The years passed, and Genji had not forgotten the dew upon the evening faces he had seen so briefly. —
年岁过去，源氏始终没有忘记他曾短暂见过的夜晚脸上的露珠。 —

As he came to know a variety of ladies, he only regretted the more strongly that the lady of the evening faces had not lived.
当他认识了各种各样的女子，他越发强烈地遗憾那位夜晚脸上的女子没有活下来。

Ukon, her woman, was not of very distinguished lineage, but Genji was fond of her, and thought of her as a memento of her dead lady. —
千官并非出身显赫，但源氏喜欢她，并把她视为她已故女主人的纪念品。 —

She was now one of the older women in his household. —
现在她是他府中的年长女眷之一。 —

He had transferred everyone to Murasaki’s wing of the Nijō house when he left for Suma, and there she had stayed. —
在源氏前往住处附近的洲间时，他把所有人都迁至紫的住所，千官也留在那里。 —

Murasaki valued her as a quiet, good-natured servant. —
紫喜欢她，觉得她是一个安静、好脾气的侍女。 —

Ukon could only think with regret that if her own lady had lived she would now be honored with treatment similar at least to that accorded the Akashi lady. —
千官不能不感到惋惜，如果她的女主人还活着，她现在的待遇至少也应该类似于明石女士。 —

Genji was a generous man and he did not abandon women to whom he had been even slightly drawn; —
源氏是一个慷慨的人，他不会抛弃自己稍微动心的女子们； —

and the lady of the evening faces, if not perhaps one of the really important ones, would surely have been in the company that recently moved to Rokujō.
夜晚脸上的女子，也许不是最重要的一位，但肯定会被编入最近搬到六条府中的人员之中。

Ukon had not made her whereabouts known to the little girl, the lady’s daughter, left with her nurse in the western part of the city. —
千官没有告诉那个小女孩，即她的护士留在城市西部。 —

Genji had told her that she must keep the affair to herself and that nothing was to be gained by letting his part in it be known at so late a date. —
源氏告诉她，这件事必须保密，让别人知道他在其中的角色已经太晚了。 —

She had made no attempt to find the nurse. —
她也没找那位护士。 —

Presently the nurse’s husband had been appointed deputy viceroy of Kyushu and the family had gone off with him to his post. —
不久后，护士的丈夫被任命为九州副都知。他们全家随他去了任所。 —

The girl was four at the time. They had prayed for information of any sort about the mother. —
当时那个女孩四岁，他们祈祷能得到关于母亲的任何消息。 —

Day and night, always in tears, they had looked for her where they thought she might possibly be. —
日夜哭泣，他们始终在寻找她们认为她可能会在的地方。 —

The nurse finally decided that she would keep the child to remember the mother by. —
护士最终决定留下这个孩子，以记忆母亲。 —

Yet it was sad to think of taking her on a hard voyage to a remote part of the land. —
但是想到带她去偏远的地方旅行，让人感到伤感。 —

They debated seeking out her father, Tō no Chūjō, and telling him of her whereabouts When no good entree presented itself, they gathered in family council: —
当没有好的借口时，他们讨论是否要找到她的父亲藤的中将，并告诉他她的下落。当家人集会讨论时： —

it would be difficult to tell him, since they did not know what had happened to the mother; —
告诉他将会很困难，因为他们并不知道母亲发生了什么事； —

life would be hard for the girl, introduced so young to a father who was a complete stranger; —
对于这么小的女孩，被引见给一个完全陌生的父亲，生活将会很艰难； —

and if he knew that she was his daughter he was unlikely to let her go. —
如果他知道她是他的女儿，他不太可能会放她走。 —

She was a pretty child, already showing signs of distinction, and it was very sad indeed to take her off in a shabby boat.
她是一个漂亮的孩子，已经显示出卓越的迹象，让人非常遗憾的是要乘坐一只破船带她走。

“Are we going to Mother’s?” she asked from time to time.
“我们要去找妈妈吗？”她不时问道。

The nurse and her daughters wept tears of nostalgia and regret. —
护士和她的女儿们因怀旧和后悔而痛哭起来。 —

But they must control themselves. Tears did not bode well for the journey.
但她们必须控制自己。哭泣并不预示着旅程会顺利。

The scenery along the way brought memories. —
路上的景色唤起了回忆。 —

“She was so young and so alive to things — how she would have loved it all if she could have come with us. —
“她是如此年轻，对事物如此充满活力 — 如果她能和我们一起来，她会喜欢这一切的。” —

But of course if she were alive we would still be in the city ourselves.”
但是当然，如果她还活着，我们依然会留在城里。

They were envious of the waves, returning whence they had come.
他们羡慕着波浪，回到它们来时的地方。

“Sadly, sadly we have journeyed this distance,” came the rough voices of the sailors.
“悲伤地，我们已经这样远远地旅行了，”水手们粗声地说道。

The nurse’s daughters looked at each other and wept.
护士的女儿们相互看着并哭泣。

“To whom might it be that the thoughts of these sailors turn,
“这些水手的思念转向了谁呢，

Sadly singing off the Oshima strand?”
在大洲岛岸边悲伤地歌唱着？”

“Here on the sea, we know not whence or whither,
“在海上，我们不知道从何而来、往何处去，

Or where to look in search of our lost lady.
或去哪里寻找我们失去的女士。”

“I had not expected to leave her for these wilds.”
“我本不曾预料到要把她留在这荒野。”

“We will not forget” was the refrain when the ship had passed Cape Kane; —
当船经过凯恩角时，“我们不会忘记”就是大家的呼声； —

and when they had made land, tears welled up again, in the awareness of how very far they had come.
当他们登陆时，泪水再次涌现，意识到他们已经走了很远。

They looked upon the child as their lady. —
他们把孩子视为她们的女士。 —

Sometimes, rarely, one of them would dream of the dead mother. —
偶尔，她们中的一位会梦见已故的母亲。 —

She would have with her a woman who might have been her twin, and afterwards the dreamer would fall ill. —
梦中有一个与她如影相随的女人，梦醒后，做梦者会生病。 —

They had to conclude that she was no longer living.
她们只能得出结论，她不再活着。

Years passed, and the deputy viceroy’s term of service was over. —
岁月流逝，代理总督的任期结束了。 —

He thought of returning to the city, but hesitated, for he was a man of no great influence even off in that remote land. —
他考虑返回城市，但犹豫不定，因为即使在遥远的地方，他也是个无关紧要的人物。 —

He was still hesitating when he fell seriously ill. —
就在他还在犹豫时，他病倒了。 —

On the point of death, he looked up at the girl, now ten, and so beautiful that he feared for her.
在临终之际，他抬头看着那个现在十岁的女孩，她如此美丽，他为她担心。

“What difficult times you will face if I leave you! —
“如果我离开你，你将遇到多么艰难的时光啊！ —

I have thought it a shameful waste that you should grow up so far from everything, and I have wanted to get you back to the city as soon as I possibly can. —
我一直认为让你在如此偏僻的地方长大是一种可耻的浪费，我一直想尽快把你带回城里。 —

I have wanted to present you to the right people and leave you to whatever destinies may be yours, and I have been making my preparations. —
我一直想把你介绍给合适的人，并让你迎接你可能拥有的任何命运，我一直在做准备。 —

The capital is a large place and you would be safe there. —
首都是一个大城市，你在那里会很安全。 —

And now it seems that I must end my days here.”
现在看起来我必须在这里结束我的生命。”

He had three sons. “You must give first priority to taking her back. —
他有三个儿子。“你必须优先考虑带她回去。 —

You need not worry about my funeral.
你不必担心我的葬礼。

No one outside of his immediate family knew who the girl was. —
他的家族之外没有人知道那个女孩是谁。 —

He had let it be known that she was a grandchild whom, for certain reasons, it had fallen his lot to rear, and he had let no one see her. —
他曾传达她是一个因为某些原因不得不由他抚养的孙女，没有让任何人见过她。 —

He had done what he could, and now, suddenly, he was dying. —
他已经尽力了，现在突然间他 st之世。 —

The family went ahead with preparations for the return, There were many in the region who had not been on good terms with the deputy viceroy, and life was full of perils. —
家人着手准备带她回去，那里有许多人与代理副总督关系不好，生命充满了危险。 —

The girl was even prettier than her mother, perhaps because her father’s blood also flowed in her veins. —
这个女孩甚至比她的母亲更美丽，也许因为她的父亲的血液也在她的血脉中流动。 —

Delicate and graceful, she had a quiet, serene disposition. —
她文静、优雅，性情安详。 —

One would have had to look far to find her equal.
要找到她的对等，真的要找很远。

The young gallants of the region heard about her and letters came pouring in. —
这个地区的年轻俊男们听说了她，书信纷至沓来。 —

They produced only grim and irritable silence.
他们只能得到令人沮丧和易怒的沉默。

“You wouldn’t call her repulsive, exactly,” the nurse said to people, “but she has a most unfortunate defect that makes it impossible for her to marry. —
“你不能说她是丑陋的，” 护士对人们说，“但她有一个非常不幸的缺陷，让她无法结婚。 —

She is to become a nun and stay with me as along as I live.”
她将成为一名修女，和我一起生活直到我去世。”

“A sad case,” they all said, in hushed tones as of something dark and ominous. —
“一个悲伤的案例，” 他们都用低沉的语气说，仿佛暗示着一种黑暗和不祥。 —

“Did you hear? The old deputy’s granddaughter is a freak.”
“你听说了吗？老副官的孙女是个怪物。”

His sons were determined to take the girl back to her father. —
他的儿子们决定带着这个女孩回到她父亲那里。 —

He had seemed so fond of her when she was little. —
她小的时候他似乎对她很喜欢。 —

It was most unlikely that he would disown her now. —
现在他不大可能否认她。 —

They prayed to all the various native and foreign gods.
他们祈求各种各样的本地和外国神灵。

But presently they and their sisters married into provincial families, and the return to the city, once so devoutly longed for, receded into the distance. —
但随后他们和他们的姐妹们嫁给了当地家庭，之前如此殷切向往的回到城市的愿望渐行渐远。 —

Life was difficult for the girl as she came to understand her situation a little better. —
当女孩稍微更好地理解了自己的处境时，生活对她来说变得艰难。 —

She made her retreats three times a year. —
她每年做三次闭关。 —

Now she was twenty, and she had attained to a perfection wasted in these harsh regions.
现在她二十岁了，她已经在这些艰难地区的完美中实现了。

The family lived in the province of Hizen. The local gentry continued to hear rumors and to pay court. —
家族住在肥前国。当地的绅士继续听到谣言并求爱。 —

