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《红楼梦》翻译（八十一）

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twin05 2010-09-27 16:19 | 只看楼主 树型| 收藏| 小中大 1 ^#

《红楼梦》翻译（八十一）

原著
第四十九回　琉璃世界白雪红梅　脂粉香娃割腥啖膻
　　话说香菱见众人正说笑，他便迎上去笑道：“你们看这一首．若使得，我便还学，若还不好，我就死了这作诗的心了。”说着，把诗递与黛玉及众人看时，只见写道是：

　　精华欲掩料应难，影自娟娟魄自寒．

　　一片砧敲千里白，半轮鸡唱五更残．

　　绿蓑江上秋闻笛，红袖楼头夜倚栏．

　　博得嫦蛾应借问，缘何不使永团圆！众人看了笑道：“这首不但好，而且新巧有意趣．可知俗语说`天下无难事，只怕有心人．'社里一定请你了。”香菱听了心下不信，料着是他们瞒哄自己的话，还只管问黛玉宝钗等．

　　正说之间，只见几个小丫头并老婆子忙忙的走来，都笑道：“来了好些姑娘奶奶们，我们都不认得，奶奶姑娘们快认亲去。”李纨笑道：“这是那里的话？你到底说明白了是谁的亲戚？"那婆子丫头都笑道：“奶奶的两位妹子都来了．还有一位姑娘，说是薛大姑娘的妹妹，还有一位爷，说是薛大爷的兄弟．我这会子请姨太太去呢，奶奶和姑娘们先上去罢。”说着，一径去了．宝钗笑道：“我们薛蝌和他妹妹来了不成？"李纨也笑道：“我们婶子又上京来了不成？他们也不能凑在一处，这可是奇事。”大家纳闷，来至王夫人上房，只见乌压压一地的人．

　　原来邢夫人之兄**带了女儿岫烟进京来投邢夫人的，可巧凤姐之兄王仁也正进京，两亲家一处打帮来了．走至半路泊船时，正遇见李纨之寡婶带着两个女儿____大名李纹，次名李绮____也上京．大家叙起来又是亲戚，因此三家一路同行．后有薛蟠之从弟薛蝌，因当年父亲在京时已将胞妹薛宝琴许配都中梅翰林之子为婚，正欲进京发嫁，闻得王仁进京，他也带了妹子随后赶来．所以今日会齐了来访投各人亲戚．于是大家见礼叙过，贾母王夫人都欢喜非常．贾母因笑道：“怪道昨日晚上灯花爆了又爆，结了又结，原来应到今日。”一面叙些家常，一面收看带来的礼物，一面命留酒饭．凤姐儿自不必说，忙上加忙．李纨宝钗自然和婶母姊妹叙离别之情．黛玉见了，先是欢喜，次后想起众人皆有亲眷，独自己孤单，无个亲眷，不免又去垂泪．宝玉深知其情，十分劝慰了一番方罢．

　　然后宝玉忙忙来至怡红院中，向袭人，麝月，晴雯等笑道：“你们还不快看人去！谁知宝姐姐的亲哥哥是那个样子，他这叔伯兄弟形容举止另是一样了，倒象是宝姐姐的同胞弟兄似的．更奇在你们成日家只说宝姐姐是绝色的人物，你们如今瞧瞧他这妹子，更有大****这两个妹子，我竟形容不出了．老天，老天，你有多少精华灵秀，生出这些人上之人来！可知我井底之蛙，成日家自说现在的这几个人是有一无二的，谁知不必远寻，就是本地风光，一个赛似一个，如今我又长了一层学问了．除了这几个，难道还有几个不成？"一面说，一面自笑自叹．袭人见他又有了魔意，便不肯去瞧．晴雯等早去瞧了一遍回来，だだ笑向袭人道：“你快瞧瞧去！大太太的一个侄女儿，宝姑娘一个妹妹，大奶奶两个妹妹，倒象一把子四根水葱儿。”

