“The shining Genji”: it was almost too grand a name. —
“闪闪发光的源氏”：这个名号几乎有些过大。 —

Yet he did not escape criticism for numerous little adventures. —
然而，他并未能摆脱批评，因为有许多小冒险。 —

It seemed indeed that his indiscretions might give him a name for frivolity, and he did what he could to hide them. —
看起来他的轻率行为可能会让人对他产生虚荣的印象，他也尽力隐藏这些。 —

But his most secret affairs (such is the malicious work of the gossips) became common talk. —
但是他最私密的事务（这是流言蜚语者的恶意）变成了众所周知的话题。 —

If, on the other hand, he were to go through life concerned only for his name and avoid all these interesting and amusing little affairs, then he would be laughed to shame by the likes of the lieutenant of Katano.
另一方面，如果他一生只关心自己的名声，避免所有这些有趣的小事情，那他将会被像加谷左卫门那样的人嘲笑到羞辱。

Still a guards captain, Genji spent most of his time at the palace, going infrequently to the Sanjō mansion of his father-in-law. —
虽然是卫队队长，源氏大部分时间都在皇宫里度过，很少去拜访岳父的三条第。 —

The people there feared that he might have been stained by the lavender of Kasugano Though in fact he had an instinctive dislike for the promiscuity he saw all around him, he had a way of sometimes turning against his own better inclinations and causing unhappiness.
那里的人担心他可能被春日野的那个女子染上坏习气，尽管事实上他本能地不喜欢周围的淫乱，但有时他会反其道而行之，给自己和别人带来不快。

The summer rains came, the court was in retreat, and an even longer interval than usual had passed since his last visit to Sanjō. —
夏天的雨季来临，朝廷进入休假期，自他上次去三条已经过去了比往常更长的时间。 —

Though the minister and his family were much put out, they spared no effort to make him feel welcome. —
尽管大臣和他的家人感到很不悦，他们仍不遗余力地让他感到受欢迎。 —

The minister’s sons were more attentive than to the emperor himself. —
大臣的儿子对他比对皇帝还要更热情。 —

Genji was on particularly good terms with Tō no Chūjō. —
源氏与当时中将关系特别好。 —

They enjoyed music together and more frivolous diversions as well. —
他们一起欣赏音乐，还有更多轻松愉快的消遣。 —

Tō no Chūjō was of an amorous nature and not at all comfortable in the apartments which his father-in-law, the Minister of the Right, had at great expense provided for him. —
中将是个好色之徒，对他公公大费周章为他提供的住所并不满意。 —

At Sanjō with his own family, on the other hand, he took very good care of his rooms, and when Genji came and went the two of them were always together. —
而在自己家的三条，他却精心照料自己的房间，当源氏来去时，两人总是在一起。 —

They were a good match for each other in study and at play. —
无论是学习还是游戏，他们彼此之间非常投契。 —

Reserve quite disappeared between them.
在他们之间，保留的距离消失得无影无踪。

It had been raining all day. There were fewer courtiers than usual in the royal presence. —
那一天一直在下雨。朝廷里出席的官员比往常少了一些。 —

Back in his own palace quarters, also unusually quiet, Genji pulled a lamp near and sought to while away the time with his books. —
回到自己的宫殿住所，也异常地宁静，源氏拉近一盏灯，在书籍中消磨时间。 —

He had Tō no Chūjō with him. Numerous pieces of colored paper, obviously letters, lay on a shelf. —
他身边有当涂中将陪伴。许多张有颜色的纸片，显然是信件，散落在一个架子上。 —

Tō no Chūjō made no attempt to hide his curiosity.
当涂中将毫不掩饰自己的好奇心。

“Well,” said Genji, “there are some I might let you see. —
“好吧，”源氏说，“有一些我可能会让你看。 —

But there are some I think it better not to.”
但有一些我认为最好不要。”

“You miss the point. The ones I want to see are precisely the ones you want to hide. —
“你误解了。我想看的恰恰是你想要隐藏的那些。 —

The ordinary ones — I’m not much of a hand at the game, you know, but even I am up to the ordinary give and take. —
平常的信件 — 我并不擅长这个游戏，你知道，但我至少可以理解常规的来往。 —

But the ones from ladies who think you are not doing right by them, who sit alone through an evening and wait for you to come — those are the ones I want to see.”
但那些认为你对她们不够关注，独自一人度过整个晚上等待你归来的女士们 — 正是我想看的。”

It was not likely that really delicate letters would be left scattered on a shelf, and it may be assumed that the papers treated so carelessly were the less important ones.
很可能真正隐私重要的信件不会被随意散落在架子上，可以假设这些被轻视对待的信件是较不重要的。

“You do have a variety of them,” said Tō no Chūjō, reading the correspondence through piece by piece. —
“你的信件种类繁多，”当涂中将说着，一封封地阅读这些信件。 —

This will be from her, and this will be from her, he would say. —
这封会是她写的，那封会是她写的，他会说。 —

Sometimes he guessed correctly and sometimes he was far afield, to Genji’s great amusement. —
有时他猜对了，有时他完全错了，令源氏发笑。 —

Genji was brief with his replies and let out no secrets.
源氏回复简短，守口如瓶，不泄漏任何秘密。

“It is I who should be asking to see your collection. No doubt it is huge. —
“我应该请求见你的珍藏。毫无疑问它一定很庞大。 —

When I have seen it I shall be happy to throw my files open to you.”
看完之后，我将很乐意向你展示我的文件。”

“I fear there is nothing that would interest you.” Tō no Chūjō was in a contemplative mood. —
“恐怕没有什么能吸引你。”当时的藤壶中将沉思着。 —

“It is with women as it is with everything else: the flawless ones are very few indeed. —
“与一切事物一样，对于女人也是如此：完美的很少见。 —

This is a sad fact which I have learned over the years. —
这是我多年来学到的一个悲伤的事实。 —

All manner of women seem presentable enough at first. —
所有类型的女人起初都看起来很体面。 —

Little notes, replies to this and that, they all suggest sensibility and cultivation. —
一些小便条，回复这个那个，都表现出她们的感性和修养。 —

But when you begin sorting out the really superior ones you find that there are not many who have to be on your list. —
但是当你开始筛选真正优秀的女人时，你会发现能入选的并不多。 —

Each has her little tricks and she makes the most of them, getting in her slights at rivals, so broad sometimes that you almost have to blush. —
每个女人都有她的小把戏，而且她们会充分利用它们，有时候恨不得把她们几乎羞到让你变红。 —

Hidden away by loving parents who build brilliant futures for them, they let word get out of this little talent and that little accomplishment and you are all in a stir. —
她们被慈爱的父母隐藏起来，为她们构建辉煌的未来，让传出这种小才艺和这种小成就的消息，你会为之一振。 —

They are young and pretty and amiable and carefree, and in their boredom they begin to pick up a little from their elders, and in the natural course of things they begin to concentrate on one particular hobby and make something of it. —
她们年轻漂亮、和蔼可亲、无忧无虑，无聊时开始向前辈学习一点，按照自然规律，专注于某种特定的爱好并取得成就。 —

A woman tells you all about it and hides the weak points and brings out the strong ones as if they were everything, and you can’t very well call her a liar. —
一位女人给你讲述这一切，并隐藏弱点，夸大优点，好像它们就是一切，你也不能说她是个说谎者。 —

So you begin keeping company, and it is always the same. —
于是你开始交往，结果总是一样。 —

The fact is not up to the advance notices.”
事实不符合之前的宣传。”

Tō no Chūjō sighed,a sigh clearly based on experience. —
藤壶中将叹了口气，这是一个显然基于经验的叹息。 —

Some of what he had said, though not all, accorded with Genji’s own experience. —
他说的一些内容，虽然不全都符合源氏的经历。 —

“And have you come upon any,” said Genji, smiling, “who would seem to have nothing at all to recommend them?”
“你遇到过哪些人，”源氏微笑着说，“看起来好像一点也没有可取之处的？”

“Who would be fool enough to notice such a woman? —
“谁会傻到去注意这样的女人呢？ —

And in any case, I should imagine that women with no merits are as rare as women with no faults. —
而且我想，没有优点的女人和没有缺点的女人一样少见。 —

If a woman is of good family and well taken care of, then the things she is less than proud of are hidden and she gets by well enough. —
如果一个女人出身好，被照顾得很好，那么她不太光彩的地方会被隐藏起来，她也能过得去。 —

When you come to the middle ranks, each woman has her own little inclinations and there are thousands of ways to separate one from another. —
到了中等阶层，每个女人都有自己的小倾向，有无数种方法可以把她们区分开来。 —

And when you come to the lowest — well, who really pays much attention?”
再到了底层 — 哦，谁会真的关心呢？”

He appeared to know everything. Genji was by now deeply interested.
他似乎什么都知道。现在，玄宫对此深感兴趣。

“You speak of three ranks,” he said, “but is it so easy to make the division? —
“你说了三个阶级，”他说，“但是分辨起来真的这么容易吗？ —

There are well-born ladies who fall in the world and there are people of no background who rise to the higher ranks and build themselves fine houses as if intended for them all along. —
在世上有出身良好的女士却堕落，也有没有背景的人升到更高的阶级，建起华丽的房子，仿佛一直为他们准备好了。 —

How would you fit such people into your system?”
你如何将这样的人纳入你的体系中？”

At this point two young courtiers, a guards officer and a functionary in the ministry of rites, appeared on the scene, to attend the emperor in his retreat. —
这时，两位年轻的宫廷侍臣，一位禁卫将军和一位礼部官员，来到现场，去陪同皇帝在他的居所里。 —

Both were devotees of the way of love and both were good talkers. —
两人都是爱情之道的倾心者，也都很能言善辩。 —

Tō no Chūjō, as if he had been waiting for them, invited their views on the question that had just been asked. —
稻船千住，仿佛在等待他们一样，邀请他们对刚刚提出的问题发表看法。 —

The discussion progressed, and included a number of rather unconvincing points.
讨论进行下去，包括了一些相当站不住脚的观点。

“Those who have just arrived at high position,” said one of the newcomers, “do not attract the same sort of notice as those who were born to it. —
“刚升到高位的人，”其中一位新来者说，“并不像那些生来就有高位的人那样引人注意。 —

And those who were born to the highest rank but somehow do not have the right backing — in spirit they may be as proud and noble as ever, but they cannot hide their deficiencies. —
那些出身最高等级却不知道如何得到正确支持的人——在内心他们可能依然骄傲高贵，但是他们无法掩饰他们的不足。 —

And so I think that they should both be put in your middle rank.
所以我认为他们都应该放在你的中间阶级。

“There are those whose families are not quite of the highest rank but who go off and work hard in the provinces. —
“有些家族并不属于最高阶级，但他们到乡间努力工作。 —

They have their place in the world, though there are all sorts of little differences among them. —
他们在世上有一个位置，尽管他们之间有各种小差异。 —

Some of them would belong on anyone’s list. So it is these days. —
其中一些人应该被列入任何人的清单。现在就是这种情况。 —

Myself, I would take a woman from a middling family over one who has rank and nothing else. —
我个人更愿意选择出身中等家庭的女士，而不是只有高位而别无所长的人。” —

Let us say someone whose father is almost but not quite a councillor. —
让我们说一下，有人的父亲几乎但又并非是议员。 —

Someone who has a decent enough reputation and comes from a decent enough family and can live in some luxury. —
有声誉不错，来自体面家庭并且可以享受一定奢侈生活的人。 —

Such people can be very pleasant. There is nothing wrong with the household arrangements, and indeed a daughter can sometimes be set out in a way that dazzles you. —
这样的人可以非常愉快。家庭安排没有问题，而且一个女儿有时可能被打扮得令人眼花缭乱。 —

I can think of several such women it would be hard to find fault with. —
我可以想到几个这样的女性，很难找到任何过错。 —

When they go into court service, they are the ones the unexpected favors have a way of falling on. —
当她们进入宫廷服务时，意外的好处往往会降临在她们身上。 —

I have seen cases enough of it, I can tell you.’
我见过足够多这样的案例，我可以告诉你。”

Genji smiled. “And so a person should limit himself to girls with money?”
源氏微笑着。“所以应该局限于有钱的女孩吗？”

“That does not sound like you,” said Tō no Chūjō.
“这听起来不像你的风格，” 总中将说。

“When a woman has the highest rank and a spotless reputation,” continued the other, “but something has gone wrong with her upbringing, something is wrong in the way she puts herself forward, you wonder how it can possibly have been allowed to happen. —
“当一个女人地位最高，名誉完好，但教养出了问题，她表现出来的方式有问题，你会想弄清楚这到底是怎么允许发生的。 —

But when all the conditions are right and the girl herself is pretty enough, she is taken for granted. —
但当一切条件都正确，女孩本身足够漂亮，她被视为理所当然。 —