The nurse only wished they would go away.
这位护士只希望他们走开。

There was an official of the Fifth Rank who had been on the viceroy’s staff and who was a member of a large clan scattered over the province of Higo. He was something of a local eminence, a warrior of very considerable power and influence. —
一个五品官员曾在总督的幕僚团工作过，他是肥后省一个大家族的成员，散布在全省各地。他是当地的一位杰出人物，一个非常有影响力和权力的武士。 —

Though of an untamed nature, he did have a taste for the finer things, and among his avocations was the collecting of elegant ladies.
虽然他的性格难以驯服，但他确实喜欢精致的事物，收藏优雅女性也是他的爱好之一。

He heard of the girl. “I don’t care if she is the worst sort of freak. —
他听说了这个女孩。“我不在乎她是不是最糟糕的怪胎。 —

I’ll just shut my eyes.” His suit was earnest and a little threatening too.
“我只是会闭上眼睛。” 他的追求很认真，也稍微带有威胁。

“It is quite impossible,” the nurse sent back. “Tell him that she is to become a nun.”
“这是完全不可能的，”护士回答。“告诉他她要出家。”

The man came storming into Hizen and summoned the nurse’s sons for conference. —
这个男人闯入肥前，召集护士的两个儿子开会。 —

If they did what he wanted, they would be his allies. —
如果他们按照他的要求做，他们将成为他的盟友。 —

He could do a great deal for them. The two young sons were inclined to accede.
他能为他们做很多事情。这两个年轻的儿子倾向于同意。

“It is true that we did not want her to marry beneath her. —
“我们确实不希望她嫁给低下的人。 —

But he will be a strong ally, and if we make an enemy of him we will have to pack up and leave. —
但他将是一个强大的盟友，如果惹恼他，我们将不得不收拾行李离开。 —

Yes, she is very wellborn. That we do not deny — but what good does it do when her father doesn’t recognize her and no one even knows she exists? —
是的，她出身很好。这点我们不否认 — 但当她的父亲不承认她，甚至没有人知道她的存在时，这有什么好处呢？ —

She is lucky he wants her. She is probably here because she was meant all along to marry someone like him. —
她很幸运他想要她。她可能一直是来这里是为了嫁给像他这样的人。 —

There’s no point in trying to hide. He is a determined and ruthless man, and he will do anything if he is crossed.”
没有必要试图隐藏。他是一个坚定而残忍的人，如果被违抗，他会做任何事情。”

But the oldest brother, who was vice-governor of Bungo, disagreed. “It is out of the question. —
但是作为豊后副将的大哥不同意。“这是不可能的。” —

Have you forgotten Father’s instructions? —
你忘记了父亲的指示吗？ —

I must get her back to the capital.”
我必须把她带回首都。

Tearfully, the daughters supported him. The girl’s mother had wandered off and they had quite lost track of her, but they would think themselves sufficiently repaid for their worries if they could make a decent life for the girl. —
泪流满面，女儿们支持着他。女孩的母亲已经走丢了，她们已经完全不知道她在哪里，但如果能为女孩创造一个体面的生活，她们就会觉得自己应该足够快乐。 —

They most certainly did not want to see her marry the Higo man.
他们绝对不想看到她嫁给肥后那个男人。

Confident of his name and standing and unaware of this disagreement, the man showered her with letters, all of them on good Chinese paper, richly colored and heavily perfumed. —
自信心十足，他洒给她大量的信件，凡是用好的中国纸张写的，颜色浓烈、浓香四溢。 —

He wrote a not at all contemptible hand, but his notion of the courtly was very provincial. —
他的书法并不差，但他对于宫廷风范的理解非常局限。 —

Having made an ally of the second son, he came calling. —
他已经争取到了二公子的支持，开始拜访。 —

He was about thirty, tall and powerfully built, not unpleasant to look at. —
他大约三十岁，高大而强壮，看起来并不难看。 —

Perhaps it was only in the imagination that his vigorous manner was a little intimidating. —
或许只是想象中他强势的态度有些令人畏惧。 —

He glowed with health and had a deep, rough voice and a heavy regional accent that made his speech seem as alien as bird language. —
他充满活力，有着深沉粗犷的声音和浓重的地方口音，使他的话语看起来和鸟语一样陌生。 —

Lovers are called “night crawlers,” one hears, but he was different. —
恋人们俗称为“夜鬼”，一般都是晚上出没，但他却不同。 —

He came of a spring evening, victim, it would seem, of the urgings which the poet felt more strongly on autumn evenings.
春天的一个傍晚，似乎受了诗人在秋天傍晚感受到的强烈冲动的影响，他前来。

Not wishing to offend him, the “grandmother” came out.
为了不得罪他，这位“奶奶”走了出来。

“The late deputy was a great man and he understood things. —
“已故的副手是一位了不起的人，他懂事情。 —

I wanted to be friends with him and i’m sorry he died. Now I want to make up for it. —
我想和他做朋友，很遗憾他去世了。现在我想弥补这一点。 —

I got my courage up and came to see the little lady. —
我振作起勇气，来见小姐。 —

She’s too good for me, but that’s all right. I’ll look up to her and be her servant. —
她对我来说太好了，但没关系。我会仰视她，做她的仆人。 —

I hear Your Grace doesn’t want me to have her. Maybe because of all my other women? —
听说阁下不希望我娶她。也许是因为我的其他女人？ —

Don’t worry. She won’t be one of them. —
别担心。她不会是其中之一。 —

She’ll be the queen.” It was a very forceful statement.
她会成为皇后。”这是一个非常有力的声明。

“Thank you very much. It is gratifying to hear of your interest. But she has been unlucky. —
“非常感谢。听到你的兴趣使我感到满足。但她一直很不走运。 —

To our great regret we must keep her out of sight and do not find it possible to let her marry. —
遗憾的是我们必须让她待在一边，不允许她结婚。 —

It is all very sad.”
这一切都很悲哀。”

“Oh, come on. I don’t care if she’s blind and has a club foot. I swear it by all the gods.”
“哦，得了吧。我不在乎她是否瞎子或者脚有残疾。我发誓以所有的神灵为证。”

He asked that a day be named when he might come for her. —
他请求指定一个他可以去接她的日子。 —

The nurse offered the argument often heard in the region that the end of the season was a bad time to marry.
保姆提出这个地区经常听到的论点，说季节末不适合结婚。

He seemed to think that a farewell poem was called for. He deliberated for rather a long time.
他似乎认为需要写一首告别诗。他思索了相当长的时间。

“I vow to the Mirror God of Matsura:
“我向松浦的镜子神起誓：

If I break it he can do what he wants with me.
如果我违背誓言，他可以随心所欲处置我。

“Pretty good” He smiled.
“挺不错的。”他笑了笑。

Poetry was not perhaps what he had had most experience with.
诗歌可能并不是他最有经验的领域。

The nurse was by this time too nervous to answer, and her daughters protested that they were in an even worse state. —
这时护士变得太紧张而无法回答，她的女儿们表示自己状态更糟糕。 —

Time ran on. Finally she sent back the first verse that came into her head.
时间过去了。最终她脑海中浮现出了第一首诗的第一节。

“It will be for us to reproach the Mirror God
“如果我们多年的祈祷未获回应，那将是为了责备镜神。

If our prayers of so many years remain unanswered.”
她的声音颤抖着。

Her voice trembled.
“怎么样？这样怎么样？”

“What’s that? How’s that?”
他似乎要正面攻击他们。护士变得惊白。

He seemed about to attack them frontally. The nurse blanched.
尽管她激动，其中一位女儿勉强笑了。“我们的侄女不正常。

Despite her agitation, one of the daughters managed a brave laugh. “Our niece is not normal. —
我相信她本意是要这样说的，如果她在您的善意提议方面遭受厄运，我们会非常不快。 —

That is I’m sure what she meant to say, and we would be very unhappy if she had bad luck in the matter of your kind proposal. —
那是我肯定她本意想说的，如果她在您的友好提案方面倒霉的话，我们会很不开心。 —

Poor Mother. She is very old, and she is always saying unfortunate things about her gods.”
可怜的母亲，她已经很老了，她总是说关于她的诸神的不幸事。

“I see, I see.” He nodded. “A very good poem. —
“我明白，我明白。”他点了点头。“一首很好的诗。 —

You may look down on us country people, but what’s so great about city people? —
你们可能看不起我们乡下人，但城里人有什么了不起的？ —

Anyone can come up with a poem. Don’t think I can’t do as well as the next one.”
任何人都可以创作一首诗。别以为我不及其他人。

He seemed to think demonstration called for, but it refused to take shape. He left.
他似乎觉得需要举例说明，但却没有付诸实践。他离开了。

With her second son gone over to the enemy, the old woman was terrified. —
妇人的第二个儿子投靠了敌人，使她感到恐惧。 —

She urged her oldest son to action.
她敦促她的大儿子采取行动。

“But what can I do? There is no one I can go to for help. —
“但我该怎么办呢？我没有可以求助的人。 —

I don’t have all that many brothers, and they have turned against me. —
我哥哥并不多，他们都背叛了我。 —

Life will be impossible if we make an enemy of the man, and if I try something bold I will only make things worse.”
如果我们与这个男人为敌，生活将变得不可能，如果我尝试一些大胆的事情，只会让情况变得更糟。”

But he agreed that death would be better for the girl than marriage to such a man. —
但他认为死亡对于女孩来说比婚姻更好。 —

He gathered his courage and they set sail. His sisters left their husbands. —
他鼓起勇气，他们启航。他的姐姐们离开了他们的丈夫。 —

The one who had as a child been called Ateki was now called Hyōbu She slipped off in the night and boarded ship with her lady.
以前被称为安野王的女孩现在被称为兵部女，她在夜晚溜走并和她的主人一起登船了。

The man had gone home to Higo, to return on the day appointed, late in the Fourth Month. The older of the nurse’s daughters had a large family of her own and was unable to join them. —
这个男人已经回到肥后家，会在第四个月末的时候返回。护士的较大的女儿有一个庞大的家庭，无法和他们一起离开。 —

The farewells were tearful, for it seemed unlikely that the family would ever be united again. —
离别时是泪流满面，因为这个家庭似乎再也无法团聚了。 —

They had no very great love for Hizen, in which they had lived for so long, but the departing party did look back in sorrow at the shrine of Matsura. —
他们对肥前并没有太大的爱，尽管他们在那里生活了很长时间，但离开的一行人确实感到对松浦神社的悲伤。 —

They were leaving dear ones in its charge.
他们把亲人寄托在那里。

“Shores of trial, now gloomy Ukishima.
“试炼之岸，现在暗淡的浮岛。

On we sail. Where next will be our lodging?”
我们继续航行。下一个我们的住所会在哪里？”

