刘姥姥听了,忙叹道:"老太太有年纪的人,不惯十分劳乏的。”
Grannie Liu murmured sympathetically. ‘Her Old Ladyship's feeling her age, poor soul,' she said.
And she isn't used to the exercise.”
往常也进园子逛去,不过到一、二 处坐坐就回来了。
‘Generally when she goes into the Garden, she'll visit just one or two places, sit there for a little while, and then come back again.
昨儿因为你在这里,要叫你逛逛,一个园子倒走了多半个。
But today, because you were there and she wanted to show you everything, she must have covered the greater part of the Garden.
大姐儿因为我找你去,太太递了一块糕给他,谁知风地里吃了,就发起热来。”
It was also because of you that I wasn't on hand when Lady Wang gave my little girl that piece of cake.
I'm sure it was eating out in the cold that has made her feverish.”
刘姥姥道:"小姐儿只怕不大进园子,生地方儿,小人儿家比不得我们的孩子们,会走了,那个坟圈子里不跑去。
‘I don't suppose the little dear goes much into the Garden or places she doesn't know.
Not like our children, who as soon as they can walk are scampering all over the graveyards.
一则风扑了也是有的;二则只怕他身上干净,眼又干净,或是遇见什么神了。
She may have caught a chill in the wind, or being a clear-eyed innocent she may have met some spirit.
依我说, 给他瞧瞧祟书本子,仔细撞客着了。”
If I were you I'd look up some book of enchantments, just so as to be on the safe side.”
一语提醒了凤姐儿,便叫平儿拿出《玉匣记》来,叫彩明来念。
Acting on this advice, Xifeng asked Pinger to find The Records of the Jade Casket and told Caiming to look up the relevant passage.
彩明翻了一会,念道:"八月二十五日,病者东南方得遇花神。
After leafing through it Caiming read, ‘On the twenty-fifth of the eighth month, illness may be caused in the southeast by meeting a flower spirit.
用五色纸钱四十张,向东南方四十步送之,大吉。”
To do this, take forty pieces of coloured paper spirit money' and walk forty paces in a south-easterly direction offering one of the pieces at every step.
凤姐儿笑道:“果然不错,园子里头可不是花神!
‘There you are!” said Xi-feng. ‘That must be it.
The Garden is just where you'd expect to run into a flower spirit.
只怕老太太也是遇见了。”
Probably the old lady has run into one too.”
一面命人请两分纸钱来,着两个人来,一个与贾母送祟,一个与大姐儿送祟,果见大姐儿安稳睡了。
She sent someone forthwith to obtain two lots of spirit money and got two of the servants to carry out the exorcism, one on Grandmother Jia's behalf and the other on behalf of her little girl.
As soon as it was over, she and Grannie Liu went in to see how Baby was getting on.
They found her sleeping peacefully.
果见大姐儿安稳睡了。
Then sure enough Dajie fell into a sound sleep.
凤姐笑道:"到底是你们有年纪的人经历的多。
‘Yes, after all, it's the old who are the most experienced,' observed Xifeng.
富贵人家养的孩子多太娇嫩,自然禁不得一些儿委曲。
‘Children of well-to-do folks are brought up so delicate, their bodies can't stand any hardship.
再他小人儿家,过于尊贵了,也禁不起。
Being too pampered isn't good for kiddies either.
我想起来,他还没个名字,你就给他起个名字,借借你的寿;二则你们是庄家人,不怕你恼,到底贫苦些,你们贫苦人起个名字只怕压的住。”
‘By the way, she has no name yet.
You give her one
凤姐儿道:"正是呢。
‘Ah, that's just the trouble,' said Xi-feng. ‘She was born on Qiao-jie―the Seventh of the Seventh―a very unlucky date.”
生的日子不大好,可巧是七月初七日。"
‘Ah, that's just the trouble,' said Xi-feng. ‘She was born on Qiao-jie―the Seventh of the Seventh―a very unlucky date.”
刘姥姥忙笑道:"这个正好,就叫他作巧哥儿罢。
‘No matter,' said Grannie Lin. ‘Call her “Qiao-jie” then.
蘅芫君兰言解疑癖 潇湘子雅谑补余香
The Lady of the Alpinia Warns Against Dubious Tastes in Literature The Queen of Bamboos' Quips Add to the General Enjoyment
话说贾母一时醒了,就在稻香村摆晚饭。
Presently the Lady Dowager awoke and the evening meal was served in Paddy-Sweet Cottage.
贾母因觉懒懒的,也没吃饭,便坐了竹椅小轿,回至房中歇息,命凤姐去吃饭。
But the old lady, too listless to eat, had herself carried back in the small bamboo sedan-chair to her own apartments to rest.
She insisted, however, that Xifeng and the others should dine,