There is no cause for the least surprise. —
一点也不会令人惊讶。 —

Such ladies are beyond the likes of me, and so I leave them where they are, the highest of the high. There are surprisingly pretty ladies wasting away behind tangles of weeds, and hardly anyone even knows of their existence. —
这样的女士超越了我这样的人，所以我把她们放在那里，高高在上。有一些惊人漂亮的女士在杂草丛生之后被荒废，几乎没人知道她们的存在。 —

The first surprise is hard to forget. There she is, a girl with a fat, sloppy old father and boorish brothers and a house that seems common at best. —
第一个惊喜难以忘怀。那里有一个父亲臃肿邋遢，粗鲁的兄弟，看起来最多算普通的家。 —

Off in the women’s rooms is a proud lady who has acquired bits and snatches of this and that. —
在女室里有一位自豪的女士，她已经获得这样那样的片段知识。 —

You get wind of them, however small the accomplishments may be, and they take hold of your imagination. —
你闻得到些许的风声，不管这些成就有多小，它们都会抓住你的想象力。 —

She is not the equal of the one who has everything, of course, but she has her charm. —
她当然不是那个拥有一切的人的对等，但她有她的魅力。 —

She is not easy to pass by.”
她不容易被忽视。

He looked at his companion, the young man from the ministry of rites. —
他看着他的伙伴，来自礼部的年轻人。 —

The latter was silent, wondering if the reference might be to his sisters, just then coming into their own as subjects for conversation. —
后者沉默着，想知道这个提到的可能是他的妹妹们，她们正在成为对话的对象。 —

Genji, it would seem, was thinking that on the highest levels there were sadly few ladies to bestow much thought upon. —
看起来，源氏认为在最高层次很遗憾地找不到太多值得关注的女子。 —

He was wearing several soft white singlets with an informal court robe thrown loosely over them. —
他身穿几件软绵绵的白色背心，随意地披着一件朝服。 —

As he sat in the lamplight leaning against an armrest, his companions almost wished that he were a woman. —
他坐在灯光下，靠在坐椅的扶手上，他的伙伴们几乎希望他是一个女人。 —

Even the “highest of the high” might seem an inadequate match for him.
即使是”尊上之尊”也难以与他媲美。

They talked on, of the varieties of women.
他们谈论起各种类型的女人来。

“A man sees women, all manner of them, who seem beyond reproach,” said the guards officer, “but when it comes to picking the wife who must be everything, matters are not simple. —
“一个人看到各种貌美的女子，看起来都毫无可挑剔，”护卫军官说道，”但要选择能够成为一切的妻子时，事情就不那么简单了。 —

The emperor has trouble, after all, finding the minister who has all the qualifications. —
皇帝也很难找到拥有所有条件的大臣。 —

A man may be very wise, but no man can govern by himself. —
一个人可能很睿智，但没有人能独立治理。 —

Superior is helped by subordinate, subordinate defers to superior, and so affairs proceed by agreement and concession. —
上级受下级协助，下级恭顺于上级，因此事物通过协议和让步进行。 —

But when it comes to choosing the woman who is to be in charge of your house, the qualifications are altogether too many. —
但当选择要管理你家的女人时，条件实在太多了。 —

A merit is balanced by a defect, there is this good point and that bad point, and even women who though not perfect can be made to do are not easy to find. —
一种优点被一个缺点抵消，这里有好处，那里有坏处，即使那些虽然不完美但可以改造的女人也不容易找到。 —

I would not like to have you think me a profligate who has to try them all. —
我不希望你认为我是一个必须尝试所有的放荡不羁者。 —

But it is a question of the woman who must be everything, and it seems best, other things being equal, to find someone who does not require shaping and training, someone who has most of the qualifications from the start. —
但问题在于女性必须什么都要是最好的，其他条件相同的情况下，最好找一个不需要塑造和训练的人，最好从一开始就具备大部分资格的人。 —

The man who begins his search with all this in mind must be reconciled to searching for a very long time.
以这一点为出发点开始寻找的男人必须甘心寻找很长时间。

“He comes upon a woman not completely and in every way to his liking but he makes certain promises and finds her hard to give up. —
“他发现一个女人并不完全符合自己的要求，但许下一些承诺，却很难放手。 —

The world praises him for his honest heart and begins to note good points in the woman too; —
世人称赞他诚实的心灵，并开始注意女人的优点； —

and why not? But I have seen them all, and I doubt that there are any genuinely superior specimens among them. —
为什么不呢？但我见过它们全部，我怀疑其中是否有优秀的例外。 —

What about you gentlemen so far above us? —
你们这些高高在上的绅士们呢？ —

How is it with you when you set out to choose your ladies?
当你们开始选择女士时，情况如何？

“There are those who are young enough and pretty enough and who take care of themselves as if no particle of dust were allowed to fall upon them. —
“有些人年轻漂亮、爱护自己，仿佛不允许任何灰尘落在他们身上。 —

When they write letters they choose the most inoffensive words, and the ink is so faint a man can scarcely read them. —
他们写信时选择最无害的词语，墨水淡得男人几乎看不清。 —

He goes to visit, hoping for a real answer. —
他去拜访，希望得到一个真正的回答。 —

She keeps him waiting and finally lets him have a word or two in an almost inaudible whisper. —
她让他等待，最终以几句几乎听不见的低语回答。 —

They are clever, I can tell you, at hiding their defects.
他们擅长掩饰他们的缺点。

“The soft, feminine ones are likely to assume a great deal. —
“温柔、女性化的人往往倾向于设想太多。 —

The man seeks to please, and the result is that the woman is presently looking elsewhere. —
男人尽力取悦，结果女人很快就会转向别处。 —

That is the first difficulty in a woman.
这是女人的第一个困难。

“In the most important matter, the matter of running his household, a man can find that his wife has too much sensibility, an elegant word and device for every occasion. —
“在最重要的事情上，也就是管理家务方面，一个男人可能发现他的妻子太过敏感，为每个场合都有一个优雅的词语和手段。 —

But what of the too domestic sort, the wife who bustles around the house the whole day long, her hair tucked up behind her ears, no attention to her appearance, making sure that everything is in order? —
但太过于家庭化的女性怎么样呢，整天忙忙碌碌在家里，把头发塞在耳后，不在意自己的外表，只关心确保一切井然有序？ —

There are things on his mind, things he has seen and heard in his comings and goings, the private and public demeanor of his colleagues, happy things and sad things. —
他心里装着各种事情，他在往来时看到和听到的事情，同事们的私人和公共举止，开心的事情和悲伤的事情。 —

Is he to talk of them to an outsider? Of course not. —
他要对一个外人谈这些事情吗？当然不会。 —

He would much prefer someone near at hand, someone who will immediately understand. —
他会更愿意有人靠近，在第一时间就能理解他。 —

A smile passes over his face, tears well up. —
他的脸上绽出微笑，眼泪涌上眼眶。 —

Or some event at court has angered him, things are too much for him. —
或者皇宫里的一些事件激怒了他，事情对他来说太过沉重。 —

What good is it to talk to such a woman? —
对这样一个女人说有什么意义呢？ —

He turns his back on her, and smiles, and sighs, and murmurs something to himself. —
他转过身去，微笑，叹息，对自己低声说些什么。 —

‘I beg your pardon?’ she says, finally noticing. —
‘对不起？’她终于注意到。 —

Her blank expression is hardly what he is looking for.
她茫然的表情并不能满足他的期待。

“When a man picks a gentle, childlike wife, he of course must see to training her and making up for her inadequacies. —
“当一个男人选择了一个温柔天真的妻子，他当然必须着手训练她，并弥补她的不足。 —

Even if at times she seems a bit unsteady, he may feel that his efforts have not been wasted. —
即使有时她似乎有些不稳定，他可能觉得自己的努力并非白费。 —

When she is there beside him her gentle charm makes him forget her defects. —
当她在他身边时，她的温柔魅力让他忘记了她的缺点。 —

But when he is away and sends asking her to perform various services, it becomes clear, however small the service, that she has no thoughts of her own in the matter. —
但是当他不在家时，发送请求她执行各种服务时，就变得清楚了，无论服务多么小，她在这件事上都没有自己的想法。 —

Her uselessness can be trying.
她的无用可能是令人烦恼的。

“I wonder if a woman who is a bit chilly and unfeeling cannot at times seem preferable.”
“我想知道，一个有点冷漠和无情的女人是否有时会显得更可取。”

His manner said that he had known them all; —
他的态度表明他认识他们所有人； —

and he sighed at his inability to hand down a firm decision.
他叹息自己没有能力做出坚定的决定。

“No, let us not worry too much about rank and beauty. —
“不，让我们不要太担心地位和美貌。 —

Let us be satisfied if a woman is not too demanding and eccentric. —
如果一个女人不要求太多且不古怪，那就满足了。 —

It is best to settle on a quiet, steady girl. —
选择一个安静、稳重的女孩是最好的。 —

If she proves to have unusual talent and discrimination — well, count them an unexpected premium. —
如果她证明拥有不同寻常的才能和辨别力——哦，将它们视为意外的额外回报。 —

Do not, on the other hand, worry too much about remedying her defects. —
反之，不要过分担心纠正她的缺点。 —

If she seems steady and not given to tantrums, then the charms will emerge of their own accord.
如果她看起来稳重而不会发脾气，那么魅力会自然显现。

“There are those who display a womanly reticence to the world, as if they had never heard of complaining. —
“有些人展现出女性的沉默寡言，似乎从未听说过抱怨。 —

They seem utterly calm. And then when their thoughts are too much for them they leave behind the most horrendous notes, the most flamboyant poems, the sort of keepsakes certain to call up dreadful memories, and off they go into the mountains or to some remote seashore. —
他们看起来完全平静。当他们的思绪使他们无法承受时，他们会留下最可怕的便条，最华丽的诗歌，一种肯定会唤起可怕回忆的纪念品，然后他们就去山里或某个偏远海滨。 —

When I was a child I would hear the women reading romantic stories, and I would join them in their sniffling and think it all very sad, all very profound and moving. —
当我还是个孩子的时候，我会听到女人们念着浪漫的故事，我也会加入她们的抽泣中，觉得这一切都非常悲伤、深奥和动人。 —

Now I am afraid that it suggests certain pretenses.
现在我担心这些暗示着某种假象。

“It is very stupid, really, to run off and leave a perfectly kind and sympathetic man. —
“真的很愚蠢，离开一个非常仁慈和体贴的男人。 —

He may have been guilty of some minor dereliction, but to run off with no understanding at all of his true feelings, with no purpose other than to attract attention and hope to upset him — it is an unpleasant sort of memory to have to live with. —
他可能犯了一些轻微的疏忽，但毫无理解地匆匆离去，目的只是为了引起注意，希望让他心烦意乱 — 这是一种让人难以忍受的记忆。 —

She gets drunk with admiration for herself and there she is, a nun. —
她因为对自己的自尊感到醉生梦死，然后成了一名修女。 —

When she enters her convent she is sure that she has found enlightenment and has no regrets for the vulgar world.
当她进入修道院时，她确信自己找到了启示，对那庸俗的世界毫无遗憾。

“Her women come to see her.‘How very touching,’ they say.‘How brave of you.’
“她的女人们来看她。‘多么感动，’ 他们说。‘你真勇敢。

“But she no longer feels quite as pleased with herself. —
“但她开始对自己感到不太满意。 —

The man, who has not lost his affection for her, hears of what has happened and weeps, and certain of her old attendants pass this intelligence on to her. —
这名男子并没有失去对她的感情，听闻了发生的事情，流泪，而她的一些老侍女将这个消息传给了她。 —

‘He is a man of great feeling, you see. What a pity that it should have come to this. —
‘你瞧，他是一个充满感情的人。真可惜事情会演变成这样。 —

’ The woman can only brush aside her newly cropped hair to reveal a face on the edge of tears. —
’这名女子只能扯开新剪过的头发，露出眼泪欲滴的脸庞。 —

She tries to hold them back and cannot, such are her regrets for the life she has left behind; —
她试图控制住泪水却做不到，因为她对离开的生活深感遗憾； —

and the Buddha is not likely to think her one who has cleansed her heart of passion. —
而佛陀可能会认为她并没有净化自己的激情之心。 —

probably she is in more danger of brimstone now in this fragile vocation than if she had stayed with us in our sullied world.
大概在这脆弱的修行中，她比如果留在我们这个污秽的世界里更容易遭受硫磺的威胁。

“The bond between husband and wife is a strong one. —
“夫妻之间的羁绊是坚固的。 —

Suppose the man had hunted her out and brought her back. —
假设那个男人找到了她并把她带回来。 —

The memory of her acts would still be there, and inevitably, sooner or later, it would be cause for rancor. —
她的行为的记忆仍然存在，时间早晚会引发仇恨。 —

When there are crises, incidents, a woman should try to overlook them, for better or for worse, and make the bond into something durable. —
当出现危机和事故时，一个女人应该尽量忍耐，无论是好是坏，让感情变得更加持久。 —

