因为说没有好生吃得，又不得来，所以叫我来问还有没有，叫我要几个拿了家去吃罢。”
"As she didn't get a chance to eat properly and can't come, she's sent me to ask whether there are any crabs left.
If so, I'm to take a few back for her to eat."
湘云道："有，多着呢。”
"There are plenty left," Xiangyun assured her.
忙命人拿盒子装了十个极大的。
She promptly ordered ten of the largest crabs to be brought.
众人又拉平儿坐，平儿不肯，李纨瞅着他笑道：“偏叫你坐！”
Li Wan tried to make Patience sit down with them, but she refused. ‘You shall sit down!”
因拉他身旁坐下，端了一杯酒，送到他嘴边。
said Li Wan, eyeing her skittishly; and taking her by the hand, she drew her down beside her and held a cup of wine up to her lips so that she was forced to drink.
平儿忙喝了一口，就要走，李纨道：“偏不许你去，显见得你只有凤丫头，就不听我的话了。”
Patience gulped down a mouthful of it and then rose again to go. ‘I won't let you go!” said Li Wan. ‘The only person you ever take any notice of is that precious Feng of yours; you think you don't need to obey me; but you shall.”
说着，又命嬷嬷们：“先送了盒子去，就说我留下平儿了。”
She turned to the old woman, now waiting in readiness with the box of crabs, and told her to go on ahead with them and tell Xi-feng that Patience was being detained.
那婆子一时拿了盒子回来，说：“二奶奶说：‘叫奶奶和姑娘们别笑话要嘴吃。
The old woman went away.
She returned a short while after, still carrying the box, with a message. ‘Mrs Lian says thank you very much, and she hopes you didn't think her greedy for asking.
这个盒子里是方才舅太太那里送来的菱粉糕和鸡油卷儿，给奶奶、姑娘们吃的。”
"In this hamper are some caltrop cakes and chicken-fat rolls sent by Aunt Wang for you, madam, and the young ladies."
又向平儿道：“说了：‘使唤你来，你就贪住嘴不去了，叫你少喝钟儿罢。’
There was a further message for Patience: ‘Mrs Lian says she thought she sent you to fetch something for her, not to stay here and amuse yourself.
Anyway, she says, tell her not to drink too much.”
李纨揽着他笑道："可惜这么个好体面模样儿，命却平常，只落得屋里使唤。
"Such a lovely girl!" cried Li Wan, taking her arm. "What a pity she's fated to wait on other people.
不知道的人，谁不拿你当作奶奶、太太看。”
Anyone not in the know would take you for the mistress of the house."
李氏道:"嗳哟!这硬的是什么？"
"My, what are these hard things?”asked Li Wan.
平儿道:"钥匙。”
"Keys," was the answer.
李氏道："什么钥匙?要紧梯己东西怕人偷了 去，却带在身上。
‘Keys?” said Li Wan. ‘What has your mistress got so precious that you need to carry keys round all the time?”
我成日家和人说笑，有个唐僧取经，就有个白马来驮他；刘智远打天下，就有个瓜精来送盔甲；有个凤丫头，就有个你。
Do you know what I tell people about you?” I tell them: Just as you can't imagine a Tripitaka going off to India to fetch the scriptures without his white horse or a Liu Zhi-yuan conquering the Empire without a Spirit of the Melon Fields to give him his armour, so you can't imagine a Wang Xi-feng without a Patience alongside helping her.
你就是你奶奶的一把总钥匙，还要这钥匙作什么。”
You're her master-key.
What does she want these keys for?”
宝钗笑道:"这倒是真话。
"It's true all the same," said Baochai.
我们没事评论起人来，你们这几个都是百个里头挑不出一个来的，妙在各人有各人的好处。”
‘Whenever we start gossiping about personalities, we nearly always end up by agreeing what exceptional people you and the other chief maids are.
And all exceptional in your own different ways, too― that's what's so interesting.”
譬如老太太屋里，要没那个鸳鸯如何使得?从太太起，那一个敢驳老太太的回，他现敢驳回；偏老太太只听他一个人的话。
"For instance, what would the old lady do without Yuanyang?” Nobody else, not eyen Lady Wang, dares contradict the old lady; but when Yuanyang does, the old lady listens to her.
老太太的那些穿戴的，别人不记得，他都记得，要不是他经管着，不知叫人诓骗了多少去呢。
And look at all the things that Grandmother has.
No one else could ever remember them the way that Faithful can.
那孩子心也公道，虽然这样，倒常替人说好话儿，还倒不依势欺人的。”
And on top of it all, she's a very fair person.
She'll often put in a good word for someone.
And though she has so much influence with Grandmother, she never, never uses it to do anyone else down.”
惜春笑道:"老太太昨儿还说呢，他比我们还强呢。”
"Only yesterday," remarked Xichun with a smile, "the old lady was saying she's better than any of us."
平儿道："那原是个好的，我们那里比的上他。”
"She's really fine," agreed Pinger. "We others can't compare with her."