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.”