正问着，早见几个人进来，却是探春、湘云、李纹、李绮。
Her visitors were already on their way into the room -- Tan-chun, Shi Xiang-yun and the two Li sisters.
彼此问了好，雪雁倒上茶来，大家喝了，说些闲话。
The girls exchanged greetings, and Snowgoose served them with tea.
因想起前年的“菊花诗”来，黛玉便道：“宝姐姐自从挪出去，来了两遭，如今索性有事也不来了，真真奇怪。
During the conversation that followed, Dai-yu found her thoughts turning back to the gathering, two years earlier, at which they had written the chrysanthemum poems: “Don't you think it's strange?” she remarked to the others. “Since Cousin Chai moved out of the Garden, she's only been to see us a couple of times all together.
And now it seems as though nothing will induce her to come.
我看他终久还来我们这里不来！”
I wonder whether she'll ever come back or not!”
如今是他们尊嫂有些脾气，姨妈上了年纪的人，又兼有薛大哥的事，自然得宝姐姐照料一切。
It's just that at the moment things are a bit difficult: Cousin Pan's wife is rather a tricky sort of person, Aunt Xue is getting on in years, and with this latest trouble of Pan's on top of everything else, Chai really is needed to look after things at home.
那里还比得先前有工夫呢？”
She hasn't the time to spare that she used to have.”
正说着，忽听得唿喇喇一片风声，吹了好些落叶打在窗纸上。
As she spoke, they heard a sudden gust of wind outside, and a patter of falling leaves against the paper-covered window.
停了一回儿，又透过一阵清香来。
A faint scent drifted into the room.
众人闻着，都说道：“这是何处来的香风？
They all tried to guess what flower it could be coming from.
探春笑道：“林姐姐终不脱南边人的话。
Tan-chun laughed.“Still a southerner at heart!
这大九月里的，那里还有桂花呢？”
“How could fragrant osmanthus bloom in the ninth month?”
黛玉笑道：“原是啊，不然，怎么不竟说‘是’桂花香，只说似乎‘象’呢。”
Dai-yu smiled. “You're right.
But then I didn't say it was, only very like. ”
你可记得‘十里荷花，三秋桂子’？
“Don't you remember the lines: Ten li of lotus blooms.
And in late autumn fragrant osmanthus seeds.
在南边正是晚桂开的时候了，你只没有见过罢了。
In the South, the late-flowering cassia is at its best now.
It's just that you've never seen it.
等你明日到南边去的时候，你自然也就知道了。”
If you ever have a chance to go to the South, you'll be able to see it for yourself.”
探春笑道：“我有什么事到南边去？
“And what should I be doing in the South?” retorted Tan-chun with a crushing smile.
李纹、李绮只抿着嘴儿笑。
The Li sisters grinned at each other.
俗语说：‘人是地行仙。’
“We are "fairy earthlings, fleet of foot", that's what the old proverb says.
譬如我原是南边人，怎么到了这里呢？”
Take me, for example.
I was born a southerner, but here I am living in the North.”
湘云拍着手笑道：“今儿三姐姐可叫林姐姐问住了。
Xiang-yun clapped her hands. “Well said!
Dai's got you there, Tan!
不但林姐姐是南边人到这里，就是我们这几个人就不同：也有本来是北边的；也有根子是南边，生长在北边；也有生长在南边，到这北边的。
“Not only is Daiyu here from the south, the rest of us come from different places too.Some are northerners, others were born in the south and brought up in the north, still others were brought up in the south and then came north.
今儿大家都凑在一处，可见人总有一个定数。
And yet here we all are together.
It's our fate, you see.
大凡地和人，总是各自有缘分的。”
Each individual is destined for different places.”
众人听了都点头，探春也只是笑。
The others nodded approval while Tanchun merely smiled.