Let's go and see her together!'
说着，下了炕，和宝玉来至贾母这边。	She got down from the kang as she said this, and accompanied him round to Grandmother Jia's apartment.
只见史湘云大说大笑的，见了他两个，忙站起来问好。	Shi Xiang-yun was already there, laughing and chattering away nineteen to the dozen, but rose to greet them as they entered.
正值黛玉在旁，因问宝玉：“打那里来？”	Dai-yu was there too. 'Where have you been?' she asked Bao-yu.
宝玉便说：“打宝姐姐那里来。”	'Bao-chai's.'
黛玉冷笑道：“我说呢!	'I see' (very frostily).
亏了绊住，不然，早就飞了来了。”	'I thought something must have been detaining you. Otherwise you would have come flying here long since.'
宝玉道：“只许和你玩，替你解闷儿；不过偶然到他那里，就说这些闲话。”	'Is one only allowed to play with you,' said Bao-yu, 'and keep you amused? I just happened to be visiting her. Why should you start making remarks like that?'
黛玉道：“好没意思的话!	'How thoroughly disagreeable you are!' said Dai-yu.
去不去，管我什么事?	'What do I care whether you go to see her or not?
又没叫你替我解闷儿!	And I'm sure I never asked to be kept amused.
还许你从此不理我呢！”	From now on you can ignore me completely, as far as I'm concerned.'
说着，便赌气回房去了。	With that she went back to her own room in a temper.
宝玉忙跟了来，问道：“好好儿的又生气了!	Bao-yu came running after. 'What on earth are you upset about this time?
就是我说错了，你到底也还坐坐儿，合别人说笑一会子啊？”	Even if I've said anything wrong, you ought, out of simple courtesy, to sit and talk with the others for a bit!'
黛玉道：“你管我呢！”	'Are you telling me how to behave?'
宝玉笑道：“我自然不敢管你，只是你自己遭塌坏了身子呢。”	'Of course not. It's just that you destroy your health by carrying on in this way.'
黛玉道：“我作践了我的身子，我死我的，与你何干？”	'That's my affair. If I choose to die, I don't see that it's any concern of yours.'
宝玉道：“何苦来?	'Oh, really, really!
大正月里，‘死’了‘活’了的。”	Here we are in the middle of the New Year holiday, and you have to start talking about death!'
	'I don't care.
黛玉道：“偏说‘死’!	I'll talk about death if I like, Death! Death! Death!
我这会子就死!	I'm going to die this minute.
你怕死，你长命百岁的活着，好不好？”	If you're so afraid of death, I wish you long life. A hundred years, will that satisfy you?'
宝玉笑道：“要像只管这么闹，我还怕死吗?	'Do you think I'm afraid of dying when all you will do is quarrel?
倒不如死了干净。”	I wish I were dead. It would be a relief.'
黛玉忙道：“正是了，要是这样闹，不如死了干净！”	'Exactly!' said Dai-yu. 'If I were to die, it would be a relief from all this quarrelling!'
宝玉道：“我说自家死了干净，别错听了话，又赖人。”	'I said if I were to die,' said Bao-yu. 'Don't twist my words. It isn't fair.'
正说着，宝钗走来，说：“史大妹妹等你呢。”	Just then Bao-chai came hurrying in. 'Cousin Shi's waiting for you!'
说着，便拉宝玉走了。 这黛玉越发气闷，只向窗前流泪。	She took hold of Bao-yu's hand and pulled him after her, to the great mortification of Dai-yu, who sat with her face to the window and shed tears of pure rage.
没两盏茶时，宝玉仍来了。	After about as long as it would take to drink two cups of tea, Bao-yu came back again.
黛玉见了，越发抽抽搭搭的哭个不住。	During his absence Dai-yu's sobs seemed to have redoubled in intensity.
宝玉见了这样，知难挽回，打叠起百样的款语温言来劝慰。	Seeing the state she was in he realized that it would need careful handling and began turning over in his mind all kinds of soft and soothing things to coax her with.
不料自己没张口，只听黛玉先说道：“你又来作什么?	But before he could get his mouth open, she had anticipated him: 'What have you come for this time?
死活凭我去罢了!	Why can't you just leave me here to die in peace?
横竖如今有人和你玩：比我又会念，又会作，又会写，又会说会笑，又怕你生气，拉了你去哄着你。	After all, you've got a new playmate now – one who can read and write and compose and laugh and talk to you much better than I can. Oh yes, and drag you off to be amused if there's any danger of your getting upset!
你又来作什么呢？”	I really can't imagine what you have come back here for!'
宝玉听了，忙上前悄悄的说道：“你这么个明白人，难道连‘亲不隔疏，后不僭先’也不知道?	'"Old friends are best friends and close kin are kindest,"'said Bao-yu, coming over to where she sat and speaking very quietly. 'You're too intelligent not to know that.