The wounds will remain, with the woman and with the man, when there are crises such as I have described. —
当出现我描述的危机时，伤痕将会留下，无论是对女人还是男人。 —

It is very foolish for a woman to let a little dalliance upset her so much that she shows her resentment openly. —
一个女人让一点轻率之事影响到她，以至于公开表现出她的怨恨，是非常愚蠢的。 —

He has his adventures — but if he has fond memories of their early days together, his and hers, she may be sure that she matters. —
他有他的冒险经历，但如果他对他们早期在一起的美好记忆仍然心存感慨，她可以确定她是重要的。 —

A commotion means the end of everything. —
一场骚动意味着一切的终结。 —

She should be quiet and generous, and when something comes up that quite properly arouses her resentment she should make it known by delicate hints. —
她应该保持沉默和慷慨，在合理地激起她怨恨的事情上，应该通过微妙的暗示表明。 —

The man will feel guilty and with tactful guidance he will mend his ways. —
男人会感到内疚，通过巧妙的引导，他将改过自新。 —

Too much lenience can make a woman seem charmingly docile and trusting, but it can also make her seem somewhat wanting in substance. —
太过宽容可能使一个女人看起来迷人地顺从和信任，但也可能使她显得有些缺乏实质。 —

We have had instances enough of boats abandoned to the winds and waves. —
我们已经有了足够的船只被遗弃给风浪的例子。 —

Do you not agree?”
你不同意吗？

Tō no Chūjō nodded. “It may be difficult when someone you are especially fond of, someone beautiful and charming, has been guilty of an indiscretion, but magnanimity produces wonders. —
部长点点头。“当你特别喜欢的人，一个美丽迷人的人，犯了错误时，宽容会产生奇迹。 —

They may not always work, but generosity and reasonableness and patience do on the whole seem best.”
它们可能不总是有效，但大度、理智和耐心似乎总体而言是最好的。”

His own sister was a case in point, he was thinking, and he was somewhat annoyed to note that Genji was silent because he had fallen asleep. —
他的妹妹就是一个例子，他在想着，他有点恼火地注意到源氏因为入睡而保持沉默。 —

Meanwhile the young guards officer talked on, a dedicated student of his subject. —
与此同时，年轻的警卫官继续讲述，致力于他的主题。 —

Tō no Chūjō was determined to hear him out.
部长决定听完他的讲话。

“Let us make some comparisons,” said the guardsman. “Let us think of the cabinetmaker. —
“让我们做一些比较，”卫兵说道。“让我们想想那位家具匠。 —

He shapes pieces as he feels like shaping them. —
他按照自己的意愿来塑造这些作品。 —

They may be only playthings, with no real plan or pattern. —
它们可能只是一些玩物，没有真正的计划或模式。 —

They may all the same have a certain style for what they are — they may take on a certain novelty as times change and be very interesting. —
它们可能会有某种风格 — 随着时代的变化，它们可能会显得很有趣。 —

But when it comes to the genuine object, something of such undeniable value that a man wants to have it always with him — the perfection of the form announces that it is from the hand of a master.
但当谈到真正具有无可否认价值的物品时，一个人希望永远携带它 — 完美的形态宣告着它是大师之手。

“Or let us look at painting. There are any number of masters in the academy. —
“或者让我们看看绘画。在学院里有很多大师。 —

It is not easy to separate the good from the bad among those who work on the basic sketches. —
在那些从事基本素描的人中，很难把好坏区分开来。 —

But let color be added. The painter of things no one ever sees, of paradises, of fish in angry seas, raging beasts in foreign lands, devils and demons — the painter abandons himself to his fancies and paints to terrify and astonish. —
但当颜色被添加进去。那些绘画从未被人看到的事物的画家，天堂的景象、愤怒的海上鱼、异国猛兽、恶魔和恶魔 — 画家放纵自己的幻想，画作旨在让人震惊。 —

What does it matter if the results seem somewhat remote from real life? —
如果结果似乎与现实生活有些遥远，又有何妨？ —

It is not so with the things we know, mountains, streams, houses near and like our own. —
这与我们所了解的事物不同，山川、河流、靠近我们家的建筑。 —

The soft, unspoiled, wooded hills must be painted layer on layer, the details added gently, quietly, to give a sense of affectionate familiarity. —
那些柔软、未受破坏的林木丘陵必须被层层绘制，细节温柔、安静地添加，以给人一种亲切、熟悉的感觉。 —

And the foreground too, the garden inside the walls, the arrangement of the stones and grasses and waters. —
还有前景，院墙内的花园，石头、草地和水的布置。 —

It is here that the master has his own power. —
在这里，大师有他自己的力量。 —

There are details a lesser painter cannot imitate.
有些细节是次级画家无法模仿的。

“Or let us look at calligraphy. A man without any great skill can stretch out this line and that in the cursive style and give an appearance of boldness and distinction. —
“或者让我们看看书法。一个技艺不太高超的人可以在行草风格中拉长这一线那一线，给人一种大胆和独特的外观。” —

The man who has mastered the principles and writes with concentration may, on the other hand, have none of the eye-catching tricks; —
已经掌握了原则并专心致志写作的人，可能反而没有什么吸引眼球的技巧； —

but when you take the trouble to compare the two the real thing is the real thing.
但当你费心去比较这两者时，真实的东西才是真实的东西。

“So it is with trivialities like painting and calligraphy. —
“所以像绘画和书法这样的琐事也是如此。 —

How much more so with matters of the heart! —
心灵的事情更是如此！ —

I put no trust in the showy sort of affection that is quick to come forth when a suitable occasion presents itself. —
我不相信那种在适当时机出现时迅速显现的炫耀型情感。 —

Let me tell you of something that happened to me a long time ago. —
让我告诉你发生在我身上很久以前的一件事。 —

You may find the story a touch wanton, but hear me through all the same.”
你可能觉得这个故事有些放荡，但还是请听完。

He drew close to Genji, who awoke from his slumber. —
他走近了光源氏，把他从睡梦中唤醒。 —

Tō no Chūjō, chin in hand, sat opposite, listening with the greatest admiration and attention. —
頭中将撑着下巴，坐在对面，极其钦佩地倾听着。 —

There was in the young man’s manner something slightly comical, as if he were a sage expostulating upon the deepest truths of the universe, but at such times a young man is not inclined to conceal his most intimate secrets.
这位年轻人的举止有点滑稽，仿佛是一个智者在阐述宇宙最深刻的真理，但在这种时刻，一个年轻人并不倾向于隐藏自己最私密的秘密。

“It happened when I was very young, hardly more than a page. I was attracted to a woman. —
“那是在我很年轻的时候发生的，几乎还不到侍从的年纪。我被一个女人吸引了。 —

She was of a sort I have mentioned before, not the most beautiful in the world. —
她是我之前提到过的那一类型的女人，并非世上最美丽的人。 —

In my youthful frivolity, I did not at first think of making her my wife. —
在我年少轻浮时，我一开始并没有想着让她成为我的妻子。 —

She was someone to visit, not someone who deserved my full attention. —
她只是我去拜访的一个人，而不是值得我全神贯注的人。 —

Other places interested me more. She was violently jealous. —
其他地方吸引了我更多。她异常妒忌。” —

If only she could be a little more understanding, I thought, wanting to be away from the interminable quarreling. —
如果她能多一点理解就好了，我想着，希望远离这无休止的争吵。 —

And on the other hand it sometimes struck me as a little sad that she should be so worried about a man of so little account as myself. —
另一方面，她竟如此担忧一个像我这样微不足道的男人，有时让我觉得有点悲哀。 —

In the course of time I began to mend my ways.
随着时间的推移，我开始改变我的方式。

“For my sake, she would try to do things for which her talent and nature did not suit her, and she was determined not to seem inferior even in matters for which she had no great aptitude. —
“为了我的缘故，她愿意尝试那些并不适合她的才华和本性的事情，她决心即使在那些她并不擅长的事情上也不显得逊色。 —

She served me diligently in everything. She did not want to be guilty of the smallest thing that might go against my wishes. —
她在一切事情上都辛勤地侍奉我。她不想做出丝毫可能违背我的意愿的事情。 —

I had at first thought her rather strong-willed, but she proved to be docile and pliant. —
我起初觉得她有点强势，但她后来证明自己是顺从而温顺的。 —

She thought constantly about hiding her less favorable qualities, afraid that they might put me off, and she did what she could to avoid displaying herself and causing me embarrassment. —
她时刻考虑隐藏自己不太讨人喜欢的品质，担心可能让我失望，她竭力避免展现自己，以免令我尴尬。 —

She was a model of devotion. In a word, there was nothing wrong with her — save the one thing I found so trying.
她是忠诚的典范。总的说来，除了让我觉得烦恼的那一点外，她没有任何问题。

“I told myself that she was devoted to the point of fear, and that if I led her to think I might be giving her up she might be a little less suspicious and given to nagging. —
“我告诉自己她至极畏惧，如果我让她觉得我可能要离开她，她可能会少一些疑心和唠叨。 —

I had had almost all I could stand. If she really wanted to be with me and I suggested that a break was near, then she might reform. —
我已经忍无可忍。如果她真的想和我在一起，我暗示我们之间快要结束，那么她可能会改正。 —

I behaved with studied coldness, and when, as always, her resentment exploded, I said to her: —
我表现得冷漠，当她像往常一样愤怒时，我对她说： —

‘Not even the strongest bond between husband and wife can stand an unlimited amount of this sort of thing. —
“就算是夫妻之间最坚固的纽带，也承受不了无尽的类似事情。 —

It will eventually break, and he will not see her again. —
它终将破裂，他将不再见她。 —

If you want to bring matters to such a pass, then go on doubting me as you have. —
如果你想把事情逼到这种地步，那么继续对我的怀疑吧。 —

If you would like to be with me for the years that lie ahead of us, then bear the trials as they come, difficult though they may be, and think them the way of the world. —
如果你愿意与我共度未来的岁月，那么忍受这些试炼吧，尽管它们可能艰难，把它们视为世间的常态。 —

If you manage to overcome your jealousy, my affection is certain to grow. —
如果你设法克服你的嫉妒，我的感情肯定会增长。 —

It seems likely that I will move ahead into an office of some distinction, and you will go with me and have no one you need think of as a rival. —
看起来我很可能会在一个有些显赫的办公室晋升，你会跟着我，不会再有任何你需要担心的竞争对手。 —

’ I was very pleased with myself. I had performed brilliantly as a preceptor.
“我为自己感到非常高兴。我表现得非常出色，像一个指导者。

“But she only smiled.‘Oh, it won’t be all that much trouble to put up with your want of consequence and wait till you are important. —
“但她只是微笑。“哦，忍受你的无关紧要和等待你变得重要并不会有太多麻烦。 —

It will be much harder to pass the months and the years in the barely discernible hope that you will settle down and mend your fickle ways. —
在几个月和几年里带着几乎看不见的希望去度过，希望你会安定下来，改掉你善变的方式，会更艰难。 —

Maybe you are right. Maybe this is the time to part.’
或许你是对的。也许这是分手的时候。

“I was furious, and I said so, and she answered in kind. —
“我很生气，我这样说了，她也同样回应了。 —

Then, suddenly, she took my hand and bit my finger.
突然，她拉住我的手，咬了我的手指。

“I reproved her somewhat extravagantly.‘You insult me, and now you have wounded me. —
“我有些过分谴责她。“你侮辱了我，现在你还伤害了我。 —

Do you think I can go to court like this? —
你认为我这样能去宫廷吗？ —

I am, as you say, a person of no consequence, and now, mutilated as I am, what is to help me get ahead in the world? —
正如你所说，我是一个无足轻重的人，现在，就算我残缺不全，还能指望什么在这个世界上有所作为？ —

There is nothing left for me but to become a monk. —
对我来说除了去当个僧侣外别无选择。 —

’ That meeting must be our last, I said, and departed, flexing my wounded finger.
“那次会面必须是我们最后一次，我说着，拿着受伤的手指离开了。

“‘I count them over, the many things between us.
“数着它们，我们之间的许多事情。

One finger does not, alas, count the sum of your failures.
一个手指不足以算出你的所有失误。

“I left the verse behind, adding that now she had nothing to complain about.
“我留下了那首诗，说现在她已经没什么好抱怨的了。

“She had a verse of her own. There were tears in her eyes.
“她自己有自己的诗句。她眼中含泪。

“‘I have counted them up myself, be assured, my failures.
“‘我自己数了，我失败了。

For one bitten finger must all be bitten away?’
一个被咬伤的手指难道要被全部咬掉吗？’

“I did not really mean to leave her, but my days were occupied in wanderings here and there, and I sent her no message. —
“我并不是真的打算离开她，但我的日子被各处流连耽误，并没有给她留下任何消息。 —

Then, late one evening toward the end of the year — it was an evening of rehearsals for the Kamo festival — a sleet was falling as we all started for home. —
后来的一年里的一个傍晚，是鴨团的排练之夜，雨雪交加当我们都向家走去。 —