　　一语未了，只见探春也笑着进来找宝玉，因说道：“咱们的诗社可兴旺了。”宝玉笑道：“正是呢．这是你一高兴起诗社，所以鬼使神差来了这些人．但只一件，不知他们可学过作诗不曾？"探春道：“我才都问了他们，虽是他们自谦，看其光景，没有不会的．便是不会也没难处，你看香菱就知道了。”袭人笑道：“他们说薛大姑娘的妹妹更好，三姑娘看着怎么样？"探春道：“果然的话．据我看，连他姐姐并这些人总不及他。”袭人听了，又是诧异，又笑道：“这也奇了，还从那里再好的去呢？我倒要瞧瞧去。”探春道：“老太太一见了，喜欢的无可不可，已经逼着太太认了干女儿了．老太太要养活，才刚已经定了。”宝玉喜的忙问：“这果然的？"探春道：“我几时说过谎！"又笑道：“有了这个好孙女儿，就忘了这孙子了。”宝玉笑道：“这倒不妨，原该多疼女儿些才是正理．明儿十六，咱们可该起社了。”探春道：“林丫头刚起来了，二姐姐又病了，终是七上八下的。”宝玉道：“二姐姐又不大作诗，没有他又何妨。”探春道：“越性等几天，他们新来的混熟了，咱们邀上他们岂不好？这会子大**子宝姐姐心里自然没有诗兴的，况且湘云没来，颦儿刚好了，人人不合式．不如等着云丫头来了，这几个新的也熟了，颦儿也大好了，大**子和宝姐姐心也闲了，香菱诗也长进了，如此邀一满社岂不好？咱们两个如今且往老太太那里去听听，除宝姐姐的妹妹不算外，他一定是在咱们家住定了的．倘或那三个要不在咱们这里住，咱们央告着老太太留下他们在园子里住下，咱们岂不多添几个人，越发有趣了。”宝玉听了，喜的眉开眼笑，忙说道：“倒是你明白．我终久是个糊涂心肠，空喜欢一会子，却想不到这上头来。”

　　说着，兄妹两个一齐往贾母处来。”果然王夫人已认了宝琴作干女儿，贾母欢喜非常，连园中也不命住，晚上跟着贾母一处安寝．薛蝌自向薛蟠书房中住下．贾母便和邢夫人说：“你侄女儿也不必家去了，园里住几天，逛逛再去。”邢夫人兄**家中原艰难，这一上京，原仗的是邢夫人与他们治房舍，帮盘缠，听如此说，岂不愿意．邢夫人便将岫烟交与凤姐儿．凤姐儿筹算得园中姊妹多，性情不一，且又不便另设一处，莫若送到迎春一处去，倘日后邢岫烟有些不遂意的事，纵然邢夫人知道了，与自己无干．从此后若邢岫烟家去住的日期不算，若在大观园住到一个月上，凤姐儿亦照迎春的分例送一分与岫烟．凤姐儿冷眼ゅ岫烟心性为人，竟不象邢夫人及他的父母一样，却是温厚可疼的人．因此凤姐儿又怜他家贫命苦，比别的姊妹多疼他些，邢夫人倒不大理论了．

　　贾母王夫人因素喜李纨贤惠，且年轻守节，令人敬伏，今见他寡婶来了，便不肯令他外头去住．那李婶虽十分不肯，无奈贾母执意不从，只得带着李纹李绮在稻香村住下来．

　　当下安插既定，谁知保龄侯史鼐又迁委了外省大员，不日要带了家眷去上任．贾母因舍不得湘云，便留下他了，接到家中，原要命凤姐儿另设一处与他住．史湘云执意不肯，只要与宝钗一处住，因此就罢了．
霍克斯译文
CHAPTER 49

Red flowers bloom brighter in dazzling ***
And venison reeks strangely on rosebud lips

WHEN Caltrop saw the cousins talking and laughing about her, she came forward, smiling herself, and handed the poem she was carrying to Dai-yu.
‘See what you think of this one,’ she said. ‘If this one is all tight, I shall go on learning; if it’s still no good, I shall just have to give up the whole idea.’
The others clustered round Dai-yu to look. This is what they read:

Ethereal splendour no cloud can blot out!

