海老公突然站起，问道：“鳌拜家有两部《四十二章经》？”
The old eunuch jumped up in surprise. 'Did you say there were two copies at Oboi's place?'
韦小宝道：“是啊。
'Yes,' said Trinket.
是太后和皇上吩咐去取的，否则的话，我拿来给了你，别人也未必知道。”
'We were told to look for them by the Empress Dowager; otherwise I could have brought them to you without anyone knowing.'
海老公脸色阴沉，哼了一声，冷冷的道：“落入了太后手里啦，很好，很好！”
Old Hai's face fell, but he soon recovered his composure. 'Hm, in the Empress Dowager's hands now, are they?' he said grimly. 'Well, it could be worse.'
待会厨房中送了饭来，海老公只吃了小半碗便不吃了，翻着一双无神的白眼，仰起了头只是想心事。
Shortly after this their evening meal was brought in from the Imperial kitchens.
After eating barely half a bowl of rice, the old eunuch sat back, turned up his pale, unseeing eyes towards the ceiling, and appeared to be lost in thought.
韦小宝吃完饭，心想我先睡一会，到三更时分再去和那小宫女说话玩儿，见海老公呆呆的坐着不动，便和衣上床而睡。
When he had finished his own meal, Trinket decided to get a little sleep in before going to his midnight assignation with the maid-in-waiting.
Not wishing to disturb the old eunuch, who was still sitting motionless in his chair, he slipped over to his bed, lay down on it fully clothed, and was soon asleep.
他迷迷糊糊的睡了一会，悄悄起身，把那盒蜜饯糕饼揣在怀里，生怕惊醒海老公，慢慢一步步的蹑足而出，走到门边，轻轻拔开了门闩，再轻轻打开了一扇门，突然听得海老公问道：“小桂子，你去哪里？”
After sleeping fitfully for what must have been several hours, he got up silently, stuffed the box of cakes inside his breast pocket,and made his way on tiptoe across the room, pausing at each step for fear the old eunuch might waken.
Then, slowly and gently, he slid back the door-bar and opened one of the leaves of the door.
At that very moment he heard the old eunuch's voice calling out from behind him. 'Laurie, where are you going?'
韦小宝一惊，说道：“我…… 我小便去。”
'I'm . . .
I'm going out for a piss.'
海老公道：“干么不在屋里小便？”
'Why can't you piss in the pot?'
韦小宝道：“我睡不着，到花园里走走。”
'I can't get to sleep,' said Trinket. 'I thought I'd walk around in the garden for a bit.'
生怕海老公阻拦，也不多说，拔步往外便走，左足刚踏出一步，只觉后领一紧，已给海老公抓住，提了回来。
No point in standing there talking, he thought; better get off quickly, before the Old Devil could stop him.
But just as his foot crossed the threshold, he felt a tightening around the throat. 'Ow!' he hollered.
The old eunuch had him by the collar and was propelling him back into the room.
韦小宝“啊”的一声，尖叫了出来，当下便有个念头：“糟糕，糟糕，老乌龟知道我要去见那小宫女，不许我去。
'Ow!' he hollered.
The old eunuch had him by the collar and was propelling him back into the room. 'Damn!' thought Trinket, 'Damn!' as the old man threw him down on the bed. 'The Old Devil knows I want to go and see that little maid and now he's going to stop me.'
” 念头还未转完，已给海老公摔在床上。
'Ow!' he hollered.
The old eunuch had him by the collar and was propelling him back into the room. 'Damn!' thought Trinket, 'Damn!' as the old man threw him down on the bed. 'The Old Devil knows I want to go and see that little maid and now he's going to stop me.'
韦小宝笑道：“公公，你试我武功么？
'Is this to test my reactions, Goong-goong?' he said, forcing a laugh.
好几天没教我功夫了，这一抓是什么招式？”
'It's a long time since you've taught me any kungfu.
What do you call that grip?'
海老公哼了一声，道：“这叫做‘瓮中抓鳖’，手到擒来。
'Catching a Turtle in a Jar, ' said the old eunuch.
鳖便是甲鱼，捉你这只小甲鱼。”
'Little turtle!'
韦小宝心道：“老甲鱼捉小甲鱼！
'Turtle yourself!' thought Trinket, but didn't dare say it out loud.
His eyes were darting all round him, looking for some means of escape; but the old eunuch sat himself down beside him on the bed and began addressing him in a low, almost mournful voice. 'You're bold but not careless,' he said. 'You're a sharp, intelligent lad.
You haven't shown much willingness to exert yourself, but if I could have taken you in hand and knocked you into some sort of shape, you might have made quite a promising little fighter.
It seems such a pity.'
” 可是毕竟不敢说出口，眼珠骨溜溜的乱转，寻思脱身之计。
'Turtle yourself!' thought Trinket, but didn't dare say it out loud.
His eyes were darting all round him, looking for some means of escape; but the old eunuch sat himself down beside him on the bed and began addressing him in a low, almost mournful voice. 'You're bold but not careless,' he said. 'You're a sharp, intelligent lad.
You haven't shown much willingness to exert yourself, but if I could have taken you in hand and knocked you into some sort of shape, you might have made quite a promising little fighter.
It seems such a pity.'
海老公坐在他床沿上，轻轻的道：“你胆大心细，聪明伶俐，学武虽然不肯踏实，但如果由我来好好琢磨琢磨，也可以算得是可造之材，可惜啊可惜。
'Turtle yourself!' thought Trinket, but didn't dare say it out loud.
His eyes were darting all round him, looking for some means of escape; but the old eunuch sat himself down beside him on the bed and began addressing him in a low, almost mournful voice. 'You're bold but not careless,' he said. 'You're a sharp, intelligent lad.
You haven't shown much willingness to exert yourself, but if I could have taken you in hand and knocked you into some sort of shape, you might have made quite a promising little fighter.
It seems such a pity.'
”
'Turtle yourself!' thought Trinket, but didn't dare say it out loud.
His eyes were darting all round him, looking for some means of escape; but the old eunuch sat himself down beside him on the bed and began addressing him in a low, almost mournful voice. 'You're bold but not careless,' he said. 'You're a sharp, intelligent lad.
You haven't shown much willingness to exert yourself, but if I could have taken you in hand and knocked you into some sort of shape, you might have made quite a promising little fighter.
It seems such a pity.'
韦小宝问道：“公公，可惜什么？”
'What does, Goong-goong?' Trinket asked. 'What seems a pity?'
海老公不答，只叹了口气，过了半晌，说道：“你的京片子学得也差不多了。
The old eunuch ignored his question and heaved a sigh.
After a pause he said: 'Your Peking accent is almost perfect now.
几个月之前，倘若就会说这样的话，不带丝毫扬州腔调，倒也不容易发觉。”
If your voice had sounded like this a few months ago, without a trace of the Yangzhou twang in it, I might have been taken in.'