Kōbai, the oldest surviving son of the late Tō no Chūjō, was now Lord Inspector. —
高梅，已故东丞的长子，现在是大检正。 —

He was an energetic, clever, open man who from his boyhood had shown great promise. —
他是一位充满活力、聪明开朗的男子，从小就显示出极大的才华。 —

He had reached considerable eminence, of course, and was well thought of and a great favorite with the emperor. —
他当然已经达到了相当的显赫地位，并且备受皇帝宠爱。 —

Upon his first wife’s death he married Makibashira, daughter of Higekuro, the chancellor. —
在他第一任妻子去世后，他娶了大臣檜黑的女儿槇柱。 —

It was she who had such strong regrets for the cypress pillar when her mother left her father’s house. —
当她的母亲离开父亲的家时，她对那根柏木柱留下了深深的遗憾。 —

Her grandfather had arranged for her to marry Prince Hotaru, who had left her a widow. —
她的祖父曾安排她嫁给离世的秋田亲王。 —

The inspector favored her with clandestine attentions after Prince Hotaru’s death, and would seem to have concluded that it was a sufficiently distinguished liaison to be made public. —
在秋田亲王去世后，检正喜欢在暗中照料她，似乎认为这是一段足够显赫的交往可以公开。 —

Having been left with two children, both daughters, he prayed to the gods native and foreign that his second wife bear him a son. —
拥有两个女儿的他祈求本地和外来的神灵赐予他第二任妻子一个儿子。 —

The prayer was soon granted. Makibashira had brought with her a daughter by Prince Hotaru.
这个祷告很快就得到了响应。槇柱带着秋田亲王的女儿来到了他身边。

Kōbai was scrupulously impartial in his treatment of the three girls, but malicious, troublemaking women are to be found in most important households and his was no exception. —
高梅在对待这三个女孩时是极其公正的，但大多数重要家庭都有恶意挑拨的女人，他的家庭也不例外。 —

There were unpleasant incidents, most of which, however, Makibashira, a cheerful, amiable lady, managed to smooth over so that no one was left feeling aggrieved. —
尽管出现了不愉快的事件，但多亏了性格开朗、亲和力强的槇柱，她总是设法化解矛盾，让大家都不感到委屈。 —

She did not let the princess’s claims influence her unduly, and it was on the whole a harmonious household over which she presided.
她没有让公主的权利过多影响自己，整个家庭都在她的主持下和谐相处。

In rapid succession there were initiation ceremonies for the three girls. —
三个女孩很快相继接受了成人礼。 —

Kōbai built a spacious new hall, a beam span wider in either direction than most. —
高梅兴建了一座宽敞的新厅，横跨的梁比大多数厅堂都要宽。 —

To his older daughter he assigned the south rooms, to his younger the west, and to the prince’s daughter the east. —
他将南边的房间分配给了他的大女儿，西边的给了他的小女儿，东边的给了亲王的女儿。 —

The outsider is likely to pity the fatherless daughter among stepsisters but the princess had come into a good inheritance from both sides of her family and was able to indulge her tastes and interests quite as she wished, on festive occasions and at ordinary times as well.
外人可能会怜悯那个母亲已亡、生活在继母和姐妹中间的女儿，但是这位公主从家族两边都继承了可观的遗产，她能够随心所欲地过着她想要的生活，无论是在节日或普通时刻。

Young ladies who enjoy such advantages are certain to be noticed, and as each of the girls reached maturity she was noticed by even the emperor and the crown prince, who sent inquiries. —
享受这种优势的年轻女子肯定会引人注目，当每个女孩步入成熟期时，她们都吸引了甚至皇帝和皇太子的注意，他们都派人来打听。 —

The empress so dominated court life, however, that Kōbai was uncertain how to reply. —
然而，皇后对朝廷生活的影响如此之大，所以红梅不知该如何回答。 —

Presently he was able to persuade himself that a refusal to face competition is the worst possible thing for a young lady’s prospects. —
他最终使自己相信，拒绝竞争是对一个年轻女子前途最不利的事情。 —

Yūgiri’s daughter, already married to the crown prince, would be the most formidable of competition, but the superior man did not let such difficulties control his life. —
弓希的女儿，已经嫁给了皇太子，将是最强大的竞争对手，但是优秀的男人不会让这种困难控制他的生活。 —

