话说贾政回京之后，诸事完毕，赐假一月在家歇息。
The All-highest had been graciously pleased to grant him a whole month's leave of absence in which to rest and recuperate at home.
一应大小事务，一概亦付之度外，只是看书，闷了便与清客们下棋吃酒，或日间在里边，母子夫妻，共叙天伦之乐。
that banishing all thought of business he passed the time reading, and when he was tired would play chess or drink with his proteges or enjoy the domesticity of the inner quarters with his mother, sons and wife.
因今岁八月初二日乃贾母八旬之庆，又因亲友全来，恐筵席排设不开，便早同贾赦及贾珍、贾琏等商议，议定于七月二十八日起至八月初五日止，荣宁两处齐开筵宴，宁国府中单请官客，荣国府中单请堂客，大观园中收拾出缀锦阁并嘉荫堂等几处大地方，来作退居。
This year the third day of the eighth month was Grandmother Jia's eightieth birthday.
A formidable number of people would have to be invited and there was even some doubt whether they would be able to accommodate them all.
After discussion by the menfolk of both mansions, it was decided that there should be eight days of entertaining, beginning on the twenty-eighth of the seventh month and ending on the fifth day of the eighth on each of these days banquets would be given in both mansions:
二十八日，请皇亲、驸马、王公、诸王、郡主、王姑、公主、国君、太君、夫人等，二十九日，便是阁府督镇及诰命等；三十日，便是诸官长及诰命并远近亲友及堂客。
The programme of entertaining would be as follows: the twenty-eighth would be for Imperial kinsmen, Princes and Princesses of the Blood and their consorts, Royal Highnesses, Serene Highnesses and members of the high nobility; the twenty-ninth would be for Ministers of State and Civil and Military Governors and their wives; the thirtieth for official colleagues and their wives and members of other clans related to the Jia family by marriage;
初一日，是贾赦的家宴；初二日，是贾政；初三日，是贾珍、贾琏；初四日，是贾府中合族长幼大小共凑家宴；初五日，是赖大林之孝等家下管事人等共凑一日。
on the first of the eighth month a family party would be given by Jia She, on the second one by Jia Zheng and on the third one by Cousin Zhen and Jia Lian; on the fourth a joint entertainment would be given by all members of the Jia clan irrespective of age and seniority; and on the fifth there would be another joint entertainment organized by Lai Da, Lin Zhi-xiao and the other senior domestics.
初五日是赖大林之孝等家下管事人等共凑一日。
Finally, on the fifth, Lai Da, Lin Zhixiao and the other chief stewards would give a feast.
自七月上旬，送寿礼者便络绎不绝。
From the start of the seventh month streams of messengers had been arriving with gifts.
礼部奉旨：钦赐金玉如意各一柄，彩缎四端，金玉杯四个，帑银五百两。
The Ministry of Rites by Imperial decree presented the old lady with one gold and jade Ruyi sceptre, four lengths of coloured satin, four gold and jade ear-rings, and five hundred taels of silver from the Imperial Treasury.
元春又命太监送出金寿星一尊，沉香拐一枝，伽南珠一串，福寿香一盒，金锭一对，银锭四对，彩缎十二匹，玉杯四只？
The Imperial Consort Yuanchun sent eunuchs with a golden image of the God of Longevity, an eaglewood cane, a string of scented beads, a box of rare incense, one pair of gold and four of silver ingots, twelve lengths of coloured satin and four jade cups.
余者自亲王驸马以及大小文武官员之家凡素有来往者，莫不有礼，不能胜记。
And there were presents too numerous to mention from princes and princesses and from the families of a host of civil and military officials both great and small who were on visiting terms with the Jias.
堂屋内设下大桌案，铺了红毡，将凡有精细之物都摆上，请贾母过目。
Several long tables were carried into the main reception hall and covered with red baize and the choicest presents set out on them every day for Grandmother Jia's inspection.
贾母先一二日还高兴过来瞧瞧，后来烦了，也不过目，只说:"叫凤丫头收了，改日闲了再瞧。”
She went along for the first day or two and took some pleasure in examining her gifts, but soon grew tired of this and told Xi-feng to look after them for her: she would look at them herself some other day, when she had nothing better to do.
至二十八日，两府中镡悬灯结彩，屏开鸾凤，褥设芙蓉，笙箫鼓乐之音，通衢越巷。
By the twenty-eighth both mansions had been hung with lanterns and festooned all over with garlands.
Painted phoenixes gambolled on folding screens, embroidered lotuses blossomed on drapes and covers, and the sound of fluting and piping could be heard several streets away.
宁府中本日只有北静王、南安郡王、永昌驸马、乐善郡王并几位世交公侯应袭，荣府中南安王太妃、北静王妃并几位世交公侯诰命。
The only guests that day in the Ning Mansion were the Prince of Beijing, the Prince of Nanan, Prince Consort Yongchang, the Prince of Leshan and a few young nobles.
To the Rong Mansion came only the Dowager Princess of Nanan, the wife of the Prince of Beijing and a few other noble ladies.
贾母等皆是按品大妆迎接。
Grandmother Jia and the others were dressed in full court rig to receive them.
大家厮见，先请人大观园内嘉荫堂，茶毕更衣，方出至荣庆堂上拜寿入席。
After the initial salutations were over, the visitors were conducted to Prospect Hall inside the Garden, where they took tea and ‘changed their clothes'.
From there they were conducted to the Hall of Exalted Felicity, where they offered formal congratulations to Grandmother Jia before finally,
大家谦逊半日，方才入席。
after much polite bowing and deferring, taking their places at the banquet.
上面两桌席是两王妃，下面依次便是众公侯的诰命。
The Dowager Princess of Nan-an and the Prince of Beijing's Consort sat at the two central tables at the back of the hall; the two rows of tables arranged at right-angles to left and right of theirs were occupied in order of precedence,
左边下手一席，陪客是锦乡侯的诰命与临昌伯的诰命；右边下手一席，方是贾母的主位。
the Marchioness of Jin-xiang and the Countess of Lin-an heading the row upon the left, while Grandmother Jia, as hostess, occupied the first of the right-hand ones.
邢夫人、王夫人带领尤氏凤姐并族中几个媳妇，两溜雁翅站在贾母身后侍立。
Lady Xing and Lady Wang stood in attendance behind Grandmother Jia's chair, with You-shi, Xi-feng and a number of other Jia ladies fanning out to left and right behind them.
林之孝赖大家的带领众媳妇都在竹帘外面伺候上菜上酒，周瑞家的带领几个丫鬟在围屏后伺候呼唤。
Outside the bamboo portiere matrons headed by the stewards' wives Mrs. Lin and Mrs. Lai served the dishes and wine, while a few young maids supervised by Mrs. Zhou Rui stood behind the screens waiting for orders.
凡跟来的人，早又有人款待，别处去了。
The servants who had come with the guests were entertained elsewhere.
一时参了场，台下一色十二个未留发的小丫头，都是小厮打扮，垂手伺候。
Outside, on the temporary stage that had been erected in the courtyard, the players were due to begin their performance.
In honour of the occasion they began by kneeling in a row at the front of it and offering their birthday congratulations to the old lady, while twelve little maids, dressed up as page-boys in identical costumes, stood solemnly to attention below the stage.
须臾，一个捧了戏单至阶下，先递给回事的媳妇，这媳妇接了，才递给林之孝家的。
When the players had finished, one of these little girl-pages advanced to the foot of the steps leading up to the hall with a playbill in her hands.
She was relieved of it by a serving-woman who had been stationed there for the sole purpose of receiving and carrying messages.
This woman handed it to Lin Zhi-xiao's wife,