话说凤姐见贾母和薛姨妈为黛玉伤心，便说：“有个笑话儿说给老太太和姑妈听。”
Xifeng offered to tell a joke to stop the Lady Dowager and Aunt Xue from grieving over Daiyu.
贾母道：“怎么了？”
“'What's happened?” the old lady wanted to know.
凤姐拿手比着道：“一个这么坐着，一个这么站着；一个这么扭过去，一个这么转过来，一个又……”
Xi-feng began mimicking again. “Here sits one, here stands other .
One bends this-a-way, one turns that-a-way ...
One . ”
说到这里，贾母已经大笑起来，说道：“你好生说罢。
The Lady Dowager burst out laughing. "Tell us properly!" she scolded.
倒不是他们两口儿，你倒把人怄的受不得了。”
If we have to watch you any more, it'll be the death of us!”
凤姐才说道：“刚才我到宝兄弟屋里，我听见好几个人笑。
Then Xifeng expatiated, "Just now I went to Cousin Bao's place and heard laughter in his room.
我只道是谁，巴着窗户眼儿一瞧，原来宝妹妹坐在炕沿上，宝兄弟站在地下。
and wondering who it could be, I took a peep through a little hole in the paper casement.There was Cousin Chai sitting on the edge of the kang, with Bao-yu standing in front of her,
宝兄弟又作了一个揖，上去又拉宝妹妹的衣裳。
He bowed to her then and tugged at her jacket.
宝妹妹急的红了脸，说道：‘你越发比先不尊重了。’”
Then blushing scarlet she scolded, ‘You're getting more and more undignified!'”
说到这里，贾母和薛姨妈都笑起来。
The old lady and Aunt Xue laughed.
凤姐又道：“宝兄弟站起来，又笑着说：‘亏了这一栽，好容易才栽出你的话来了。’”
"Baoyu got up then," Xifeng went on. "He said with a grin, ‘It's lucky I toppled over -- that loosened your lips.'”
这有什么？
“What's wrong with having a bit of fun now that they're married?”
既作了两口儿，说说笑笑的怕什么？
“What's wrong with having a bit of fun now that they're married?”
他没见他琏二哥和你。”
If she could but see her cousin Lian and you, my dear, when the two of you get started.”
贾母也笑道：“要这么着才好。
The old lady chortled, "Quite right and proper too.
夫妻固然要和气，也得有个分寸儿。
Of course a husband and wife are fond of each other; still, they ought to keep within bounds.
只是我愁宝玉还是那么傻头傻脑的，这么说起来，比头里竟明白多了。
and it saddens me that Bao-yu should still be such a silly boy - though from some of the things you tell me it seems that he may be improving.
你再说说还有什么笑话儿没有？”
What other jokes can you tell us?”
凤姐道：“明儿宝玉圆了房儿，亲家太太抱了外孙子，那时候儿不更是笑话儿了么？”
“Soon Baoyu will have consummated his marriage, and then Aunt Xue will have a grandson to dandle won't that be a still better joke?”
贾母笑道：“猴儿！
"You monkey!" laughed the old lady.
你不叫我们想你林妹妹？
Would you have us forget her altogether?”
你不用太高兴了，你林妹妹恨你，将来你别独自一个儿到园里去，提防他来拉着你不依！”
You've no call to gloat, because she hated you; so don't go to the Garden all alone or her ghost may pounce on you to have her revenge!”
贾母薛姨妈听着还道是玩话儿，也不理会，便道：“你别胡扯拉了。
Grandmother Jia and Aunt Xue took this to be another of her witticisms, and ignored it: “Don't talk such nonsense.
你去叫外头挑个很好的日子给你宝兄弟圆了房儿罢。”
Now off you go and find someone to choose a lucky day for your cousin Bao's party.”