An attractive young lady should not be wasted at home. —
一个有魅力的年轻女子不应该被束缚在家里。 —

So he gave his older daughter to the crown prince. —
因此，他把他的大女儿嫁给了皇太子。 —

She was seventeen or eighteen, very pretty and vivacious.
她十七八岁，非常漂亮和活泼。

The second girl had, it was reported, a graver, deeper sort of beauty. —
据说第二个女孩有一种更加庄严深沉的美。 —

Kōbai was most reluctant to give her in marriage to a commoner. —
红梅非常不情愿把她嫁给一个平民。 —

Might Prince Niou perhaps be interested?
宁王是否有兴趣呢？

Niou was fond of joking with Kōbai’s young son when the two of them were at court together. —
宁王喜欢在宫廷时常跟红梅的儿子开玩笑。 —

The boy had artistic talents and a countenance that suggested considerable intellectual endowments as well.
这个男孩有艺术天赋，面容透露出相当的智力天赋。

“Tell your father,” said Niou, “that I am annoyed with him for keeping the rest of the family out of sight. —
“告诉你父亲，”宁王说，“我对他把家族其他人藏起来感到恼火。你肯定不是最有趣的成员吧？” —

You are surely not its most interesting member?”
你们当然不会对我最感兴趣吧？”

The boy passed the remark on, and Kōbai was all smiles. —
少年传达了这个话语，而红梅满面微笑。 —

There were times when it was good to have a daughter or two.
有时候有一个或两个女儿是件好事。

“It might not be a bad idea, you know. The competition at court is fierce, and a pretty daughter could do worse than marry one of the younger princes. —
“你知道，这也许不是个坏主意。宫廷里的竞争很激烈，一个漂亮的女儿嫁给年轻的王子未必不好。” —

The idea is rather exciting, now that I give it a little thought.”
现在我稍微考虑了一下，这个主意相当令人兴奋。

This happened while he was getting his older daughter ready for presentation at court. —
这发生在他正准备让他的大女儿出场的时候。 —

He had been reminding the god of Kasuga that empresses were supposed to come from the Fujiwara family. —
他一直在提醒春日之神，皇后应该来自藤原家族。 —

It was the god’s own promise, and Tō no Chūjō had been badly used in the days when the Reizei emperor was preparing to name his consort. —
这是神自己的承诺，当日麟德天皇准备指定他的皇后时，藤原道长曾备受委屈。 —

Perhaps something might be done now to make amends.
或许现在可以采取一些行动来补救。

Court gossip had it that the older daughter was doing well in the competition for the crown prince’s affection. —
宫廷传言称，大女儿在争夺皇太子青睐的竞争中表现不错。 —

Knowing how strange and difficult court life can be, Kōbai sent Makibashira to be with her. —
知道宫廷生活是多么奇怪和困难，红梅派出蒔柱来照料她。 —

Makibashira was a most admirable guardian and adviser, but Kōbai was bored without her, and the younger daughter was very much at loose ends. —
蒔柱是一个非常优秀的守护者和顾问，但没有她，红梅感到无聊，而小女儿也无所事事。 —

Prince Hotaru’s daughter did not choose, in this difficult time, to stand on her dignity, and the two girls often spent the night together, passing the time at music and more frivolous pursuits. —
在这个困难的时期，春夜的女儿选择并不是站在自尊的立场上，两个女孩经常在一起度过夜晚，用音乐和更轻松的方式打发时间。 —

Kōbai’s daughter accepted the other as her mentor and they got on very well together. —
红梅的女儿将另一个女孩视为她的导师，她们相处得非常好。 —

The princess was an extremely retiring young lady, not completely open even with her own mother. —
公主是一个非常害羞的年轻女士，即使对待自己的母亲也没有完全敞开心扉。 —

It was indeed a degree of reserve that attracted unfavorable comment, though it stopped short of positive eccentricity. —
这种保留度引起了不利的评论，尽管没有到达明显的古怪程度。 —

She was, as a matter of fact, a rather charming girl in her way, far better favored, certainly, than most.
实际上，她在某种程度上是一个相当迷人的女孩，长相确实比大多数人要好。

Kōbai was feeling guilty about his stepdaughter, left out of all the excitement.
红梅因为自己的继女被排除在所有的兴奋之外而感到内疚。

“You must make certain decisions,” he said to Makibashira. —
“你必须做出一些决定，”他对槇柱说。 —