Chaste lovely presence of the cold night sky!

From a white world the washer’s dull thud sounds,

Till in the last watch cocks begin to cry,

While, by a fisherman’s sad flute entranced,

A lady leans out from her casement high;

And you, White Goddess, lulled in sweet delight,

Wish every night could be a fifteenth night.

There were exclamations from all of them when they had finished reading it.
‘But this is not just “all right”,’ they said, ‘this is a good and highly original poem. It shows the truth of the proverb: “Nothing is too difficult for one who has a mind to do it.” We shall definitely be inviting you now to join our poetry club.’
Caltrop, supposing that they were only saying this to humour her, could not quite believe them and continued to press Dai-yu and Bao-chai for the truth.
Just at that moment a number of maids and old serving women came hurrying towards them in a state of great ex citement:
‘Mrs Zhu! Young ladies! Come and meet you relations! A whole lot of young ladies and other people we’ve never seen before have just arrived.’
Li Wan laughed.
‘What are you talking about? Whose relations have just arrived?’
There are two young cousins of yours, Mrs Zhu,’ they said, ‘and there’s a young lady who says she’s Miss Bao’s cousin, and a young gentleman that’s cousin to Mr Xue. We’re on our way now to fetch Mrs Xue. Why don’t you and the young ladies go on ahead and meet them?’
They hurried off to complete their mission.
‘It sounds as if my cousin Xue Ke and his sister must have come,’ said Bao-chai. ‘Can it be them, though?’
‘And it sounds as if my Aunt Li must have decided to bring her two daughters to the capital,’ said Li Wan. ‘But how strange that they should have arrived together I’
When she and the cousins entered Lady Wang’s main recep tion room, they found it packed with people. Apart from the ones whom the servants had mentioned, they found Lady Xing’s brother’s wife with her daughter Xing Xiu-yan. The three of them, Lady Xing’s brother and his wife and daughter, had come up to the capital to put themselves under the protec tion of Lady Xing. By a coincidence Xi-feng’s brother Wang Ren was starting out for the capital just as they were plan ning to set out themselves, so, on the strength of the marriage connection (Wang Ren being the brother of Lady Xing’s daughter-in-law), they had elected to travel in his company.
While stopping at one of the canal ports half-way along their route, they had made the acquaintance of Li Wan’s widowed aunt and her two daughters, Li Wen and Li Qi, also on their way to the capital, and when it emerged that all of them were marriage-relations of the Jia family, these three, too, had joined the party. A little after this, Xue Pan’s cousin Xue Ke had decided to bring his sister Bao-qin to the capital to attend to the formalities of her betrothal, Some years previously her father, while temporarily residing in the capital, had prom ised her to the son of a certain Academician Mei, but had died before the betrothal could be made formal. Hearing that his aunt’s kinsman Wang Ren was also on his way to the capital, Xue Ke and his sister had pushed on ahead to -join him. Thus it was that today all these people presented themselves simultaneously at the Rong mansion lo6lting for their various relations.
When at last the introductions and courtesies were over, it became clear that Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang were delighted with the new arrivals.
I knew something nice was going to happen from the way the lampwick was behaving last night,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘It kept flaring up and then forming into little balls at the top. You see, I was tight!’
A general exchange of family talk ensued, and the handling over by the visitors of the presents they had brought with them. After that Grandmother Jia invited them all to take lunch with her, with wine to celebrate.
Xi-feng, it goes without saying, was now busier than ever. Li Wan and Bao-chai, who had a great deal of catching up on family news to do, were also kept busy exchanging informa tion with their relations about all the things that had hap pened during the years since they last met. Dai-yu, observing them, at first shared in their happiness, but when she began to reflect on the contrast with her own solitary and orphaned state, she was obliged to go away in order to hide her tears. Bao-yu, well aware of the reason for her sudden disappearance, went after her, and with a good deal of coaxing, succeeded at last in comforting her.
