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《红楼梦》翻译（一百零四）

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twin05 2010-09-02 09:56 | 只看楼主 树型| 收藏| 小中大 1 ^#

《红楼梦》翻译（一百零四）

原著
　　一句话没说了，引的贾母众人都哈哈的笑起来．宝玉在房里也撑不住笑了．袭人笑道：“真真的二奶奶的这张嘴怕死人！"宝玉伸手拉着袭人笑道：“你站了这半日，可乏了？"一面说，一面拉他身旁坐了．袭人笑道：“可是又忘了．趁宝姑娘在院子里，你和他说，烦他莺儿来打上几根络子。”宝玉笑道：“亏你提起来。”说着，便仰头向窗外道：“宝姐姐，吃过饭叫莺儿来，烦他打几根络子，可得闲儿？"宝钗听见，回头道：“怎么不得闲儿，一会叫他来就是了。”贾母等尚未听真，都止步问宝钗．宝钗说明了，大家方明白．贾母又说道：“好孩子，叫他来替你兄弟作几根．你要无人使唤，我那里闲着的丫头多呢，你喜欢谁，只管叫了来使唤。”薛姨妈宝钗等都笑道：“只管叫他来作就是了，有什么使唤的去处．他天天也是闲着淘气。”

　　大家说着，往前迈步正走，忽见史湘云，平儿，香菱等在山石边掐凤仙花呢，见了他们走来，都迎上来了．少顷至园外，王夫人恐贾母乏了，便欲让至上房内坐．贾母也觉腿酸，便点头依允．王夫人便令丫头忙先去铺设坐位．那时赵姨娘推病，只有周姨娘与众婆娘丫头们忙着打帘子，立靠背，铺褥子．贾母扶着凤姐儿进来，与薛姨妈分宾主坐了．薛宝钗史湘云坐在下面．王夫人亲捧了茶奉与贾母，李宫裁奉与薛姨妈．贾母向王夫人道：“让他们小妯娌伏侍，你在那里坐了，好说话儿。”王夫人方向一张小杌子上坐下，便吩咐凤姐儿道：“老太太的饭在这里放，添了东西来。”凤姐儿答应出去，便令人去贾母那边告诉，那边的婆娘忙往外传了，丫头们忙都赶过来．王夫人便令"请姑娘们去"．请了半天，只有探春惜春两个来了，迎春身上不耐烦，不吃饭，林黛玉自不消说，平素十顿饭只好吃五顿，众人也不着意了．少顷饭至，众人调放了桌子．凤姐儿用手巾裹着一把牙箸站在地下，笑道：“老祖宗和姑妈不用让，还听我说就是了。”贾母笑向薛姨妈道：“我们就是这样。”薛姨妈笑着应了．于是凤姐放了四双：上面两双是贾母薛姨妈，两边是薛宝钗史湘云的．王夫人李宫裁等都站在地下看着放菜．凤姐先忙着要干净家伙来，替宝玉拣菜．

　　少顷，荷叶汤来，贾母看过了．王夫人回头见玉钏儿在那边，便令玉钏与宝玉送去．凤姐道：“他一个人拿不去。”可巧莺儿和喜儿都来了．宝钗知道他们已吃了饭，便向莺儿道：“宝兄弟正叫你去打络子，你们两个一同去罢。”莺儿答应，同着玉钏儿出来．莺儿道：“这么远，怪热的，怎么端了去？"玉钏笑道：“你放心，我自有道理。”说着，便令一个婆子来，将汤饭等物放在一个捧盒里，令他端了跟着，他两个却空着手走．一直到了怡红院门内，玉钏儿方接了过来，同莺儿进入宝玉房中．袭人，麝月，秋纹三个人正和宝玉顽笑呢，见他两个来了，都忙起来，笑道：“你两个怎么来的这么碰巧，一齐来了。”一面说，一面接了下来．玉钏便向一张杌子上坐了，莺儿不敢坐下．袭人便忙端了个脚踏来，莺儿还不敢坐．宝玉见莺儿来了，却倒十分欢喜，忽见了玉钏儿，便想到他姐姐金钏儿身上，又是伤心，又是惭愧，便把莺儿丢下，且和玉钏儿说话．袭人见把莺儿不理，恐莺儿没好意思的，又见莺儿不肯坐，便拉了莺儿出来，到那边房里去吃茶说话儿去了．

　　这里麝月等预备了碗箸来伺候吃饭．宝玉只是不吃，问玉钏儿道：“你母亲身子好？"玉钏儿满脸怒色，正眼也不看宝玉，半日，方说了一个"好"字．宝玉便觉没趣，半日，只得又陪笑问道：“谁叫你给我送来的？"玉钏儿道：“不过是奶奶太太们！"宝玉见他还是这样哭丧，便知他是为金钏儿的原故，待要虚心下气磨转他，又见人多，不好下气的，因而变尽方法，将人都支出去，然后又陪笑问长问短．那玉钏儿先虽不悦，只管见宝玉一些性子没有，凭他怎么丧谤，他还是温存和气，自己倒不好意思的了，脸上方有三分喜色．宝玉便笑求他：“好姐姐，你把那汤拿了来我尝尝。”玉钏儿道：“我从不会喂人东西，等他们来了再吃。”宝玉笑道：“我不是要你喂我．我因为走不动，你递给我吃了，你好赶早儿回去交代了，你好吃饭的．我只管耽误时候，你岂不饿坏了．你要懒待动，我少不了忍了疼下去取，来。”说着便要下床来，扎挣起来，禁不住嗳哟之声．玉钏儿见他这般，忍不住起身说道：“躺下罢！那世里造了来的业，这会子现世现报．教我那一个眼睛看的上！"一面说，一面哧的一声又笑了，端过汤来．宝玉笑道：“好姐姐，你要生气只管在这里生罢，见了老太太，太太可放和气些，若还这样，你就又捱骂了。”玉钏儿道：“吃罢，吃罢！不用和我甜嘴蜜舌的，我可不信这样话！"说着，催宝玉喝了两口汤．宝玉故意说：“不好吃，不吃了。”玉钏儿道：“阿弥陀佛！这还不好吃，什么好吃。”宝玉道：“一点味儿也没有，你不信，尝一尝就知道了。”玉钏儿真就赌气尝了一尝．宝玉笑道：“这可好吃了． "玉钏儿听说，方解过意来，原是宝玉哄他吃一口，便说道：“你既说不好吃，这会子说好吃也不给你吃了。”宝玉只管央求陪笑要吃，玉钏儿又不给他，一面又叫人打发吃饭．