“We sail vast seas and know not where we go,
“我们航行在广阔的海洋中，却不知道我们要去哪里。”

Floating ones, abandoned to the winds.”
漂浮的人，被风遗弃。

The girl sat weeping, the picture of the sad uncertainty which her poem suggested.
那女孩坐在那儿哭泣，她的样子正如她诗里表现的那种沉重不确定。

If news that they had left reached the Higo man, he was certain to come in pursuit. —
如果他们已经离开的消息传到了肥后人那里，他肯定会追来。 —

They had provided themselves with a fast boat and the winds did good service, and their speed was almost frightening. —
他们准备了一艘快艇，风也帮了个大忙，他们的速度几乎令人惊恐。 —

They passed Echo Bay in Harima.
他们经过了播磨的回声湾。

“See the little boat back there, almost flying at us. A pirate, maybe?”
“你看后面那只小船，几乎飞过来了。也许是海盗？”

The brother thought he would Prefer the cruelest pirate to the Higo man. —
兄弟觉得他宁愿遇到最残忍的海盗，也不愿再遇到那个肥后人。 —

There was nothing to be done, of course, but sail on.
当然，除了继续航行外别无他法。

“The echoes of Echo Bay are slight and empty
“回声湾的回声微弱又空洞，”

Beside the tumult I hear within myself.”
“远不及我内心所听到的喧嚣。”

Then they were told that the mouth of the river Yodo lay just ahead. —
然后他们被告知，淀川的河口就在前面。 —

It was as if they had returned from the land of the dead.
就像他们从死亡之地回来一样。

“Past Karadomari we row, past Kawajiri.” It was a rough song, but pleasing. —
“我们划过辛苦丸进 past河津口。” 这是一首粗糙但令人愉快的歌。 —

The vice-governor hummed with special feeling the passage about dear wives and children left behind. Yes, it had been a step, leaving them all behind. —
副总督带着特别的感触哼唱着关于亲爱的妻子和孩子们留在身后的那段。是的，离开他们都是一步。 —

What disasters would now be overtaking them? —
真让人担心他们现在会遭遇到什么灾难？ —

He had brought with him everyone in the province who might have been thought an ally, and what sort of revenge would the Higo person be taking? —
他带来了省内所有可能被视为盟友的人，那位肥后人会采取何种报复呢？ —

It had been reckless, after all these years. —
毕竟这么多年了，这是一种鲁莽行为。 —

In the calm following the crisis he began to think once more of his own affairs, and everything now seemed rash and precipitate. —
在危机过后的宁静中，他开始再次考虑自己的事务，现在一切都显得草率和仓促。 —

He collapsed in weak tears. “We have left our wives and children in alien lands,” he intoned softly.
他虚弱地崩溃在泪水中。“我们把妻子和孩子留在了异乡”，他轻声吟唱道。

His sister Hyōbu heard. She now feared that she had behaved very strangely, turning against her husband of so many years and flying off in the night. —
他的妹妹琏乌听到了。她现在担心自己表现得非常奇怪，背叛了多年的丈夫，夜间飞走。 —

What would he be thinking?
他会怎么想呢？

They had no house and no friends in the city. —
他们在城市里没有房子，也没有朋友。 —

Because of the girl, they had left behind a province which over the years had become home and put themselves at the mercy of wind and waves. —
因为那个女孩，他们离开了多年来变成家园的省份，置身于风浪之中。 —

They could not think what to do next, nor had they any clear notion of what was to be done for the girl. —
他们不知道下一步该怎么办，也不清楚为女孩该做些什么。 —

But there was no point in hesitating. They hurried on to the city.
但是犹豫毫无意义。他们赶往城市。

The vice-governor searched out an old acquaintance who was still living at Kujō. It was to be sure within the city limits, but not a place where gentlemen lived; —
副使找到一个仍然住在九条的老相识。这确实是在城市范围内，但不是绅士们居住的地方； —

a gloomy place, rather, of tradesmen and peddlers. —
一个昏暗的地方，更像是商贩和小贩聚集的地方。 —

Autumn came, amid thoughts of what had been and what was to be. —
秋天来临，思绪回首往事，展望未来。 —

The vice-governor was like a seabird cast ashore. —
副使像一只被冲上岸的海鸟。 —

He was without employment in a strange new world and unable to return to the old. —
在这个陌生的新世界中，他没有工作，也无法回到过去。 —

The whole party was now having regrets. Some left to take positions sought out through this and that acquaintance, others to return to Kyushu.
整个派对现在都后悔不已。有些人离开去通过这样那样的熟人找到心仪的职位，还有一些人回到了九州。

The old nurse wept at this inability to find a new foothold.
老保姆因为找不到新着落而流泪。

Her son, the vice-governor, did what he could to comfort her. —
她的儿子，副总督，尽其所能来安慰她。 —

“I am not in the least worried I have been prepared to risk everything for our lady and what does it matter that I am not doing so very well at the moment? —
“我一点也不担心，我一直准备为我们的女主人冒一切风险，我现在的状况又有何关系呢？ —

What comfort would wealth and security have been if they had meant marrying her to that man? —
如果这意味着把她嫁给那个男人，那么财富和安全又有什么安慰呢？ —

Our prayers will be answered and she will be put back in her rightful place someday, you may be sure of it. —
我们的祈祷会得到答复，她总有一天会回到她应得的位置，你可以肯定。 —

Hachiman, now, just over there. Our lady prayed to Hachiman at Matsura and Hakozaki just before we left. —
八幡，就在那边。我们的女主人在我们离开之前在松浦和筧崎为八幡祈祷。 —

Now that you are safely back, my lady, you must go and thank him. —
现在你已经安全回来了，我的女士，你必须去感谢他。 —

” And he sent the girl off to the Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine.
他送女孩到石清水八幡宫。

He had learned that an eminent cleric whom his father had known was among the Buddhist priests in service at the shrine. —
他得知他父亲曾认识的一位著名教士在那个寺庙的佛教僧侣中。 —

The man undertook to be her guide.
这个人答应成为她的向导。

“And then,” said the vice-governor, “there is Hatsuse. —
“然后，”副总督说，“还有初瀬。 —

It is known even in China as the japanese temple among them all that gets things done. —
即使在中国，初瀬也被认为是能够解决问题的所有日本寺庙中最著名的。 —

It can’t help doing something for a poor lady back after all those years so far away. —
在这么多年远离之后，它一定会为一个可怜的女士做些什么。 —

” And this time he sent her to Hatsuse.
“这次他将她送到了初瀬。”

The pilgrimage was to be on foot. Though not used to walking, the girl did as she was told. —
朝圣之旅要徒步进行。虽然不习惯长途跋涉，女孩还是照做了。 —

What sort of crimes had she been guilty of, she was asking, that she must be subjected to such trials? —
她问，她犯了什么样的罪过，必须要接受这样的考验呢？ —

She prayed that the powers above, if they pitied her, take her to whatever world her mother might be in. —
她祈求上方的力量，如果怜悯她的话，带她到母亲所在的任何世界。 —

If her mother was living, please, then, just a glimpse of her. —
如果她的母亲还活着，那么，请让她看到一瞥。 —

The girl could not remember her mother. She had thought how happy she would be if only she had a mother. —
女孩记不起母亲了。她想，如果能有个母亲该有多么幸福。 —

Now the problem was a much more immediate one. —
现在问题更紧迫了。 —

Late on the morning of the fourth day, barely alive, they arrived at Tsubaichi, just below Hatsuse.
第四天上午晚些时候，他们勉强活着到达了津濱市，就在初瀨之下。

Though they had come very slowly, the girl was so footsore when they reached Tsubaichi that they feared she could not go on. —
尽管他们走得很慢，但当他们到达津濱市时，女孩脚痛得令人担忧，他们担心她无法继续前行。 —

Led by the former vice-governor, the party included two bowmen, three or four grooms and pages, three women, heavily veiled, and a pair of ancient scullery women. —
前任副知事率领的队伍包括两名弓箭手、三到四名马夫和侍童、三名戴着厚厚面纱的妇女以及一对古老的厨房婆婆。 —

Every effort had been made not to attract attention. —
所有措施都已经采取，避免引起注意。 —

Darkness came on as they were replenishing their stock of candles and the like.
当他们正在补充蜡烛等物品时，夜幕降临。

The monk who kept the way station was very uncivil, grumbling about arrangements that had been made without consulting him. —
保留驿站的僧侣非常粗鲁，嘀咕着没有和他商量就做出的安排。 —

“Who are these people? We have some others coming. —
“这些人是谁？我们还有其他人要来。” —

Stupid women, they’ve botched it again.”
“蠢女人，她们又搞砸了。”

A second party did just then come up, also on foot, including two women who seemed to be of considerable standing and a number of attendants, men and women. —
此刻另一支队伍也赶来了，也是徒步前行，包括两名看起来很有地位的妇女和许多男女侍从。 —

four or five of the men were on horseback. —
四到五名男子骑在马上。 —

Though display was obviously being avoided, the horses were nicely caparisoned. —
尽管显然避免了夸耀，但马匹装饰得很漂亮。 —

The monk paced the floor and scratched his head and generally made himself objectionable. —
僧侣在房间里来回踱步，挠头发，总体上给人留下了不好的印象。 —

He was determined to accommodate the second party. —
他决定安排第二方。 —

Well, he would not insist that the others move on, but he would put the menials out in back and divide the room with curtains.
好吧，他不会坚持让其他人离开，但他会把仆人们放在后面，用帘子分开房间。

Though respectable, the second party did not seem to be of the most awesome rank. —
尽管体面，第二方似乎并非最尊贵的阶层。 —

Both parties were polite and deferential, and all was presently quiet.
两方都很有礼貌和恭顺，一切很快就恢复了平静。

In fact, the principal pilgrim in the second party was that Ukon who had never ceased weeping for the lady of the evening faces. —
实际上，第二方中的主要朝圣者便是那位一直为晚间之妇人哭泣的右近。 —

In all the uncertainties of her life, she had long been in the habit of making pilgrimages to Hatsuse. —
在她生活的所有不确定性中，她长期以来一直习惯朝拜初瀬。 —

She was used to travel, but the walk was exhausting even so. —
她习惯了旅行，但即便如此，步行还是让人筋疲力尽。 —

She was resting when the vice-governor came up to the curtains, evidently with food for his lady.
当副将前来带着食物给他的夫人时，她正在休息。

“Give this to her, if you will, please. —
“请将这个递给她，如果可以的话。 —

I know of course that she is not used to such rough service.”
我当然知道她不习惯这样粗糙的服务。”