As soon as Dai-yu had dried her tears, Bao-yu hurried back to Green Delights to tell Aroma, Musk and Skybright about the visitors.
‘You ought to go and have a look,’ he told them. ‘This nephew of my Aunt Xue’s is completely different from Cousin Pan. From his looks and behaviour you’d think he was Bao-chai’s brother. He’s certainly more like her than Pan is. And as for the sister—you’re always saying what a beauty Cousin Chai is, but wait till you’ve seen her! And then there are my sister-in-law’s two cousins—well, words just fail-me! Heavenly lord, what a store of beauty you must have at your disposal to be able to produce such paragons! I’ve been like the frog living at the bottom of the well who thought the world was a little round pool of water. Up to now I’ve always believed that the girls in this household were without equals anywhere; but now, even without my needing to go outside, here they come, each one more beautiful than the last! Today has been an education for me. Don’t tell me there are any more like this:
the shock would be too great!’
He laughed excitedly. Aroma saw that he was in one of his crazy moods and refused to go and look. But Skybright and the others were more curious and at once hurried over for a peep. They returned soon after, full of smiles, to report on what they had seen.
‘Do go and look!’ they urged Aroma. ‘There’s Lady Xing’s niece and this cousin of Miss Bao’s and Mrs Zhu’s two cousins: it’s not often you get a chance to see four such beautiful bul rushes together!’
Scarcely had these words been uttered when a smiling Tan-chun came in looking for Bao-yu.
‘Our poetry club is in luck,’ she said, finding him indoors with the maids. ‘Think of all those new members!’
‘Yes,’ said Bao-yu. ‘What a happy inspiration of yours it was to start it! It’s almost as though providence had sent these people here to make it prosper. But are you sure they can all write poetry?’
‘I’ve already asked them,’ said Tan-chun. ‘They are too modest to say outright, of course, but from what I can judge I’m pretty sure that either they all can, or even if they can’t, would learn very quickly. Look how quick Caltrop has been.’
‘Which of the four do you think is the prettiest, Miss?’ said Skybright. ‘I say Miss Bao’s cousin.’
‘Yes, I think I agree,’ said Tan-chun. ‘I think even Bao-chai is not quite as beautiful as her.’
Aroma had been listening to all this with growing curiosity. ‘This is certainly news to me!’ she said. ‘I shouldn’t have thought it possible to find anyone more beautiful than Miss Bao. I must go and have a look.’
‘Grandmother was completely captivated as soon as she set eyes on her,’ said Tan-chun. ‘She’s already insisted that Mother should become her godmother, and it’s decided that Grandmother shall bring her up as her own grandchild.’
‘Really?’ Bao-yu seemed delighted.
‘When have I ever told you a lie?’ said Tan-chun. There was a glint of mischief in her eye: ‘Now that she’s got such a beautiful granddaughter, she’ll probably lose interest in her darling grandson.’
‘That doesn’t matter,’ said Bao-yu unconcernedly. ‘She ought to give preference to girls. That’s as it should be. By the way, it’s the sixteenth today. It’s the day for our poetry dub meeting.’
‘Cousin Lin has only recently got up, and Ying-chun is ill again,’ said Tan-chun. ‘We’re not really in any shape for a meeting at the moment.’
‘Ying-chun doesn’t care much about writing poetry any way,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Surely we can manage without her?’