　　丫头方进来时忽有人来回话：“傅二爷家的两个嬷嬷来请安，来见二爷。”宝玉听说，便知是通判傅试家的嬷嬷来了．那傅试原是贾政的门生，历年来都赖贾家的名势得意，贾政也着实看待，故与别个门生不同，他那里常遣人来走动．宝玉素习最厌愚男蠢女的，今日却如何又令两个婆子过来？其中原来有个原故：只因那宝玉闻得傅试有个妹子，名唤傅秋芳，也是个琼闺秀玉，常闻人传说才貌俱全，虽自未亲睹，然遐思遥爱之心十分诚敬，不命他们进来，恐薄了傅秋芳，因此连忙命让进来．那傅试原是暴发的，因傅秋芳有几分姿色，聪明过人，那傅试安心仗着妹妹要与豪门贵族结姻，不肯轻意许人，所以耽误到如今．目今傅秋芳年已二十三岁，尚未许人．争奈那些豪门贵族又嫌他穷酸，根基浅薄，不肯求配．那傅试与贾家亲密，也自有一段心事．今日遣来的两个婆子偏生是极无知识的，闻得宝玉要见，进来只刚问了好，说了没两句话．那玉钏见生人来，也不和宝玉厮闹了，手里端着汤只顾听话．宝玉又只顾和婆子说话，一面吃饭，一面伸手去要汤．两个人的眼睛都看着人，不想伸猛了手，便将碗碰翻，将汤泼了宝玉手上．玉钏儿倒不曾烫着，唬了一跳，忙笑了，"这是怎么说！"慌的丫头们忙上来接碗．宝玉自己烫了手倒不觉的，却只管问玉钏儿：“烫了那里了？疼不疼？"玉钏儿和众人都笑了．玉钏儿道：“你自己烫了，只管问我。”宝玉听说，方觉自己烫了．众人上来连忙收拾．宝玉也不吃饭了，洗手吃茶，又和那两个婆子说了两句话．然后两个婆子告辞出去，晴雯等送至桥边方回．

　　那两个婆子见没人了，一行走，一行谈论．这一个笑道：“怪道有人说他家宝玉是外像好里头糊涂，中看不中吃的，果然有些呆气．他自己烫了手，倒问人疼不疼，这可不是个呆子？"那一个又笑道：“我前一回来，听见他家里许多人抱怨，千真万真的有些呆气．大雨淋的水鸡似的，他反告诉别人`下雨了，快避雨去罢．'你说可笑不可笑？时常没人在跟前，就自哭自笑的，看见燕子，就和燕子说话，河里看见了鱼，就和鱼说话，见了星星月亮，不是长吁短叹，就是咕咕哝哝的．且是连一点刚性也没有，连那些毛丫头的气都受的．爱惜东西，连个线头儿都是好的，糟踏起来，那怕值千值万的都不管了。”两个人一面说，一面走出园来，辞别诸人回去，不在话下．
霍克斯译文
This set them all off laughing. Even Bao-yu, in the inner room, had to join in, though it hurt him to do so. Aroma, standing beside him, was helpless with mirth.
‘Mrs Lian really is a caution!’
Bao-yu took her hand and drew her down beside him.
‘Come!’ he said. ‘You must be tired. You’ve been on your feet for hours.’
‘Hey, you’ve forgotten!’ said Aroma. ‘While Miss Bao’s still in the courtyard, you ought to ask her if she’ll let Oriole come over to do that knotting for you.’
‘Yes,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I’m glad you reminded me.’ He raised his head and shouted towards the window.
‘Cousin Bao! If you can spare her, after you’ve had your lunch, would you mind sending Oriole here to do some knotting for me?’
‘Yes, certainly,’ said Bao-chai, turning back to reply. ‘I’ll send her over presently.’
Grandmother Jia and the others had stopped to listen. Not having heard properly, the old lady asked what it was, Bao -chai explained.