Obviously a lady of higher rank than the others, thought Ukon, going over to look through an opening in the curtains. —
对于其他人来说显然是位高阶的女士，右近想着，走过去从帘子的缝隙向里面看去。 —

She had seen the man before, she was sure, but could not think where. —
她确信以前见过这个人，但想不起在哪里见过。 —

Someone she had known when he was young, and much less stout and sunburned, and much better dressed. Who might he be?
他是她年轻时认识的一个人，当时他瘦得多，晒得少，穿得更好。他可能是谁？

“Sanjō. Our lady wants you.”
“三条。我们夫人需要你。”

She knew the woman who came forward at this summons: —
她认识那个被召唤前来的女人： —

a lesser attendant upon the lady of the evening faces, with them in the days of hiding. —
在那些躲藏的日子里，她是一个次要的侍从。 —

It was like a dream. Ukon longed to see the lady they were in attendance upon, but she remained out of sight. —
这简直像是一个梦。乌红渴望见到她们侍奉的夫人，但她始终不见踪影。 —

Now Ukon thought she knew the man too. Yes, without question, the one they had called Hyōt-ōda. —
现在乌红认为她也认识那个男人。是的，毫无疑问，那个被称为兵部大夫的人。 —

Perhaps the girl would be with them. Unable to sit still, she went again to the curtain and called to Sanjō, who was just inside. —
也许那个女孩也会和他们在一起。坐立不安，她再次走向帘幕，喊了声给刚在里面的三条。 —

Sanjō was not easily torn from her meal. —
三条不容易被打断她的饭。 —

It was a little arbitrary of Ukon, perhaps, to think this an impertinence.
乌红认为这或许有些冒昧。

At length Sanjō presented herself. “It can’t be me you want. —
最终，三条出现了。“不可能是我。 —

I’m a poor woman who’s been off in Kyushu these twenty years and more, and I doubt there would be anyone here who would know me. —
我是一个在九州待了二十多年的穷女人，我怀疑这里没有人认识我。 —

It must be a mistake.” She had on a somewhat rustic robe of fulled silk and an unlined jacket, and she had put on a great deal of weight.
一定是搞错了。”她穿着一件有些乡村风味的厚缎衣和一件无衬里的夹袄，她胖了很多。

“Look at me,” said Ukon, hating to think how she herself must have changed. —
“看看我，”乌红说，讨厌想象自己必定也变了样。 —

“Don’t you recognize me?”
“你认出我了吗？”

Sanjō clapped her hands. “It’s you! It’s you! Where did you come from? —
三条拍手。“是你！是你！你从哪里来的？ —

Is our lady with you?” And she was weeping convulsively.
“我们的娘子与你同在吗？”她抽泣不止。

Ukon too was in tears. She had known this woman as a girl. So many months and years had passed!
“夫人也在流泪。当初她认识这位女士时还是一个小姑娘。多少个月和年已经过去了！”

“And is my lady’s nurse with you? And what has happened to the little girl? And Ateki? —
“还有我的夫人的保姆和小女孩怎么样了？还有阿特基呢？” —

” She said nothing for her part about the lady of the evening faces.
至于关于那些晚间面孔的女士，她自己并没有说什么。

“They are here. The little girl is a fine young lady. —
“他们都在这里。小女孩已经长成了一个美丽的年轻女士。” —

I must go tell Nurse.” And she withdrew to the back of the room.
“我必须去告诉保姆。”然后她退到房间后面去了。

“It is like a dream,” said the nurse. “Ukon, you say? —
“这简直像是一个梦，”保姆说，“乌昆，你说？” —

We have every right to be furious with Ukon.” But she went up to the curtains.
“我们完全有理由对乌昆生气。”她走到了帷幕前。

She was at first too moved to speak.
开始时她太激动，无法开口。

“And what has happened to my lady?” she asked finally. —
“我的夫人怎么样了？”最后她问道。 —

“I have prayed and prayed for so many years that I might be taken wherever she is. —
“多年来我一直祈祷，希望能找到她的踪迹。 —

I have wanted to go to her, even if it be in a dream. —
我一直渴望见到她，即使在梦中也好。 —

And then I had to suffer in a place so far away that not even the winds brought word of her. —
然后我不得不在一个遥远的地方受苦，连风都没有传来她的消息。 —

I have lived too long. But thoughts of the little girl have kept me tied to this world and made it difficult for me to go on to the next one. —
我活得太久了。但是对小女孩的思念让我难以割舍这个世界，让我无法去往下一个。 —

And so, as you see, I have come limping along.’,
所以，你看到了，我一瘸一拐地走来。”

Ukon almost wished she were back in the days when she had not been permitted to speak. —
宇今几乎希望自己能回到那些她不被允许讲话的日子。 —

“There is no point in talking of our lady. —
“谈论我们夫人没有意义。” —

She died long ago.”
“她很久以前就去世了。”

And the three of them gave themselves up to tears.
他们三个都放声痛哭起来。

It was now quite dark. Ready for the walk up to the temple, the men were urging them on. —
天色已经很暗了。准备前往寺庙的人催促他们前行。 —

The farewells were confused. Ukon suggested that they go together, but the sudden friendship might seem odd. —
离别时有些混乱。宇今建议他们一起走，但突然的友好关系可能看起来奇怪。 —

It had not been possible to take even the former vice-governor into their confidence. —
他们也没能向前任副州长透露任何消息。 —

Quietly the two parties set forth. Ukon saw ahead of her a beautiful and heavily veiled figure. —
两队人默默启程。宇今看到前面是一个美丽的、蒙面的女子。 —

The hair under what would appear to be an early-summer singlet was so rich that it seemed out of place. —
头发从早夏的吊带里似乎过于浓密，显得格格不入。 —

A flood of affection and pity swept over Ukon.
她袭来一阵充满爱意和怜悯的情绪。

Used to walking, she reached the temple first. —
习惯了步行，她第一个到达了寺庙。 —

The nurse’s party, coaxing and helping the girl on, arrived in time for the evening services. —
护士一行人一边哄骗着、一边帮助着女孩，及时赶上了晚祷仪式。 —

The temple swarmed with pilgrims. A place had been set out for Ukon almost under the right hand of the Buddha. —
寺庙里挤满了朝圣者。宇今的座位几乎在佛陀的右手边。 —

Perhaps because their guide was not well known at Hatsuse, the Kyushu party had been assigned a place to the west, behind the Buddha and some distance away. —
可能是因为他们的导游在初瀬不是很有名气，九州队被安排在佛陀后方的西侧，距离很远。 —

Ukon sent for them. They must not be shy, she said. —
宇今派人去请他们。他们不必害羞，她说。 —

Leaving the other men and telling the vice-governor what had happened, they accepted the invitation.
将其他人留在一边，告诉副总督发生了什么事后，他们接受了邀请。

“I am not one who matters,” said Ukon, “but I work in the Genji chancellor’s house. —
“我并不重要。”右近说道，“但我在源氏宰相家工作。 —

Even when I come with the few attendants you see, I can be sure that nothing will happen to me. —
就算只有你看到的这几个随从和我一起，我也相信不会发生什么事。 —

You can never be sure what country people will do, and I would hate to have anything unpleasant happen to our lady.”
乡下人会做出什么事情，你永远也不知道。我不希望我们夫人遭遇不愉快的事情。

She would have liked to continue, but the noise was overwhelming. She turned to her prayers. —
她很想继续，但噪音太吵了。她转向祈祷。 —

What she had prayed longest for had been granted. —
她最长时间祈祷的愿望已经实现。 —

She had sensed that Genji too continued to think about the girl, and her prayer now was that, informed of her whereabouts, he would make her happiness his concern.
她感觉到源氏也在考虑那位女孩，她现在的祈祷是让他知道她的下落，让她的幸福成为他的关心。

Among the pilgrims, from all over the land, was the wife of the governor of the province.
从全国各地来的朝圣者中，有这个省的总督夫人。

Sanjō was dazzled and envious. She brought her hands to her forehead. —
三条感到眼前一亮，又忌妒。她双手盖住了额头。 —

“O Lord of Great Mercy,” she proclaimed, “I have no prayer but this, that if my lady cannot be the wife of the assistant viceroy you let her many the greatest one in this province. —
“大慈大悲的主啊，”她宣布道，“我只有这一个祷告，如果我夫人不能成为辅助副总督的妻子，那您就让她成为这个省最尊贵的人吧。 —

My name is Sanjō. If you find decent places for us, then I will come and thank you. —
我叫三条。如果你能为我们找到体面的地方，那我会来感谢你。 —

I promise I will.”
我保证会的。

Ukon would have hoped that Sanjō might aim a little higher. “You have a great deal to learn. —
右近希望三条能有更高的目标。“你还有很多要学习。 —

But you must know, and you must have known in the old days, that Lord Tō no Chūjō was meant for great things. —
但你必须知道，在旧日，当时的等级判官是注定要成就大事的人。 —

He is a grand minister now and he has everything his way. —
他现在已经是一位伟大的大臣，一切都照他的意愿办事。 —

Our lady comes from the finest family, and here you are talking about marrying her off to a governor.”
我们夫人出自最优秀的家庭，而你却在谈论将她嫁给一位州长。”

“Oh, hush. You and your ministers and lordships. —
“哦，闭嘴吧。你和你的大臣和阁下们。 —

You just ought to see the lady from the assistant viceroy’s house when she goes off to Kiyomizu. —
当副都护府的女士前往清水时，你真该看看她。 —

Why, the emperor himself couldn’t put on a better show. So just hush, please. —
哎呀，就连天皇本人也比不上她的气派。所以请闭嘴吧。 —

” And she continued her peroration, hands pressed always to forehead.
”她继续进行她的演讲，一直用手按着额头。

The Kyushu party planned to stay three days. —
九州一行计划停留三天。 —

Ukon had not thought of staying so long, but this seemed the opportunity for a good talk. —
友留未曾想过会停留这么久，但这似乎是一个好交谈的机会。 —

She informed one of the higher priests of a sudden wish to go into retreat. —
她告诉了一位较高的僧侣突然想要闭关。 —

He knew what she would need, votive lights and petitions and the like. —
他知道她会需要什么，供灯和请愿之类的。 —

She described her reasons.
她描述了她的理由。

“I have come as usual in behalf of Lady Tamakazura of the Fujiwara. —
“我照常为藤原玉序女士而来。 —

Pray well for her, if you will. I have recently been informed of her whereabouts, and I wish to offer thanks.”
如果您愿意的话，请为她祈福。最近我得知了她的行踪，我想要感谢。”

“Excellent. Our prayers over the years have been heard.”
“太好了。这些年来我们的祈祷被听见了。”

