红楼梦Chapter18_小升初阅读_小升初-查字典英语网

红楼梦Chapter18

Chia Cheng after this， at length， was slightly composed in mind， and cheerful at heart; and having further invited dowager lady Chia and other inmates to go into the garden， he deliberated with them on， and made arrangements for， every detail in such a befitting manner that not the least trifle remained for which suitable provision had not been made; and Chia Cheng eventually mustered courage to indite a memorial， and on the very day on which the memorial was presented， a decree was received fixing upon the fifteenth day of the first moon of the ensuing year， the very day of the Shang Yuan festival， for the honourable consorts to visit their homes.

Upon the receipt of this decree， with which the Chia family was honoured， they had still less leisure， both by day as well as by night; so much so that they could not even properly observe the new year festivities. But in a twinkle of the eye， the festival of the full moon of the first moon drew near; and beginning from the eighth day of the first moon， eunuchs issued from the palace and inspected beforehand the various localities， the apartments in which the imperial consort was to change her costume; the place where she would spend her leisure moments; the spot where she would receive the conventionalities; the premises where the banquets would be spread; the quarters where she would retire for rest.

there were also eunuchs who came to assume the patrol of the grounds and the direction of the defences; and they brought along with them a good many minor eunuchs， whose duty it was to look after the safety of the various localities， to screen the place with enclosing curtains， to instruct the inmates and officials of the Chia mansion whither to go out and whence to come in from， what side the viands should be brought in from， where to report matters， and in the observance of every kind of etiquette; and for outside the mansion， there were， on the other hand， officers from the Board of Works， and a superintendent of the Police， of the Five Cities， in charge of the sweeping of the streets and roads， and the clearing away of loungers. While Chia She and the others superintended the workmen in such things as the manufacture of flowered lanterns and fireworks.