直译加解释

二、直译加解释

◆ 五更鼓出来拜堂，听见说有婆婆就惹了一肚气。出来使性掼气磕了几个头，也没有茶，也没有鞋。拜毕就往房里去了。丫头一会出来要雨水煨茶与太太嗑;一会出来叫那炭烧着了进去与太太添着烧速香;一会出来到厨下叫厨子蒸点心、做汤，拿进房来与太太吃。(吴敬梓《儒林外史》第二十七回)

At the fifth watch，when it was time for the bride to pay her respects to her husband's ancestors，she was furious to learn that she had a mother-in-law．She kowtowed sullenly a few times，without offering tea or shoes，then went straight back to her room．Her maids kept coming out to demand rain water for their mistress's tea and charcoal for her incense，or to ask the cook to make dumplings or soup for her．

＊without offering tea or shoes：It was the custom for a bride to present tea-leaves and shoes which she had made herself to her father-and mother-in-law as her first gift to them．(杨宪益、戴乃迭译)

◆ 到第三日，鲍家请了许多的戏子的老婆来做朝。南京的风俗;但凡新媳妇进门，三天就要到厨下，去收拾一样菜发个利市。这菜一定是鱼，取富贵有“余”的意思。当下，鲍家买了一尾鱼，烧起锅，请相公娘上锅。王太太不睬，坐着不动。钱麻子的老婆走进房来道：“这使不得。你而今到他家做媳妇，这些规矩是要还他的。”(吴敬梓《儒林外史》第二十七回)

The third day after the wedding the Pao family invited a number of actors' wives in．The custom in Nanking is for all brides to invite good luck by going to the kitchen on the third day and cooking a fish，which stands for fortune．Now the fish had been bought and the fire was ready，but when they asked the young wife to start cooking she refused to budge．

“This won't do!”cried Pock-marked Chien's wife，bustling in．“Now that you're the daughter-in-law here，you must do what's expected of you．”(杨宪益、戴乃迭译)

◆ 一连闹了几天，那日恰是回九之期，若不过去，薛姨妈脸上过不去，若说去呢，宝玉这般光景。贾母明知是为黛玉而起，欲要告诉明白，又恐气急生变。宝钗是新媳妇，又难劝慰，必得薛姨妈过来才好。若不回九，薛姨妈嗔怪。(曹雪芹《红楼梦》第九十八回)

And this state of affairs continued for several days．

The ninth day after the wedding had now come—the day on which newly-weds should visit the bride's family．If they stayed away，Aunt Xue might well feel slighted;but how could they go with Baoyu so distraught on account of Daiyu?On the other hand，they feared that if told of her death he might die himself of chagrin．His bride could hardly reason with him either—for that，her mother was needed there．Yet if they neglected to pay this courtesy call，Aunt Xue would take offence．(杨宪益、戴乃迭译)

【注】“回九”：旧俗，婚后若干日内，新郎新娘回女家拜见长辈和亲友，叫“回门”;九天后回娘家者，叫“回九”。(张俊等，1987：1548)

◆ 有的说：“想必成了家了。”有的说：“亲还没有定。他倒拿定一个主意，说是人生配偶关系一生一世的事，不是混闹的，不论尊卑贵贱，总要配的上他的才能。所以到如今还并没娶亲。”(曹雪芹《红楼梦》第九十三回)

“I suppose he must have married，”one guest remarked．

“No，he's not engaged yet．He's got this idea fixed that marriage is for keeps，affecting one's whole life，not something to enter into casually;so his wife，regardless of her social status，must measure up to his talent．That's why he's still unmarried．”(杨宪益、戴乃迭译)