‘Yes, but I think we ought to wait a few days, even so” said Tan-chun. ‘Why don’t we wait until we’ve got to know the newcomers a bit better and then invite them to join us? I shouldn’t think sister-in-law or Cousin Chai can either of them be much in the mood for writing poetry at the moment. And Xiang-yun isn’t here. And Frowner has only just recovered. No one is really up to it yet. We ought to wait until Yun arrives and the new lot have settled in; then, when Frowner is completely better and sister-in-law and Cousin Chai are a bit less preoccupied and Caltrop has made some more progress, we can invite everyone to a plenary session. What you and I ought to do now is go round to Grandma’s and see what arrangements are being made about these people’s accom modation. We know that Chai’s cousin is staying here, be cause Grandma has adopted her; but we don’t know yet about the others. If there are no plans for them to stay here, we must ask Grandma to invite them. If possible we should get her to let them live in the Garden. It would be fun to have some more neighbours.’
Bao-yu grew quite radiant at the thought.
‘How clever you are, Tan!’ he told his sister admiringly.
‘I’m such a stupid ass. I get so carried away that I don’t think about the important things like you do.’
Brother and sister then went together to Grandmother Jia’s apartment, where they found the old lady in wonderful high spirits following Lady Wang’s recognition of Xue Bao-quin as her god-daughter. She considered that this entitled her to treat the girl as her grandchild, which she had begun doing by insisting that she end the nights with her in her apartment and not in the Garden with Bao-chai. Xue Ke would naturally stay with his aunt and occupy the study that Xue Pan had vacated.
‘This niece of yours surely doesn’t need to go back to her parents yet?’ Grandmother Jia said to Lady Xing. ‘Let her stay in the Garden for a few days and enjoy herself.’
Lady Xing’s brother and sister-in-law had been living in extremely straitened circumstances, and now that they had come up to the capital, were relying on her to provide them with accommodation and financial assistance. She was natur ally only too delighted to have one less person to her charge, and promptly handed Xiu-yan over to Xi-feng to dispose of.
Bearing in mind the varied, somewhat peculiar, tempera ments of the Garden’s inhabitants, Xi-feng doubted the wis dom of putting Xiu-yan in with one of the others; on the other hand she foresaw disadvantages in opening up a separate establishment for her. In the end she put her in with Ying chun, reflecting that if the girl did experience any difficulties in -living with Ying-chun, then even if Lady Xing got to hear of it, she, Xi-feng, could not be held responsible, since Ying- chun was Lady Xing’s own half-daughter.
From this time onwards, not counting the time she spent at home with her parents, Xiu-yan received, for every whole month that she lived with Ying-chun in Prospect Garden, an allowance from Xi-feng of exactly the same amount as -the monthly allowance that was paid to Ying-chun herself.
To Xi-feng’s dispassionate eye it soon became apparent that in both temperament and behaviour Xiu-yan was quite unlike Lady Xing and her parents that she was in fact an extremely sweet and lovable person. Sorry that so gentle a soul should be so poor and unfortunate, Xi-feng treated her with a tact and considerateness that she did not always show the others. Lady Xing, on the other hand, seemed -scarcely aware of her niece’s existence.
Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang esteemed Li Wan as a good and virtuous young woman who, having lost her hus band at an early age, bore widowhood with fortitude and restraint. Now that this widowed aunt had arrived, they re fused to bear of her taking lodgings outside, and though the good lady made many polite efforts to decline, insisted that she and her two daughters, Li Wen and Li Qi, should move into Sweet-rice Village and stay there with Li Wan at the family’s expense.
No sooner had the new arrivals begun settling in than news came that Grandmother Jia’s nephew Shi Ding, the Marquis of Zhong-jing, was being transferred to an important position in one of the outer provinces and would shortly be leaving for his new post, taking his family with him. Grandmother Jia could not bear the idea of a permanent separation from her great-niece, and so it was agreed that Xiang-yun, too, should move into residence with the Jias. It was Grandmother Jia’s original intention that Xi-feng should set up a separate establishment for her in the Garden; but as Xiang-yun herself rigorously opposed this idea and insisted on living with her beloved Bao-chai, she was allowed to have her way.
杨宪益译文