Services went on through the night, very noisily indeed.
服务持续了整晚，声音非常大。

In the morning they all went to the cell of Ukon’s eminent acquaintance. —
第二天他们都去了友留的那位知名朋友的房间。 —

The talk was quite uninhibited. The lady was very beautiful, and rather shy in her rough travel dress.
这场谈话非常坦率。那位女士非常美丽，穿着粗糙的旅行服装，有些害羞。

“I have been privileged to know ladies so grand that few people ever see them. —
“我有幸认识一些如此气度非凡的女士，很少有人能见到她们。 —

In the ordinary course of events they would have been kept out of my sight. —
在一般情况下，他们都会被挡在我的视线之外。 —

I have thought for a very long time that Lady Murasaki, the chancellor’s lady, couldn’t possibly have a rival. —
我早就觉得，像排长门女和首席的夫人紫娘一样的人，不可能有对手。 —

But then someone came along who could almost compete with her. —
但是有人出现了，差点比得上她。 —

It needn’t have surprised anyone, of course. —
这当然不应该让任何人感到意外。 —

The chancellor’s daughter is growing up into a very beautiful lady indeed. —
首席的女儿正在成为一个非常美丽的年轻女士。 —

He has done everything for her. And just see what we have here, so quiet and unassuming. —
他为她做了一切。看看我们现在这位，如此安静和谦逊。 —

She’s every bit as pretty.
她同样美丽。

“The chancellor has seen them all, ever since the reign of his late father, all the consorts and the other royal ladies. —
“从他父王统治时期以来，首相见过所有人，所有的侍妾和其他王室女士。 —

I once heard him say to Lady Murasaki that the word’beautiful’ must have been invented for the late empress and his own daughter. —
我曾听他对紫娘说过，‘美丽’这个词肯定是为已故皇后和自己的女儿而创造的。 —

I never saw the late empress and so I cannot say, and the other is still a child, and a person can only imagine how beautiful she will be someday. —
我从未见过已故皇后，所以无法评论，而其他的还是个孩子，只能想象她将来会有多美。 —

But Lady Murasaki herself: really she doesn’t have a rival even now. —
但是紫娘本人：实在是无人可及的美。 —

I’m sure he just didn’t want to speak of her own beauty right there in front of her. —
我敢肯定他只是不想当着她的面谈论她自己的美。 —

He most certainly is aware of it. I once heard him say — he was joking, of course — that she should know better than to take her place beside a handsome man like him. —
他肯定意识到了。我曾听他开玩笑说——当然是开玩笑——她应该知道不要站在像他这样英俊的男人旁边。 —

You should see the two of them! The sight of them makes you think years have been added to your life, and you wonder if anywhere else in the world there is anything like it. —
你应该看看她们俩！看到她们，让你觉得生活多了几年，你会想到世界上是否还有类似的东西。 —

But just see what we have here, just look at this lady. She could hold her own with no trouble. —
但看看这位女士吧。她能轻松胜任。 —

You don’t go looking for a halo with even the most raving beauty, but if you want the next-best thing-?”
即使是最光彩照人的美女，也不用去寻找光环，但如果你想最接近的话-？

She smiled at Tamakazura, and the old nurse was grinning back. —
她对 Tamakazura 微笑，而老奶妈也在咧嘴笑着。 —

“Just a little longer and she would have been wasted on Kyushu. —
“再等一会儿她就要被浪费在九州了。 —

I couldn’t stand the idea, and so I threw away pots and pans and children and came running back to the city. —
我受不了这个想法，所以我丢掉了锅碗瓢盆和孩子，跑回来了城里。 —

It might as Well have been the capital of a foreign country. —
这简直像是一个外国国家的首都。 —

Take her to something better, please, as soon as you possibly can. —
请立即将她带去更好的地方。 —

You are in one of the great houses and you know everyone. —
你在一座豪宅里，你认识每个人。 —

Do please think of some way to tell her father. —
请想想如何告诉她的父亲。 —

Make him count her among his children.”
让他把她算作他的孩子之一。”

The girl looked away in embarrassment.
女孩尴尬地转过了头。

“No, it is true. I don’t amount to anything, but His Lordship has seen fit to call me into his presence from time to time, and once when I said I wondered what had happened to the child he said that he wondered too and I must let him know if I heard anything.”
“不，这是真的。我什么都不是，但尊爵却不时把我召见到他面前，有一次我问起孩子的事情，他说他也在疑惑，如果听到了什么要让他知道。”

“Yes, of course, he is a very fine gentleman. But he already has all those other fine ladies. —
“是的，当然，他是位非常优秀的绅士。但他已经有所有那些其他优秀的女士了。 —

I would feel a little more comfortable, I think, if you were to inform her father.”
我想，如果你通知她的父亲会更让我感到舒适。”

Ukon told her about the lady of the evening faces. “His Lordship took it very hard. —
乌根告诉她有关晚间之面的事。“尊贵的人非常受打击。 —

He said he wanted the little girl to remember her by. —
他说他想要那个小女孩记住她。 —

He said then and he went on saying that he had so few children of his own, he could tell people he had found a lost daughter. —
他接着说他自己的孩子不多，他可以告诉人们他找到了一个失散的女儿。 —

I was young and inexperienced and unsure of myself, and I was afraid to go looking for her. —
我年轻无经验，对自己不确定，我害怕去找她。 —

I recognized the name of your good husband when he was appointed deputy viceroy. —
当你的优秀丈夫被任命为代理总督的时候我认出了他的名字。 —

I even caught a glimpse of him when he came to say goodbye to His Lordship. —
当他来向尊贵的人告别时，我甚至瞥见了他。 —

I thought you might have left the child behind at the house where I last saw you. —
我以为你可能把孩子留在了我最后见到你的那所房子里。 —

Suppose she had spent the rest of her life in Kyushu — the very thought of it makes me shiver.”
假设她在九州度过了余生 — 这个想法让我打颤。”

They looked down upon streams of pilgrims. The river before them was the Hatsuse.
他们俯视着涌入的朝圣者。他们面前的河流是发背河。

“Had I not come to the place of cedars twain,
“若我未至青杉之处，

How should I have met you here beside the old river?”
我又怎么会在这旧河边遇见你呢？”

said Ukon. “I am very happy.”
乌根说。“我很高兴。”

Tamakazura replied:
珠之声回答道：

“I know little, I fear, about the swift old river,
“我对这条急泛古河知之不多，

But I know the flow of tears of happiness.”
但我知晓幸福泪水的流淌。”

She was indeed weeping, and very beautiful.
她的确在哭泣,而且非常美丽。

Astonishingly so — a jewel quite unblemished by rough provincial life. —
令人惊讶的是 — 一颗完全未被粗糙乡村生活玷污的珠宝。 —

The old nurse had worked wonders, and Ukon was deeply grateful. —
老保姆已经做了很多工作，而右近深感感激。 —

The girl’s mother had been such a quiet little child of a thing, completely gentle and unresisting. —
女孩的母亲曾是一个非常安静的孩子，完全温柔且顺从。 —

The girl herself seemed proud and aloof by comparison; —
与她相比,这个女孩似乎更自豪、更孤傲。 —

and there was something else, something quietly mysterious about her, suggestive of great depths. —
而且还有另一种东西,一种悄然神秘的东西，暗示着深远。 —

Kyushu must be a remarkable place — and yet look at these others, very countrified indeed.
九州一定是一个非凡的地方 — 然而看看这些其他人,确实很乡土。

In the evening they all went up to the main hall, and the next day was a quiet one of prayers and rites.
傍晚他们都去了大厅, 第二天是一个祈祷和仪式的宁静日。

The autumn wind blowing up from the valley was cold, but they did not let it trouble them. —
从山谷中吹来的秋风很冷，但它们并没有让自己受到困扰。 —

They had other concerns. For the Kyushu people despair had suddenly given way to talk of Tō no Chūjō and the careers he had made for the least likely of his children by his several ladies. —
他们有其他的关心。对于九州的人们来说,绝望突然变成了对于藤中将军以及他通过他的几位夫人为一些最不可能的子女创造的事业的讨论。 —

It seemed possible that the sunlight would reach even to this undermost leaf. —
看起来阳光有可能甚至照耀到这最底层的叶子。 —

Fearing that they might once more lose track of each other, Ukon and the nurse exchanged addresses before they left the temple. —
担心他们可能再次失去联系,右近和保姆在离开寺庙前交换了地址。 —

Ukon’s family lived not far from the Rokujō mansion, a fact that gave a comforting sense of nearness and accessibility.
右近的家离六条府邸不远, 这一事实给了她一种踏实感,感觉离得很近,很容易联系。

When she was next on duty at Rokujō, Ukon looked for a chance to tell Genji a little of what had happened. —
下次她在六条时值班, 右近寻找机会告诉源氏发生的一些事情。 —

As her carriage was pulled inside the gate she had a sudden feeling of vast spaces, and all the grand carriages coming and going made her marvel that she too was in attendance at the jeweled pavilion. —
当她的马车被拉进大门时，她突然感到了广阔空间，并且所有来来往往的豪华马车让她惊叹自己也在参与珠宝阁的侍奉。 —

No occasion presented itself that evening. She went restlessly to bed with her problem. —
当晚并没有什么场合出现。她心烦意乱地带着问题上床睡觉。 —

The next day he summoned her by name. It was a great honor, for numbers of women, old and important and young and obscure, had the evening before come back from vacation.
第二天，他召唤她的名字。这是一个很大的荣誉，因为前一晚，许多妇女，不论是年长而有地位还是年轻而默默无闻的，都从度假中回来了。

“And why did you stay so long? But you have changed. —
“你为什么待了这么长时间？但你变了。 —

The old stiffness has given way to a more yielding quality, might we say? —
旧有的生硬已经变成了更加柔顺的品质，我们可以这么说吗？ —

Something interesting has surely happened.”
明显发生了一些有趣的事情。”

“I was gone for about a week, just wasting my time. —
“我出去玩了大约一周，只是浪费了时间。 —

But I did come on someone rather interesting off in the hills.”
但我在山上碰到一个相当有趣的人。”

“Yes?”
“是吗？”

She preferred that Murasaki hear, lest she later be taxed with secretiveness.
她希望紫的听到，以免事后被指责隐瞒。

Other women came up. Lamps were lighted, and Genji and Murasaki were pleasing indeed as they settled down for a quiet evening. —
其他女人走过来。灯火通明，源氏和紫安静地坐下度过了一个美好的晚上。 —

Now in her late twenties, Murasaki was at her best. —
现在已经是快三十岁的紫安看上去很好。 —

It seemed to Ukon that even in the brief time she had been away her lady had improved. —
乌辜觉得，甚至在她短暂的离开期间，她的女主人也有所改善。 —