我虽糊涂，却明白这两句话。	Even a simpleton like me knows that much!
头一件，咱们是姑舅姐妹，宝姐姐是两姨姐妹，论亲戚也比你远。	Take kinship first: you are my cousin on Father's side; Cousin Bao is only a mother-cousin. That makes you much the closer kin.
第二件，你先来，咱们两个一桌吃，一床睡，从小儿一处长大的，他是才来的，岂有个为他远你的呢？”	And as for length of acquaintance: it was you who came here first. You and I have practically grown up together – eaten at the same table, even slept in the same bed. Compared with you she's practially a new arrival. Why should I ever be any less close to you because of her?'
黛玉啐道：“我难道叫你远他? 我成了什么人了呢?	'Whatever do you take me for? Do you think I want you to be any less close to her because of me?
我为的是我的心！”	It's the way I feel that makes me the way I am.'
宝玉道：“我也为的是我的心。	'And it's the way I feel,' said Bao-yu, 'that makes me the way I am!
你难道就知道你的心，不知道我的心不成？”	Do you mean to tell me that you know your own feelings about me but still don't know what my feelings are about you?'
黛玉听了，低头不语，半日说道：“你只怨人行动嗔怪你，你再不知道你怄的人难受。	Dai-yu lowered her head and made no reply. After a pause she said: 'You complain that whatever you do people are always getting angry with you. You don't seem to realize how much you provoke them by what you do.
就拿今日天气比，分明冷些，怎么你倒脱了青肷披风呢？”	Take today, for instance. It's obviously colder today than it was yesterday. Then why of all days should you choose today to leave your blue cape off?'
宝玉笑道：“何尝没穿? 见你一恼，我一暴燥，就脱了。”	Bao-yu laughed. 'I didn't. I was wearing it this morning the same as usual; but when you started quarrelling just now, I got into such a sweat that I had to take it off.'
黛玉叹道：“回来伤了风，又该讹着吵吃的了。”	'Next thing you'll be catching a cold,' said Dai-yu with a sigh, 'and then Heaven knows what grumblings and scoldings there will be!'
二人正说着，只见湘云走来，笑道：“爱哥哥，林姐姐，你们天天一处玩，我好容易来了，也不理我理儿。”	Just then Xiang-yun burst in on them and reproved them smilingly for abandoning her: 'Couthin Bao, Couthin Lin: you can thee each other every day. It'th not often I get a chanthe to come here; yet now I have come, you both ignore me!'
黛玉笑道：“偏是咬舌子爱说话，连个‘二’哥哥也叫不上来，只是‘爱’哥哥‘爱’哥哥的。	Dai-yu burst out laughing: 'Lisping doesn't seem to make you any less talkative! Listen to you: "Couthin!" "Couthin!"
回来赶围棋儿，又该你闹‘么爱三’了。”	Presently, when you're playing Racing Go, you'll be all "thicktheth" and "theventh" !'
宝玉笑道：“你学惯了，明儿连你还咬起来呢。”	'You'd better not imitate her,' said Bao-yu. 'It'll get to be a habit. You'll be lisping yourself before you know where you are.'
湘云道：“他再不放人一点儿，专会挑人。	'How you do pick on one!' said Xiang-yun. 'Always finding fault.
就算你比世人好，也不犯见一个打趣一个。	Even if you are tho perfect yourthelf, I don't thee why you have to go making fun of everyone elthe.
我指出个人来，你敢挑他，我就服你。”	But I can show you thomeone you won't dare to find fault with. I shall certainly think you a wonder if you do.'
黛玉便问：“是谁？”	'Who's that?' said Dai-yu.
湘云道：“你敢挑宝姐姐的短处，就算你是个好的。”	'If you can find any shortcomings in Cousin Bao-chai', said Xiang-yun, 'you must be very good indeed.'
黛玉听了冷笑道：“我当是谁，原来是他。	'Oh her,' said Dai-yu coldly. 'I wondered whom you could mean.
我可那里敢挑他呢？”	I should never dare to find fault with her.'
宝玉不等说完，忙用话分开。	But before she could say any more, Bao-yu cut in and hurriedly changed the subject.
湘云笑道：“这一辈子我自然比不上你。	'I shall never be a match for you as long as I live,' Xiang-yun said to Dai-yu with a disarming smile.
我只保佑着明儿得一个咬舌儿林姐夫，时时刻刻你可听‘爱’呀‘厄’的去!	'All I can thay ith that I hope you marry a lithping huthband, tho that you have "ithee-withee" "ithee-withee" in your earth every minute of the day.
阿弥陀佛，那时才现在我眼里呢！”	Ah, Holy Name! I think I can thee that blethed day already before my eyeth!'
说的宝玉一笑，湘云忙回身跑了。	Bao-yu could not help laughing; but Xiang-yun had already turned and fled.
要知端详，且听下回分解。	If you wish to know the conclusion of this scene, you must read the following chapter.