“I will do everything for her that I would do for one of my own daughters.”
“我会为她做任何我为自己的女儿们做的事。”

“She seems to be completely without the hopes and plans one expects a young girl to have,” said Makibashira, brushing away a tear. —
“她好像完全没有一个年轻女孩应该有的希望和计划，”槇柱说着，擦去一滴眼泪。 —

“I certainly would not want to insist upon them. —
“我肯定不想强迫她。 —

I suppose I must call it fate and keep her with me. —
不过我想我必须称之为命运，继续让她和我在一起。 —

She will have problems when I am gone, I am afraid, but perhaps people won’t laugh at her if she becomes a nun. —
我担心我走后她会遇到问题，但也许人们会不再嘲笑她，如果她成为一名尼姑的话。 —

” And she added that in spite of everything the girl had a great deal to recommend her.
”她接着说，尽管一切，这个女孩有很多亮点。

Kōbai was determined to be a good father, and he wished that the girl would cooperate at least to the extent of letting him see her.
红梅决心要做一个好父亲，他希望这个女孩至少会配合他，让他见到她。

“It is not kind of you to insist upon hiding yourself. —
“你坚持隐藏自己并不好，”他决定地站在她的帘子前说，“我感到受伤，你竟然对待我像个陌生人。” —

” He had taken to stealing up to her curtains and searching for a hole or a gap, but he always went away disappointed.
他开始偷偷爬到她的窗帘前，寻找一个洞或缝隙，但总是失望而归。

“I want to be father and mother to you,” he continued, having posted himself firmly before her curtains, “and I am hurt that you should treat me like a stranger.”
“我希望能成为你的父亲和母亲，”他站在她的帘子前说道，“我感到受伤，你竟然对待我像个陌生人。”

Her answers, in very soft tones, suggested great elegance, as indeed did everything about her. —
她用非常柔和的语气回答，一切都显示着极高的优雅。 —

He wanted more than ever to see her. He was not prepared to admit that his own daughters were not the finest young ladies in the land, but he suspected that the princess might outshine them. —
他更加渴望见到她。他并不愿意承认自己的女儿们不是全国最优秀的年轻女士，但他怀疑这位公主可能比她们更耀眼。 —

The world was too wide and varied, that was the trouble. —
世界太宽广而多样，这就是问题所在。 —

A man might think he had a peerless daughter, and somewhere a lovelier lady was almost certain to appear. —
一个人可能会认为自己有一位无与伦比的女儿，但几乎肯定会出现一位更美丽的女士。 —

Yes, he really must have a look at the princess.
是的，他确实应该去看看公主。

“It has been a month and more since I last had the pleasure of hearing you play. —
“我已经一个月多没听到你弹琴了。 —

Things have been in such a frightful stir. —
事态已经乱成一团了。 —

The girl in the west rooms is absolutely mad about the lute, you know. —
西厢房那个女孩对琵琶完全着迷，你知道。 —

Do you think she has possibilities? The lute should be left alone unless it is played well. —
你觉得她有潜力吗？琵琶如果不弹得好就别碰。 —

Give her a lesson or two, please, if you have nothing better to do. —
如果你没别的事可做，就给她上几堂课吧。 —

I am not the man I once was, and I never had regular lessons, but I was a passable musician in my day. —
我不是从前的我了，而且我从来没有接受过正规的课程，但在我年轻时是一个过得去的音乐家。 —

I can still tell good from bad on almost any instrument. —
我仍然能分辨几乎任何乐器的好坏。 —

You are very parsimonious with your playing, but I do occasionally catch an echo, and it brings back old memories. —
你自己弹得太吝啬了，但我偶尔能听到一些回音，它勾起了我的旧记忆。 —

Lord Yūgiri is still with us, of course, to keep the Rokujō tradition alive. —
东楼的依依当然还在，为了继承六条家族的传统。 —

Then there is his brother, the middle councillor, and there is Prince Niou. I am sure that they could have held their own against the best of the old masters. —
还有他的哥哥，中书侍郎，还有乌鸟王子。我确信他们能与老一辈的大师们媲美。 —

I am told that they are very serious about their music, though they may not have quite Yū- giri’s confident touch. —
据说他们非常认真对待他们的音乐，尽管可能没有依依的自信手法。 —

Each time I hear your own lute I think how much it resembles his. —
每次听到你弹琴，我都觉得它多么像他的琴。 —

