林黛玉：林黛玉的出身既是世禄之家又是书香之族。她的父亲是林如海，前科的探花，后已升兰台寺大夫，本贯姑苏人氏，今钦点为巡盐御史。林如海之祖，也曾袭过列侯的，今到如海，业经五世；起初只袭三世，因当今隆恩盛德，额外加恩，至如海之父，又袭了一代；到了如海，便从科第出身。林黛玉之母贾敏是贾代善和贾母即史氏之女。由于林黛玉没有兄弟姐妹，她父母爱她如掌上明珠。见她生得聪明俊秀，也欲使她识几个字，不过假充养子，聊解膝下荒凉之叹。
Lin Daiyu： Lin Daiyu was born of a family which was cultured as well as noble. Her father was LinRuhai who had come third in a previous Imperial Examination and recently been promoted to the censorate.
A native of Gusu， he had now been selected by the Emperor as a Commissioner of the Salt Inspectorate.
One of Lin Ruhai’s ancestors five generations earlier had been ennobled as a marquis. The rank had beenconferred for three generations； then， as the benevolence of the present gracious Emperor far exceeded thatof his noble predecessors， he had as a special favour extended it for one more generation， so that Lin Ruhai’sfather had inherited the title as well. He himself， however， had made his career through the examinations. LinDaiyu’s mother Jia Min was the daughter of Jia Daishan and Lady Dowager， i.e， nee Shi. Because Lin Daiyuhad no brothers and sisters， her parents loved her dearly. And because she was as intelligent as she waspretty， they decided to give her a good education to make up for their lack of a son and help them forget theirloss.
只可惜林黛玉很年轻时她父母就先后病逝了。她只得到她外婆贾母家去，并在那儿被抚养长大。她在外婆的家里，必须步步留心，时时在意，不能多说一句话，不可多行一步路，恐被人耻笑了去。在势利的贾家深宅大院里，她设法保持着自己的自尊，用率直、刻薄的言语保护自己不受轻蔑和欺侮。“你方才叫我吃燕窝粥的话”，黛玉对宝钗叹道，“……那些底下老婆子丫头们，未免嫌我太多事了。你看这里这些人，因见老太太多疼了宝玉和凤姐姐两个；他们尚虎视眈眈，背地里言三语四的，何况于我？况我又不是正经主子，原是无依无靠投奔了来的，他们已经多嫌着我呢；如今我还不知进退，何苦叫他们咒我？”“我是一无所有，吃穿用度，一草一木，皆是和他们家的姑娘一样，那起小人岂有不多嫌的？”“花谢花飞飞满天，红消香断有谁怜？”“一年三百六十五日，风刀霜剑严相逼。”在那种情况下，林黛玉变得猜忌小气，多愁多病，多愁善感。
Unfortunately Lin Daiyu’s parents died of diseases one after another when she was quite young. She hadto go to her maternal grandmother’s home and be brought up there. She must watch her step in her new home，be on guard every moment and weigh every word， so as not to be laughed at for any foolish blunder. Shemanages to keep her self-respect in the midst of the grand and snobbish Jias， warding off slights and bullywith her candid and carping tongue.“You just said I should eat bird’s-nest.”Daiyu exclaimed with a sighto Baochai，“...but those below would be bound to think me too pernickety. Look how jealous these peopleare and how much gossip there is here because the old lady favours Baoyu and Xifeng. In my case， they’dresent it even more. After all， I’m not a daughter of the house， I’m here because I’ve nowhere else to go. Theyresent me enough as it is. If I should push myself forward， they’d all start cursing me.”“But I have nothing.
Yet all I eat， wear and use， down to the least blade of grass or sheet of paper， is the same as their own girls get.
Naturally those petty-minded people dislike me.”“As blossoms fade and fly across the sky， who pities thefaded red， the scent that has been ？”“Each year for three hundred and sixty-five days the cutting wind andbiting frost contend.”Under such circumstances， Lin Daiyu has become jealous and petty-minded， sick withlonging， always melancholy and moody.