‘Oh do, my dear!’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘Do let him have her to do the knotting I If you need someone in her place, I have plenty of free hands in my apartment. Just pick whichever of my maids you like to wait on you.’
Aunt Xue and Bao-chai were amused.
‘Let her go to him by all means,’ said Aunt Xue, ‘but there certainly won’t be any need of a stand-in. She has little enough to do but get up to mischief as it is.’
They had been walking on as they talked and presently came upon Xiang-yun, Patience and Caltrop picking balsams beside an artificial ‘mountain’ of rock. Seeing Grandmother Jia and the rest coming, they left off their flower gathering and came forward to join them.
Soon the little party emerged from the Garden. Fearing that Grandmother Jia might be fatigued, Lady Wang proposed that she should stop on the way back and sit down for a while in her apartment. The old lady’s feet were indeed beginning to trouble her and she nodded in consent. Lady Wang sent a maid on ahead to prepare for her arrival.
Aunt Zhao was prudently avoiding Lady Wang for the time being by feigning sick, so of the two concubines it was only Aunt Zhou who came out with the old women-servants and maids of the apartment to welcome Grandmother Jia, holding up the door blind for her to enter and arranging the pillows and back-rest for her on the kang.
Moving up to it on Xi-feng’s arm, the old lady installed herself on the right-hand side at the back with Aunt Xue in the guest’s position beside her. Bao-chai and Xiang-yun sat nearer the edge of the kang on either side. Lady Wang served Grand mother Jia with tea, holding the cup ceremoniously in both her hands, and Li Wan in like manner offered tea to Aunt Xue.
‘Let the younger women wait on us,’ said Grandmother Jia to Lady Wang. ‘You sit down over there so that we can talk to you.’
Lady Wang obediently took a seat on a stool-chair beside the kang. She instructed Xi-feng to be her deputy.
