话说是日贾敬的寿辰，贾珍先将上等可吃的东西、稀奇的果品，装了十六大捧盒，着贾蓉带领家下人送与贾敬去，向贾蓉说道：“你留神看太爷喜欢不喜欢，你就行了礼起来，说：‘父亲遵太爷的话，不敢前来，在家里率领合家都朝上行了礼了。”
Jia Jing's birthday had now arrived. 2Jia Zhen had six large hampers filled with choice delicacies and rare fruit and sent ha Rong with some servants to deliver them.“Make sure your grandfather's agreeable before you pay your respects,” he cautioned his son.
你说：’我父亲遵太爷的话不敢来，在家里率领合家都朝上行了礼了。’”
1“Tell him that in compliance with his wishes I've not ventured to go, but I am assembling the whole family here to honour him.”
这里渐渐的就有人来了。
the guests began to arrive.
先是贾琏、贾蔷到来，先看了各处的坐位，并问："有什么玩意儿没有?"
First Jia Lian and Jia Qiang.Observing the seating arrangements, they asked what entertainment was to be offered.
家人答道：“我们爷算计，本来请太爷今日来家，所以并未敢预备玩意儿。
'The Master had originally been reckoning on old Sir Jing coming here today,' said one of the servants, ‘so he didn't arrange for any entertainment.
前日听见太爷又不来了，现叫奴才们找了一班小戏儿，并一档子打十番的，都在园子里戏台上预备着呢。”
“But the day before yesterday, when he heard that the old gentleman wouldn't be coming, he got us to hire some young actors and musicians. 2They're getting ready now on the stage in the garden.”
次后邢夫人、王夫人、凤姐儿、宝玉都来了，贾珍并尤氏接了进去。
You-shi's mother, Lady Xing, Lady Wang and Xi-feng, having finished their meal, rinsed out their mouths and washed their hands,
尤氏的母亲已先在这里，大家见过了，彼此让了坐。
You-shi's mother was already there.She was introduced to the new arrivals, who were then invited to sit down
大家见过了，彼此让了坐。
After greetings had been exchanged they were urged to be seated.
贾珍、尤氏二人亲自递了茶，因笑说道:"老太太原是老祖宗，我父亲又是侄儿，这样日子，原不敢请他老人家；但是这个时候，天气正凉爽，满园的菊花又盛开，请老祖宗过来散散闷，看着众儿孙热闹热闹，是这个意思。
and were served by Cousin Zhen and You-shi with tea.'We realize,' said Cousin Zhen, ‘that Lady Jia is a generation older than Father.Father is only her nephew, of course, and strictly speaking it wasn't correct form to invite a person of her age at all.
贾珍听了笑道："我说老祖宗是爱热闹的，今日不来，必定有个原故，若是这么着，就是了。”
Cousin Zhen smiled with pleasure.'Well, that's all right then.Knowing how much Grandma enjoys a bit of fun, I thought it didn't seem like her not to come today unless she had some good reason for not coming.”
王夫人道:"前日听见你大妹妹说，蓉儿媳妇身上有些不大好，到底是怎么样?"
Lady Wang remarked, “The other day Xifeng told me that Rong's wife is indisposed.
What's wrong with her?”
上月中秋还跟着老太太、太太们顽了半夜，回家来好好的。
“At the Mid-Autumn Festival last month she enjoyed herself half the night with the old lady and you, and came home none the worse.
到了二十日以后，一日比一日觉懒了，又懒怠吃东西，这将近有半个多月。
But for a fortnight since the twentieth of last month she's grown weaker and weaker every day and lost all her appetite.
正说着，外头人回道:"大老爷、二老爷并一家的爷们都来了，在厅上呢。”
Just then the arrival of Jia She, Jia Zheng and the other gentlemen was announced.They were in the reception hail,
昨日开了方子，吃了一剂药，今日头眩的略好些，别的仍不见怎么样大见效。”
Today her giddiness is a bit better, but everything else is still pretty much the same.”
尤氏道:"你是初三日在这里见他的，他强扎挣了半天，也是因你们娘儿两个好的上头，他才恋恋不舍得去。”
'She had a terrible struggle to keep going on that occasion.It was only because the two of you have always been so close and she didn't want to miss you that she made the effort.”
凤姐儿听了，眼圈儿红了半日，半天方说道："真是’天有不測风云，人有旦夕祸福’。
Xi-feng's eyes became moist and for a moment she was too overcome to speak.'I know “the weather and human life are both unpredictable”,' she said at last,
正说话间，贾蓉进来，给邢夫人、王夫人、凤姐儿前都请了安，方回尤氏道:"方才我去给太爷送吃食去，并回说我父亲在家中伺候老爷们，款待一家子的爷们，遵太爷的话，并未敢来。
While she was speaking Jia Rong came in, and having greeted in turn first Lady Xing, then Lady Wang, and then Xi-feng, he turned to his mother: 'I've just delivered the food to Grandfather, and I told him that Father was entertaining all the men of the family at home and had not presumed to visit him because of what he said.
太爷听了甚喜欢，说:’这才是’。
Grandfather was very pleased.He said “That is exactly as it should be.”
叫告诉父亲母亲，好生伺候太爷、太太们；叫我们好生伺候叔叔、婶子并哥哥们。
and told me to ask you and my father to attend to the elder generation while we entertain the younger.
我将此话都回了我父亲了。
I've already given this message to my father.
我这会子还得快出去打发太爷们并合家爷们吃饭。”
Now I must hurry and see to the food for all the grand-uncles, uncles and other gentlemen.”
贾蓉皱皱眉说道:"不好么!婶子回来，瞧瞧去，就知道了。”
“Not well at all.”The young man's face clouded.“Do go and see her for yourself, aunt, on your way home.”