Home. It came to me that I really had nowhere to go but her house. —
家。我意识到我真的没有别的去处，只能去她的家。 —

It would be no pleasure to sleep alone at the palace, and if I visited a woman of sensibility I would be kept freezing while she admired the snow. —
在宫中独自入眠没有什么乐趣，如果去看望一个通情达理的女人，我会被她欣赏雪景的时候冻僵。 —

I would go look in upon her, and see what sort of mood she might be in. —
我决定去看看她，看看她是什么心情。 —

And so, brushing away the sleet, I made my way to her house. —
于是，抖去身上的雨雪，我向她的家走去。 —

I felt just a little shy, but told myself that the sleet melting from my coat should melt her resentment. —
我觉得有点害羞，但告诉自己身上融化的雨雪应该也能融化她的怨恨。 —

There was a dim light turned toward the wall, and a comfortable old robe of thick silk lay spread out to warm. —
一道微弱的灯光朝着墙壁，一件古旧舒适的厚丝袍敞开放着取暖。 —

The curtains were raised, everything suggested that she was waiting for me. —
窗帘拉起，一切都在暗示着她在等我。 —

I felt that I had done rather well.
我觉得我做得相当不错。

“But she was nowhere in sight. She had gone that evening to stay with her parents, said the women who had been left behind. —
“但她却不见了。留在家的妇人们说，那天晚上她去跟父母住了。” —

I had been feeling somewhat unhappy that she had maintained such a chilly silence, sending no amorous poems or queries. —
我一直感到有些不高兴，她保持这样冷漠的沉默，没有寄来任何恋爱诗句或询问。 —

I wondered, though not very seriously, whether her shrillness and her jealousy might not have been intended for the precise purpose of disposing of me; —
我不太认真地想，她的尖刻和嫉妒可能并非出于让我离去的意图； —

but now I found clothes laid out with more attention to color and pattern than usual, exactly as she knew I liked them. —
但现在我发现她精心挑选了颜色和图案，放在一起的服装，完全符合我喜欢的款式。 —

She was seeing to my needs even now that I had apparently discarded her.
即便我明显地抛弃了她，她仍然照顾着我的需要。

“And so, despite this strange state of affairs, I was convinced that she did not mean to do without me. —
“因此，尽管这种奇怪的状态，我坚信她并非打算舍弃我。 —

I continued to send messages, and she neither protested nor gave an impression of wanting to annoy me by staying out of sight, and in her answers she was always careful not to anger or hurt me. —
我继续发送消息，而她既不抗议也不故意保持低调，她的回答总是小心翼翼，不想惹恼或伤害我。 —

Yet she went on saying that she could not forgive the behavior I had been guilty of in the past. —
然而，她仍在说她无法原谅我过去的行为。 —

If I would settle down she would be very happy to keep company with me. —
如果我肯定下来，她将会很乐意与我相伴。 —

Sure that we would not part, I thought I would give her another lesson or two. —
我确信我们不会分开，我想给她一两次教训。 —

I told her I had no intention of reforming, and made a great show of independence. —
我告诉她我没有改过的意图，表现出极度的独立。 —

She was sad, I gathered, and then without warning she died. —
我感觉到她很伤心，然后突然她去世了。 —

And the game I had been playing to seem rather inappropriate.
我一直在玩的那个游戏似乎有些不恰当。

“She was a woman of such accomplishments that I could leave everything to her. —
“她是个有着如此多才多艺的女人，我可以把一切交给她。 —

I continue to regret what I had done. I could discuss trivial things with her and important things. —
我继续后悔我所做的事情。我可以和她讨论琐碎的事情和重要的事情。 —

For her skills in dyeing she might have been compared to Princess Tatsuta and the comparison would not have seemed ridiculous, and in sewing she could have held her own with princess Tanabata.”
以她在染色方面的技能来比，她可能会被比作竹津姬，这个比较并不荒谬，并且在缝纫方面，她可以与七夕姬媲美。”

The young man sighed and sighed again.
那年轻人叹息了又叹息。

Tō no Chūjō nodded. “Leaving her accomplishments as a seamstress aside, I should imagine you were looking for someone as faithful as Princess Tanabata. —
当中将军点头道，“不论她作为一名裁缝的成就如何，我想你一定是在找一个像七夕公主那样忠诚的人吧。” —

And if she could embroider like princess Tatsuta, well, it does not seem likely that you will come on her equal again. —
如果她能够像龙田公主一样绣花，那么你很可能再也找不到她的对手了。 —

When the colors of a robe do not match the seasons, the flowers of spring and the autumn tints, when they are somehow vague and muddy, then the whole effort is as futile as the dew. —
当一袭衣袍的颜色不与季节相称，春天的花朵和秋季的色彩，当它们有点含混和暗淡，那么整个努力就像露水一样徒劳。 —

So it is with women. It is not easy in this world to find a perfect wife. —
与女性也是如此。在这个世界上找到完美的妻子并不容易。 —

We are all pursuing the ideal and failing to find it.”
我们都在追求理想，却无法实现。

The guards officer talked on. “There was another one. I was seeing her at about the same time. —
护卫军官继续说道，“另外还有一个人。我当时也和她见面。 —

She was more amiable than the one I have just described to you. —
她比我刚才描述的那个更和蔼可亲。 —

Everything about her told of refinement. —
她的一切都散发出精致和优雅。 —

Her poems, her handwriting when she dashed off a letter, the koto she plucked a note on — everything seemed right. —
她的诗歌，她匆匆写下的信笺，她弹奏的箜篌乐音 — 一切都很对劲。 —

She was clever with her hands and clever with words. And her looks were adequate. —
她的手巧，口才佳。外表也还过得去。 —

The jealous woman’s house had come to seem the place I could really call mine, and I went in secret to the other woman from time to time and became very fond of her. —
那个妒妇的家渐渐成为我能真正称之为“家”的地方，我偶尔秘密地去看另一个女人，并对她产生了深厚的感情。 —

The jealous one died, I wondered what to do next. —
那个妒妇去世后，我想接下来该怎么办。 —

I was sad, of course, but a man cannot go on being sad forever. I visited the other more often. —
当然我很伤心，但一个人不能永远伤心。我更频繁地拜访那位女子。 —

But there was something a little too aggressive, a little too sensuous about her. —
但她有点太穷迫，有点太感官化了。 —

As I came to know her well and to think her a not very dependable sort, I called less often. —
当我开始了解她，并认为她不太可靠时，我就拜访她的次数越来越少。 —

And I learned that I was not her only secret visitor.
我发现我并不是她唯一的秘密访客。

“One bright moonlit autumn night I chanced to leave court with a friend. —
“一个明亮的月光照耀的秋夜，我碰巧与一个朋友一起离开了宫廷。 —

He got in with me as I started for my father’s. —
在我朝着我父亲的方向出发时，他也跟着上了车。 —

He was much concerned, he said, about a house where he was sure someone would be waiting. —
他说，他很担心一个房子里一定有人在等待。 —

It happened to be on my way.
那个房子恰好在我的路上。

“Through gaps in a neglected wall I could see the moon shining on a pond. —
“透过一堵废弃的墙，我可以看到月光照耀在一个池塘上。 —

It seemed a pity not to linger a moment at a spot where the moon seemed so much at home, and so I climbed out after my friend. —
在这个月光如此恰到好处的地方逗留一会儿似乎为时不晚，于是我和朋友爬了出去。 —

It would appear that this was not his first visit. —
似乎这不是他的第一次访问。 —

He proceeded briskly to the veranda and took a seat near the gate and looked up at the moon for a time. —
他迅速走到阳台上，坐在门口附近，仰望月亮片刻。 —

The chrysanthemums were at their best, very slightly touched by the frost, and the red leaves were beautiful in the autumn wind. —
菊花盛开，被霜轻轻触及，红叶在秋风中美丽动人。 —

He took out a flute and played a tune on it, and sang’The Well of Asuka’ and several other songs. —
他掏出一支笛子吹了曲子，唱起了“飞鸟和麒麟”以及其他几首歌曲。 —

Blending nicely with the flute came the mellow tones of a japanese koto. —
笛声与一把日本箏的温润音调很好地融合在一起。 —

It had been tuned in advance, apparently, and was waiting. —
显然，这把箏事先已调好，正在等待演奏。 —

The ritsu scale had a pleasant modern sound to it, right for a soft, womanly touch from behind blinds, and right for the clear moonlight too. —
立律音阶有着一种愉快的现代音色，适合从帷幔后传出温柔女性的触感，也适合在明亮月光下。 —

I can assure you that the effect was not at all unpleasant.
我可以向你保证，这种效果一点也不讨厌。

“Delighted, my friend went up to the blinds.
“高兴的是，我的朋友走到百叶窗前。

“‘I see that no one has yet broken a path through your fallen leaves,’ he said, somewhat sarcastically. —
“‘我看到还没有人在你落叶上开出一条道路，’他有点讽刺地说。 —

He broke off a chrysanthemum and pushed it under the blinds.
他摘下一朵菊花，塞进了百叶窗下。

“‘Uncommonly fine this house, for moon, for koto.
“‘这房子的月色和箏声格外美妙。

Does it bring to itself indifferent callers as well?
这里也会迎接一些漠不关心的访客吗？

“‘Excuse me for asking. You must not be parsimonious with your music. You have a by no means indifferent listener.’
“‘请原谅我这样问。你绝对不能对你的音乐吝啬。你有一个绝不漠不关心的听众。’

“He was very playful indeed. The woman’s voice, when she offered a verse of her own, was suggestive and equally playful.
“他确实很顽皮。女人的声音在她自己的诗句中显得富有暗示，同样调皮。

“‘No match the leaves for the angry winter winds.
“‘叶子不能匹敌愤怒的冬风。

Am I to detain the flute that joins those winds?’
我要扣留那和风一起演奏的箫吗？’

“Naturally unaware of resentment so near at hand, she changed to a Chinese koto in an elegant banjiki. —
“她一点也不知道就近处潜在的怨恨，她换上了优雅的半吉他琴。 —

Though I had to admit that she had talent, I was very annoyed. —
尽管我不得不承认她很有天赋，但我很恼火。 —

It is amusing enough, if you let things go no further, to exchange jokes from time to time with fickle and frivolous ladies; —
和轻浮的女士之间不时交换笑话是挺有趣的； —

but as a place to take seriously, even for an occasional visit, matters here seemed to have gone too far. —
但是若是要把这里当成一个需要认真对待的地方，即使只是偶尔造访，情况似乎已经太远。 —

I made the events of that evening my excuse for leaving her.
那个晚上的事件成为了我离开她的借口。

“I see, as I look back on the two affairs, that young though I was the second of the two women did not seem the kind to put my trust in. —
“回顾这两段感情，我看到，虽然年轻，但第二位女子似乎并不是我可以信任的类型。” —

I have no doubt that the wariness will grow as the years go by. —
“我毫无疑问，警惕心会随着年岁的增长而加强。” —

The dear, uncertain ones — the dew that will fall when the hagi branch is bent, the speck of frost that will melt when it is lifted from the bamboo leaf — no doubt they can be interesting for a time. —
“可爱而不确定的人——当萩枝弯曲时落下的露珠，从竹叶上拿起时会融化的霜露——毫无疑问，它们在一段时间内会令人感兴趣。” —

You have seven years to go before you are my age,” he said to Genji. “Just wait and you will understand. —
他对源氏说：“你还有七年才到我这个年纪，只要等待，你就会明白。” —

perhaps you can take the advice of a person of no importance, and avoid the uncertain ones. —
“也许你可以听取一个无足轻重之人的建议，避开那些不确定的人。” —

They stumble sooner or later, and do a man’s name no good when they do.”
“他们迟早会犯错，而且当他们犯错时，对一个男人的名誉没什么好处。”

Tō no Chūjō nodded,as always. Genji, though he only smiled, seemed to agree.
藤壶点头，一如既往。源氏虽然只是微笑，似乎也表示同意。

“Neither of the tales you have given us has been a very happy one,” he said.
“你给我们讲的两个故事都不是很幸福的故事，”他说。

“Let me tell you a story about a foolish woman I once knew,” said Tō no Chūjō. —
“让我给你讲一个我曾经认识的愚蠢女人的故事，”藤壶说。 —

” I was seeing her in secret, and I did not think that the affair was likely to last very long. —
“我暗中会见她，我并不觉得这段感情会持续太久。” —

But she was very beautiful, and as time passed I came to think that I must go on seeing her, if only infrequently. —
“但她非常漂亮，随着时间的推移，我开始觉得我必须继续见她，即使只是偶尔。” —

I sensed that she had come to depend on me. I expected signs of jealousy. There were none. —
“我察觉到她开始依赖我。我期待着嫉妒的迹象。但并没有。” —

She did not seem to feel the resentment a man expects from a woman he visits so seldom. —
“她似乎不觉得会为我如此少见的男人而产生的怨恨。” —