‘You can tell them to serve Grandmother’s lunch in here,’ she said to Xi-feng. ‘You had better get them to add a dish or two.’
Having said that she would, Xi-feng went outside and in structed a servant to take word round to Grandmother Jia’s apartment. The old women there passed on the message in their turn, and soon a reinforcement of maids were hurrying on their way to Lady Wang’s.
Lady Wang next gave instructions that the rest of the girls should be invited; but after a long wait only Tan-chun and Xi-chun turned up. Ying-chun was unwell and did not feel like eating. Dai-yu abstained so frequently — eating perhaps no more than five meals in every ten — that her absence on this occasion was scarcely noticed.
Soon lunch arrived and the servants brought up a low table and set it down on the kang. Xi-feng stood on the floor below, a bundle of ivory chopsticks wrapped up in a tea-towel in her hand.
‘Now, Grannie and Auntie,’ she said, ‘I hope you are going to do as you’re told and not stand on ceremony!’
Grandmother Jia looked at Aunt Xue and smiled.
‘Shall we do as she says and stay put?’
‘Yes, certainly,’ said Aunt Xue, smiling back, whereupon Xi-feng proceeded to lay for them where they sat: two pairs of chopsticks on the far side for Grandmother Jia and Aunt Xue, one pair at either end for Bao-chai and Xiang-yun. Lady Wang and Li Wan stood on the floor below and supervised the serv ing of the dishes, while Xi-feng called for a set of clean things for one more person and went, chopsticks in hand, from dish to dish, making a selection from them for Bao-yu.

A few minutes later the lotus-leaf soup arrived and was presented to Grandmother Jia for her inspection. Lady Wang, glancing quickly round her, noticed Silver standing near at hand and ordered her to carry a bowl of it to Bao-yu together with the other things that Xi-feng had just put out for him; but Xi-feng objected that there was too much for one person to carry. Just then Oriole and Providence chanced to enter, and Bao-chai, knowing that they had already had their lunch, suggested that Oriole should help with the carrying.
‘Master Bao has been asking if you could go over there to do some knotting for him,’ she told Oriole, ‘You might as well go with her and do it now.’
‘Yes, Miss,’ said Oriole, and went off with Silver, carrying her share of the bowls.
‘They’re terribly hot,’ she said, when they were alone together. ‘How are we going to carry them so far?’
‘Don’t worry!’ said Silver, ‘I know just the answer.’
She made one of the old women fetch a covered lacquer carrying-box. The bowls of soup, rice and so forth fitted into it easily. She told the old woman to follow them. She and Oriole then sauntered along empty-handed in the direction of Green Delights, while the old woman trotted along behind them carrying everything. When they reached the gate of the courtyard, Silver took the box from her and the two girls went on into the house alone.
They found Aroma, Musk and Ripple in the inner room, enjoying a joke with Bao-yu. The three of them got up, still laughing, when they saw Silver and Oriole enter, and Aroma, supposing that they had come from their respective apart ments, remarked, as she relieved Silver of the box, on the coincidence of their arriving simultaneously. Having handed over the box, Silver plumped herself down on a stool-chair; but Oriole was less bold; and even when Aroma offered her a foot-stool to sit on, she still refused to be seated.
Bao-yu was naturally very pleased to see Oriole; but the sight of Silver, reminding him, with a pang of mingled shame and sorrow, of her sister Golden, impelled him to ignore Oriole and concentrate his attention on the other girl. Aroma noticed this neglect and was afraid that Oriole might be offended. Partly for this reason and partly because Oriole looked so uncomfortable standing up, but was evidently determined not to sit down in Bao-yu’s presence, she took her by the hand and drew her into the adjoining room for a cup of tea and a chat.
Meanwhile in the inner room Musk and Ripple had laid out the bowls and chopsticks and were waiting in readiness to serve Bao-yu his lunch; but Bao-yu was still occupied with Silver and seemed in no hurry to begin.
‘How is your mother?’ he asked her.
The girl sat silent, with a sullen, angry look on her face. When, with a muttered ‘all right’, she did at last answer him, she averted her eyes and would not look at him. Bao-yu was very much put out, but did his best to be pleasant.