黛玉每岁至春分、秋分后，必犯旧疾；今秋又遇着贾母高兴，多游玩了两次，未免过劳了神，近日又复嗽起来，觉得比往常又重。所以总不出门，只在自己的房中将养。今忽见宝玉也有麒麟，便恐借此生隙，同湘云也做出那些风流佳事来，因而悄悄走来，见机行事，以察二人之意。不想刚走进来，正听见湘云说“经济”一事，宝玉又说：“林妹妹不说这些混帐话，要说这话，我也和他生分了。”黛玉听了这话，不觉又喜又惊，又悲又叹。所喜者：果然自己眼力不错，素日认他是个知己，果然是个知己；所惊者：他在人前一片私心称扬于我，其亲热厚密，竟不避嫌疑；所叹者：你既为我的知已，自然我亦可为你的知己，既你我为知已，又何必有“金玉”之论呢？既有“金玉”之论，也该你我有之，又何必来一宝钗呢？所悲者：父母早逝，虽有铭心刻骨之言，无人为我主张；况近日每觉神思恍惚，病已渐成……宝玉忽见黛玉在前面慢慢的走着，似乎有拭泪之状，便忙赶着上来笑道：“妹妹往那里去？怎么又哭了？又是谁得罪了你了？”黛玉回头见是宝玉，便勉强笑道：“好好的，我何曾哭来。”宝玉笑道：“你瞧瞧，眼睛上的泪珠儿没干，还撒谎呢！”一面说，一面禁不住抬起手来，替他拭泪。黛玉忙向后退了几步，说道：“你又要死了！又这么动手动脚的。”宝玉笑道：“说话忘了情，不觉的动了手，也就顾不得死活。”黛玉道：“死了倒不值什么，只是丢下了什么‘金’，又是什么‘麒麟’，可怎么好呢！”一句话，又把宝玉说急了。黛玉忙求道：“你别着急，我原说错了，这有什么要紧，筋都叠暴起来，急的一脸汗！”一面说，一面也近前伸手替他拭面上的汗。宝玉瞅了半天，方说道：“你放心。”黛玉听了，怔了半天，说道：“我有什么不放心的？我不明白你这个话。”宝玉点头叹道：
“好妹妹，你别哄我；你真不明白这话，不但我素日白用了心，且连你素日待我的心也都辜负了。你皆因都是不放心的原故，才弄了一身的病了。但凡宽慰些，这病也不得一日重似一日了！”黛玉听了这话，如轰雷掣电，细细思之，竟比自己肺腑中掏出来的还觉恳切，竟有万句言语，满心要说，只是半个字也不能吐出，只管怔怔的瞅着他。此时宝玉心中也有万句言词，不知一时从那一句说起，却也怔怔的瞅着黛玉。两个人怔了半天，黛玉只“咳”了一声，眼中泪直流下来，转身便头也不回，竟去了，而宝玉只管呆着脸说道：“好妹妹，我的这个心，从来不敢说，今日胆大说出来，就是死了也是甘心的！我为你也弄了一身的病，又不敢告诉人，只好捱着。等你的病好了，只怕我的病才得好呢。——睡里梦里也忘不了你！”由此可见，宝黛之恋，多么深！
Daiyu， who suffered from a bad cough around every spring and autumn solstice， had overtaxed herstrength this year by going out more than usual， because of the Lady Dowager’s good spirits， and had recentlystarted coughing again worse than ever. She therefore stayed in her own rooms to rest. But now Baoyu’spossession of a gold unicorn like Xiangyun’s might lead to a romance between them. So Daiyu slipped overto see what was happening and judge of their feelings for each other， arriving just as Xiangyun was speakingof worldly affairs， and in time to hear Baoyu answer，“Miss Lin never talks such disgusting nonsense. Ifshe did， I’d have stopped having anything to do with her.”This surprised and delighted Daiyu but alsodistressed and grieved her. She was delighted to know she had not misjudged him， for he had now proved justas understanding as she had always thought. Surprised that he had been so indiscreet as to acknowledge hispreference for her openly. Distressed because their mutual understanding ought to preclude all talk aboutgold matching jade， or she instead of Baochai should have the gold locket to match his jade amulet. Grievedbecause her parents had died， and although his preference was so clear there was no one to propose thematch for her. Besides， she had recently been suffering from dizzy spells which might be... Baoyu happenedto see Daiyu walking slowly ahead， apparently wiping her tears. He overtook her.“Where are you going，cousin？”he asked with a smile.“What， crying again？ Who’s offended you this time？”Daiyu turned andsaw who it was.“I’m all right.”She gave a wan smile.“I wasn’t crying.”