She waited quietly, morning and night. My affection grew, and I let it be known that she did indeed have a man she could depend on. —
“她静静地等待，日夜如一。我的感情增长了，我让她知道她确实有一个可以依靠的男人。” —

There was something very appealing about her (she was an orphan), letting me know that I was all she had.
“她有着令人难以抵御的魅力（她是一个孤儿），让我知道我是她唯一的依靠。””

“She seemed content. Untroubled, I stayed away for rather a long time. —
她似乎很满足。无忧无虑地我离开了相当长一段时间。 —

Then — I heard of it only later — my wife found a roundabout way to be objectionable. —
后来我才听说 — 我妻子找到了一个迂回的方式来表达反对意见。 —

I did not know that I had become a cause of pain. —
我不知道我已经成为了痛苦的原因。 —

I had desperately lonely and worried for the child she had borne. —
我为她所生的孩子感到绝望的孤独和担忧。 —

One day she sent me a letter attached to a wild carnation. —
有一天她给我寄了一封附有一朵野康乃馨的信。 —

” His voice trembled.
“他的声音颤抖着。

“And what did it say?” Genji urged him on.
“它说了什么？” 源氏催促他继续说下去。

“Nothing very remarkable. I do remember her poem, though:
“没有什么特别的。不过我还记得她的诗:

“‘The fence of the mountain rustic may fall to the ground.
“山野的篱笆可能垮下来。

Rest gently, O dew, upon the wild carnation.’
柳陌兮，采我采伊。

“I went to see her again. The talk was open and easy, as always, but she seemed pensive as she looked out at the dewy garden from the neglected house. —
“我再次去看她。谈话像往常一样开放和轻松，但她看着荒废的房子从怀念的角度看着露水滋润的花园，似乎有些忧郁。 —

She seemed to be weeping, joining her laments to the songs of the autumn insects. —
她似乎在哭泣，她的哀思与秋虫的歌声融为一体。 —

It could have been a scene from an old romance. —
这可以是一个古老浪漫故事的场景。 —

I whispered a verse:
我低声吟诵一首诗:

“‘No bloom in this wild array would I wish to slight.
“在这片野生之梦中不愿看轻任何花。”

But dearest of all to me is the wild carnation.’
但我最心爱的是野康乃馨。

“Her carnation had been the child. I made it clear that my own was the lady herself, the wild carnation no dust falls upon.
“她的康乃馨曾经是孩子。我明确表明，我心爱的是那位女士本人，需要时刻保持不被尘埃落下的野康乃馨。

“She answered:
她回答道：

“‘Dew wets the sleeve that brushes the wild carnation.
“露水浸湿了掠过野康乃馨的袖子。

The tempest rages. Now comes autumn too.’
暴风骤雨。现在秋天也已经到来。

“She spoke quietly all the same, and she did not seem really angry. —
尽管她说话声音低沉，但似乎并不真的生气。 —

She did shed a tear from time to time, but she seemed ashamed of herself, and anxious to avoid difficult moments. —
她间或落下泪来，但她似乎对自己感到羞愧，想要避免尴尬的时刻。 —

I went away feeling much relieved. It was clear that she did not want to show any sign of anger at my neglect. —
我离开时感到很大的解脱。显然她并不想在我忽视她时展示出任何愤怒的迹象。 —

And so once more I stayed away for rather a long time.
所以我再次离开了相当长一段时间。

“And when I looked in on her again she had disappeared.
当我再次看望她时，她已经消失了。

“If she is still living, it must be in very unhappy circumstances. —
如果她还活着，她必定处境非常不幸。 —

She need not have suffered so if she had asserted herself a little more in the days when we were together. —
如果在我们在一起的日子里她稍微坚持一点，她就不必这样受苦。 —

She need not have put up with my absences, and I would have seen to her needs over the years. —
如果她当时坚持得强硬一点，我会在这些年里照顾到她的需要。 —

The child was a very pretty little girl. —
那个孩子是一个非常漂亮的小女孩。 —

I was fond of her, and I have not been able to find any trace of her.
我喜欢她，但我一直无法找到她的踪迹。

“She must be listed among your reticent ones, I suppose? She let me have no hint of jealousy. —
“我想她应该被列为你那些沉默寡言的人之一？我想她并没有给我任何嫉妒的暗示。” —

Unaware of what was going on, I had no intention of giving her up. —
“我对正在发生的事毫不知情，我并没有放弃她的打算。” —

But the result was hopeless yearning, quite as if I had given her up. I am beginning to forget; —
“但结果却是无望的渴望，就好像我已经放弃了她。我开始忘记了；” —

and how is it with her? She must remember me sometimes, I should think, with regret, because she must remember too that it was not I who abandoned her. —
“她怎么样了呢？我想她一定会有后悔的时候，因为她也会记得那并不是我抛弃她。” —

She was, I fear, not the sort of woman one finds it possible to keep for very long.
“她恐怕不是那种可以长久留住的女人。”

“Your jealous woman must be interesting enough to remember, but she must have been a bit wearying. —
“你那个嫉妒的女人一定很有趣，但她必定有点让人感到疲乏。” —

And the other one, all her skill on the koto cannot have been much compensation for the undependability. —
“而另一个，她在箜篌上的技艺也许无法弥补那种不可靠。” —

And the one I have described to you — her very lack of jealousy might have brought a suspicion that there was another man in her life. —
“还有那个我跟你描述过的 —— 她缺乏嫉妒，可能会让人怀疑她生活中还有其他男人。” —

Well, such is the way with the world — you cannot give your unqualified approval to any of them. —
“哎，这就是世间的方式 —— 你无法对她们中的任何一个给予完全的认可。” —

Where are you to go for the woman who has no defects and who combines the virtues of all three? —
“你到哪里去找一个没有缺陷，并将这三个女人的优点合而为一的女人呢？” —

You might choose Our Lady of Felicity — and find yourself married to unspeakable holiness.”
“也许你可以选择我们幸福女神 —— 结果发现自己嫁给了说不出的圣洁。”

The others laughed.
其他人笑了。

Tō no Chūjō turned to the young man from the ministry of rites. —
“当中将军转向来自礼部的年轻人。 —

“You must have interesting stories too.”
“你一定也有有趣的故事。”

“Oh, please. How could the lowest of the low hope to hold your attention?”
“哦，请。卑微之辈怎么能指望吸引您的注意呢？”

“You must not keep us waiting.”
“你不得让我们等待。”

“Let me think a minute.” He seemed to be sorting out memories.
“让我想一会儿。”他似乎在整理记忆。

“When I was still a student I knew a remarkably wise woman. —
“我还是个学生的时候，认识了一位非常睿智的女士。 —

She was the sort worth consulting about public affairs, and she had a good mind too for the little tangles that come into your private life. —
她对公共事务值得咨询，而且她也很善于解决你私生活中的小困扰。 —

Her erudition would have put any ordinary sage to shame. —
“她的博学足以让任何普通的智者感到惭愧。 —

In a word, I was awed into silence.
“一句话，我被她震撼得无言以对。

“I was studying under a learned scholar. —
“我曾在一位学识渊博的学者门下求学。 —

I had heard that he had many daughters, and on some occasion or other I had made the acquaintance of this one. —
“我听说他有很多女儿，某个场合我认识了其中一个女儿。 —

The father learned of the affair. Taking out wedding cups, he made reference, among other things, to a Chinese poem about the merits of an impoverished wife. —
“父亲得知这桩事。取出了结婚的酒杯，提到了一首关于贫穷妻子的中国诗歌。 —

Although not exactly enamored of the woman, I had developed a certain fondness for her, and felt somewhat deferential toward the father. —
“虽然不是特别喜欢这位女士，但我对她有一种特别的喜爱，而且对她的父亲感到有些恭顺。 —

She was most attentive to my needs. I learned many estimable things from her, to add to my store of erudition and help me with my work. —
“她非常关心我的需求。我从她那里学到了很多有价值的东西，增加了我的博学知识，帮助我工作。 —

Her letters were lucidity itself, in the purest Chinese. None of this japanese nonsense for her. —
“她的信函写得清晰明了，用的是最纯正的中文。对她来说，没有那些日本胡说八道。 —

I found it hard to think of giving her up, and under her tutelage I managed to turn out a few things in passable Chinese myself. —
“我发现很难想象放弃她，在她的教导下，我设法写出了一些尚可的中文作品。 —

And yet — though I would not wish to seem wanting in gratitude, it is undeniable that a man of no learning is somewhat daunted at the thought of being forever his wife’s inferior. —
“然而——虽然我不想显得缺乏感激之情，不可否认，一个无知之人对永远做自己妻子的下贱有些畏惧。 —

So it is in any case with an ignorant one like me; —
“至少对像我这样无知的人而言是如此；” —

and what possible use could you gentlemen have for so formidable a wife? —
你们这些绅士究竟对如此强悍的妻子有何用途？ —

A stupid, senseless affair, a man tells himself, and yet he is dragged on against his will, as if there might have been a bond in some other life.”
一个愚蠢、毫无意义的事情，一个人告诉自己，然而他却被迫不情愿地被牵引着，仿佛在另一个生命中可能存在着某种联系。

“She seems a most unusual woman.” Genji and Tō no Chūjō were eager to hear more.
“她似乎是一个非同寻常的女性。” 源氏和当麻中将都迫不及待想要听更多。

Quite aware that the great gentlemen were amusing themselves at his expense, he smiled somewhat impishly. —
他很清楚这些大绅士们在捉弄他，他有点顽皮地微笑着。 —

“One day when I had not seen her for rather a long time I had some reason or other for calling. —
“有一天，我有一段时间没有见到她，我某种原因要去拜访她。 —

She was not in the room where we had been in the habit of meeting. —
她不在我们过去经常见面的房间里。 —

She insisted on talking to me through a very obtrusive screen. —
她坚持要透过一个非常显眼的屏风和我交谈。 —

I thought she might be sulking, and it all seemed very silly. —
我以为她可能在生气，这一切看起来很愚蠢。 —

And then again — if she was going to be so petty, I might have my excuse for leaving her. But no. —
然后再次 —— 如果她要如此琐碎，我可能会有离开她的借口。但是不。 —

She was not a person to let her jealousy show. She knew too much of the world. —
她不是一个会流露嫉妒的人。她懂得太多世故。 —

Her explanation of what was happening poured forth at great length, all of it very well reasoned.
她关于所发生事情的解释源源不断，所有这一切推理得十分周到。

“‘I have been indisposed with a malady known as coryza. —
“‘我因一种称为冷感的疾病而身体不适。 —

Discommoded to an uncommon degree, I have been imbibing of a steeped potion made from bulbaceous herbs. —
由于受到不寻常程度的困扰，我一直在饮用由葱类草药制成的浸泡饮料。 —

Because of the noisome odor, I will not find it possible to admit of greater propinquity. —
由于难闻的气味，我无法容忍更大的接近。 —

If you have certain random matters for my attention, perhaps you can deposit the relevant materials where you are.’
如果你有某些随意事项需要我关注，也许你可以把相关材料放在你那里。’

“‘Is that so?’ I said. I could think of nothing else to say.
“‘是这样吗？’我说。我想不出其他要说的话。

“I started to leave. perhaps feeling a little lonely, she called after me, somewhat shrilly. —
“我开始离开。也许有点孤独，她有点尖声地叫住我。 —

‘When I have disencumbered myself of this aroma, we can meet once more.
“当我摆脱了这股气味，我们可以再次相见。

“It seemed cruel to rush off, but the time was not right for a quiet visit. —
“匆匆离开似乎有点残忍，但现在不是一个安静拜访的时机。 —

And it was as she said: her odor was rather high. —
“她说的没错：她的气味确实有点重。 —

Again I started out, pausing long enough to compose a verse:
“我又开始走出去，停下来足够时间构思了一首诗：

“‘The spider must have told you I would come.
“‘蜘蛛一定告诉过你我会来。

Then why am I asked to keep company with garlic?’
“那为什么要求我与大蒜为伴？’

“I did not take time to accuse her of deliberately putting me off.
“我没有时间指责她故意敷衍我。

“She was quicker than I. She chased after me with an answer.
“她比我更快。她追了过来，回答道。

“‘Were we two who kept company every night,
“‘如果我们每晚为伍，

What would be wrong with garlic in the daytime?’
“只在白天与大蒜相伴，有何不妥？’

“You must admit she was quick with her answers.” He had quietly finished his story.
“你必须承认她回答得很快。”他悄悄地结束了他的故事。

The two gentlemen, Genji and his friend, would have none of it. —
两位绅士，源氏和他的朋友，皆不信这一切。 —

“A complete fabrication, from start to finish. Where could you find such a woman? —
“完全是捏造，从头到尾。哪里找得到这样的女人？ —

Better to have a quiet evening with a witch. —
最好跟一个女巫度过一个安静的夜晚。 —

” They thought it an outrageous story, and asked if he could come up with nothing more acceptable.
他们觉得这是一个荒谬的故事，问他是否想不出更可接受的。