Chapter 49

White Snow and Red Plum-Blossom Make

the Garden Entrancing

Girls Enjoy Rustic Fare at

a Venison Barbecue

When Xiangling discovered the others talking about her, she went up to them with a smile.

‘Read this,’ she said. ‘If it’s any good, I’ll persevere; if not, I’ll give up trying to write poetry.’

She handed Daiyu her poem and they all read:

Hard, surely, to hide such splendour,

A form so fair, a spirit so cold, so withdrawn;

Washing-blocks pound in an expanse of white,

Only a crescent is left when cocks crow at dawn;

In green coir cape on the river he listens to autumn fluting,

In red sleeves she leans over her balustrade at night.

Well might the goddess Chang E ask herself:

Why cannot we enjoy endless, perfect delight?

‘Not only good but original and ingenious,’ was the general verdict. ‘As the proverb says, ‘All difficulties on earth can be overcome if men but give their minds to it.’ You certainly must join our poetry club.’

Xiangling, hardly able to believe her ears, was questioning Daiyu and Baochai to make sure they were not teasing when some maids and old nurses hurried in.

‘A party of ladies, old and young, have arrived,’ they announced. ‘We don’t know them, but they’re your relatives. Please go quickly to welcome them.’

‘What are you talking about?’ asked Li Wan. ‘You must explain more clearly. Whose relatives are they?’

‘Two of them are your younger cousins, madam. Two young ladies, one of them is said to be Miss Xue’s cousin, and there’s a young gentle man who’s Master Xue’s cousin. We’re on our way now to invite Madam Xue over. You and the young ladies had better go first.’

