只见院中寂静，只有丫鬟、婆子在窗外听候。
She found the Council Hall quiet, with a few maids and matrons waiting outside the windows.
平儿进入厅中，他姐妹姑嫂三人正商议些家务，说的便是年内赖大家请吃酒，他家中花园中事故。
The latter were already in the midst of a discussion.
They were talking about Lai Da's garden, which they had visited in Grandmother Jia's company some months previously on the occasion of the party which had had such unfortunate consequences for Xue Pan.
这又同才刚学里的八两一样，重重叠叠，事虽小，钱有限，看起来也不妥当。
This is like that extra allowance of eight taels for the school just now another duplication.
Admittedly it's a small matter, involving very little money, but it doesn't seem right.
平儿笑道："这有个原故： 姑娘们所用的这些东西，自然是该有分例的。
“There's a reason,” answered Pinger. “Of course the young ladies should be provided with cosmetics every month,
姑娘们所用的这些东西，自然该有分例，每月每处买办买了，令女人们交送我们收管，不过预备姑娘们使用就罢了，没有个我们天天各人拿着钱，找人买这些去的。
‘Obviously you young ladies need a regular fixed supply of these things, and as there wouldn't be much sense in our constantly running out with a few coppers to make individual purchases, the cosmetic allowances for the various departments are drawn by our buyers and used to make bulk purchases with.
所以外头买办总领了去，按月使女人按房交与我们的。
So the stewards get the lump sum for this item, and distribute the cosmetics each month to the different apartments.
至于姑娘们每月的这二两，原不是为买这些的，为的是一时当家的奶奶太太，或不在家，或不得闲，姑娘们偶然要个钱使，省得找人去，这不过是恐怕姑娘们受委屈意思。
“As for the monthly allowance of two taels, that was never meant for this purpose.
It was so that you don't have to search for the mistresses in charge, if they're away or too busy to be bothered when you happen to need a little money.
这原是恐怕姑娘们受了委屈，可知这个钱并不是为买这个才有的。
In other words, to see that you don't go short.
That money obviously isn't meant for cosmetics.
如今我冷眼看着，各房里的姑娘，各门的姊妹都是现拿钱买这些东西的，竟有一半。
But I've noticed that at least half our sisters attending in the different apartments make these purchases with their own money.
我就疑惑，不是买办脱了空，迟些日子，就是买的不是正经货，弄些使不得的东西来搪塞。”
but whether it's because the official buyers simply pocket the money and don't deliver the goods, or because the stuff they supply us with is so inferior, I simply don't know.”
脱空是没有的，也不敢，只是迟些日子；催急了，不知那里弄了来的那平常东西，使不得，依然得现 买。
“The stewards supply us all right, they wouldn't dare stop, but always a few days late.
When we hurry them they produce something inferior, goodness knows from where, which we can never use.
其实使不得，依然还得现买，就用二两银子，另叫别人的奶妈子的弟兄儿子买来方才使得。
There's only one way of doing that, too.
You have to give a couple of taels to a nannie and ask her to get one of her sons or nephews to buy it for you.
若使了官中的人买去，照旧是那样。
But if we send those servants in charge, they buy the same kind,
不知他们是什么法子，是铺子里坏了的不要了，他们都弄了来，单预备给我们的?"
we can't imagine why.
Could it be that they just buy us shop-soiled rejects?”
平儿笑道:"买办买的是那样的，他买了好的来，买办岂肯和他善开交，又说他使坏心，要夺这买办了。
‘It's because if they bought you stuff of better quality, they'd be in trouble with the regular buyers,' said Patience. ‘The regular buyers would complain that they were trying to do them out of a job.
所以他们也只得如此，宁可得罪了里头，不肯得罪了外头办事的人。
“That's why they have to do this.
They'd rather offend you ladies than the stewards.
钱费两起，东西又白掷一半，箅起来，反费了两折子钱，不如竟把买办这一分子免了罢，此是一件事。
“because we spend two lots of money but half the purchases are wasted.
That means we're spending twice as much as we should.
So my first proposal is to stop that monthly allowance to the stewards.
第二件，年里头往赖大家去，你也去的，你看他那小园子比咱们这个如何?"
Another thing is this.
Last year when we went to Lai Da's place, you went too.
What did you think of that little garden of theirs?
How do you think it compares with ours?”
平儿笑道："还没有咱们这一半大，树木花草也少多了。”
–[sic]“It's less than half the size and has far fewer trees and flowers.”
探春道:"我因和他们家女儿说闲话儿，谁知那么个园子，除他们带的花儿、吃的笋菜鱼虾之外，一年还有人包了去，年终总有二百两银子剩。
“I had a chat with one of their girls,” continued Tanchun. “I learned to my surprise that its annual produce--apart from the flowers they wear and the bamboo shoots, vegetables, fish and prawns they eat--has been contracted for by people who pay them at least two hundred taels a year.
从那日我才知道，一个破荷叶，一根枯草根子，都是值钱的。”
That was how I first learned that even a snapped lotus leaf or a blade of withered grass is worth money.”
你们虽是千金，原不知道这些事，但只你们也都念过书，识过字的，竟没看见过朱夫子有一篇‘不自弃’的文么？”
“Though sheltered young ladies know nothing about such things, in the course of your studies you've surely read Zhu Xi's essay On Not Debasing Oneself?”
宝钗道："朱子都有虚比浮词？
“So even Zhu Xi's writings are empty talk, are they?” retorted Baochai.
那句句都是有的。
“No, every word there is true.