‘Who told you to bring this for me?’
‘Her Ladyship and Mrs Lian. Who do you think?’
Bao-yu could see the misery in her face and knew that it was because of Golden that she looked like that. He wished he could humble himself before her, but the presence of the other maids inhibited him. He had to think of some way of getting rid of them. Having succeeded at last in doing so, he began, as soon as they were out of the room, to exercise all his charm upon Silver. At first she tried to ignore the questions with which he plied her; but he was so patient and persistent, meet ing her unyielding stiffness with such warmth and gentleness, that in the end her heart misgave her and a faintly pleased expression began to steal over her face. Bao-yu judged the time ripe to entreat her smilingly for his lunch.
‘Fetch me that soup will you, there’s a dear. I’d like to try it now.’
‘I can’t feed other people,’ said Silver. ‘I never could. You’ll have to wait till the others come back.’
‘I’m not asking you to feed me,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I’m just asking you to get it for me because I can’t walk. Once you’ve done that you can go back and tell them you’ve finished your errand and get on with your own lunch. I don’t want to keep you from your food: you’re probably starving. However, if you don’t even feel up to passing me a bowl of soup, I’ll just have to put up with the pain and get it myself.’
He tried to rise from his bed, but the effort cost him a cry of pain. Unable to hold out any longer when she saw the state he was in, Silver jumped to her feet.
‘All right. Lie down, lie down!’ she said. ‘ “Past sin, present suffering.” You’ve got your retribution without having to wait for it, so you needn’t expect me to feel sorry for you!’
She broke into a sudden peal of laughter and fetched him the soup.
‘Silver dear,’ said Bao-yu, ‘if you still feel angry with me, get it over with now. Try to look pleasanter when you are with Their Ladyships. You mustn’t look angry all the time when you are with them, or you’ll be getting yourself into trouble.’
‘Go on, get on with your soup!’ said Silver. ‘Keep the sugary stuff for other people. I know all about it!’
Bao-yu drank a couple of mouthfuls of the soup at her in sistence, but artfully pretended not to like it.
‘It doesn’t taste nice.’
‘Doesn’t taste nice?’ said Silver with an expression of extreme disgust. ‘Holy Name! if that doesn’t taste nice, I’d like to know what does!’
‘It’s got no flavour,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Taste it yourself, if you don’t believe me.’
Silver to prove him wrong indignantly raised the spoon to her lips and tasted.
Bao-yu laughed.
‘Ah, now it’ll taste all right!’
Silver realized that he had deliberately tricked her into drinking from the same bowl.
‘You wouldn’t drink it a moment ago,’ she said, ‘so now you shan’t have any even if you say you want it.’
And though Bao-yu laughingly begged and pleaded, she refused to let him have it back and called in the other maids to give him the rest of his meal no sooner had they come in, however, than it was announced that ‘two old nannies from Mr Fu’s’ had arrived ‘to call on Master Bao’.
Bao-yu knew that the ‘Mr Fu’ referred to must be one Fu Shi, an Assistant Sub-Prefect who had started life as one of Jia Zheng’s protégé’s and made his way up in the world largely by trading on Jia Zheng’s reputation. Jia Zheng thought highly of him, regarding him as the brightest of the various young fellows he had patronized, and Fu Shi for his part was assiduous in sending message and compliments to the man sion in order to keep up the connection.
Now if there were two sorts of people Bao-yu could not at any rice abide they were stupid old women and pushing young men. It may therefore seem strange that these two old nannies sent by the egregious Fu Shi should have been ac corded instant admission to his sickroom. The reason was that Bao-yu’ had heard that Fu Shi had a younger sister called Fu Qiu-fang, who, though

a virgin-pearl, still chambered from men’s sight,

was commonly said to be both beautiful and talented. Bao-yu had not actually seen her; hut he had formed a picture of her in his imagination and worshipped her from afar. And since to have refused entry to the two old women would have been in his eyes tantamount to offering Qiu-fang an affront, he at once gave orders for them to be admitted.
