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.”
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.
本来自己懒待坐席，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；将自己两桌席 面赏给那没有席面的大小丫头并那应差听差的妇人等，命他们在窗外廊檐下也只管坐着随意吃喝，不必拘礼。
Feeling unequal to joining the feasters herself, she reclined on a couch in the inner room to watch the opera from there with Aunt Xue, from time to time nibbling some of her favourite titbits set out on the teapoy beside her as they chatted.
The two tables of food prepared for her she made over to the maids and serving-women who had no share in the feast; with instructions not to stand on ceremony but to sit in the verandah outside and eat and drink as much as they pleased.
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 sat at the high table in the old lady's room, the girls at tables in the outer room.
贾母不时吩咐尤氏等:"让凤丫头坐在上面，你们好生替我作东，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 drink,” chuckled the old lady, “I'll go out presently and toast her myself.”
贾母笑着，命尤氏:"快拉他出去，按在椅子上，你们都轮流敬他。
The old lady jokingly ordered Madam You, “Drag her out quick, and force her on to her seat, then take it in turns to toast her.
尤氏听说，忙笑着又拉 他出来坐下，命人拿了台盏来斟酒，笑道:"一年到头，难为你孝顺老太太、太太和我。
Madam You gaily carried out these instructions and ordered a mug to be filled. “From one end of the year to the other you've been dutifully filial to the old lady, Lady Wang and me,” she told Xifeng.
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.”
接着众姊妹也来敬酒，凤姐也只得每人的喝一口。
Next, all the girls presented cups and she had to sip from each.
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。
Then Lai Da's mother, seeing the Lady Dowager in such high spirits, decided to join in the fun and led some old serving-women in to toast Xifeng,
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 来敬酒，凤姐真不能了，忙央告道:"好姐姐们，饶了我罢，我明儿再喝罢。”
By the time Yuanyang and the younger maids came to drink her health, she had really had all she could take.‘Good sisters, let me off,' she begged. ‘I'll drink with you some other time.”
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.
说着拿过酒来，满满的斟了一 杯喝干，鸳鸯方笑了散去，然后又人席。
She picked up the winepot, filled her cup to the brim, and tossed it off.
Then Yuanyang withdrew with a smile.
凤姐儿自觉酒沉了，心里突突的似往上撞，要往家去歇歇，只见那耍百戏的上来，便和尤氏说:"预备赏钱，我要洗洗脸去。”
But the leader of the jugglers was bearing down on her. ‘Give this man his money,' she said, turning to You-shi, ‘I have to go home to wash.”
凤姐儿啾人不防，便出了席，往房门后檐下走来。
and Xi-feng, choosing a moment when no one was looking, slipped outside and made her way along the outside of the hall under the shadow of the eaves.
才至穿廊下，只见他屋里的一个小丫头子正在那里站着，见他两个来了，回身就跑。
As they approached the passage-way which led from Grandmother Jia's rear courtyard to the gallery in the midst of the little enclosure surrounded by wails and buildings which had once been the scene of Jia Rui's night-long sufferings, they recognized one of the junior maids from their own apartment standing there, who, as soon as she caught sight of them, turned tail and ran, Xi-feng at once became suspicious and called out after her.
凤姐儿便疑心，忙叫：那丫头先只装听不见，无奈后面连声儿叫，也只得回来。
At first the girl pretended not to hear, but when Pinger called to her too she had to come back.