话说宝玉和姐妹一处坐着，同众人看演《荆钗记》，黛玉因看到《男祭》这出上，便和宝钗说道：“这王十朋也不通的很，不管在那里祭一祭罢了，必定跑到江边上来做什么，俗语说：‘睹物思人’，天下的水总归一源，不拘那里的水舀一碗，看着哭去，也就尽情了。”
BAO-YU having now taken his place amongst the girls, they and the rest of the company were once more able to give their undivided attention to the players.
The play being performed on this occasion was, as we noted at the end of the previous chapter, The Wooden Hairpin, and it chanced that they had reached that section of it popularly referred to as ‘The Husband's Offering', in which the hero Wang Shi-peng, believing that his wife has drowned herself, goes with his aged mother to the river Ou-jiang to make offerings to her soul.
At this point Dai-yu, who was able to guess what the real purpose of Bao-yu's early-morning excursion had been, turned to Bao-chai and remarked, in a voice loud enough for Bao-yu to overhear, that she thought Wang Shi-peng a ‘very silly sort of fellow‘He could have made his offering anywhere.
Why was it necessary for him to go rushing off to the riverside to make it?” They say that “objects aid recall”: well, since all the water in the world comes ultimately from a single source, a bowlful of it scooped up anywhere should have sufficed.
His feelings could have been just as effectively relieved by weeping over a bowlful of water as by rushing off to the banks of the river.”
林黛玉因看到《男祭》这出上，便和薛宝钗说道:"这王十朋也不通的很，不管在那里祭一祭罢了，必定跑到江边子上去作什么！
When it came to the scene in which the hero sacrifices to his drowned wife, Daiyu remarked to Baochai: “What a fool this Wang Shipeng is!
Surely he could offer a sacrifice anywhere.
Why must he rush off to kneel beside the river?
俗语说”睹物思人”天下水总归一源，不拘那里的水舀一碗，看着哭去，也就尽情了。”
The proverb says:Things have their associations.
But water the whole world over in the last analysis comes from the same source.
He could have ladled out a bowl of water anywhere and wept over it to work off his feelings.”
且说贾母心想，今日不比往日，定要教凤姐痛乐一日。
Grandmother Jia was determined that this should be a day like no other and that Xi-feng should derive the greatest possible enjoyment from it.
本自己懒怠坐席，只在里间屋里榻上歪着和薛姨妈看戏，随心爱吃的拣几样放在小几上，随意吃着说话儿。
Not feeling sufficiently energetic to sit with the rest, however, she had retired to the inner room with Aunt Xue, reclining on a couch there in a position from which it was still possible to watch the players.
A small selection from the dishes which had covered the two tables laid for her outside had been set down within easy reach where she could pick at them while conversing with Aunt Xue.
将自己两桌席面，赏那没有席面的大小丫头并那应着差的妇人等，命他们在窗外廊檐下，也只管坐着随意吃喝，不必拘礼。
The remainder she had made over to the maids and older women on duty who had not been catered for, bidding them take their banquet outside on to the verandah where they could sit down and enjoy themselves without restraint.
王夫人和邢夫人在地下高桌上坐着，外面几席是他们姐妹们坐。
Lady Wang and Lady Xing also sat in this inner room, not on the kang, where Grandmother Jia's couch had been placed, but at a high-topped table on the floor below.
The young people sat at a number of tables in the outer room.
贾母不时吩咐尤氏等，“让凤丫头坐上面，你们好生替我待东，难为他一年到头辛苦。”
From time to time Grandmother Jia would give orders to You-shi to make sure that Xi-feng was enjoying herself. ‘Make her sit at the head.
Why isn't she sitting at the head?” It's up to you to act as hostess on my behalf,' she told You-shi. ‘The poor child is run off her feet all the rest of the year.
Today I want her to be made a fuss of.”
尤氏答应了，又笑回道：“他说坐不惯首席，坐在上头，横不是竖不是的，酒也不肯喝。”
You-shi went off to do her bidding, but shortly afterwards returned, a smile on her face, to announce that Xi-feng was being difficult. ‘She says she's not used to sitting at the head.
She says it makes her uncomfortable.
And she refuses to drink anything.”
贾母听了．笑道：“你不会，等我亲自让他去。”
‘If you can't make her, I shall have to come out and deal with her myself,' said Grandmother Jia, laughing.
凤姐儿忙也进来笑说：“老祖宗别信他们的话。
This brought Xi-feng herself running up.
She spoke to Grandmother Jia from behind You-shi's shoulder. ‘Don't believe her, Grannie.
贾母笑着，命尤氏等：“拉他出去，按在椅子上，你们都轮流敬他。
‘Now look here,' said Grandmother Jia to You-shi, ‘I want you to march this young woman back to her seat and force her to sit down in it.
Then I want every one of you here to drink with her in turn.
尤氏听说，忙笑着又拉他出来坐下，命人拿了台盏斟了酒，笑道：“一年到头，难为孝顺老太太、太太和我。
You-shi hauled Xi-feng out again, cal1ed for larger cups to be brought, and poured her out some wine.
There you are, my darling!
In token of my appreciation of the noble way in which you have served Lady Jia and Lady Wang and me during the past year,
凤姐笑道:"你要安心孝敬我，跪下，我就喝。”
“If you really want to show appreciation you must kneel down, then I'll drink,” was Xifeng's laughing retort.
尤氏笑道："说的你不知是谁!
“Don't be carried away by all the compliments paid you.
趁着尽力灌丧两钟罢。”
So make the most of it, and now drink two cups.”
凤姐儿见推不过，只得喝了两钟。
You-shi was so insistent that in the end Xi-feng had to drink two whole cupfuls from the larger cups.
接着众姐妹也来，凤姐也只得每人的喝了两口，赖嬷嬷见贾母尚且这等高兴，也少不得来凑趣儿，领着些嬷嬷们也来敬酒。
After that the cousins came up one by one to drink with her, which meant that she had to take at least a sip or two with each of them.
Then old Mrs Lai, observing with what high spirits Grand-mother Jia was watching these antics, determined to join in the fun too, and came over, with the other old nannies, to drink Xi-feng's health along with all the rest.
凤姐儿也难推脱，只得喝了两口。
Because of the seniority of this group, it would have been difficult for Xi-eng to refuse them, so with each of them too she had to take a couple of sips.
鸳鸯等也都来敬，凤姐儿真不能了，忙央告道：“好姐姐们饶了我罢！
But when Faithful and the maids came trooping up, it was more than flesh and blood could bear and she begged to be excused.
Really, my dears, I couldn't.
就是我们在太太跟前，太太还赏个脸儿呢。
“Why, even the mistress condescends to drink with us.
往常倒有些体面，今儿当着这些人，倒拿起主子的款儿来了。
You usually show us more consideration, but now in front of all these people you're putting on the airs of a mistress.
往常倒有些体面，今儿当着这些人，倒做起主子的款儿来了。
I used to think that I counted for something round here, but now, after being put in my place in front of all these others, I can see that I did wrong to come.
说着拿过酒来，满满的斟了一杯喝干，鸳鸯方笑了散去。
She fetched the wine herself, filled a cup to the brim with it' and drank it down to the last drop, up-ending it afterwards to show that it was dry.
At that Faithful laughed and went away content.