“Surely you would not wish for a more unusual sort of story?”
“难道你不希望有一个更寻常的故事吗？”

The guards officer took up again. “In women as in men, there is no one worse than the one who tries to display her scanty knowledge in full. —
士兵官员接着说，“在女人和男人身上，没有比那些试图展示自己肤浅知识的人更糟糕的了。 —

It is among the least endearing of accomplishments for a woman to have delved into the Three Histories and the Five Classics; —
一位女性若是钻研过三史五经，那是最不讨人喜欢的本领之一； —

and who, on the other hand, can go through life without absorbing something of public affairs and private? —
另一方面，谁能在一生中不了解一些公共事务和私人事务呢？ —

A reasonably alert woman does not need to be a scholar to see and hear a great many things. —
一个足够聪明的女人不需要成为学者就能看到并听到许多事情。 —

The very worst are the ones who scribble off Chinese characters at such a rate that they fill a good half of letters where they are most out of place, letters to other women. —
最糟糕的是那些在信中胡乱涂写汉字的人，这些字挤占了信函的一大半，而且放在了最不合适的位置，写给其他女人的信。 —

‘What a bore,’ you say. ‘If only she had mastered a few of the feminine things. —
“多么无聊，”你会说。“要是她掌握了一些女子技能就好了。 —

’ She cannot of course intend it to be so, but the words read aloud seem muscular and unyielding, and in the end hopelessly mannered. —
” 她当然并非有意这样，但大声读出来的话看起来强硬而不让步，最终显得无比矫揉造作。 —

I fear that even our highest of the high are too often guilty of the fault.
我担心即使我们最尊贵的人也经常犯这个错误。

“Then there is the one who fancies herself a poetess. —
“然后还有一个自以为是女诗人的。 —

She immerses herself in the anthologies, and brings antique references into her very first line, interesting enough in themselves but inappropriate. —
她沉浸在诗选中，将古老的典故引入她的第一行，虽然本身很有趣，但却不合适。 —

A man has had enough with that first line, but he is called heartless if he does not answer, and cannot claim the honors if he does not answer in a similar vein. —
男人对那第一行已经厌烦了，但如果他不作回应就会被称作冷血，如果他不用类似的语气回答，就无法获得荣誉。 —

On the Day of the Iris he is frantic to get off to court and has no eye for irises, and there she is with subtle references to iris roots. —
在鸢尾日他迫不及待要去朝廷，对鸢尾花没有任何兴趣，而她却巧妙地提到鸢尾根。 —

On the Day of the Chrysanthemum, his mind has no room for anything but the Chinese poem he must come up with in the course of the day, and there she is with something about the dew upon the chrysanthemum. —
菊日之时，他的心中只有他当天必须创作的中文诗，而她却提到了菊花上的露珠。 —

A poem that might have been amusing and even moving on a less frantic day has been badly timed and must therefore be rejected. —
在一个不那么忙碌的日子，这首诗也许会很有趣，甚至感人，但现在时机不对，因此必须被拒绝。 —

A woman who dashes off a poem at an unpoetic moment cannot be called a woman of taste.
在一个不太有诗意的时刻随便写一首诗的女人，不能被称为懂得品味的女人。

“For someone who is not alive to the particular quality of each moment and each occasion, it is safer not to make a great show of taste and elegance; —
“对于一个不能体会每个时刻和场合的特质的人，炫耀品位和优雅是不明智的； —

and from someone who is alive to it all, a man wants restraint. —
一个活在当下的人想要的是克制。 —

She should feign a certain ignorance, she should keep back a little of what she is prepared to say.”
她应该假装某种程度的无知，保留一些她准备说出的话。”

Through all the talk Genji’s thoughts were on a single lady. His heart was filled with her. —
在所有的讨论中，源氏的思绪都在一个贵妇人身上。他心中充满了她。 —

She answered every requirement, he thought. —
他觉得她符合所有的要求。 —

She had none of the defects, was guilty of none of the excesses, that had emerged from the discussion.
她没有任何缺陷，没有任何讨论中出现的极端行为。

The talk went on and came to no conclusion, and as the rainy night gave way to dawn the stories became more and more improbable.
讨论进行下去，却没有得出结论，随着雨夜让位于黎明，故事变得越来越不靠谱。

It appeared that the weather would be fine. —
天气似乎会晴朗。 —

Fearing that his father-in-law might resent his secluding himself in the palace, Genji set off for Sanjō. —
担心岳父会因为自己在宫中隐居而生气，源氏启程前往三条。 —

The mansion itself, his wife — every detail was admirable and in the best of taste. —
府邸本身，他的妻子——每一个细节都是令人赞叹的，具有最高品味。 —

Nowhere did he find a trace of disorder. —
到处都找不到丝毫混乱的痕迹。 —

Here was a lady whom his friends must count among the truly dependable ones, the indispensable ones. And yet — she was too finished in her perfection, she was so cool and self-possessed that she made him uncomfortable. —
在这里有一位他的朋友们必定会认为是真正可靠、不可或缺的女士。然而——她的完美太过成熟，她的冷静和自持让他感到不舒服。 —

He turned to playful conversation with Chūnagon and Nakatsukasa and other pretty young women among her attendants. —
他转向与中书侍郎和中将等亲切交谈，以及其他宫女之间的玩闹对话。 —

Because it was very warm, he loosened his dress, and they thought him even handsomer.
因为天气很热，他敞开了衣襟，她们觉得他更加英俊。

The minister came to pay his respects. Seeing Genji thus in dishabille, he made his greetings from behind a conveniently placed curtain. —
大臣前来拜访。看到源氏这样衣衫不整，他就在一个方便的窗帘后向他问安。 —

Though somewhat annoyed at having to receive such a distinguished visitor on such a warm day, Genji made it clear to the women that they were not to smile at his discomfort. —
尽管对要在如此炎热的日子接待如此尊贵的访客感到有些恼火，源氏明确告诉女子们不要因为他的不适而微笑。 —

He was a very calm, self-possessed young gentleman.
他是一个非常冷静、自持的年轻绅士。

As evening approached, the women reminded him that his route from the palace had transgressed upon the domain of the Lord of the Center. —
天色渐晚，女子们提醒他，他从宫殿出发的路线已经侵犯了中位之君的领地。 —

He must not spend the night here.
他不能在这里过夜。

“To be sure. But my own house lies in the same direction. And I am very tired. —
“确实。但我的家也在同一个方向。而且我非常疲倦。” —

” He lay down as if he meant in spite of everything to stay the night.
他躺下来，好像无论如何都要留宿一宿。

“It simply will not do, my lord.”
“这实在不行，我的卫士。”

“The governor of Kii here,” said one of Genji’s men, pointing to another. —
“在这里的紀伊长官，”源氏的一个随从指着一个人说。 —

“He has dammed the Inner River and brought it into his garden, and the waters are very cool, very pleasant.”
“他在内河筑坝，引入花园，水非常凉爽，非常惬意。”

“An excellent idea. I really am very tired, and perhaps we can send ahead to see whether we might drive into the garden.”
“好主意。我真的非常累，也许我们可以先派人去看看我们是否可以直接进入花园。”

There were no doubt all sorts of secret places to which he could have gone to avoid the taboo. —
毫无疑问，他可以去一些隐秘之处，以避开这个禁忌。 —

He had come to Sanjō, and after a considerable absence. —
他来到了三条，而且已经有一段时间。 —

The minister might suspect that he had purposely chosen a night on which he must leave early.
牧师可能怀疑他故意选择了一个必须早些离开的晚上。

The governor of Kii was cordial enough with his invitation, but when he withdrew he mentioned certain misgivings to Genji’s men. —
紀伊守礼貌地邀请了源氏，但在告辞时向源氏的家人提到了某些疑虑。 —

Ritual purifi- cation, he said, had required all the women to be away from his father’s house, and unfortunately they were all crowded into his own, a cramped enough place at best. —
他说，仪式性的净化要求所有的女性离开他父亲的房子，不幸的是她们都挤在他自己的地方，本来就是一个狭小的地方。 —

He feared that Genji would be inconvenienced.
他担心源氏会感到不便。

“Nothing of the sort,” said Genji, who had overheard. “It is good to have people around. —
“才不是呢”，源氏听到了并说道，“有人在身边是很好的。 —

There is nothing worse than a night away from home with no ladies about. —
没有比晚上远离家的时候没有女士更糟糕的了。 —

just let me have a little comer behind their curtains.”
让我躲在她们的帷幕后面一小会。”

“If that is what you want,” said his men, “then the governor’s place should be perfect.”
“如果你愿意的话”，他的追随都说道，“那守礼之地应该是完美的。”

And so they sent runners ahead. Genji set off immediately, though in secret, thinking that no great ceremony was called for. —
于是他们派遣先行者。源氏立即出发，尽管秘密行动，认为没有必要搞得太隆重。 —

He did not tell the minister where he was going, and took only his nearest retainers. —
他没有告诉牧师他要去哪里，只带了他最亲近的侍从。 —

The governor grumbled that they were in rather too much of a hurry. No one listened.
守礼抱怨他们有些太匆忙了。没人听他的。

The east rooms of the main hall had been cleaned and made presentable. —
大厅的东边房间已经打扫干净，摆放整齐。 —

The waters were as they had been described, a most pleasing arrangement. —
水景正如描述的一样，布局得让人很满意。 —

A fence of wattles, of a deliberately rustic appearance, enclosed the garden, and much care had gone into the plantings. —
一道有意 rustic 风格的篱笆包围着花园，植物布置得精心。 —

The wind was cool. Insects were humming, one scarcely knew where, fireflies drew innumerable lines of light, and all in all the time and the place could not have been more to his liking. —
风儿凉爽，昆虫在哪里嗡嗡作响，萤火虫划过无数道光线，总体而言，这个时刻和地方再也合源氏的心意不过了。 —

His men were already tippling, out where they could admire a brook flowing under a gallery. —
他的手下已经开始喝酒了，在那里他们可以欣赏到一条小溪从一个长廊下流过。 —

The governor seemed to have “hurried off for viands. —
省长似乎匆匆走去准备食物。 —

” Gazing calmly about him, Genji concluded that the house would be of the young guardsman’s favored inbetween category. —
眺望四周，源氏得出结论，这栋房子会是年轻近卫军士的中意之选。 —

Having heard that his host’s stepmother, who would be in residence, was a high-spirited lady, he listened for signs of her presence. —
听说主人的继母即将入住，她是一个高雅热情的女子，源氏开始留意她的存在。 —

There were signs of someone’s presence immediately to the west. —
立刻就有人的存在迹象传来，就在西边。 —

He heard a swishing of silk and young voices that were not at all displeasing. —
他听到一阵丝绸摩擦声，还有一些年轻而令人喜爱的声音。 —

Young ladies seemed to be giggling self-consciously and trying to contain themselves. —
年轻女子们似乎尴尬地咯咯笑着，试图克制自己。 —

The shutters were raised, it seemed, but upon a word from the governor they were lowered. —
窗棂似乎已经被升起，但在省长的一句话下又被关上了。 —

There was a faint light over the sliding doors. —
滑门上有一点微弱的灯光。 —

Genji went for a look, but could find no opening large enough to see through. —
源氏想要看个究竟，但找不到足够大的缝隙看穿。 —

Listening for a time, he concluded that the women had gathered in the main room, next to his.
仔细听了一会儿，源氏得出结论，女性们已经聚集在主房间，紧邻他的房间。

The whispered discussion seemed to be about Genji himself.
他们的低语讨论似乎是关于源氏本人。

“He is dreadfully serious, they say, and has made a fine match for himself. And still so young. —
“他极其认真，他们说，并找到了一个很好的配偶。而且还那么年轻。 —

Don’t you imagine he might be a little lonely? —
你们觉得他可能有点孤独吗？ —

But they say he finds time for a quiet little adventure now and then.”
但他们说他还是会时不时地有些小冒险。”

Genji was startled. There was but one lady on his mind, day after day. —
源氏感到震惊。日复一日，他心中只牵挂着一个女子。 —

So this was what the gossips were saying; —
这就是流言蜚语所说的内容； —

and what if, in it all, there was evidence that rumors of his real love had spread abroad? —
如果在这一切中有证据表明他真正的爱情传出了，那又怎样呢？ —

But the talk seemed harmless enough, and after a time he wearied of it. —
但这些谈论似乎都是无害的，过了一段时间他也厌倦了。 —

Someone misquoted a poem he had sent to his cousin Asagao, attached to a morning glory. —
有人误引了他送给远房表妹朝篱的一首诗，附在牵牛花上。 —

Their standards seemed not of the most rigorous. —
他们的标准似乎并不严格。 —

A misquoted poem for every occasion. He feared he might be disappointed when he saw the woman.
每个场合都有一首误引的诗。他担心见到那位女子时会感到失望。

The governor had more lights set out at the eaves, and turned up those in the room. —
总督在屋檐上多挂了几盏灯，并打开了屋内的灯。 —