People are always saying that the most important thing is tact and forbearance in the use of the left hand. —
人们总是说，左手的运用中最重要的是 tăntòng hé ránsù。 —

That is important, of course, but a misplaced bridge can be a disaster, and for a lady a gentle touch with the right hand is very important too. —
那当然很重要，但是一个错位的桥梁会是一场灾难，对于一位女士来说，右手的轻柔触碰也是非常重要的。 —

Come, now, let me hear you play. A lute, someone!”
来吧，现在让我听听你演奏。找一个琵琶给我！

Her women were on the whole much less reticent than she, though one of them, very young and from a very good family, had annoyed him by withdrawing to a distant corner.
她的女官们总体来说比她不那么含蓄，尽管其中一个，年纪很小，家世很好的，让他有些恼火，因为她退到了一个遥远的角落。

“Just see my lady, will you, way off over there. Who has she been led to think she is?”
“快看看我的夫人，你们，她站得那么远。她是如何被误导自认为她是谁呢？”

His son came in, wearing casual court dress, more becoming, Kōbai thought, than full regalia.
他的儿子走了进来，穿着休闲的宫廷服饰，让红梅觉得比穿全套礼服更合适。

He gave the boy a message for the daughter at court. “I cannot be with you this evening. —
他交给孩子一个要传达给宫中女儿的消息。“今晚我不能和你在一起。你们得没有我相伴。也许你可以说我身体不舒服。 —

You must do without me. Perhaps you can say that I am not feeling well. —
解决了这件事情，他微笑着转向了其他事务。 —

” That business out of the way, he smiled and turned to other business. —
“哪天带上你的笛子一起来。 —

“Bring your flute with you one of these days. —
也许你妹妹在这方面需要鼓励。 —

It may be what your sister here needs to encourage her. —
你有没有为皇上演奏过？你的幼稚的方式能否取悦他？” —

Do you ever play for His Majesty? And do you please him, in your infantile way?”
他让男孩用传统音阶演奏一曲，男孩演奏得非常好。

He set the boy to a strain in the sōjō mode, which he managed very commendably.
“好，非常好。我看得出你从我们的小音乐会中获益良多。

“Good, very good. I can see that you have profited from our little musicales. —
现在你必须和他一起演奏，”他对公主说。 —

And now you must join him,” he said to the princess.
她似乎有些不情愿，拒绝使用玩耍，但他们短暂的二重奏实在太美妙了。

She played with obvious reluctance and declined to use a plectrum, but the brief duo was very pleasing indeed. —
她的演奏明显有些勉强，她也拒绝使用拨片，但是他们短暂的二重奏实在是令人愉悦的。 —

Kōbai whistled an accompaniment, rich and full.
香梅吹奏着浓郁而丰满的伴奏声。

He looked out at a rose plum in full bloom just below this east veranda.
他望着东侧阳台下盛开的一朵玫瑰梅。

“Magnificent. Am I right in thinking that Prince Niou is living in the palace these days? —
“壮丽。我没记错吧，牛皇子这些日子住在宫中吗？ —

Take him a branch — the one who knows best knows best. —
把这枝梅枝送给他 —— 明白人懂得最道理。 —

How well I remember the days when Genji was young. They called him’the shining one. —
我还记得年轻时的源氏。他被称为‘闪耀者’。 —

’ It would have been when he was a guards commander, and I was a page, as you are now. —
那可能是在他当卫队指挥之时，而我则是一个侍从，正如你现在一样。 —

I was lucky enough to attract his attention, and I never shall forget the pleasure it gave me. —
我很幸运能吸引他的注意，我永远也忘不了那给我带来的愉悦。 —

They talk about Prince Niou and his good friend Kaoru, and indeed they have become very fine young gentlemen. —
他们谈论着牛皇子和他的好友薰，的确他们成为了很好的绅士。 —

I may have been heard to say that they are not like Genji, really not like him at all, but that is because for me there can never be another Genji. I find myself choking up at the thought that I once stood there beside him. —
也许我说过他们真的不像源氏，真的完全不像他，但那是因为对我来说永远不会有另一个源氏。 —

And I was never so very close to him. For those that were it must seem as if something had gone very wrong, that they should be here without him. —
当我曾经站在他身旁时，我发现自己一直处于情绪激动之中。 —

” His voice had become somewhat husky. Seeking to control himself, he broke off a plum branch and, handing it to the boy, pushed him towards the door. —
他的声音有些沙哑。为了控制自己，他掰下一枝梅枝，递给男孩，把他推向门口。 —

