红楼梦第一章（5）
那甄家丫嬢撷花方欲走时，猛抬头见窗内有人，敝巾旧服，虽是贫穷，然生得腰圆膀厚，面阔口方，更兼剑眉星眼，直彝权腮。 Having now finished picking her flowers, this anonymous member of the Zhen household was about to go in again when, on some sudden impulse, she raised her head and caught sight of a man standing in the window. His hat wasfrayed (磨破)and his clothingthreadbare (穿旧了的); yet, though obviously poor, he had a fine, manly physique (体形) and handsome, well-proportioned features. 小结：on some sudden impulse和on a whim 差不多意思，都能表示心血来潮。形容男人身材体形好的表达：a fine, manly physique and handsome, well-proportioned features. 这丫嬢忙转身回避，心 下巧想：“这人生得这样雄壮，却又这等褴缕，想他定是我家主人常说的什么贾雨村了，每有意帮助周济，只是没甚机会。我家并无这样贫 穷亲友，想来定是此人无疑了。怪道又说他必非久困之人。”如此想来，不免又回头两次。 The maid hastened to remove herself from this male presence; but as she went she thought to herself, ‘What a fine-looking man! But soshabby (破旧的)! The family hasn’t got any friends or relations as poor as that. It must be that Jia Yu-cun the master is always on about. No wonder he says that he won’t stay poor long. I remember hearing him say that he’s often wanted to help him but hasn’t yet found an opportunity.’ And thinking these thoughts she could notforbear（克制）to turn back for anotherpeep （瞥一眼）or two. 雨村见他回了头，便自为这女子心中有意于他，更狂喜不禁，自为此女子必是个巨眼英雄，风尘中之知己也。一时小童进来，雨村打听得前面留饭，不可久待，遂从夹道中自便出 门去了。士隐待客散，既知雨村自便，也不去再邀。 Yu-cun saw her turn back and, at once assuming that she had taken a fancy to him, was beside himself with delight. What a perceptive young woman she must be, he thought, to have seen the genius underneath the rags! A real friend in trouble! After a while the boy came in again and Yu-cunelicited (探得)from him that the visitor in the front room was now staying to dinner. It was obviously out of the question to wait much longer, so he slipped down the passage-way at the side of the house and let himself out by the back gate. Nor did Shi-yin invite him round again when, having at lastseen off (送别)his visitor, he learned that Yu-cun had already left. 一日，早又中秋佳节。士隐家晏已毕，乃另具一席于书房中， 却自己步月至庙中来邀雨村。原来雨村自那日见了甄家之婢曾回头 顾他两次，自为是个知己，便时刻放在心上。今又正值中秋，不免对月有怀，而口占五言一律云： But then the Middle Autumn festival arrived and, after the familyconvivialities (宴乐)were over, Shi-yin had a little dinner for two laid out in his study and went in person to invite Yu-cun, walking to his temple lodgings in the moonlight. Ever since the day the Zhens’ maid had, by looking back twice over her shoulder, convinced him that she was a friend, Yu-cun had had the girl very much on his mind, and now that it was festival time, the full moon of Middle Autumn lent an inspiration to his romantic impulses which finally resulted in the following octet: 未卜三生愿，频添一段愁。 闷来时敛额，行去几回头。 自顾风前影，谁堪月下俦？ 蟾光如有意，先照玉人楼。 ‘Ere on ambition's path my feet are set, Sorrow comes often this poor heart to fret. Yet, as my brow contracted with new care, Was there not one who, parting, turned to stare? Dare I, that grasp at windows in the wind, Hope, underneath the moon, a friend to find? Bright orb, if with my plight you sympathize, Shine first upon the chamber where she lies.’ 雨村吟罢，因又思及平生抱负，苦未逢时，乃又搔首对天长叹，复高吟一联云： Having delivered himself of this masterpiece, Yu-cun’s thoughts began to run on his unrealized ambitions and, after much head-scratching and manyheavenward (朝向天空的)glances accompanied by heavy sighs, he produced the following couplet, reciting it in a loud, ringing voice which caught the ear of Shi-yin, who chanced at that moment to be arriving: 玉在匮中求善价，钗于奁内待时飞。 ‘The jewel in the casketbides (等待)till one shall come to buy. The jade pin in the drawer hides, waiting its time to fly.’ 恰被士隐走来听见，笑道：“雨村兄真抱负不浅也！”雨村忙笑道：“岂 敢！不过是偶吟前人之事，何敢狂诞至此？”因问：“老先生何兴至 此？”士隐笑道：“今夜中秋，俗谓团圆之节，想尊兄旅寄僧房，不无寂 寞之感，故特具小酌，遨兄到敝斋一饮，不知可纳芹意否？”雨村听了， 并不推辞，便笑道：“既蒙谬爱，何敢拂此盛情？”说着，便同了士隐复过这边书院中来。 Shi-yin smiled. ‘You are a man of no mean ambition, Yu-cun.’‘Oh no!’ Yu-cun smiled back deprecatingly. ‘You are too flattering. I was merely reciting at random from the lines of some old poet. But what brings you here, sir?’‘Tonight is Middle Autumn night,’ said Shi-yin. ‘People call it the Festival of Reunion. It occurred to me that you might be feeling rather lonely here in yourmonkery (修道), so I have arranged for the two of us to take a little wine together in my study. I hope you will not refuse to join me.’ Yu-cun made no politepretence (假装)of declining. 须臾荼毕，早已设下杯盘。那美酒佳肴自不必说。二人归坐，先是款斟漫饮，次渐谈至兴浓，不觉飞觥限犟起来。 ‘Your kindness is more than I deserve,’ he said. ‘I accept gratefully.’ And he accompanied Shi-yin back to the study next door. Soon they had finished their tea. Wine and various choice dishes were brought in and placed on the table, already laid out with cups, plates, and so forth, and the two men took their places and began to drink. At first they were rather slow andceremonious (讲究仪式的); but gradually, as the conversation grew moreanimated (热烈的), theirpotations (喝酒)too became more reckless and uninhibited. 当时 街坊上家家箫管，户户歌弦，当头一轮明月，飞彩凝辉，二人愈添豪 兴，酒到杯干。雨村此时已有七八分酒意，狂兴不禁，乃对月寓怀，口号-绝云： The sounds of music and singing which could now be heard from every house in the neighbourhood and the full moon which shone with cold brilliance overhead seemed to increase their elation, so that the cups were emptied almost as soon as they touched their lips, and Yu-cun, who was already a sheet or so in the wind, was seized with an irrepressible excitement to which he presently gave expression in the form of aquatrain （四行诗）,ostensibly (表面上的)on the subject of the moon, but really about the ambition he hadhitherto (至今)been at some pains to conceal: 时逢三五便团圆，满把晴光护玉盘。 天上一轮才捧出，人间万姓仰头看。 ‘In thrice five nights her perfect is made, Whose cold light bathes each marble balustrade. As her bright wheel starts on its starry ways, On earth ten thousand heads look up and gaze.
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