He had refreshments brought.
他让人端来饮食。

“And are the curtains all hung?” asked Genji. “You hardly qualify as a host if they are not.”
“幔帷都挂好了吗？”源氏问道。“如果没有挂好，您可就谈不上是位好东道主。”

“And what will you feast upon?” rejoined the governor, somewhat stiffly. —
“那您要用点什么来款待？”总督略显生硬地回答道。 —

“Nothing so very elaborate, I fear.”
“我怕没有什么太复杂的。”

Genji found a cool place out near the veranda and lay down. His men were quiet. —
源氏找到靠近走廊外凉爽的地方躺了下来。他的手下们都很安静。 —

Several young boys were present, all very sprucely dressed, sons of the host and of his father, the governor of Iyo. There was one particularly attractive lad of perhaps twelve or thirteen. —
几个衣着整洁的年轻男孩在场，分别是东国总督和他的父亲所生的儿子，还有一个大约十二三岁，特别令人着迷的少年。 —

Asking who were the sons of whom, Genji learned that the boy was the younger brother of the host’s stepmother, son of a guards officer no longer living. —
询问了各家的家庭关系后，源氏得知这位少年是主人后母的亲弟弟，他们的父亲是一位已故的警卫官。 —

His father had had great hopes for the boy and had died while he was still very young. —
他的父亲曾对这个男孩寄予很大的希望，但他在还很年幼时就去世了。 —

He had come to this house upon his sister’s marriage to the governor of Iyo. He seemed to have some aptitude for the classics, said the host, and was of a quiet, pleasant disposition; —
他来到这所房子是因为他的姐姐嫁给了伊予的州长。主人说他似乎对古典文学有些天赋，性情也温和愉快； —

but he was young and without backing, and his prospects at court were not good.
但他年轻且没有背景，在朝廷上的前途并不好。

“A pity. The sister, then, is your stepmother?”
“真可惜。那么您的继母就是您的继母？”

“Yes.”
“是的。”

“A very young stepmother. My father had thought of inviting her to court. —
“一位非常年轻的继母。我父亲曾考虑邀请她来朝廷。 —

He was asking just the other day what might have happened to her. —
却是前几天才问她会发生了什么事。 —

Life,” he added with a solemnity rather beyond his years, “is uncertain.”
生活，”他语气严肃，透露出一种超过年龄的庄重，“真是不确定的。”

“It happened almost by accident. Yes, you are right: —
“那几乎是意外发生的。是的，你说得对： —

it is a very uncertain world, and it always has been, particularly for women. —
这是一个非常不确定的世界，一直以来也是如此，尤其是对于女性。 —

They are like bits of driftwood.”
他们就像漂木一样。”

“Your father is no doubt very alert to her needs. —
“你的父亲想必非常关心她的需要。 —

perhaps, indeed, one has trouble knowing who is the master?”
或许，确实有点难以分辨谁是主宰者？”

“He quite worships her. The rest of us are not entirely happy with the arrangements he has made.”
“他简直是崇拜她。我们其他人对他所做的安排并不完全满意。”

“But you cannot expect him to let you young gallants have everything. —
“但你不能指望他让你们这些年轻的浪子得到一切。” —

He has a name in that regard himself, you know. —
他本人在这方面也有一个名字，你知道的。 —

And where might the lady be?”
那位女士在哪里呢？

“They have all been told to spend the night in the porter’s lodge, but they don’t seem in a hurry to go.”
他们都被告知在看门人的门房过夜，但他们似乎不着急走。

The wine was having its effect, and his men were falling asleep on the veranda.
酒起了作用，他的部下们在门廊上开始打瞌睡。

Genji lay wide awake, not pleased at the prospect of sleeping alone. —
源氏睡不着，对一个人独自睡觉感到不高兴。 —

He sensed that there was someone in the room to the north. —
他感觉到有人在北边的房间里。 —

It would be the lady of whom they had spoken. —
那将是他们所说的那位女子。 —

Holding his breath, he went to the door and listened.
他屏住呼吸，走到门口倾听。

“Where are you?” The pleasantly husky voice was that of the boy who had caught his eye.
“你在哪里？”沉闷浑厚的声音是那位引起他注意的少年的声音。

“Over here.” It would be the sister. The two voices, very sleepy, resembled each other. —
“在这里。”那将是姐姐的声音。两个非常瞌睡的声音很相似。 —

“And where is our guest? I had thought he might be somewhere near, but he seems to have gone away.”
“我们的客人在哪里？我本以为他可能在附近的某个地方，但他似乎离开了。”

“He’s in the east room.” The boy’s voice was low. “ I saw him. —
“他在东边的房间。”那个少年的声音很低。“我看见他了。 —

He is every bit as handsome as everyone says.”
他确实如大家所说的那样英俊。”

“If it were daylight I might have a look at him myself. —
“如果是白天，我可能会亲自去看看他。 —

” The sister yawned, and seemed to draw the bedclothes over her face.
”姐姐打了个哈欠，似乎把被子盖在脸上。

Genji was a little annoyed. She might have questioned her brother more energetically.
源氏有些恼火。她或许应该更有活力地询问她的兄弟。

“I’ll sleep out toward the veranda. But we should have more light. —
“我会在走廊外睡觉。但我们应该加点灯光。 —

” The boy turned up the lamp. The lady apparently lay at a diagonal remove from Genji. “And where is Chūjō? —
”男孩打开了灯。女士显然躺在离源氏斜对面的地方。“千岁在哪里？ —

I don’t like being left alone.”
我不喜欢独自一人被留下。”

“She went to have a bath. She said she’d be right back.” He spoke from out near the veranda.
“她去洗澡了。她说她马上回来。”他站在走廊附近说。

All was quiet again. Genji slipped the latch open and tried the doors. They had not been bolted. —
所有都再度安静了。源氏推开了门栓，试了试门。它们没有被锁。 —

A curtain had been set up just inside, and in the dim light he could make out Chinese chests and other furniture scattered in some disorder. —
帷幕放在近处，昏暗的光线下，他能看到几个抽屉柜和其他家具有些散乱地摆放。 —

He made his way through to her side. She lay by herself, a slight little figure. —
他穿过去到她身边。她一个人躺着，是个纤瘦的小身影。 —

Though vaguely annoyed at being disturbed, she evidently took him for the woman Chūjō until he pulled back the covers.
虽然被打扰而有些恼火，她显然认错了他为千岁，直到他拉开了被子。

“I heard you summoning a captain,” he said, “and I thought my prayers over the months had been answered.
“我听到你在召唤队长，”他说，“我想我的祈祷数月来得到了回应。

She gave a little gasp. It was muffled by the bedclothes and no one else heard.
她轻声喘息。被床单掩盖了，其他人没有听到。

“You are perfectly correct if you think me unable to control myself. —
“你如果认为我无法控制自己，你是完全正确的。 —

But I wish you to know that I have been thinking of you for a very long time. —
但我希望你知道我对你已经思念很久。 —

And the fact that I have finally found my opportunity and am taking advantage of it should show that my feelings are by no means shallow.”
我终于找到机会并利用它，这表明我的感情绝非肤浅。

His manner was so gently persuasive that devils and demons could not have gainsaid him. —
他的态度是如此温和劝说，使魔鬼和恶魔都无法反驳他。 —

The lady would have liked to announce to the world that a strange man had invaded her boudoir.
女士想要宣布给全世界听，说一个陌生男人闯入了她的闺房。

“I think you have mistaken me for someone else,” she said, outraged, though the remark was under her breath.
“我觉得你把我认错人了，”她生气地说，尽管这句话是在她低声下气。

The little figure, pathetically fragile and as if on the point of expiring from the shock, seemed to him very beautiful.
那个幼小的身影，可怜而脆弱，仿佛随时都会因为震惊而消亡，他觉得她非常美丽。

“I am driven by thoughts so powerful that a mistake is completely out of the question. —
“我的思维如此强大，以至于犯错完全不可能。 —

It is cruel of you to pretend otherwise. —
你假装否认实在太残忍了。 —

I promise you that I will do nothing unseemly. —
我向你保证我不会做出不得体的举动。 —

I must ask you to listen to a little of what is on my mind.”
我必须请你倾听一些我心中所想的事情。”

She was so small that he lifted her easily. —
她身材如此纤小，他轻而易举地将她抱起。 —

As he passed through the doors to his own room, he came upon the Chūjō who had been summoned earlier. —
当他走进自己的房间的门时，他遇到了早前被召唤的中将。 —

He called out in surprise. Surprised in turn, Chūjō peered into the darkness. —
他惊呼起来。而中将也感到惊讶，眯着眼睛看向黑暗处。 —

The perfume that came from his robes like a cloud of smoke told her who he was. —
他身上散发出的香水如同一团烟雾告诉了她他是谁。 —

She stood in confusion, unable to speak. —
她感到困惑，无法开口。 —

Had he been a more ordinary intruder she might have ripped her mistress away by main force. —
如果那个入侵者更加普通，她可能会力拔山兮地将她的主人拉走。 —

But she would not have wished to raise an alarm all through the house.
但她不希望在整个房子里引起惊动。

She followed after, but Genji was quite unmoved by her pleas.
她跟在后面，但是源氏对她的请求全然不为所动。

“Come for her in the morning,” he said, sliding the doors closed.
“在早晨来找她，”他说着，滑动着门。

The lady was bathed in perspiration and quite beside herself at the thought of what Chūjō, and the others too, would be thinking. —
这位女士满身大汗，因为想着千乘，以及其他人会怎么想，而变得十分激动。 —

Genji had to feel sorry for her. Yet the sweet words poured forth, the whole gamut of pretty devices for making a woman surrender.
源氏为她感到遗憾。然而，甜言蜜语不绝于口，各种花言巧语让女人屈服。

She was not to be placated. “Can it be true? —
她并不肯平静下来。“这难道是真的吗？ —

Can I be asked to believe that you are not making fun of me? —
我该相信你不是在取笑我吗？ —

Women of low estate should have husbands of low estate.”
低贱的女人应该嫁给低贱的丈夫。”

He was sorry for her and somewhat ashamed of himself, but his answer was careful and sober. —
他为她感到遗憾，有些为自己感到羞愧，但他的回答是慎重而冷静的。 —

“You take me for one of the young profligates you see around? I must protest. —
“你认为我是你见过的那些年轻淫秽的人之一吗？我必须抗议。 —

I am very young and know nothing of the estates which concern you so. —
我年纪很轻，对于你关心的财产无知得很。 —

You have heard of me, surely, and you must know that I do not go in for adventures. —
你肯定听说过我，而且你必须知道我不会追求冒险。 —

I must ask what unhappy entanglement imposes this upon me. —
我必须问，是什么不幸的纠葛迫使我陷入这样的境地。 —

You are making a fool of me, and nothing should surprise me, not even the tumultuous emotions that do in fact surprise me.”
你在取笑我，不应该让我感到惊讶，甚至连那些事实上让我感到震惊的激动情绪也不例外。”

But now his very splendor made her resist. —
然而此刻他的辉煌使她抗拒起来。 —

He might think her obstinate and insensitive, but her unfriendliness must make him dismiss her from further consideration. —
也许他会认为她倔强和麻木不仁，但她的冷漠态度必然会让他不再考虑她。 —

Naturally soft and pliant, she was suddenly firm. It was as with the young bamboo: —
自然柔软而易弯折的她突然变得坚定起来。就像是年幼的竹子： —

she bent but was not to be broken. She was weeping. —
她虽弯曲，但并未被打败。她在哭泣。 —

He had his hands full but would not for the world have missed the experience.
他忙得手忙脚乱，但绝不会错过这种经历。

“Why must you so dislike me?” he asked with a sigh, unable to stop the weeping. —
“你为什么如此厌恶我？”他问着，无法停止哭泣。 —

“Don’t you know that the unexpected encounters are the ones we were fated for? —
“难道你不知道意外的邂逅才是我们命中注定的吗？ —

Really, my dear, you do seem to know altogether too little of the world.”
亲爱的，你似乎对这个世界了解得太少了。”

“If I had met you before I came to this,” she replied, and he had to admit the truth of it, “then I might have consoled myself with the thought — it might have been no more than self-deception, of course — that you would someday come to think fondly of me. —
“如果我在来到这里之前遇见过你，”她回答道，他不得不承认这是事实，“那么我可能安慰自己想——当然，这也可能只是自欺欺人——你也许会有一天对我怀有柔情。 —

But this is hopeless, worse than I can tell you. Well, it has happened. —
但这是没有希望的，比我能告诉你的还要糟糕。嗯，事已至此。 —

Say no to those who ask if you have seen me.”
拒绝那些问你有没有见到我的人。”

One may imagine that he found many kind promises with which to comfort her.
可以想象他找到了许多温柔的承诺来安慰她。

The first cock was crowing and Genji’s men were awake.
第一只公鸡正在打鸣，源氏的手下们都醒了。

“Did you sleep well? I certainly did.”
“你睡得好吗？我当然睡得好。”

“Let’s get the carriage ready.”
“准备好车马。”

Some of the women were heard asking whether people who were avoiding taboos were expected to leave again in the middle of the night.
有人听到一些女人在问那些在避忌的人是否期望在半夜再次离开。

Genji was very unhappy. He feared he could not find an excuse for another meeting. —
源氏非常不开心。他担心找不到借口再见面。 —

He did not see how he could visit her, and he did not see how they could write. —
他不知道如何去拜访她，也不知道他们如何相互通信。 —

Chūjō came out, also very unhappy. He let the lady go and then took her back again.
Chūjō出来，也很不高兴。他放开了这位女士，然后又把她拉回来。

“How shall I write to you? Your feelings and my own — they are not shallow, and we may expect deep memories. —
“我该如何写信给你?你的感受和我的——它们并不肤浅，我们可能会留下深刻的记忆。 —

Has anything ever been so strange?” He was in tears, which made him yet handsomer. —
有什么比这更奇怪的吗？”他流泪了，这让他看起来更加英俊。 —

The cocks were now crowing insistently. He was feeling somewhat harried as he composed his farewell verse:
公鸡们现在在不停地打鸣。在写作告别诗时，他感到有些困扰:

“Why must they startle with their dawn alarums
“当时间还需要来化冰时

When hours are yet required to thaw the ice?”
为什么它们要因它们的黎明警报而震惊?”