“Prince Niou is the only one left who reminds me of him. —
“牛皇子是唯一使我想起他的人。 —

When the Blessed One died his disciples thought they saw something of his radiance in Prince Ananda, and ventured to hope that he had come back. —
当被赞者去世时，他的门徒们认为在阿难王子身上看到了一些他的辉煌，他们也期望他可能是某种转世。 —

For me Prince Niou is the light in all the darkness.”
对我来说，牛皇子就是所有黑暗中的光明。”

Full of youthful good spirits once more, he dashed off a poem on a bit of scarlet paper and folded it inside a sheet of notepaper the boy chanced to have with him.
再次充满青春活力，他在一张红纸上匆匆写下了一首诗，并将其折叠在男孩随身携带的一张纸中。

“A purposeful breeze wafts forth the scent of our plum.
“一阵有意的微风吹起我们家的梅花香。

Will not the warbler be first to heed the summons?”
难道不是鸣禽最先听到这个召唤吗？”

The boy rushed off to the palace, delighted at the prospect of seeing Niou, whom he found emerging from the empress’s audience chamber. —
“男孩高兴地冲向皇宫，因为他期待着能见到雁会的暗将。 —

Niou singled him out among the throngs in her anterooms.
雁会在皇后的朝会厅里走出来的时候，把他从众多人群中找了出来。

“Why did you have to run off in such a hurry last night? —
“为什么昨晚你为什么要这么匆忙离去？ —

How long have you been here this evening?”
今天晚上你在这里待了多久了？”

“I was sorry I had to go. I came earl y this evening because they said you might still be here. —
“我很抱歉我不得不离开。我早早就来了因为他们说你可能还在这里。 —

” He spoke as one man to another.
”他像一个男人对另一个男人说话。

“You must come and see me at Nijō sometime. —
“你一定要到二条来看我。 —

It is a more comfortable sort of place, and it seems to attract young people, I don’t really know why.”
那里更舒适，而且似乎吸引了很多年轻人，我真的不知道为什么。”

The stir had subsided. Sensing an intimate tête-à-tête, the throngs were withdrawing.
“喧嚣渐渐平息了。感觉到一场亲密的私下对话，人群都退开了。

“So my brother, the crown prince, is letting you have a little time of your own for a change? —
“所以我的弟弟，太子，让你有一点属于自己的时间？ —

It used to be that he had to have you with him every moment of the day. —
过去他每时每刻都要跟着你。 —

Does it make you a little jealous, that your sister is occupying so much of his attention?”
你会有点嫉妒吗，因为你的姐姐占据了他这么多的注意力？”

“You are not to think I wanted it that way. —
“你可不要以为我是愿意这样的。” —

If it had been you, now — Confidently he took a seat beside the prince.
如果是你，现在——他自信地坐在王子旁边。

“They insist on treating me like a child. —
“他们坚持把我当作一个孩子对待。 —

If that is their view of me, there is not much that I can do about it. —
如果他们这么看待我，我也没办法。 —

Yet I cannot help being annoyed. Perhaps you might remind another sister, the one whose rooms face east, I am told, that we come from the same worn-out old family, and so perhaps we might be friends.”
但我还是忍不住有点烦。也许你可以提醒另一个姐妹，据说她的房间朝东，我们是来自同一个破旧家族的，也许我们可以成为朋友。”

It was the boy’s opportunity to present the plum branch.
这是男孩展示梅枝的机会。

Niou smiled. “I am glad it is not a peace offering.” He was delighted with it. —
仁王微笑着说：“我很高兴这不是一个和解的表示。”他对此感到高兴。 —

The scent and color and the distribution of the blossoms surpassed anything he had seen in the palace gardens.
梅花的香气、颜色和分布都超过了他在宫殿花园中见过的一切。

“I’ve heard it said that the rose plum puts everything into its color and lets the white plum have all the perfume, but here we have color and perfume all in the same blossoms.”
“我听说玫瑰梅把所有东西都放在它的颜色中，让白梅拥有所有的香气，但这里我们一起拥有颜色和香气。”

The plum blossom had always been among his favorites. —
梅花一直是他最喜欢的花之一。 —

The boy was delighted to have brought such pleasure.
男孩很高兴带来了这么多快乐。

“You are on duty this evening, I believe? Why don’t you stay here with me?”
“我相信今晚你值班？为什么不和我待在这里？”

