话说宝玉为自己失言，被宝钗问住，想要掩饰过去，只见秋纹进来说：“外头老爷叫二爷呢。”
Before Bao-yu had time to appease Bao-chai, Ripple came in and announced:‘The Master wishes to see Bao-yu.”
宝玉巴不得一声儿，便走了。
Bao-yu did not wait for any second bidding.
现在你穿着孝，不便到学里去，你在家里，必要将你念过的文章温习温习。
You are still in mourning and it would therefore be improper for you to attend school; but you can and must revise your compositions.
我这几天倒也闲着。
Over the next few days I shall have some leisure,
隔两三日要做几篇文章我瞧瞧，看你这些时进益了没有。”
so I want you to write a few essays to show me a couple of days from now, to see what progress if any you've made recently."
宝玉只得答应着。
When Baoyu had assented
贾政又道：“你环兄弟兰侄儿我也叫他们温习去了。
he went on, "I have told your brother Ruan and your nephew Lan to do some revision too.
倘若你做的文章不好，反倒不及他们，那可就不成事了。”
I sincerely hope that your work will be better than theirs.”
宝玉不敢言语，答应了个“是”，站着不动。
‘Yes, Father.” Bao-yu dared say nothing more, but stood rooted to the spot.
贾政道：“去罢。”
‘Off with you, then.”
宝玉退了出来，正遇见赖大诸人拿着些册子进来，宝玉一溜烟回到自己房中。
On his way out he met Lai Da and other stewards coming in with ledgers.
Re streaked back to his room.
宝钗问了，知道叫他作文章，倒也喜欢。
When Baochai ascertained that he had been told to write essays she was delighted and,
正要坐下静静心，只见两个姑子进来，是地藏庵的。
As he was sitting down to collect his thoughts, two nuns arrived from Ksitigarbha Nunnery
见了宝钗，说道：“请二奶奶安。”
to pay their respects to Bao-chai.
宝钗待理不理的说：“你们好。”
She told a maid to bring them tea, but was otherwise decidedly offhand towards them,
因叫人来：“倒茶给师父们喝。”
^-1
宝玉原要和那姑子说话，见宝钗似乎厌恶这些，也不好兜搭。
Baoyu would have liked to chat with the nuns but refrained in view of her evident aversion to them.
那姑子知道宝钗是个冷人，也不久坐，辞了要去。
And they, aware that they were being cold-shouldered, very soon took their leave.
那姑子道：“我们因在铁槛寺做了功德，好些时没来请太太奶奶们的安。
‘We have so many calls to make,' replied one of them. ‘What with the masses we've been saying at the Temple of the Iron Threshold, we've been kept very busy and haven't called on Their Ladyships and the young ladies in a very long while.
今日来了，见过了奶奶太太们，还要看看四姑娘呢。”
Today, after calling on Their ladyships, we want to see Miss Xichun too."
宝钗点头，由他去了。
Then she nodded and let ffiem go.
那姑子到了惜春那里，看见彩屏，便问：“姑娘在那里呢？”
and the nuns proceeded to Xi-chun's apartment.
They asked Landscape, who received them, where her mistress could be found.
姑娘这几天饭都没吃，只是歪着。”
‘My mistress hasn't eaten for days,' exclaimed Landscape, ‘and now she won't even get up from her bed.”
那姑子道：“为什么？”
‘Why?” What's the matter?”