话说秦钟既死，宝玉痛哭不已，李贵等好容易劝解半日 方住，归时犹是凄恻哀痛。
Now that Qin Zhong was indisputably dead, Bao-yu wept long and bitterly, and it was some time before Li Gui and the rest could calm him.
Even after their return he continued tearful and distressed.
贾母帮了几十两银子，外又另备 奠仪，宝玉去吊纸。
The Lady Dowager gave the Qin family several dozen taels of silver in addition to funeral gifts; Baoyu went to offer his condolences and,
七日后便送殡掩埋了，别无述记。
and on the seventh day followed his friend's coffin to the grave.
只有宝玉日日思慕感悼，然亦无可如何了。
Baoyu mourned for his friend and missed him every day, but there was no help for it.
又不知历几何时，这日贾珍等来回贾政:"园内工程俱已告竣，大老爷已瞧过了，只等老爷瞧了，或有不妥之处，再行改造，好题匾额对联的。”
One day Cousin Zhen came to Jia Zheng with his team of helpers to report that work on the new garden had been completed.'Uncle She has already had a look,'said Cousin Zhen. 'Now we are only waiting for you to look round it to tell us if there is anything you think will need altering and also to decide what inscriptions ought to be used on the boards everywhere.”
贾政听了，沉思一回，说道： "这匾额对联倒是一件难事。
Jia Zheng reflected a while in silence.'These inscriptions are going to be difficult,'he said eventually.
论理该请贵妃赐题才是，然贵妃若不亲睹其景，大约亦必不肯妄拟；若直待贵妃游幸过再 请题，偌大景致，若干亭榭，无字标题，也觉寥落无趣，任有花柳山水，也断不能生色。”
By rights, we should ask the Imperial Consort to do us the honour of composing them, but she can hardly do this without having seen the place.On the other hand, if we leave the chief sights and pavilions without a single name or couplet until her visit, the garden, however lovely with its flowers and willows, rocks and streams, cannot fully reveal its charm.”
如今我们有个愚见：各处匾额对联断不可少，亦 断不可定名。
“I have an idea,” said one.“The inscriptions for different places can't be dispensed with, but neither can they be fixed in advance.
如今且按其景致，或两字、三字、四字，虚合其意拟了来，暂且做出灯匾对联悬了，待贵妃游幸时，再请定名，岂不两全？”
Why not briefly prepare some tentative couplets and names to suit each place?”We can have them painted on lanterns in the shape of plaques and scrolls for the time being.
待贵妃游幸时，再请定名，岂不两全?"
Then, when Her Highness favours us with a visit, we can ask her to decide on permanent names.Wouldn't this be a way out of the dilemma?”
我们今日且看看去，只管题了，若妥当便用；不妥时，然后将雨村 请来，令他再拟。”
“Let us have a look round then today and think up some inscriptions.If suitable, they can be used; if unsuitable, we can ask Jia Yucun over to help.”
众人笑道:"老爷今日一拟定佳，何必又待雨村。”
'Your own suggestions are sure to be admirable, Sir Zheng,' said the literary gentlemen ingratiatingly. 'There will be no need to call in Yu-cun.”
贾政笑道:"你们不知，我自幼于花鸟山水题咏上 就平平；如今上了年纪，且案牍劳烦，于这怡情悦性文章上 更生疏了。
“Frankly, I was never a good hand even in my young days at writing verse about nature ― flowers, birds and scenery.Now that I'm old and burdened with official duties I've quite lost the light touch required for belles-lettres.
纵拟了出来，不免迂腐古板，反不能使花柳园亭 生色，似不妥协，反没意思。”
Any efforts of mine would undoubtedly be so clumsy and pedantic that they would fail to bring out the garden's beauty ― they might even have the opposite effect.”
我们大家看了公拟，各举其长，优则存之，劣则删之，未为不可。”
'We can all try our hands at composing.If each of us contributes what he is best at, and if we then select the better attempts and reject the ones that are not so good, we should be able to manage all right.”
说着起身，引众人前往。
Jia Zheng rose to his feet and set off at the head of the party,
贾珍先去园中知会众人。
while Jia Zhen went on in advance to let everyone in the garden know they were coming.
可巧近日宝玉因思念秦钟，忧伤不已，贾母常命人带他到新园子里来玩耍。
It so happened that Baoyu had just arrived in the garden.For he was still grieving so much over Qin Zhong's death that the Lady Dowager often told his servants to take him there to distract him.
方转过弯，顶头看见贾政引着众客来了，躲之不及，只得一旁站住。
But just round the corner he ran into Jia Zheng's party.Since escape was impossible, Baoyu stepped to one side.
贾政近因闻得塾掌称赞宝玉专能对对联，虽不喜读书，偏倒有些歪才情似的，今日偶然撞见这机会，便命他跟来。
Now Jia Zheng had recently heard Baoyu's tutor speak highly of his skill in composing couplets, remarking that the boy, though not studious, showed considerable originality.Having happened upon him like this, Jia Zheng ordered his son to accompany them.
宝玉只得随往，尚不知何意。
Bao-yu, who knew nothing either of Dai-ru's report or of his father's intentions, followed with trepidation.
贾政刚至园门前，只见贾珍带领许多执事人来，一旁侍立。
As soon as they reached the gate they found Cousin Zhen at the head of a group of overseers waiting to learn Jia Zheng's wishes.
贾政道："你且把园门都关上，我们先瞧了外面再进去。”
'I want you to close the gate,' said Jia Zheng, ‘so that we can see what it looks like from outside before we go in.”
贾珍听说，命人将门关了。
Cousin Zhen ordered the gate to be closed,