And so the boy was not after all able to call on the crown prince. —
男孩最终没有去拜访太子。 —

The scent of the plum blossoms was rather overwhelmed by the scent from Niou’s robes. —
梅花的香气被仁王衣袍上的香气掩盖了。 —

Lying beside him, the boy thought he had never met a more charming gentleman.
躺在他身边，男孩觉得自己从未遇见过一个更迷人的绅士。

“And my cousin, the mistress of your plums? —
“还有我的表姐，你的梅之主？ —

Was she not invited to come into the crown prince’s service?”
她难道没有被邀请进入太子的服务吗？

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone mention it — but I did hear my father say that the one who knows best knows best.”
“我想我从来没有听过有人提到过这件事 - 但我听我父亲说过谁最懂谁最懂。”

Niou’s informants had apprised him of the fact that Kōbai was more concerned about his own daughter than Prince Hotaru’s. —
牛尾的线人告诉他，香梅对自己的女儿比对螢的王子更关心。 —

Since she did not happen to be Niou’s favorite, he did not immediately answer Kōbai’s poem.
因为她不是牛尾的最爱，所以他没有立即回答香梅的诗。

Early the next morning he did have a poem ready for the boy to take with him. —
第二天早上，他的确为这个男孩准备了一首诗。 —

It was not perhaps a very warm one.
这可能不是一首很温暖的诗。

“If I were one who followed inviting scents
“如果我是追随邀请气味的人，

Perhaps I might be summoned by the wind.”
或许我会被风传唤。”

“Do not let yourself become involved in talks with the aged,” he said more than once to the boy. —
“不要陷入与年长者的谈话中，”他不止一次对这男孩说。 —

“Have a quiet talk with someone nearer your own age.”
“与年龄更相仿的人静下心聊一聊。”

These remarks had the effect of making the boy feel responsible for his royal sister. —
这些话让男孩觉得自己对王姐负有责任。 —

His father’s daughters were more open with him and seemed more like sisters, and his childish view of the princess was almost worshipful. —
他的父亲的女儿们更向他敞开心扉，更像姐妹，而他对公主的孩子般的看法几乎是崇拜的。 —

Yes, he must find her a good husband. He wished well for all his sisters, and the tasteful gaiety of the crown prince’s household made him think that the royal one among them had had very bad luck. —
是的，他必须给她找个好丈夫。他对所有的妹妹都祝福，而太子府的考究欢乐让他觉得她们之中的王姐有着很不幸。 —

How good it would be to see her at Niou’s side! —
见到她和牛尾在一起会多好啊！ —

The branch of plum blossoms had produced most encouraging hints.
这支梅花枝带来了最令人鼓舞的暗示。

He delivered Niou’s poem to his father.
他将Niou的诗交到了他父亲手中。

“Not very friendly, I must say. But it is amusing to see what a prim and proper face he is putting on for us. —
“不太友善，我必须说。但看到他为我们摆出一副正经八百的矜持面孔还挺有意思的。 —

I suppose he is aware that Yūgiri and all the rest of us think him a little too much of a ladies’ man. —
我想他应该意识到悠斋和我们其他人都觉得他有点太过于纨绔了。 —

The primness does not accord very well with his talents in that direction.”
这种正经八百的举止实在不太符合他在那方面的才华。”

If he was annoyed he quickly recovered, and today again got off a friendly note:
如果他感到恼怒，他很快就恢复了情绪，今天再次友好地写了一段：

“Ever fragrant, the royal sleeves touch the blossoms
“皇家袖子时时香

And bring them into higher and higher repute.
接触花朵更添声望。”

“I must ask to be forgiven if I seem frivolous.”
“如果我显得轻浮，请务必原谅。”

Perhaps, thought Niou, it was worth taking seriously. He answered:
尼欧心想，也许值得认真对待。他回答道：

“Were I to follow the fragrance of the blossoms,
“如果我追随花朵的芬芳，

Might I not be accused of wantonness?”
会不会被指责放荡不羁？”

Kōbai thought it a bit stiff, when things had been going so well.
红梅觉得有点生硬，事情本来进行得那么顺利。

Makibashira came home from court. “The boy seems to have spent a night at the palace not long ago. —
巻柱从朝廷回来。“这个孩子似乎不久前在宫殿里过了一夜。 —

