话说他三人因见探春等进来，忙将此话掩住不提。
Our last chapter concluded with Tan-chun's and Xi-chun's arrival at the Naiad's House, which put a sudden stop to the discussion of Xiu-yan's affairs by the other three.
探春等问候过，大家说笑了一会方散。
The newcomers having asked after Daiyu's health, they all chatted for a while before dispersing.
谁知上回所表的那位老太妃已薨，凡诰命等皆入朝随班，按爵守制，敕谕天下，凡有爵之家，一年内不得筵宴音乐，庶民皆三月不得婚姻。
Now the demise of the Grand Imperial Concubine mentioned earlier was announced, and all titled ladies were required to go to court to mourn according to their rank.
敕谕天下：凡有爵之家，一年内不得筵宴音乐， 庶民皆三月不许嫁娶。
Nobles throughout the empire were forbidden feasting and music for a year, while common citizens were debarred from marrying for three months.
贾母、邢、王夫人、尤氏婆媳、祖孙等，皆每日入朝随祭，至未正以后方回。
The Lady Dowager, Lady Xing, Lady Wang, Madam You and her daughter-in-law nee Xu grandparents as well as grand-children of the Jia family had to go to court every morning when sacrifice was offered, not returning until two in the afternoon.
贾母便留下文官自使，将正旦芳官指与宝玉，将小旦蕊官送了宝钗，将小生藕官指与了黛玉，将大花面葵官送了湘云，将小花面苣官送了宝琴，将老外艾官与了探春，尤氏便讨了老旦茄官去。
Those who had chosen to stay were assigned to different apartments - mostly in the Garden - as servants.
Elegante, the leader of the troupe1 was reserved for Grandmother Jia; the 'leading lady', Parfumee, went to Bao-yu; Etarnine, the soubrette, to Bao-chai; the 'principal boy', Nenuphar, to Dai-yu; Althee, the leading 'painted face', to Xiang-yun; Cardamome, the second 'painted face', to Bao-qin; Artemisie, who specialized in old men's parts, to Tan-chun; and You-shi asked if she might keep Aubergine, who specialized in old women's parts, for herself.
当下各得其所，就如那倦鸟出笼，每日园中游戏。
The little actresses, though nominally in service, did nothing all day but wander about happily in the Garden, like uncaged birds rejoicing in their new freedom.
众人皆知他们不能针黹，不惯使用，皆不大责备。
Nobody made much effort to discourage them, as it was understood that they were wholly unaccustomed to waiting on other people and were none of them able to sew.
其中或有一二个知事的， 愁将来无应时之技，亦将本技丢开，便学起针黹纺绩女工诸务来。
One or two of the more intelligent, however, were worried by their lack of useful skills now that they had given up acting; so they began to learn sewing, weaving and other tasks expected of girls.
一曰，正是朝中大祭，贾母等五更便去了，先到下处用 些点心小食，然后人朝。
An important day in the obsequies of the late Consort arrived when it was necessary for Grandmother Jia and the other ladies to start out for their temporary lodgings near the Palace at four o'clock in the morning.
早膳巳毕，方退至下处，用过午饭，略歇片刻，复入朝待中晚二祭，完毕方出，至下处歇 息，用过晚饭方回家。
When that was over, they went back to their lodgings and had lunch.
Then, after a brief rest, they returned to the Palace and remained there for both the None and Vesper offerings.
Then back to their lodgings again for dinner before finally returning home.
可巧这下处乃是一个大官的家庙，此内比丘尼焚修，房舍极多极净，东西二院。
The temporary lodgings were in the family temple of a high official in which perpetual devotions were maintained by a sisterhood of Buddhist nuns.
东西二院，荣府便赁了东院，北静王府便赁了西院。
The Rong Mansion party had the use of the east courtyard, the Prince of Beijing's household that of the west.
太妃、少妃每日宴息，见贾母等在东院，彼此同出同入，都有照应。
As they had to leave for the Palace and return from it at the same times, the two lots of ladies had plenty of opportunities of meeting each other, and many courtesies were exchanged between them.
外面诸事不消细述。
But it is not with these outside matters that we are concerned.
且说大观园中因贾母、王夫人天天不在家内，又送灵去一月方回，各丫鬟、婆子皆有闲空，多在园内游玩，便又将梨香院内伏侍的众婆子一概撤回，都散在园内听使，更觉园内人多了几十个。
Back, then, to the Garden.
With Grandmother Jia and Lady Jia away for so much of the day and the prospect of their being away altogether during the month it would take them to travel to and from the mausoleum, there were a great many maids and womenservants with nothing much to do but wander about in it enjoying themselves.
因文官等一干人或心性高傲，或倚势凌下，或拣衣挑食，或口角锋芒，大概不安分循理者多，因此众婆子无不含怨，只是口中不敢与他们分证。
Because Wenguan and most of the other actresses, owing to pride or their privileged position, had given themselves airs above their station, treated their inferiors badly, insisted on the best of everything and made cutting remarks, the matrons had always resented them, not that they dared to quarrel with them outright.
如今散了学，大家称了愿，也有丢开手的，也有心地狭窄犹怀旧怨的，因将众人皆分在各房名下，不敢来厮侵。
Pleased by the disbanding of the opera troupe, some of them let bygones be bygones; and though the more narrow-minded still bore a grudge, they were too scattered now to venture to get their own back.
可巧这日乃是清明之日，贾琏已备下年例祭祀，带领贾环、贾琮、贾兰三人去往铁槛寺祭柩烧纸，宁府贾蓉也同族中人各办祭祀前往。
It was the day of the Spring Cleaning festival and Jia Lian, having prepared the usual offerings, had gone with Jia Huan, Jia Cong and Jia Lan to the Temple of the Iron Threshold outside the city to clean the family graves.
Jia Rong, accompanied by a party of clansmen from the Ning-guo side of the family, had set out separately for the same destination.
宁府贾蓉也同族中几人各办祭祀前往。
Jia Rong of the Ning Mansion did the same with other young men of the clan.
因宝玉病未大愈，故不曾去得。
Baoyu, not yet fully recovered, was the only one not to go.
饭后发倦，袭人因说:"天气甚好，你且出去逛逛，省得丢下饭碗就睡，存在心里可不好。”
After lunch Aroma noticed that he was showing a disposition to sleep. ‘It's such a fine day,' she said, ‘why don't you take a stroll in the Garden?” If you lie down as soon as you've eaten, you won't digest your food.”
因近日将园中分与婆子料理，各司各业，皆在忙时，也有修竹的，也有护树的，也有栽花的，也有种豆的，池中又有驾娘们行着船夹泥种藕的。
trimming the bamboos, pruning trees and bushes, bedding plants Out, planting bulbs and sowing seeds.Other women were moving over the surface of the lake in punts, dredging up mud from the bottom and planting lotus-roots.
湘云、香菱、宝琴 与些丫鬟等都坐在山石上，瞧他们取乐。
Xiangyun, Xiangling, Baoqin and several young maids were sitting on the rocks enjoying the sight.