And Tamakazura was almost as beautiful — and perhaps it was only Ukon’s imagination that there was a small difference to be observed between the more and the less fortunate.
玉镜也几乎同样美丽 — 或许只有乌辜的想象中才能观察出幸运和不幸之间的细微差别。

Ukon was summoned to massage Genji’s legs.
乌辜被召唤按摩源氏的腿。

“The young ones hate to do it,” he laughed. “We oldsters get on best.”
“年轻人讨厌做这件事，”他笑了。“我们老人最合适。”

“Really, sir, who would hate to do anything for you? —
“真的，先生，谁会讨厌为您做任何事呢？ —

” said one of the younger women. “You do make the worst jokes.”
”一位年轻女士说道。“您总是开最差的玩笑。”

“Even we oldsters must be careful. There is jealousy abroad. —
“即使我们老年人也必须小心。羡慕之心四处流行。 —

We are in danger.” He could be very amusing.
我们处于危险之中。”他确实很有趣。

Having relieved himself of the heavier business of government, he was able to relax with the women. —
脱去了繁重的政务之后，他能够与女性们放松。 —

Even an aging woman like Ukon was not ignored.
即使是像右近这样年迈的女人也不会被忽视。

“Now, then, who is this interesting person in the hills? —
“那么，这个在山上很有趣的人是谁？ —

A well-endowed hermit you have come to an understanding with?”
你已经达成了共识的一个丰满的隐士吗？”

“Please, sir, someone might hear you. I have found a lady who is not unrelated to those evening faces. —
“请，先生，别让别人听到。我找到了一个与那些傍晚面孔不无关系的女士。 —

Do you remember? The ones that faded so quickly.”
你还记得吗？那些很快消失的面孔。”

“Ah, yes, memories do come back. Where has she been all this time?”
“啊，是的，回忆确实会涌现。她这段时间一直在哪里？”

Ukon did not know how to begin. “She has been very far away. —
右近不知道该如何开口。“她一直在很远的地方。 —

Some of the people who were with her then are still with her. —
当时和她在一起的一些人仍和她在一起。 —

We talked about the old days. It was so sad.”
我们谈到了旧日时光。那是如此悲伤。”

“Do remember, please, that we have an uninformed audience.”
“请记住，我们有一个不知情的听众。”

“You needn’t worry,” said Murasaki, covering her ears. —
“你不需要担心，”紫式部捂住耳朵说。 —

“Your audience is too sleepy to care in the least.”
“你的观众都已经睡得不醒人事了。”

“Is she as pretty as her mother?”
“她和她妈妈一样漂亮吗？”

“I wouldn’t have thought she could possibly be, but she has grown into a very beautiful young lady indeed.”
“以前我还没想到她可能会，但她长成了一个非常美丽的年轻女子。”

“How interesting. Would you compare her with our lady here?”
“真有趣。你会把她和我们这位女士相比吗？”

“Oh, sir, hardly.”
“哦，先生，无法相比。”

“But you d em confident enough. Does she look like me? If so, then I can be confident too.”
“但你看起来很有信心。她长得像我吗？如果是的话，那我也可以很有信心。”

He was already talking as if he were her father.
他已经以为自己是她的父亲。

He called Ukon off by herself. “You must bring her here. I have thought of her so often. —
他单独叫住了乌贡。“你必须把她带来这里。我一直这么想念她。 —

I am delighted at this news and sorry that we lost her for so long. —
我对这个消息感到高兴，但遗憾我们失去了她这么久。 —

She must not be kept away any longer. Why should we tell her father? —
她不能再被拒之门外。为什么我们要告诉她父亲呢？ —

His house swarms with children. I am afraid the poor little thing would be overwhelmed. —
他家里有满地打滚的孩子。我怕可怜的小家伙会被淹没。 —

And I have so few myself — we can say that I have come upon a daugh r in a most unexpected place. —
而我自己却很少——我们可以说我在一个非常意外的地方发现了一个女儿。 —

She will be our treasure. We will have all the young gallants eager to meet her.
她将成为我们的宝藏。所有年轻的骑士都会渴望见到她。

“I leave everything to your judgment, sir. —
“一切都交给您的判断，先生。” —

If her father is to know, then you must be the one to tell him. —
如果她的父亲要知道，那么你必须是告诉他的人。 —

I am sure that any little gesture in memory of the lady we lost will lighten the burden of sin.”
我相信对我们失去的那位女士进行任何小小的纪念的举动都将减轻罪孽的负担。

“The burden is mine, you are saying? “ He smiled, but he was near tears. —
“负担是我的，你是这么说的？”他微笑着，但眼泪快要流下来了。 —

“I have thought so often what a sad, brief affair it was. —
“我常常想，那是一段多么悲伤而短暂的恋情。 —

I have all the ladies you see here, and I doubt that I have ever felt toward any of them quite that intensity of affection. —
这里所有的女士中，我可怀疑我从未对任何一位表现出如此强烈的感情。 —

Most of them have lived long enough to see that I am after all a steady sort, and she vanished so quickly, and I have had only you to remember her by. —
大多数人生活得足够长以至于看到我虽然稳重，但她却消失得如此迅速，而我只能通过你来记得她。 —

I have not forgotten her. It would be as if all my prayers had been answered if you were to bring the girl here.”
我没有忘记她。如果你能把那女孩带到这里，那就如同我所有的祈祷都应验了。”

He got off a letter. Yet he was a little worried, remembering the safflower princess. —
他写了一封信。然而他有点担忧，想起了藏鹤姬。 —

Ladies were not always what one hoped they would be, and this was a lady who had had a hard life.
女士们并不总是像人期望的那样，而她是一位经历过艰难生活的女士。

His letter was most decorous. At the end of it he said: “And as to my reasons for writing,
他的信非常恭敬。在信的结尾，他写道：“至于我写信的理由，

“You may not know, but presently Fou will,
“也许你不知道，但福将知晓

Where leads the line of rushes at Mishimae.”
“苇叶路通往三島江。”

Ukon delivered it and gave an account of their conversation. —
雪见将信递给了她，并讲述了他们的谈话。 —

She brought all manner of garments for the lady herself and for the others. —
她为这位女士本人和其他人带来了各种衣物。 —

Genji had told Murasaki the whole story and gone through his warehouses for the best of everything, and very different it all was from what they had been used to in Kyushu.
源氏已经把整个故事告诉紫，还从仓库里拿出了最好的东西，这些与她们在九州习惯的完全不同。

Tamakazura suggested that the delight would be more considerable if there were word from her father. —
玉鬘建议说，如果有她父亲的消息，那种喜悦会更为可观。 —

She saw no reason to go and live with a stranger.
她看不出去和一个陌生人住的理由。

Ukon set about making her think otherwise. —
雨紺开始让她改变想法。 —

“Your father is sure to hear of you once you are set up in a decent sort of life. —
“一旦你安顿下来过上体面的生活，你父亲肯定会听到关于你的事情。” —

The bond between parent and child is not so easily broken. —
父母与子女之间的纽带并不容易断开。 —

I am nobody, and I found you because of my prayers. There can be no other explanation. —
我是一个无名之辈，我的祈祷让我找到了你。不可能有其他解释。 —

These things happen if we live long enough. —
如果我们活得久了，这种事就会发生。 —

You must get off an answer.”
你必须给出一个答复。”

The girl was timid, sure that any answer from her would seem hopelessly countrified. —
这个女孩胆怯，觉得她的任何回答都会显得太过乡巴佬。 —

She chose richly perfumed Chinese paper and wrote only this, in a faint, delicate hand:
她选择了香气浓郁的中国纸，只写了这几个字，用一种淡淡的细致笔迹：

“You speak of lines and rushes — and by what line
“你说起线和芦苇 — 而这根可怜的芦苇如何生根于这个悲哀的世界？”

Has this poor rush taken root in this sad world?”
手笔虽幼稚，但显示出性格和教养。源氏更加自信。

The hand was immature, but it showed character and breeding. Genji was more confident.
现在的问题是在哪里安置她。紫主的东南角几栋建筑已经没有空房间了。

The problem now was where to put her. There was no room in the several wings of Murasaki’s southeast quarter. —
这是房屋中最豪华的部分，所有房间都在使用中，而且经常有人来往，很可能会注意到新的存在。 —

It was the grandest part of the house and all its apartments were in use, and it was so much frequented that a new presence would very probably be noticed. —
需要一个完整的房间，不管大小，容纳女孩。 —

Akikonomu’s south-west quarter was quiet and in many ways suitable, but Genji would not have wished Tamakazura to be taken for one of the empress’s attendants. —
秋好的西南区相对安静，许多方面都很适合，但源氏不希望玉蕾被误认为是皇后的侍从。 —

Though a little gloomy and remote, there was the west wing of the northeast quarter, now being used as a library. —
虽然有些阴暗和偏远，但现在作为图书馆使用的是东北区的西翼。 —

Genji ordered the books and papers moved. —
源氏命令移走书籍和文件。 —

The lady of the orange blossoms had already been assigned the northeast quarter, but she was a gentle, amiable person who would be good company for the new lady.
橘子花夫人已经被分配到了东北区，但她是一个温和、和蔼的人，将成为新夫人的好伴侣。

He had told Murasaki the whole ancient story. She chided him for having kept it so long a secret.
他告诉了紫的整个古老故事。她责备他之前一直将这个秘密藏在心里。

“Please, my dear — why should I have offered it to you all gratuitously? —
“亲爱的，请问我为什么要无缘无故地把它供给你呢？ —

I would have been reluctant to tell such a story even if it had been about someone you know. —
即使它是关于你认识的人，我也会对如此的故事感到犹豫不决。 —

I am telling you now because you mean so very much to me.” He was in a reminiscent mood. —
我现在告诉你是因为你对我太重要了。” 他陷入了回忆之中。 —

“I have seen and heard of so many cases in which I have not myself been involved. —
“我见过听过很多我自己没有参与的案件。 —

I have seen and heard how strong a woman’s feelings can be in the most casual affair, and I have not wanted that sort of thing in my own life. —
我见过听过女人在最平淡的事务中的感情是多么地强烈，我并不希望这种事发生在我的生活中。 —

But one’s wishes are not always consulted in these matters. —
但一个人的愿望并不总是被考虑在这些事情中。 —

I have had numbers of affairs that might be called illicit, but I doubt that any of them has had quite that gentle sort of pull on me. —
我有很多可以被称为私通的事务，但我怀疑其中哪一个对我有如此温柔的吸引力。 —

I think that if she were still living I would be doing at least as much for her as for the lady in the northwest quarter. —
我觉得如果她还活着，我会至少为她做和为西北区的女士一样多的事情。 —

