宝玉先便回明贾母秦钟要上家塾之事，自己也有了个伴读的朋友，正好发奋；又着实的称赞秦钟的人品行事，最使人怜爱。
When Bao-yu and Xi-feng were back and had seen the others,Bao-yu told Grandmother Jia of his wish to have Qin Zhong admitted to the clan school.
He pointed out that a congenial study-companion would stimulate him to greater effort
凤姐又趁势请贾母后日过去看戏。
She then took advantage of the old lady's pleasure at this news to invite her to the opera in two days' time.
贾母虽年老，却极有兴头。
In spite of her age, the Lady Dowager looked forward to any excitement.
至后日，又有尤氏来请，遂携了王夫人、林黛玉、宝玉等过去看戏。
When the day arrived and Madam You came to invite her, she took Lady Wang, Daiyu, Baoyu and others along to watch the performances.
至晌午，贾母便回来歇息了。
At noon the old lady went home for her siesta.
王夫人本是好清净的，见贾母回来也就回来了。
and Lady Wang, who disliked noise and excitement, took the opportunity to leave with her.
然后凤姐坐了首席，尽欢至晚无话。
This left Xi-feng as principal guest, and she moved into the place of honour and stayed there for the rest of the day, enjoying herself immensely and not returning until late in the evening.
却说宝玉因送贾母回来，待贾母歇了中觉，意欲还去看戏取乐，又恐扰的秦氏等人不便，因想起近日薛宝钗在家养病，未去亲候，意欲去望他一望。
After accompanying Grandmother Jia back to her apartment and seeing her safely settled down for her nap, Bao-yu would have liked to go back and watch some more plays but was afraid that his presence would be an inconvenience to Qinshi and his other ‘juniors'.
若从上房后角门过去，又恐遇见别事缠绕，再或可巧遇见他父亲，更为不妥，宁可绕远路罢了。
but fearing that if he went the quickest way through the corner gate behind the main hall he might meet with some entanglement on the way or, worse, run into his father, he decided to go by a more circuitous route.
当下众嬷嬷、丫鬟伺候他换衣服，见他不换，仍出二门去了，众嬷嬷、丫鬟只得跟随出来，还只当他去那府中看戏。
The maids and nurses who attended him had been expecting him to change into his everyday clothes, but seeing him go out of the inner gate again without doing so, followed after him, assuming that he was going back to the other mansion to watch the plays.
还只当地去那边府中看戏，谁知到了穿堂儿，便向东北边绕过厅后而去。
To their surprise, however, he turned left when he reached the covered passage-way instead of going straight on, and made off in a north-easterly direction.
偏顶头遇见了门下清客相公詹光、单聘仁二人走来，一见了宝玉，便都笑着赶上来，一个抱住腰，一个携着手，都道:"我的菩萨哥儿，我说作了好梦呢，好容易得遇见了你。”
There, however, he ran into two of his father's proteges, Zhan Guang and Shan Pinren, who hurried forward smiling.
One threw an arm round him, the other took his hand.“Little Bodhisattva!”they cried.“We so rarely see you, this is a delightful surprise.”
说着，请了安，又问好，劳叨半日，方才去了。
Having paid their respects, asked after his health and chatted for a while, they were moving on
这老嬷嬷又叫住问："你二位是往老爷跟前去的不是?"
As they were going, one of the old nurses detained them a moment longer. 'Have you two gentlemen just come from the Master's?”‘
他二人点头道："老爷在梦坡斋小书房里歇中觉呢，不妨事的。”
They nodded.“His Lordship is sleeping now in his Mengpo Studio.
Don't worry,”
一面说，一面走了，说的宝玉也笑了。
they assured Baoyu, moving on.
说的宝玉也笑了。
These words made Baoyu laugh in spite of himself.
于是转弯向北奔梨香院来。
He then turned north and hurried towards Pear Fragrance Court.
可巧银库房的总领名唤吴新登与仓上的头目名唤戴良，还有几个管事的头目，共有七个人，从帐房里出来，一见了宝玉，赶来都一齐垂手站住。
Once more he was unlucky.
The Clerk of Stores Wu Xindeng, a man called Dai Liang who was foreman at the granary, and five other foremen were just at that moment coming out of the counting-house together and, catching sight of Bao-yu, at once stood respectfully to attention.
独有一个买办名唤钱华，因他多日未见宝玉，忙上来打千儿请宝玉的安，宝玉含笑伸手叫他起来。
One of them, Qian Hua, who had not seen Baoyu for some time, stepped forward and fell on one knee.Smiling slightly, Baoyu quickly helped him up,
众人都笑道:"前儿在一处看见二爷写的斗方，字儿益发好了，多早晚赏我们几张贴贴。”
The men all relaxed in smiles. 'I saw some of your calligraphy in town the other day, Master Bao,' said one of them. 'It's getting really good!
When are you going to give us a few sheets for ourselves, to put up on the wall?”‘
宝玉笑道："在那里看见了？"
“Where did you see them?”asked Baoyu.
众人道："好几处都有，都称赞的了不得，还和我们寻呢。”
'Any number of places,' the men told him. 'Everyone has been praising it no end.
They even come to us asking for specimens.”
宝玉此时与宝钗就近，只闻一阵阵凉森森、甜丝丝的幽香，竟不知是何香气，遂问："姐姐熏的是什么香？
He was now close enough to her to catch whiffs of some cool, sweet fragrance which he could not identify.“What incense do you use to scent your clothes with?”he asked.