The lady was ashamed of herself that she had caught the eye of a man so far above her. —
这位女士因为引起了一个远远超过她的男子的注意而感到羞愧。 —

His kind words had little effect. She was thinking of her husband, whom for the most part she considered a clown and a dolt. —
他慈祥的话语几乎没有起到作用。她在想她的丈夫，大多数时候她认为他是一个小丑和笨蛋。 —

She trembled to think that a dream might have told him of the night’s happenings.
她颤抖着想到一个梦可能告诉了他昨晚的事。

This was the verse with which she replied:
这是她的回答诗歌:

“Day has broken without an end to my tears.
“黎明无尽的眼泪已经流过，

To my cries of sorrow are added the calls of the cocks.”
我的悲伤呼声被公鸡的叫声所附和了。”

It was lighter by the moment. He saw her to her door, for the house was coming to life. —
天越来越亮。他陪她到了她的门口，因为房子开始变得有了生气。 —

A barrier had fallen between them. In casual court dress, he leaned for a time against the south railing and looked out at the garden. —
一道障碍已经在他们之间倒下。穿着随意的宫廷服装，他靠在南边的栏杆上看着花园。 —

Shutters were being raised along the west side of the house. —
房子的西侧的百叶窗开始升起。 —

Women seemed to be looking out at him, beyond a low screen at the veranda. —
女人们似乎在阳台的低屏风后望着他。 —

He no doubt brought shivers of delight. The moon still bright in the dawn sky added to the beauty of the morning. —
他无疑带来了愉悦的颤栗。清晨天空中明亮的月亮增添了美丽。 —

The sky, without heart itself, can at these times be friendly or sad, as the beholder sees it. —
天空本身并没有感情，但在这些时刻，可以根据观者的视角是友好还是悲伤。 —

Genji was in anguish. He knew that there would be no way even to exchange notes. —
源氏非常痛苦。他知道甚至连传纸条的方式都不可能。 —

He cast many a glance backward as he left.
离开时，他时常回头瞥望。

At Sanjō once more, he was unable to sleep. —
回到三条后，他无法入睡。 —

If the thought that they would not meet again so pained him, what must it do to the lady? —
如果他对永不再见如此痛苦，那么夫人又将何等心情？ —

She was no beauty, but she had seemed pretty and cultivated. —
她并非美女，但看起来漂亮且有教养。 —

Of the middling rank, he said to himself. —
他自言自语道，她是中等身份。 —

The guards officer who had seen them all knew what he was talking about.
见过他们的卫兵官了解他在说什么。

Spending most of his time now at Sanjō, he thought sadly of the unapproachable lady. —
现在大部分时间都在三条，他忧伤地想着那位高不可攀的女士。 —

At last he summoned her stepson, the governor of Kii.
最后他召见了她的继子，紀伊的知事。

“The boy I saw the other night, your foster uncle. He seemed a promising lad. —
“那晚我见到的那个少年，你的继叔父。他似乎是个有前途的小伙子。” —

I think I might have a place for him. I might even introduce him to my father.”
“你的恩赐之言让我不知所措。也许我应该和他的姐姐商量一下。”

“Your gracious words quite overpower me. Perhaps I should take the matter up with his sister.”
“请让我为他安排一个位置。我甚至可以介绍他给我父亲认识。”

Genji’s heart leaped at the mention of the lady. “Does she have children?”
源氏听到提到那位贵妇的名字，心里一跳。“她有孩子吗？”

“No. She and my father have been married for two years now, but I gather that she is not happy. —
“没有。她和我父亲结婚已经两年了，但我听说她并不快乐。 —

Her father meant to send her to court.”
她父亲打算送她去宫中。”

“How sad for her. Rumor has it that she is a beauty. Might rumor be correct?”
“真为她感到悲哀。传闻说她是个美人。那传闻可靠吗？”

“Mistaken, I fear. But of course stepsons do not see a great deal of stepmothers.”
“恐怕是错误的。但继子们不会和继母有太多接触。”

Several days later he brought the boy to Genji. Examined in detail the boy was not perfect, but he had considerable charm and grace. —
几天后，他将男孩带给了源氏。仔细观察，这个男孩并非完美，但却有相当的魅力和优雅。 —

Genji addressed him in a most friendly manner, which both confused and pleased him. —
源氏以最友好的方式对待他，这让男孩感到困惑又高兴。 —

Questioning him about his sister, Genji did not learn a great deal. —
在询问他妹妹的事情时，源氏没有得到太多信息。 —

The answers were ready enough while they were on safe ground, but the boy’s self-possession was a little disconcerting. —
当谈论到安全的话题时，他的回答流畅自如，但男孩的沉着令人有些困惑。 —

Genji hinted rather broadly at what had taken place. The boy was startled. —
源氏含蓄地暗示发生了什么事。男孩感到惊讶。 —

He guessed the truth but was not old enough to pursue the matter.
他猜到了真相，但年纪还小，无法深究此事。

Genji gave him a letter for his sister. Tears came to her eyes. —
源氏给了他一封姐姐的信。她的眼里泛起泪光。 —

How much had her brother been told? she wondered, spreading the letter to hide her flushed cheeks.
她在想，他弟弟知道了多少？她展开信函掩饰脸颊的潮红。

It was very long, and concluded with a poem:
信非常长，结尾是一首诗：

“I yearn to dream again the dream of that night.
“我渴望再次做那个夜晚的梦。

The nights go by in lonely wakefulness.
夜晚在孤独中度过。

“There are no nights of sleep.”
“没有一夜能安睡。”

The hand was splendid, but she could only weep at the yet stranger turn her life had taken.
他的手是辉煌的，但她只能为她生活中的更奇怪的转折而哭泣。

The next day Genji sent for the boy.
第二天，君子派人去找那个男孩。

Where was her answer? the boy asked his sister.
她的回答在哪里？男孩问他的姐姐。

“Tell him you found no one to give his letter to.”
“告诉他你找不到人送他的信。”

“Oh, please.” The boy smiled knowingly. “How can I tell him that? —
“哦，请。”男孩会意地笑了。“我怎么能告诉他呢？ —

I have learned enough to be sure there is no mistake.”
我已经学到足够多了，可以确定没有错误。”

She was horrified. It was clear that Genji had told everything.
她感到震惊。很明显，君子已经说了一切。

“I don’t know why you must always be so clever. —
“我不明白为什么你总是那么聪明。 —

Perhaps it would be better if you didn’t go at all.”
也许你根本不去会更好。”

“But he sent for me.” And the boy departed.
“但他派人来找我。” 男孩离开了。

The governor of Kii was beginning to take an interest in his pretty young stepmother, and paying insistent court. —
紀伊國的總督开始对他年轻漂亮的後母感兴趣，并不断地追求。 —

His attention turned to the brother, who became his frequent companion.
他开始注意到那位兄弟，后者成为他常去的伴侶。

“I waited for you all day yesterday,” said Genji. “Clearly I am not as much on your mind as you are on mine.”
“我昨天整天等你，” 君子说。“ 显然我在你心中不如你在我心中重要。”

The boy flushed.
男孩脸红了。

“Where is her answer?” And when the boy told him: —
“她的回答在哪里？”男孩告诉他： —

“A fine messenger. I had hoped for something better.”
“一个不够好的信使。我原本希望得到更好的。“

There were other letters.
还有其他的信件。

“But didn’t you know?” he said to the boy. “I knew her before that old man she married. —
“但你不知道吗？”他对男孩说。“在她嫁给那个老人之前，我就认识她了。 —

She thought me feeble and useless, it seems, and looked for a stouter support. —
她似乎认为我软弱无能，寻找更坚强的支持。 —

Well, she may spurn me, but you needn’t. You will be my son. —
她可能会拒绝我，但你不需要。你会成为我的儿子。 —

The gentleman you are looking to for help won’t be with us long.”
你寻求帮助的绅士不会和我们在一起很久。”

The boy seemed to be thinking what a nuisance his sister’s husband was. Genji was amused.
男孩似乎在考虑他姐夫是个什么烦人的人。源氏感到很有趣。

He treated the boy like a son, making him a constant companion, giving him clothes from his own wardrobe, taking him to court. —
他对待这个男孩就像儿子一样，让他成为不离左右的伴侣，给他自己的衣服穿，带他去宫廷。 —

He continued to write to the lady. She feared that with so inexperienced a messenger the secret might leak out and add suspicions of promiscuity to her other worries. —
他继续致信这位女士。她担心如此经验不足的信使可能会泄露秘密，给她的其他担忧增添怀疑。 —

These were very grand messages, but something more in keeping with her station seemed called for. —
这些是非常宏伟的信息，但似乎需要更符合她身份的东西。 —

Her answers were stiff and formal when she answered at all. —
当她回复时，她的回答很生硬且正式。 —

She could not forget his extraordinary good looks and elegance, so dimly seen that night. —
她无法忘记他在那个夜晚那非凡的好看和优雅。 —

But she belonged to another, and nothing was to be gained by trying to interest him. —
但她属于别人，试图引起他的兴趣是毫无益处的。 —

His longing was undiminished. He could not forget how touchingly fragile and confused she had seemed. —
他的渴望仍未减退。他无法忘记她显得多么脆弱和困惑。 —

With so many people around, another invasion of her boudoir was not likely to go unnoticed, and the results would be sad.
在这么多人周围，再次入侵她的闺房不太可能不被注意到，结果将是悲哀的。

One evening after he had been at court for some days he found an excuse: —
在朝廷待了几天后的一个晚上，他找到了一个借口： —

his mansion again lay in a forbidden direction. —
他的府邸又一次位于一个禁忌的方向。 —

Pretending to set off for Sanjō, he went instead to the house of the governor of Kii. The governor was delighted, thinking that those well-designed brooks and lakes had made an impression. —
假装要前往三条，他却去了纪伊的知府之家。知府对此感到开心，以为那些精心设计的小溪和湖泊给他留下了深刻印象。 —

Genji had consulted with the boy, always in earnest attendance. —
源氏一直在询问那个男孩，他总是认真地听着。 —

The lady had been informed of the visit. —
那位女士已经被告知了他的到访。 —

She must admit that they seemed powerful, the urges that forced him to such machinations. —
她必须承认，驱使他进行这种诡计的冲动似乎很强大。 —

But if she were to receive him and display herself openly, what could she expect save the anguish of the other night, a repetition of that nightmare? —
但如果她接待他并公开展示自己，除了那天晚上的痛苦，她还能期待什么呢，一个噩梦的重演？ —

No, the shame would be too much.
不，这种羞耻将是太过分的。

The brother having gone off upon a summons from Genji, she called several of her women. —
她的兄弟因受到源氏的召唤而出门后，她召集了几个使女。 —

“I think it might be in bad taste to stay too near. —
“我觉得待得太近可能不太得体。 —

I am not feeling at all well, and perhaps a massage might help, somewhere far enough away that we won’t disturb him.”
我感觉非常不舒服，也许按摩会有帮助，在远离他的地方，这样我们就不会打扰他。”

The woman Chūjō had rooms on a secluded gallery. They would be her refuge.
壬生的女士在一条隐蔽的廊子上有房间。那将是她的庇护所。

It was as she had feared. Genji sent his men to bed early and dispatched his messenger. —
正如她担心的那样。源氏让他的人早早上床休息，并派遣了使者。 —

The boy could not find her. He looked everywhere and finally, at the end of his wits, came upon her in the gallery.
男孩找不到她。他到处找了找，最终绝望地在画廊里找到了她。

He was almost in tears. “But he will think me completely useless.”
他几乎要哭了。“但他会认为我完全没用。”

“And what do you propose
“你打算提议什么？”