When he left the next morning everyone was admiring the marvelous perfume. —
第二天早上他离开时每个人都在赞美那种奇妙的香气。 —

‘Aha,’ said the crown prince,‘he has been with my brother Niou.’ The crown prince is very quick in these things. —
‘啊哈，’太子说，‘他一定是去了我兄弟尼欧那里。’太子在这些事情上反应非常敏捷。 —

And that, he said, was why he was being neglected himself. We all thought it very amusing. —
他说，这就是为什么他自己被忽视的原因。我们都觉得很有趣。 —

Had you written to Prince Niou? Somehow it didn’t seem as if you had.”
你写信给尼欧王子了吗？在某种程度上似乎你没有。”

“I had indeed. He has always been fond of plum blossoms, and the rose plum is so unusually fine this year that I could not let the opportunity pass. —
“我确实写了。他一直喜欢梅花，今年玫瑰梅花异常美丽，我不想错过这个机会。 —

I broke off a branch and sent it to him. He gives off such an extraordinary scent himself. —
我折了一枝送给他。他本身散发着一种特别的香气。 —

I doubt that you could find in all the wardrobes of all the grand ladies a robe with a finer scent burnt into it. —
我怀疑在所有大家闺秀的衣柜里都找不到一件衣袍的香气比他这种更好的。 —

With Lord Kaoru it all comes naturally. He seems to have no interest at all in perfumes. —
对于薰香，对于尚衣，似乎都不感兴趣。 —

It is very curious, really — what do you suppose he has been up to in other lives? —
真是很奇怪，你觉得他在前世中做了什么呢？” —

One plum blossom may go by the same name as another, but it’s the roots that make all the difference. —
一个梅花可能和另一个同名，但根源却是有所不同。 —

Prince Niou was kind enough to praise this one of ours, and I must say that it deserves to be praised. —
牛莺亲王很友善地表扬了我们这个，我必须说这值得被表扬。 —

” So the plum became his excuse for discussing Niou.
所以梅花成了他讨论牛莺的借口。

Prince Hotaru’s daughter was old enough to know what was expected of young ladies, and she took careful note of what went on around her. —
蛍王的女儿已经大到知道年轻女子应有的期望，并密切注意着周围发生的事情。 —

She had evidently concluded with some firmness that marriage was not for her. —
她显然坚定地得出结论，婚姻不适合她。 —

Men are easily swayed by power and prestige, and Kōbai’s daughters, with their influential father behind them, had already had many earnest proposals. —
男人容易被权力和声誉所左右，而红梅的女儿们，因为他们背后有影响力很大的父亲，已经收到了很多认真的求婚。 —

The princess had lived a quiet, withdrawn sort of life by comparison. —
公主过着一种宁静、内向的生活，相比之下。 —

But Niou seemed to have decided that she was the one for him. —
但牛王似乎已经决定她就是他心仪的人。 —

Kōbai’s son, now among his regular attendants, was kept busy delivering secret notes.
红梅的儿子现在是他的常任侍从中的一员，忙着传送秘密信件。

Kōbai had hopes of his own and watched for evidence that they had been noticed. —
红梅对自己寄托希望，并观察是否有被注意到的迹象。 —

Indeed he was already making plans.
确实，他已经开始做计划。

Makibashira thought him rather pathetic. “He has it all wrong. —
希柱认为他相当可怜。“他全盘错乱了。 —

This stream of letters might have some point if the prince were even a little interested.”
如果王子稍微感兴趣的话，这些信函或许有些意义。”

Niou was spurred to new efforts by the silence with which his notes were greeted. —
牛王发现他的信函总是被沉默所对待，便受到新的激励。 —

Makibashira occasionally sought to coax an answer from her daughter. —
希柱偶尔试图从她女儿那里迫使一份回复。 —

Niou’s prospects were bright and a girl could certainly do worse. —
鸟居的前景一片光明，一个女孩肯定不会过得更差。 —

But the princess found it hard to believe that he was serious. —
但公主很难相信他是认真的。 —

He was known to be keeping up numerous clandestine liaisons, and his trips to Uji did not seem merely frivolous.
他被认为一直保持着许多秘密关系，他到宇治的旅行似乎并非仅仅是轻佻的。

Makibashira got off a quiet letter from time to time. A prince was, after all, a prince.
牧柱不时寄来一封静谧的信。毕竟，王子就是王子。