话说宝玉一听麝月的话，身往后仰，复又死去，急得王夫人等哭叫不止。
Musk's untimely reference to a sensitive episode from the past sent Bao-yu into a sudden swoon and he slumped back onto his bed once more.
Lady Wang and the assembled family broke into a fresh bout of wailing and weeping,
麝月自知失言致祸，此时王夫人等也不及说他。
Lady Wang and the others cried out in consternation, and although they did not reproach her Sheyue knew that her ill-considered comment was to blame.
那麝月一面哭着，一面打算主意，心想：“若宝玉一死，我便自尽，跟了他去。”
began to weep and at the same time made a desperate resolution:‘If Bao-yu dies, I shall take my own life and die with him!”
且说王夫人等见叫不回来，赶着叫人出来找和尚救治。
When the others failed to revive him, his mother sent to ask the monk to save him;
岂知贾政进内出去时，那和尚已不见了。
but when Jia Zheng looked for him, the monk had disappeared.
贾政正在诧异，听见里头又闹，急忙进来，见宝玉又是先前的样子，牙关紧闭，脉息全无。
This fresh outcry from the inner apartment now reached Jia Zheng's ears and he hurried back, to find Bao-yu unconscious again, teeth clenched and with no trace of a pulse.
用手在心窝中一摸，尚是温热。
though when they felt his heart it was still warm.
那知那宝玉的魂魄早已出了窍了。
By then Baoyu's spirit had taken flight.
你道死了不成？
Do you think he was really dead?”
却原来恍恍惚惚赶到前厅，见那送玉的和尚坐着，便施了礼。
As if in a dream he sped to the front hall where he paid his respects to the monk who was seated there.
那和尚忙站起身来，拉着宝玉就走。
The monk at once rose to his feet and led him away.
宝玉跟了和尚，觉得身轻如叶，飘飘摇摇，也没出大门，也不知从那里走出来了。
Bao-yu (spirit) followed, light as a leaf drifting in the breeze.
They made their way out not by the main entrance but by a route he failed to recognize,
行了一程，到了个荒野地方，远远的望见一座牌楼，好象曾到过的。
After a while they came to a desolate region with a distant archway which struck Baoyu as familiar;
正要问那和尚，只见恍恍惚惚又来了一个女人。
He was on the point of asking the monk what it was, when a misty female form came gliding towards him.
宝玉心里想道：“这样旷野地方，那得有如此的丽人？
"How could there be such a beauty in a wilderness like this?"he wondered.
宝玉想着，走近前来，细细一看，竟有些认得的，只是一时想不起来。
Going closer and gazing at her more intently, he thought he knew her yet could not identify her.
只见那女人合和尚打了一个照面，就不见了。
The woman greeted the monk, then disappeared,
宝玉一想，竟是尤三姐的样子，越发纳闷：“怎么他也在这里？”
In that same instant Bao-yu knew who it was that she resembled: You San-jie.
More puzzled than ever (for what could she be doing here?),
又要问时，那和尚早拉着宝玉过了牌楼。
he wanted to question the monk.
But before he could do so, the monk was leading him by the hand on through the archway.
只见牌上写着“真如福地”四个大字，两边一副对联，乃是：§假去真来真胜假，无原有是有非无。
On the lintel of the arch were inscribed in large characters the words:THE PARADISE OF TRUTHA couplet in smaller characters ran down on either side:When Fiction departs and Truth appears,Truth prevails;Though Not-real was once Real, the Real is never unreal.
转过牌坊，便是一座宫门。
Having negotiated the archway, they presently came to the gate of a palace,
门上也横书着四个大字道：“福善祸淫”。
on its lintel the inscription "Fortune for the Good, Calamity for the Licentious."
又有一副对联，大书云：§过去未来，莫谓智贤能打破；§前因后果，须知亲近不相逢。
whilst the following words were inscribed vertically on the two sides:Human Wit can ne'er unveil the Mysteries of Time, Nor closest Kin defy the Stern Decrees of Fate.
宝玉看了，心下想道：“原来如此，我倒要问问因果来去的事了。”
So thought Bao-yu to himself. ‘It is time I began to learn more about the operation of fate.”