No one in this world is quite like anyone else. —
这个世界上没有任何人与其他人完全相同。 —

She may not have been the most intelligent and accomplished person, but she did have a way about her, and she was pretty.”
她可能不是最聪明和有才华的人，但她有自己的方式，而且她很漂亮。”

“I doubt very much indeed that she would be a rival of the lady in the northwest quarter. —
“我非常怀疑她会成为西北角的那位女士的竞争对手。 —

” Evidently there was still resentment.
显然还存在着怨恨。

But here was the little Akashi girl, listening to the conversation with such charming unconcern. —
但是这里有个小明石的女孩，听着谈话，表现得非常无忧无虑。 —

Murasaki thought she could see why he had a high regard for the mother.
紫式部认为她可以理解他为什么对母亲评价很高。

It was the Ninth Month. Tamakazura’s move was no routine affair. —
那时是九月。玉娟的搬迁并不是例行公事。 —

Superior women must be found to wait on her. —
必须找到出色的女人来伺候她。 —

Through various offices a retinue of women who had drifted down from the capital had been put together in Kyushu, but the suddenness of the departure had made it impossible to bring them along. —
通过各种办事处，从京都流落到九州的一支由来已久的女伴群体已经组建成形，但离开的突然性使得她们无法随行。 —

The city was a vast place. Tradeswomen could be helpful in these matters. —
城市是一个广阔的地方。在这些事情上，手艺女人可能会有所帮助。 —

Quietly, not letting the girl’s identity be known, the Kyushu people moved in with Ukon’s family. —
九州人悄悄地搬进了宇今家，不让这个女孩的身份被知晓。 —

Finally everything was ready. In the Tenth Month they moved to Rokujō.
最终一切准备就绪。到了十月他们搬到了六条。

Genji had taken the lady of the orange blossoms into his confidence. —
源氏已经把橘花的女士介绍到了内情。 —

“Someone I was once fond of was having a difficult time and ran off into the mountains. —
“我曾经喜欢上的某人遇到了困难，逃到了山里。 —

I hunted and hunted, but I did not find the daughter until she was quite grown-up. —
我搜寻了很多次，但直到她长大成人我才找到女儿。 —

Even then it was only by accident that I learned a little about her. I do not think it is too late. —
甚至那个时候我也只是偶然知道了一点关于她的情况。我认为现在还不算晚。 —

Might I bring her here? The mother is no longer living. —
我能把她带来吗？母亲已经不在了。 —

I think I might without imposing too dreadfully ask you to do for her as you have done for Yūgiri. —
我觉得我可能没有太过分地请求你为她做你为幽斐所做的事情。 —

She grew up in the country, and no doubt you will find a great deal that does not entirely please you. —
她在乡下长大，毫无疑问，你会发现很多让你不太满意的地方。 —

Do give her the benefit of your advice.” He was very polite and attentive to detail.
请给她你的建议。”他非常有礼貌，对细节很关注。

She agreed most generously. “I had not dreamed of such a thing. —
她非常慷慨地同意了。“我从未梦想过这样的事情。 —

How very nice for you. You have been lonely with just the one little girl.”
太好了。你只有一个小女儿，你一直感到孤独。”

“Her mother was a gentle, amiable young lady. It has all worked out so nicely. —
“她母亲是一个温和、和蔼的年轻女士。一切都安排得很好。 —

You are such an amiable lady yourself.” r “I shall be delighted. —
你本身就是一个和蔼的女士。” “我将很高兴。 —

I have so little to do.”
我要做的事情很少。”

He had only a few words for the other women.
他对其他女士只是略加几句话。

“And what will he have come up with this time? Such a bothersome collector as he is?”
“这次他会有什么新想法呢？他可真是一个让人烦恼的收藏家。”

There were three carriages for the move. Ukon managed to cover the more obvious appearances of rusticity. —
搬家有三辆马车。右近设法掩盖掉一些显而易见的乡巴佬样式。 —

Genji sent a large supply of damasks and other figured cloths. —
源氏送来了大量的缎子和其他图案布料。 —

Promptly that evening he paid a visit. The Kyushu women had long known of “the shining Genji,” but his radiance had come to seem very far off. —
当晚他立刻前来拜访。九州的女子们早已知道了“闪闪发光的源氏”，但他的光芒似乎变得遥远。 —

And here it was, dimming the lamplight through openings in curtains, almost frightening.
现在，他就在这里，透过帘子的缝隙淡化了灯光，几乎吓人。

Ukon went to admit him. “One comes through this door,” he said, laughing, “with wildly palpitating heart. —
右近去接他。“人们穿过这扇门而来，”他笑着说，“心情猛烈地跳动着。 —

” He took a seat in an outer room. “A very soft and suggestive sort of light. —
他坐在外间。那是一种非常柔和而暗示性的光。 —

I was told that you wished to see your father’s face. —
我听说你想见你父亲的面容。 —

Is that not the case?” He pushed the curtain aside.
难道不是这样吗？”他掀开帘子。

She looked away, but he had seen enough to be very pleased.
她转过脸去，但他已经看到足够让他非常高兴了。

“Can’t we have a little more light? This is really too suggestive.”
“我们能不能再亮点？这真是太暗示性了。”

Ukon trimmed a lamp and brought it near.
乌贡整理了一盏灯，把它举到近前。

“Now we are being bold.”
“现在我们变得大胆了。”

Yes, she was very beautiful, and she reminded him of her mother.
是的，她非常美丽，让他想起了她的母亲。

“There was no time through all those years when you were out of my thoughts, and now that we are together it is all like a dream. —
“这些年来，你一直在我的脑海中，现在我们在一起，这一切都像是一个梦。 —

” His manner was intimate, as if he were her father. “I am overwhelmed and reduced to silence. —
”他的态度亲密，好像他是她的父亲。 “我感到不知所措，沉默不语。 —

” He was in fact deeply moved, and he brushed away a tear as he counted up the years. —
”事实上，他深感感动，他擦去一滴泪，数算着这些年。 —

“How very sad it has been. I doubt that many fathers and daughters are kept apart for so long. —
“这些年来真是太悲哀了。我怀疑有多少父亲和女儿能被长久分开。 —

But come: you are too old for this d shfulness, and there are so many things we must talk about. —
但来吧：你已经太老了，不必害羞，我们有很多事情要谈。 —

You must not treat me like a stranger.”
你不应该把我当成陌生人。”

She could not look at him. Finally she replied in a voice which he could barely hear but which, as it trailed off into silence, reminded him very much of her mother. —
她无法看着他。最后她的回答声音微弱，他几乎听不见，但当声音渐渐消失时，让他极度想起了她的母亲。 —

“I was like the leech child when they took me away. I could not stand up. —
“他们把我带走的时候，我像寄生虫孩子一样。我站不起来。 —

Afterwards I was hardly sure whether it was happening to me or not.”
之后我几乎不确定这是否发生在我身上。”

He smiled. It was a most acceptable answer. —
他微笑了。这是个令人满意的回答。 —

“And now who besides me is to pity you for all the wasted years?”
“现在除了我，还有谁会为你为虚度的岁月而感到遗憾？”

He gave Ukon various instructions and left.
他给宇宫各种指示后离开了。

Pleased that she had passed the test so nicely, he went to tell Murasaki. —
他对她如此完美地通过了考验感到高兴，便去告诉紫。 —

“I had felt for her, in a lofty, abstract sort of way; —
“我曾以一种高尚、抽象的方式为她感到心疼; —

and now I find her so much in control of herself that she almost makes me uncomfortable. —
现在我发现她自我控制得如此之好，以至于我几乎感到不安。 —

I must let everyone know that I have taken her in, and we shall watch the pulses rise as Prince Hotaru and the rest come peeking through my fences. —
我必须让每个人知道我收留了她，我们将看到薄荷王子和其他人从中回头窥视，我们会看到脉搏加快。 —

We have seen composed and sedate countenances all around us, and tha has been because we have not had the means for creating disturbances. —
我们四周看到的只是平静和庄重的面容，这是因为我们没有造成骚乱的手段。 —

Now we shall improve our service and see who among them is the most unsettled.”
现在我们将改进我们的服务，看看他们中谁最不安定。”

“What a very odd sort of father, thinking first how to lead them all into temptation.”
“多么奇怪的一种父亲，首先考虑如何把他们引向诱惑。”

“If I had been sufficiently alive to these things,” he said, “I might have been similarly thoroughgoing in my management of your affairs. —
“如果我对这些事情足够地敏锐，”他说，“我可能会在管理你的事务方面也同样彻底。 —

I did not consider all the possibilities.”
我没有考虑所有的可能性。”

She flushed, as young and beautiful as ever.
她脸红了，像往常一样年轻美丽。

He reached for an inkstone and jotted down a verse:
他伸手拿起一块墨从上面写下了一首诗：

“With unabated longing I sought the other.
“怀着不减的渴望我寻找另一个。

What lines have drawn me to the jeweled chaplet?
哪些线索将我吸引到了这个宝石头冠？

“It is all so very affecting,” he added, as if to himself.
“这一切都是如此触动人心，”他补充道，仿佛对自己说。

Yes, thought Murasaki, he would seem to have found a memento of someone very important to him.
是的，紫的想，他似乎找到了一个对他非常重要的人的纪念品。

He told Yūgiri that he must be good to the girl.
他告诉弓羽，他必须对这个女孩好。

“Not that I could have done very much,” Yūgiri said to her solemnly, “but I am the one you should have come to. —
“虽然我没有做太多事情，”弓羽庄重地对她说，“但你应该来找我。 —

I must apologize for not having been present to receive you.”
很抱歉我当时不在场接待你。”

The situation was somewhat embarrassing to those who shared the secret.
这种情况让那些分享这个秘密的人有些尴尬。

The house in Kyushu had seemed the ultimate in luxury and elegance, but now she could see that it had been hopelessly provincial. —
在九州的那间房子似乎是奢华和优雅的极致，但现在她看到那已经是无望的乡下风情。 —

Here every detail was in the latest fashion, and every member of the family (she was received as one of the family) was very prepossessing indeed. —
这里的每一个细节都是最新潮的，家庭的每个成员（她被看待为家庭的一员）都非常令人印象深刻。 —

The woman Sanjō was now able to put the assistant viceroy in his place, and as for the hot-blooded person from Higo, the very thought of him repelled her. —
三条夫人现在能够让辅助刺史知道他的地位，至于那个来自肥后的热血人，一想到他就让她厌恶。 —

Tamakazura and Ukon knew how much they owed the nurse’s son, the former vice-governor of Bungo. Genji chose Tamakazura’s stewards with the greatest care, for he wanted no laxness in the management of her household. —
玉鬘和紫团知道他们欠护士的儿子很多，前豊后守的一员。玄様极为慎重地为玉鬘的家务选中管理人，因为他不希望她的家庭管理得那么松散。 —

