大约在今年六月中旬，有一帖关于“齐眉举案”如何翻译的讨论，详细见下链接：
http://bbs.wenxuecity.com/mysj/203074.html
现找到David Hawkes 的 《红楼梦》译文， 与各位共享。他是这样译的：
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[终身误] （第五回） |
First Song: The Mistaken Marriage |
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都道是金玉良姻， |
Let others all Commend the marriage rites of gold and jade; |
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俺只念木石前盟．
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I still recall The bond of old by stone and flower made; |
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空对着，山中高士晶莹雪， |
And while my vacant eyes behold Crystalline snows of beauty pure and cold, |
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终不忘，世外仙姝寂寞林．
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From my mind can not be banished That fairy wood forlorn that from the world has vanished |
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叹人间，美中不足今方信．
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How true I find That every good some imperfection holds! |
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纵然是齐眉举案，到底意难平．
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Even a wife so courteous and so kind No comfort brings to my afflicted mind. |
译者又在Appendix中加了下面一段说明：
“In the First Song the ‘marriage rites of gold and jade’ refers to the marriage of Bao-chai (gold) and Bao-yu (jade). ‘Stone’ and ‘flower’ are, of course, the avatars of Bao-yu and Dai-yu. The crystalline snow’ stands for Bao-chai’s surname Xue, and the ‘fairy wood forlorn’ for Dai-yu’ surname Lin.”