As these messengers left Baochai exclaimed joyfully, ‘Can it be our Xue Ke and his sister?’
Li Wan said gaily, ‘It sounds as if my aunt has come to the capital again. But how odd that they should all arrive together.’
Going in some mystification to Lady Wang’s reception hall, they found it crowded with people. Lady Xing’s brother and sister-in-law had brought their daughter Xiuyan to stay with her; and they had travelled with Xifeng’s elder brother Wang Ren, who was coming to the capital too. Half way there, when their boats moored, they had happened to meet Li Wan’s widowed aunt making the same journey with her daughters Li Wen and Li Qi; and having found out in the course of conversation that they were related, these three families had proceeded on their way together. Then there was Xue Pan’s cousin Xue Ke, coming to arrange for the marriage of his younger sister Baoqin who had been betrothed to the son of Aca demician Mei when their father was in the capital. Learning of Wang Ren’s trip, he had followed with his sister and overtaken him. In this way they had arrived together today to visit their respective relatives.
The Lady Dowager and Lady Wang welcomed these guests most warmly.
‘Not wonder our lamp wicks kept forming snuff and sputtering last night!’ remarked the old lady with a smile. ‘It was a sign of this reunion today.’
While exchanging family news and accepting the gifts brought, she ordered a meal. Xifeng, it goes without saying, was busier than ever, for Li Wan and Baochai were naturally chatting with their relatives about all that had happened since they parted. Daiyu enjoyed the general excite ment too until it came home to her that she alone had no family but was all on her own, and at this thought she shed tears. Baoyu, well aware how she felt, finally succeeded in consoling her, after which he hurried back to Happy Red Court.
‘Go and have a look, quick!’ he urged Xiren, Sheyue and Qingwen. ‘Baochai’s boy cousin looks and behaves quite differently from Xue Pan, more as if he were her real brother. And there’s something even more amazing. You always insist that nobody can rival Baochai’s looks but you should just see her girl cousin and my elder sister-in-law’s two cousins ‘ words fail me to describe them! Old Man Heaven, what fine essences and subtle spirits you must have used to produce such exquisite creatures! Why, I’ve been like the frog at the bottom of a well, imagining that our girls here were unmatched; but now, without searching far afield, here on this very spot I see others who surpass them. We certainly live and learn. Does this mean there are still others like these?’
He had been laughing and exclaiming so wildly that Xiren refused to go. Qingwen and the others had done as he said, however, and now they ran back smiling.
‘You must go and have a look,’ they urged Xiren. ‘Lady Xing’s niece, Miss Baochai’s cousin and Madam Zhu’s two cousins are as pretty as four fresh young shallots, they really are!’
While they were speaking, Tanchun came to find Baoyu. ‘This is a fine thing for our poetry club,’ she told him.
‘That’s right,’ he agreed. ‘You had the bright idea of starting the club, so now all these people turn up as if by magic. We don’t know, though, whether they can write poems or not.’
‘I asked them just now,’ said Tanchun. ‘Though they disclaimed modestly, they all seem as if they can. Even if they can’t, they can learn
‘
look at Xiangling.’
‘Miss Xue’s cousin sounds the best of them all,’ put in Xiren. ‘Is that your impression, miss?’
‘Yes,’ said Tanchun. ‘I shouldn’t be surprised if she surpasses even Baochai and all the rest of us here.’
‘It will be strange if she does. I shouldn’t have thought it possible to find anyone better than her!’ exclaimed Xiren, much impressed. ‘I must go and have a look.’
‘The old lady lost her heart to her as soon as she set eyes on her,’ Tanchun continued. ‘She’s already told Lady Wang to adopt her as her daughter, and means to bring her up as her own grandchild. It’s just been decided.’
‘Is that true?’ demanded Baoyu joyfully.
‘Since when have I lied to you?’ retorted Tanchun. ‘Now that the old lady has this good grand-daughter she’ll forget you, her grandson.’
‘I don’t mind. It’s only right to love girls more. Tomorrow’s the sixteenth our club ought to hold another meeting.’
‘Daiyu’s just out of bed and Yingchun’s ill again. There’s always someone missing.’
‘Yingchun doesn’t write much, so we can manage without her.’
‘Wouldn’t it be better, though, to wait a few days till the newcomers have settled down and then invite them? Our elder sister-in-law and Baochai naturally won’t be in a poetizing mood just now either. Besides, Xiangyun’s not here and Daiyu’s only just recovered. It wouldn’t suit anyone. Let’s wait till Xiangyun comes. By then the new arrivals will know us, Daiyu will be completely well, Li Wan and Baochai will have less on their minds, and Xiangling will have made further progress; then we can have a better meeting. Come on now, let’s go and see what’s happening in the old lady’s place. We don’t have to worry about Baochai’s cousin it’s settled that she’s to stay here. If the other three aren’t, we can beg the old lady to invite them to stay in the Garden too. The more the merrier.
Baoyu’s face lit up. ‘That’s a splendid idea,’ he cried. ‘I’m such a fool, I was so carried away by their arrival, I never thought of that.’
The two of them went together then to the Lady Dowager’s quar ters. Sure enough, the old lady was so delighted with Baoqin that she had made Lady Wang adopt her as her goddaughter. And overjoyed by this, she would not even hear of Baoqin staying in the Garden the girl was to sleep with her. Xue Ke was to be put up in Xue Pan’s study.
The Lady Dowager then told Lady Xing, ‘Your niece needn’t go home for a few days either. Let her enjoy herself in the Garden first.’
As Lady Xing’s elder brother was poorly off, he and his wife had counted on her providing them with accommodation and financial assis tance during this visit to the capital; so Xiuyan was entrusted to Xifeng. Now there were many girls, temperamentally different, in the Garden; and as Xifeng considered it unnecessary to open up another house for Xiuyan, she decided the best thing would be to put her up with Yingchun; for then if later Lady Xing heard that her niece was dissatisfied, no blame would attach to Xifeng. And not counting the time she chose to spend at home, each month that she stayed in Grand View Garden Xifeng would allocate her the same monthly allowance as Yingchun. Dispassionately appraising Xiuyan’s character and behaviour, she found her unlike both Lady Xing and her parents, being extremely gentle and lovable. So Xifeng gave her preferential treatment out of pity for her poverty and hard life, whereas Lady Xing paid little attention to her.
Because the Lady Dowager and Lady Wang appreciated Li Wan’s good qualities and her admirable conduct since her husband’s untimely death, they would not hear of her widowed aunt staying anywhere but in their house. So although most reluctant to impose on them, on the old lady’s insistence Li Wan’s aunt had to move into Paddy-Sweet Cottage with her two daughters.
Barely had the newcomers settled in than Shi Nai, Marquis of Baoling, was transferred to a provincial governorship. In a few days he would be taking his family to his new post. Not wanting to part with Xiangyun, the Lady Dowager kept her and had her fetched to their house, directing Xifeng go to give her a separate establishment. This Xiangyun resolutely declined, however, and at her insistence they let her move in with Baochai instead.

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