Qiu-fang was, as a matter of fact, a girl of passable good looks and more than average intelligence. Her brother had entertained hopes of trading on these assets in order to ally himself matrimonially with some powerful or aristocratic family — an ambition which had hitherto led him to look frowningly on lesser offers, with the result that, at the relatively great age of twenty-two, Qiu-fang remained unbetrothed. For the fact of the matter was that the powerful and aristocratic families with whom he sought alliance looked on Fu Shi as an impoverished pen-pusher deficient in both breeding and refinement and showed not the slightest inclination to want his sister as a daughter-in-law. However, Fu Shi went on cultivating his intimacy with the Jia family and was still not without hopes of realizing his ambition in that direction.
It so happened that the two old nannies sent to see Bao-yu on this occasion were exceptionally ignorant old women. Hearing that they were to be admitted, they came into the room, delivered themselves of the sentence or two it took to inquire after his health, and thereafter lapsed into a stupid silence.
With the arrival of strangers, Silver had been obliged to drop the bantering tone she had begun to adopt with Bao-yu and stood, holding the soup-bowl in both her hands, listening in silence. It was left to Bao-yu to make what conversation he could with the women as he continued to eat his lunch. While so engaged, he reached out a hand for the soup, and Silver reciprocated mechanically; but as both of them had their eyes on the visitors, their uncoordinated movements resulted in a brief collision. The bowl was upset and hot soup spilled over Bao-yu’s hand. Silver, startled, though herself unhurt, gave a nervous laugh.
‘Now look what you’ve done!’
The other maids rushed forward to retrieve the bowl. Bao-yu, insensitive to his own pain, inquired anxiously after Silver.
‘Where did you scald yourself? Does it hurt?’
Silver and the rest all laughed.
‘You’re the one who’s been scalded,’ said Silver. ‘Why ask me?’
Only then did Bao-yu become conscious that his own hand had been burned. The maids hurriedly mopped up. Not wishing to continue his meal after this, he washed his hands, drank some tea, and spoke a little longer with the old women, who then took their leave and were seen through the Garden as far as the bridge by Skybright and some of the other maids.
When they found themselves alone, ‘the two old women began discussing the visit with each other as they went along.
‘Well, I’ve heard people say that this Bao-yu is like a bad fruit - good to look at but rotten inside,’ said one of them, ‘and I must say I’m not surprised. He certainly does seem a bit **. Fancy scalding his own hand and then asking someone else where it hurt! He must be a **ton! Heh! heh! heh!’
‘He really and truly is a bit **,’ said the other one. ‘A number of them told me about it when I came here last. Once when he was out in the pouring rain and himself as wet as a drowned chicken, he says to someone, “It’s raining,” he says, “run inside and get out of the rain.” What a laugh! Heh! heh! heh! And he often cries or laughs when no one else is by. They say that when he sees a swallow he talks to the swallow, and when he sees a fish in the river he talks to the fish, and when he sees the stars or the moon, he sighs and groans and mutters away to himself like a crazy thing. And he’s as soft as a baby. Even the little maids can do what they like with him. If he’s in the mood for saving, he’ll make a fuss over a piece of thread; but other times they an smash things worth a fortune and he won’t mind a bit.’
Still talking, they passed out of the gate of the Garden, at which point our narrative leaves them.
杨宪益译文
"What a terrible tongue Madam Lian has!" Xiren commented with a smile.
He reached out to make her sit beside him.
"You must be tired after standing so long."
"How forgetful I am!" she exclaimed. "Do ask Miss Baochai before she leaves the courtyard to send Yinger over to make a few nets for us."
"I'm glad you reminded me."
Baoyu sat up and called to Baochai through the window, "Will you send Yinger over after your meal, cousin? I want her to make me some nets if she has time."
"Of course," promised Baochai, turning back. "I'll send her pres ently."
The others who had not understood this exchange stopped to ask Baochai what was wanted. When she had explained the Lady Dowager said: "That's a good child. Send her to do as he asks. If you need more hands I have plenty of girls sitting idle. You can send for any of them."