The nurse’s son was among them. He would not in ordinary circumstances have had entree to so grand a mansion, and the change after all those years in the provinces was almost too sudden. —
护士的儿子也在其中。在普通情况下，他不可能进入如此豪华的宅邸，而在乡下呆了那么多年后这种变化几乎太过突然。 —

Here he was among the great ones, coming and going, morning and night. —
在这里，他成为伟大的人中之一，早晚来来去去。 —

It was a singular honor. Genji was almost too attentive to all the housekeeping details.
这是一种特别的荣誉。 源氏对所有的家务细节几乎过分关注。

With the approach of the New Year he turned his attention to festive dress and appurtenances, determined that nothing suggest less than the highest rank. —
随着新年的临近，他把注意力转向节日服装和配饰，决心不让任何事物显得低于最高排名。 —

Though the girl had been a pleasant surprise thus far, he made allowances for rustic tastes. —
尽管这个女孩到目前为止一直给他带来惊喜，他还是考虑到了粗犷的品味。 —

He himself reviewed all the colors and cuts upon which the finest craftsmen had concentrated their skills.
他亲自审视了最优秀工匠们集中技艺创作的各种颜色和剪裁。

“Vast numbers of things,” he said to Murasaki. —
“有很多东西，”他对紫凑说。 —

“We must see that they are divided so that no one has a right to feel slighted.”
“我们必须将它们分配好，这样没有人会感到被忽视。”

He had everything spread before him, the products of the offices and of Murasaki’s personal endeavors as well. —
他摊开了所有的东西，既有官方制品，也有紫凑的个人成就。 —

Such sheens and hues as she had wrought, displaying yet another of her talents! —
她所营造出的光泽和色彩，展示了她另一项才能！ —

He would compare what the fullers had done to this purple and that red, and distribute them among chests and wardrobes, with women of experience to help him reach his decisions.
他会将漂染师所做的这种紫和那种红进行比较，然后在箱柜和衣橱之间分配，有经验的女性会帮助他做决策。

Murasaki too was with him. “A very hard choice indeed. —
紫式部也在他身边。“这实在是一个很难的选择。 —

You must always have the wearer in mind. —
你必须时刻考虑穿着者。 —

The worst thing is when the clothes do not suit the lady.”
最糟糕的情况就是衣服不适合女士。”

Genji smiled. “So it is a matter of cool calculation? —
源氏微笑着说：“所以这是一种冷静的计算吗？ —

And what might my lady’s choices be for herself?”
那么我夫人自己会做怎样的选择呢？”

“My lady is not confident,” she replied, shyly after all, “that the mirror can give her an answer.”
“我夫人并不自信，”她腼腆地回答道，“认为镜子无法给她答案。”

For Murasaki he selected a lavender robe with a clear, clean pattern of rose-plum blossoms and a singlet of a fashionable lavender. —
为了紫，他选择了一件带有清晰、干净玫瑰李花图案的薰衣草紫色长袍，搭配一件时尚的薰衣草紫色背心。 —

For his little daughter there was a white robe lined with red and a singlet beaten to a fine glow. —
对于他的小女儿，有一件白色长袍，里面衬着红色，还有一件打磨得闪闪发光的背心。 —

For the lady of the orange blossoms, a robe of azure with a pattern of seashells beautifully woven in quiet colors, and a crimson singlet, also fulled to a high sheen. —
对于橘花中的女士，他选了一件湛蓝色长袍，上面织有美丽的海贝图案，颜色温和恬静，还有一件深红色背心，也打磨得闪亮。 —

For the new lady, a cloak of bright red and a robe of russet lined with yellow. —
对于新来的女士，一件鲜艳红色披风和一件棕红色长袍，里面衬着黄色。 —

Though pretending not to be much interested, Murasaki was wondering what sort of lady would go with these last garments. —
虽然假装不太感兴趣，紫却在想最后这些衣服会和什么样的女士搭配。 —

She must resemble her father, a man of fine and striking looks somewhat lacking in the gentler qualities. —
她必须像她的父亲，一个外表出众的男人，有些缺乏温柔质感。 —

It was clear to Genji that despite her composure she was uneasy.
显然给玄慈带来了不安。

“But it is not fair to compare them by their clothes,” he said. —
“但是相比起他们的衣服是不公平的，”他说。 —

“There is a limit to what clothes can do, and the plainest lady has something of her own.”
“衣服能做的事情是有限的，最朴素的女士也有她的特色。”

He chose for the safflower princess a white robe lined with green and decorated profusely with Chinese vignettes. —
他为胭脂公主选了一件白色长袍，里面衬着绿色，还装饰着中式插图。 —

He could not help smiling at its vivacity. And there were garments too for the Akashi lady: —
他忍不住笑了笑，这件衣服确实太生动了。还有衣物送给明石女士： —

a cloak of Chinese white with birds and butterflies flitting among plum branches and a robe of a rich, deep, glossy purple. —
一件白色长袍，鸟儿和蝴蝶在梅枝间飞舞，一件颜色丰富、深沉、光泽的紫红色长袍。 —

Its proud elegance immediately caught the eye — and seemed to Murasaki somewhat overdone. —
它的优雅凌驾一切，让紫感到有些过分。 —

For the lady of the locust shell, now a nun, he selected a most dignified habit of a deep blue-gray, a yellow singlet of his own, and a lavender jacket. —
对于自己现在成为尼姑的蝗虫壳中的女士，他选择了一套最有尊严的衣袍，深蓝灰色的，自己的黄色背心，以及一件薰衣草色的外套。 —

He sent around messages that everyone was to be in full dress. —
他四处传达消息，让每个人都穿盛装。 —

He wanted to see how well, following Murasaki’s principle, he had matched apparel and wearer.
他想看看自己在遵循紫式的原则下，如何搭配服装和穿着者。

All the ladies took great pains with their answers and with gifts for the messengers. —
所有女士都极其用心地回答问题，并为送信者准备了礼物。 —

The safflower lady, left behind in the east lodge at Nijō, might have had certain feelings of deprivation, but she was not one to neglect ceremony. —
留在二条的东馆里的藏红花女士，可能会有一些失落的情感，但她绝不会忽视礼节。 —

She gave the messenger a yellow lady’s robe rather discolored at the sleeves — a hollow locust shell, so to speak. —
她给送信者一件染色斑驳的黄色妇人衣裳 — 可以说是蝗壳。 —

Her note was on official stationery, heavily scented and yellow with age.
她的便条写在年代久远、浓郁馨香并泛黄的公文纸上。

“Your gifts bring boundless sorrow.
“你的礼物给我带来了无尽的悲伤。

“Tearfully I don this Chinese robe,
“含泪我穿上这件汉服，

And having dampened its sleeves, I now return it.”
“把它的袖子弄湿后，我现在归还它。”

The hand was very old-fashioned. Smiling, he read and reread the poem. —
字迹十分古板。他微笑着读了又读这首诗。 —

Murasaki wondered what had so taken his fancy.
紫 wondered what had so taken his fancy.

The messenger slipped away, fearing that Genji might be amused as well at the bounty he had received. The women were all whispering and laughing. —
送信者悄悄离去，担心源氏可能也会对他收到的赏赐感到好笑。女士们都在窃窃私语、笑声不断。 —

The safflower princess, so inflexibly conservative in her ways, could be discommodingly polite.
这位藏红花公主，她那种坚持传统方式的礼貌可能会使人感到拘束。

“A most courtly and elegant lady,” said Genji. “Her conservative style is unable to rid itself of Chinese robes and wet sleeves. —
“她是一位极富宫廷风度和优雅的女士。”源氏说：“她守旧的风格无法摆脱汉服和湿袖。 —

I am a rather conservative person myself, and must somewhat grudgingly admire this tenacious fidelity. —
我自己也是一个相当守旧的人，必须有些勉强地欣赏这种顽固的忠诚。 —

Hers is a style which considers it mandatory to mention ‘august company’ whenever royalty is in the vicinity, and when the exchange is of a romantic nature a reference to fickleness can always be counted on to get one over the caesura. —
她的风格认为当中有皇室成员在场时必须提到‘尊驾’，而当交换情感时，提到多变是一定能带来效果的，这种风格总是能在停顿处占尽优势。 —

” He was still smiling. “One reads all the handbooks and memorizes all the gazetteers, and chooses an item from this and an item from that, and what is wanting is originality. —
他依然面带微笑。“翻阅了所有手册，记住了所有地方志，从这里选了一项，从那里选了一项，不过还是缺少了原创性。 —

She once showed me her father’s handbooks. —
她曾经给我看她父亲的手册。 —

You can’t imagine all the poetic marrow and poetic ills I found in them. —
你不能想象那些手册里包含的诗意精髓和诗意弊病。 —

Somewhat intimidated by these rigorous standards, I gave them back. —
这些严格标准让我有些胆怯，于是我把它们还了回去。 —

But this does seem a rather wispy product from so much study and erudition.”
不过，这么多学习和博学得来的成果，似乎有些苍白。

He was a little too amused, thought Murasaki, who answered most solemnly: —
源氏有点过于得意，紫式部心想，她庄重地回答道： —

“And why did you send them back? We could have made copies and given them to the little girl. —
“那你为什么要把它们还回去呢？我们本可以复制一份给那个小女孩。” —

I used to own some handbooks too, but I’m afraid I let the worms have them. I’m not the student of poetry some people are.”
我自己以前也拥有一些手册，但我怕我已经让虫子吃掉了。我并不像某些人那样是诗歌的学生。

“I doubt that they would have contributed to the girl’s education. —
“我怀疑它们是否会对那个女孩的教育有所贡献。 —

Girls should not be too intense. Ignorance is not to be recommended, of course, but a certain tact in the management of learning is.”
女孩不应该太过热衷。当然不推荐无知，但在管理学习方面应该有一定的手腕。”

He did not seem disposed to answer the safflower princess.
他似乎不愿回答那位藏红花公主。

“She speaks of returning your gifts. You must let her have something in return for her poem.”
“她提到要退还你的礼物。你必须让她有所回赠以作为回诗。”

Essentially a kind man, Genji agreed. He dashed off an answer. This would seem to be what he sent:
源氏本性善良，同意了。他匆匆回了一封信。 这似乎是他发出的内容：

“‘Return,’ you say — ah, ‘turn,’ I set you mean,
“‘退还’，你说 — 啊，‘转身’，我明白你的意思，

Your Chinese robe, prepared for lonely slumber.
你的华袍，准备给寂寞中的睡眠。”

“I understand completely.”
“我完全理解。”