凤姐道：“二十一是薛妹妹的生日，你到底怎么样？”
'It's Bao-chai's birthday on the twenty-first,' said Xi-feng.'What do you think we ought to do about it?”
凤姐道："大生日料理，不过是有一定的则例在那里。
-“For big birthdays there are definite rules，
凤姐道：“大生日是有一定的则例。
'There are fixed rules for everything when you are planning a big grown-up celebration,' said Xi-feng;
如今他这生日，大又不是，小又不是，所以和你商量。”
'but in Bao-chai's case she's neither exactly grown-up nor exactly a child any longer.
That's why I wanted your advice.”
现有比例，那林妹妹就是例。
“There's a precedent in Daiyu's birthday.
现有比例，那林妹妹就是例。
'There's a precedent right in front of you.What about Dai-yu?”
往年怎么给林妹妹做的，如今也照样给薛妹妹做就是了。”
All you've got to do is find what arrangements you made in the past for her and do exactly the same for Bao-chai now.”
但昨儿听见老太太说，问起大家的年纪生日来，听见薛大妹妹今年十五岁。
“But yesterday the old lady told me she'd been asking everybody's age and learned that Baochai would be fifteen this year,
想来若果然替他作，自然比往年与林妹妹不同了。”
If the old lady wants to celebrate her birthday specially,it'll have to be different from Daiyu's in the past.”
且说史湘云住了两日，因要回去。
Let us return now to Xiangyun.After spending several days in the Rong Mansion it was time for her to go home,
贾母因说:"等过了你宝姐姐的生日，看了戏再回去。”
but the Lady Dowager urged her to wait until after Baochai's birthday and the performance of operas.
谁想贾母自见宝钗来了，喜他稳重和平，正值他才过第一个生辰，便自己蠲资二十两，唤了凤姐来，交与他置酒戏。
The fact was that the Lady Dowager had taken a fancy to Baochai since her arrival on account of her steady, amiable behaviour.And as this would be her first birthday in their house, the old lady summoned Xifeng and gave her twenty taels of silver from her own coffer for a feast and an opera.
凤姐凑趣笑道："一个老祖宗给孩子们作生日，不拘怎样，谁还敢争，又办什么酒戏。
Xifeng teased, “When an Old Ancestress wants to celebrate some grandchild's birthday, no matter how grandly, who are we to protest?”So there's to be a feast and opera too, is there?”
这早晚找出这霉烂的二十两银子来做东，意思还叫我们赔上！
- not wait until the last minute and then fish out a measly little twenty taels to pay for the party: that's just another way of telling us we've got to pay for it ourselves.
果然拿不出来也罢了，金的银的圆的扁的压塌了箱子底，只是累我们。
I mean, if you were really hard up, it would be another matter: but you've got boxes and boxes of boodle ― the bottoms are dropping out of them, they're so full!
It's pure meanness, that's what it is!
果然拿不出来也罢了，金的、银的、圆的、扁的，压塌了箱子底，只是勒揹我们。
If you really couldn't afford it, all right.But your cases are bursting with gold and silver ingots of every shape and size the bottoms of the chests are dropping out, they're so full.Yet you're still squeezing us.
难道将来只有宝兄弟顶你老人家上五台山不成？
You forget, Grannie, when you go to heaven young Bao-yu won't be the only one who'll walk ahead of the hearse.
那些东西只留给他，我们虽不配使，也别太苦了我们，这个够酒的够戏的呢？”
^+2You've got other grandchildren too, don't forget!
You don't have to leave everything to him.
The rest of us may not be much use, but you mustn't be too hard on us.Twenty taels!
Do you really think that's enough to pay for a party and plays?”
说的满屋里都笑起来。
At this point the entire company burst into laughter,
贾母亦笑道：“你们听听这嘴，我也算会说的了，怎么说不过这猴儿。
which Grandmother Jia joined in herself.'Just listen to her!” she said. 'I thought I had a fairly sharp tongue, but I'm no match for this one: “Clack-clack, clack-clack” ― it's worse than a pair of wooden clappers!
你婆婆也不敢强嘴，你就和我啊的。”
Even your mother-in-law daren't argue with me, my dear!
凤姐笑道：“我婆婆也是一样的疼宝玉，我也没处诉冤，倒说我强嘴！”
Don't pick on me!” 'Mother-in-law is just as soppy about Bao-yu as you are,' said Xi-feng. 'I've got no one to tell my troubles to.
And you say I'm sharp-tongued!”
说着，又引贾母笑了一会。
Xi-feng's mock-lugubriousness set the old lady off in another squall of laughter.
[add]到晚间，众人都在贾母前，定昏之余，大家娘儿姊妹等说笑时,[戚序本]贾母因问宝钗爱听何戏，爱吃何物。
+That night, when the young folk had finished paying their evening duty and were standing round her laughing and talking a while before retiring to their own apartments, Grandmother Jia asked Bao-chai what sort of plays she liked best and what her favourite dishes were.