"We can manage without Yinger," Aunt Xue and Baochai assured her. "She's nothing to do every day and needs something to keep her out of mischief."
As they walked on they were greeted by Xiangyun, Pinger and Xiangling, who had been picking balsam by some rocks and now left the Garden with them.
Lady Wang urged her mother-in-law to have a rest in her room, as she feared she must be tired. As the old lady's legs were aching she agreed. Maids were sent on ahead to see that all was ready; and because the concubine Zhao had excused herself on the grounds of an indisposi tion, there was only the concubine Zhou to help the serving-women and maids raise the portiére and set out the back-rests and cushions. The Lady Dowager entered on Xifeng's arm and sat down with Aunt Xue in the places of honour. Baochai and Xiangyun took two lower seats. Lady Wang brought tea herself to her mother-in-law while Li Wan served Aunt Xue.
"Leave serving to the young people," said the Lady Dowager to Lady
Wang. "You sit down and chat with us."
Seating herself on a stool, Lady Wang told Xifeng to have the old lady's meal brought there with some extra portions. Xifeng withdrew and told Lady Wang's serving-women to pass the order on to those of the Lady Dowager and ask her maids to hurry over, while Lady Wang instructed another serving-woman to fetch the young ladies. This took some time, and only Tanchun and Xichun appeared eventually; for Yingchun had no appetite that day, and no one thought anything of Daiyu's absence as she never ate more than one meal out of two.
Soon the food arrived and the table was laid.
"Our Old Ancestress and Aunt Xue mustn't stand on ceremony but do as I say," declared Xifeng, approaching them with a bundle of ivory chopsticks wrapped in a handkerchief.
"This is how we do things," the old lady told Aunt Xue, who acqui esced cheerfully.
Xifeng placed four pairs of chopsticks before the Lady Dowager, Aunt Xue, Baochai and Xiangyun, while Lady Wang and Li Wan superintended the serving of the dishes. Then Xifeng called for clean bowls and chose dishes for Baoyu.
After the lotus broth arrived and the old lady had inspected it, Lady Wang commissioned Yuchuan who was standing behind her to take Baoyu his meal.
"She can't carry all this single-handed," remarked Xifeng.
Just then, as it happened, Yinger and Xier arrived. Baochai knew that they had eaten already.
"Master Bao wants you to make some nets for him," she told Yinger. "You'd better go with Yuchuan."
As the two maids left on this errand Yinger asked, "How are we to carry this hot soup all that way?"
"Don't worry." Yuchuan smiled. "Leave it to me. "
She made an old nurse put the broth and dishes in a hamper and carry this behind them while they walked empty-handed to Happy Red Court. There Yuchuan took over the hamper and the two girls went in. Xiren, Sheyue and Qiuwen, who were amusing Baoyu, stood up to greet them.
"How did you two happen to arrive together?" they asked, taking the hamper.
Yuchuan promptly sat herself down on a chair, but Yinger would not presume to sit although Xiren hastily fetched a foot-stool for her.
Baoyu was delighted by Yinger's arrival but distressed and embar rassed by the sight of Yuchuan, who reminded him of her elder sister Jinchuan. For this reason he addressed himself exclusively to her. This made Xiren afraid that Yinger might feel slighted, and since she refused to be seated she took her to the outer room for some tea and a chat.
Meanwhile Sheyue and the others had fetched Baoyu's bowl and chopsticks, but instead of starting his lunch he asked Yuchuan: "How is your mother?"
Scowling and refusing to look at him, for a long time she did not an swer. Then she snapped out:
"All right."
Silence followed this snub. Then Baoyu tried again.
"Who asked you to bring me my lunch?"
"The madams and the ladies, naturally."
Well aware that Jinchuan's death was behind Yuchuan's displeasure, Baoyu cast about for some means to placate her. Not wanting to humble himself in front of the others, he dismissed them on various pretexts and then put himself out to be pleasant. And tempted though Yuchuan was to cold-shoulder him, she could not but be mollified by the amiable way in which he put up with all her rudeness. It was her turn to feel embar rassed.
"Do pass me the broth to taste, dear sister," he begged when he saw her face begin to brighten.
