平儿笑道:"都是世人想不到的,说来也好笑,等几日告诉你,如今没有头绪呢,且也不得闲呢。”
“Oh, a lot of nonsense that no one could conceive of!”was the reply.“I'll tell you some other day.
Right now I'm too busy, and things aren't straightened out either.”
如今没头绪呢,且也不得闲儿。”
I won't tell you for a few days yet, though, because I still haven't quite got to the bottom of it -and I haven't got time now, in any case.”
一语未了,只见李纨的丫鬟来了,说:“平姐姐可在这里?
As if to prove that this was so, one of Li Wan's little maids arrived at that very moment:‘Miss Patience?” Oh, there you are!
袭人等笑道:"他奶奶病了,他又成了个香饽饽了,都抢不到手。"
Xiren and the others commented jokingly, “With her mistress ill she's in such great demand, everyone's trying to grab her.”
平儿忙转身出来,口内笑说:“来了来了。”
‘I'm coming, I'm coming,' said Patience, breaking away from the others with a laugh and hurrying after her.
袭人等笑道:“他奶奶病了,他又成了‘香饽饽’了,都抢不到手。”
Aroma and the others laughed, too. ‘She's grown as popular as hot cakes since her mistress's illness: everyone wants her at once!”
春燕答应了,和他妈出去。
Chunyan agreed to this, going out with her mother,
这里宝玉便叫春燕:“你跟了你妈去,到宝姑娘房里,把莺儿安伏安伏,也不可白得罪了他。”
We remain with Bao-yu and the test at Green Delights. ‘Swallow,' said Bao-yu, ‘you and your mother had better go to Miss Bao's place and make it up with Oriole.
You can't let her go on feeling offended.”
春燕一面答应了,和他妈出去。
‘Yes,' said Swallow, and hurried out to find her mother.
宝玉又隔窗说道:“不可当着宝姑娘说,看叫莺儿倒受了教导。”
Bao-yu shouted to them through the window as the two of them were crossing the courtyard:‘Don't say anything about it in front of Miss Bao.
You don't want Oriole to get a telling-off.”
娘儿两个应了出来,一面走着,一面说闲话儿。
Mother and daughter shouted back a reply and continued on their way, conversing as they went.
春燕因向他娘道:“我素日劝你老人家,再不信。
Swallow began reproaching her mother when they were out of earshot:‘I told you, Mother, again and again, but you wouldn't believe me.
春燕笑道:"若妈安分守己,在这屋里长久了,自有许多的好处。
“If you'd just know your place and mind your own business here, ma, in the long run you'd gain a whole lot by it,” went on Chunyan.
他娘笑道:“小蹄子,你走罢!
‘Get along with you, little hussy!” said her mother, laughing.
俗语说:‘不经一事,不长一智。’
‘You know what the proverb says: “Never suffer, never learn”.
I've learned my lesson.
他娘听说,喜的忙问:"这话果真么?"
“Did he really say that?”her mother asked eagerly.
春燕笑道:“妈,你若好生安分守己,在这屋里长久了,自有许多好处。
‘If only you could be content with the job you've got, Ma, and not be always pushing forward so,' said Swallow gently. ‘There are all sorts of benefits to be had from working here, after you've been here some length of time.
我且告诉你句话:宝玉常说,这屋里的人,无论家里外头的,一应我们这些人,他都要回太太全放出去,与本人父母自便呢。
I'll tell you just one of them.
Bao-yu says that when the time comes, he's going to ask Her Ladyship to give us maids - all of us, that is, not just the ones who work in his room - our freedom, so that you can marry us to whoever you like.
当下来至蘅芜院中,正值宝钗、黛玉、薛姨妈等吃饭。
When they reached Alpinia Park, Baochai, Daiyu and Aunt Xue were having a meal.
他娘听说,喜的忙问:“这话果真?”
‘Really?”Her mother's delight was tempered with incredulity.
莺儿忙笑让坐,又倒茶。
Yinger, smiling, offered them seats and poured them some tea.
婆子听了,便念佛不绝。
The pious invocations which this news evoked continued until they were almost at All-spice Court.
当下来至蘅芜院中,正值宝钗、黛玉、薛姨妈等吃饭。
They arrived there when Bao-chai, Dai-yu, Aunt Xue and the others were having lunch.
莺儿自去沏茶。
Swallow and her mother waited until Oriole came out to make the tea,