珍珠衫

From 夏志清 CT Hsia, Classic Chinese Novel, Appendix, p.317.

喻世明言第一卷, 蔣興哥重會珍珠衫
Cyril Birch trs., Stories from a Ming Collection

People generally find that if they don't entertain expectations, things don't bother them; once start expecting, and all kinds of silly idle dreams come crowding in and make the time pass with painful slowness.

大凡人不做指望，倒也不在心上；一做指望，便癡心妄想，時刻難過。

entertain expectations = 做指望
things don't bother them = 不在心上
idle dreams come crowding in = 癡心妄想
make the time pass with painful slowness = 時刻難過

Just because she put faith in what the soothsayer had said, Fortune (the wife) now found her every thought direccted towards her husband's return, and from this time onwards she spent much of her time in the front porch of the house, gazing out from behind the curtain.

三巧兒只為信了賣卦先生之語，一心只想丈夫回來， 從此時常走向前樓，在簾內東張西望。

put faith in = 信了
found her every thought = 一心
spent much of her time = 時常
behind the curtain = 在簾內
gazing out = 東張西望

* * *

Cont'd (not quoted in Hsia's book):

This went on until the beginning of the second month, when the cedar began to come into bud. Still there was no sign of her husband’s return.

直到二月初旬，椿樹抽芽，不見些兒動靜。

This went on until = 直到
Still there was no sign = 不見些兒動靜

Remembering his parting vow, Fortune grew more and more uneasy, and now went down several times a day to look out for him.

三巧兒思想丈夫臨行之約，愈加心慌，一日幾遍，向外探望。

Obviously, trouble was in store for her, she was fated to meet her elegant young man. Indeed,

也是合當有事，遇著這箇俊俏後生。 正是：

If the affinity is there, they will overcome a thousand-mile separation;
If the affinity is absent, they will not meet though face to face.

有緣千里能相會，無緣對面不相逢。