"I've never fed anyone. Wait till the others come back."
"I don't want you to feed me but I can't get out of bed," he said coaxingly. "If you'll just pass me the bowl, you can report back so much the sooner and have your own meal. I mustn't keep you here starving. If you can't be bothered to move I'll have to fetch the bowl myself, how ever much it hurts."
He struggled to get out of bed and could not suppress a groan. At that Yuchuan no longer had the heart to refuse.
"Lie down," she said, leaving her seat. "What a sight you are, suffering
for the sins committed in your previous incarnations." With a giggle she passed him the bowl.
"If you must be angry, dear sister, be angry here," advised Baoyu amiably. "Try to keep your temper in front of the old lady and the mis tress. If you carry on like this with them, you'll get another scolding."
"Drink your soup, go on, I'm not taken in by that sweet talk."
She made him drink a couple of mouthfuls, but Baoyu pretended not to like the flavour and left the rest untouched.
"Gracious Buddha!" she exclaimed. "You're hard to please."
"It's got no taste at all. If you don't believe me, try it."
Rising to his bait, Yuchuan took a sip. At once he cried with a laugh:
"Now it must taste delicious!"
Realizing that she had been tricked she said, "First you don't like it, now you say it's delicious. Well, I shan't let you have any more.
Though he smiled and pleaded she was adamant. She called the oth ers to come to serve him his meal. As the maids came back they heard the unexpected announcement that two nannies sent by Second Master Fu had called to pay their respects.
Baoyu knew that they came from the house of the sub-prefect Fu Shi, one of his father's former pupils who had prospered thanks to his con nection with the celebrated Jia family. Jia Zheng treated him better than his other pupils, and Fu Shi was forever sending servants over. Now Baoyu disliked foolish old nurses as much as hulking men-servants, but today he asked these two in for the reason that Fu Shi's younger sister Qiufang was said to be remarkably talented and good-looking; and al though he had never seen her, his admiration for such a fine girl made him feel it would be slighting her not to admit them. So he promptly invited them in.
Fu Shi, being an upstart, wanted to consolidate his own position by marrying his pretty, gifted sister into some rich and noble family. Indeed, his requirements were so strict that she was still not engaged yet at twenty- three; for no proposals had come from the rich and great, who looked down on his poverty and humble origin. Naturally, then, Fu Shi had his own reason for ingratiating himself with the Jia house.
The two nurses sent today happened to be exceptionally stupid. When invited in they paid their respects to Baoyu, and Yuchuan stopped teasing him to listen, bowl in hand, to the conversation. Baoyu went on eating as he talked while both he and Yuchuan kept their eyes on the two visitors. When he reached out suddenly for the bowl and upset it, splashing soup over his hand, Yuchuan started although not hurt herself and gave a cry:
"What are you doing?"
As the other maids rushed forward to take the bowl, Baoyu oblivious of his own pain cried:
"Where did you scald yourself, Yuchuan? Does it hurt?"
Everyone laughed at that.
"You're the one who got scalded, not me," she pointed out. Only then did he realize that his own hand was smarting.
No time was lost in mopping up the spilt soup. Baoyu stopped eating, rinsed his fingers and sipped some tea while exchanging a few more remarks with the two nurses, who then took their leave and were seen off to the bridge by Qingwen and some other girls.
As soon as they were alone, the old women started talking as they ambled along.
One of them said with a laugh, "No wonder Baoyu's called a hand some fool. Handsome is as handsome does, and anyone can see he's a bit touched. He scalds his own hand and asks someone else if it hurts what could be more stupid than that?"
"The last time I came here," the other rejoined, "I heard several of those girls say he's downright cracked. He got drenched himself in the rain and advised someone else to take shelter. Don't you call that soft? When there's no one about he laughs and cries to himself. When he sees a swallow he talks to the swallow, when he sees a fish in the stream he talks to the fish. He sighs or mumbles to the moon and stars, and has so little spirit he even puts up with the tantrums of those pert girls. When he's in a saving mood he treasures the least scrap of thread, but at other times he doesn't mind squandering millions."
Chatting like this they left the Garden and after taking leave of the others went home.

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