“Don’t fib—your eyes are stillwet.”He raised his hand instinctively to wipe away her tears. At once she recoiled a few steps.“Are youcrazy？ Can’t you keep your hands to yourself？”“I did it without thinking.”Baoyu laughed.“I was deadto all around me.”“No one will care when you’re dead， but what about the gold locket and unicorn you’llhave to leave behind？”This remark made Baoyu frantic.“Don’t get so excited，”Daiyu begged.“Whywork yourself up over a slip of the tongue？ The veins on your forehead are all swollen with anger， and whata sweat you’re in！”So saying， she too stepped forward without thinking and reached out her hand to wipehis perspiring face. Baoyu fixed his eyes on her. After a while he said gently，“you mustn’t worry”. Daiyugazed at him in silence，“Worry？”she repeated at last.“I don’t understand. What do you mean？”“Dearcousin， don’t tease.”Baoyu nodded and sighed.“If you really don’t understand， all my devotion’s beenwasted and even your feeling for me has been thrown away. You ruin your health by worrying so much. Ifyou’d take things less to heart， your illness wouldn’t be getting worse every day.”These words struck Daiyulike a thunderbolt. As she turned them over in her mind， they seemed closer to her innermost thoughts than ifwrung from her own heart. There were a thousand things she longed to say， yet she could not utter a word. Shejust stared at him in silence. As Baoyu was in similar case， he too stared at her without a word. So they stoodtransfixed for some time. Then Daiyu gave a choking cough and tears rolled down her cheeks. She was turningto hurry off without one look behind， while Baoyu just stood there like a man in a trance and declared，“Dearcousin， I never ventured before to bare my heart to you. Now that I’ve summoned up courage to speak， I’ll diecontent. I was making myself ill on account of you， but I dared not tell anyone and hid my feelings. I shall notrecover till you’re better too. I can’t forget you even in my dreams.”From here we can see how deeply Baoyuand Daiyu love each other.
宝玉与黛玉的爱情是建立在两情相悦、两心相知的基础之上的自由纯洁的爱情，不讲门第，不计利害，重情不重礼，生死与共，与封建礼教背道而驰，在当时是一种叛逆的爱情。虽说宝玉是个才子，黛玉是个佳人，但宝黛之恋和传统类小说中的才子佳人之恋不同。
后者中，男女主角要掌握自己的人生也有斗争，但他们反对的只是当时的婚姻习俗，并不是封建制度的原则。他们大多数在科举考试中优胜了，他们的家人顺从了他们不合习俗的婚姻配偶的选择，结果协调一致了。而宝黛之恋代表了对封建家庭利益的根本挑战。宝玉藐视功名，拒绝通过科举考试制度来追求仕途，坚决驳斥所有人——甚至像史湘云、薛宝钗那样的亲密者来劝告他要立志科举时，他都拒绝。在贾府所有的年轻女子中，只有黛玉理解他、同情他的正直天性，同情他厌恶虚伪、做作和追名逐利的算计。正是因为黛玉帮助并助长宝玉背叛封建习俗，导致宝玉走上可能招致家庭败落之路，贾家的家长贾母才认为黛玉作为宝玉的婚姻伴侣完全不合适。贾母说：“宝玉和林丫头是从小在一处的，我只说小孩子们，怕什么？以后时常听得林丫头忽然病，忽然好，都为有了些知觉了。所以我想他们若尽着搁在一块儿，毕竟不成体统。”“林丫头的乖僻，虽也是他的好处，我的心里不把林丫头配他，也是为这点子，况且林丫头这样虚弱，恐不是有寿的。只有宝丫头最妥。”根据贾母的上述教导，熙凤制订了一个秘密计划，并说：“只有一个‘掉包儿’的法子”，即偷梁换柱之计。
黛玉听得宝玉就要和宝钗举行婚礼，这本是她数年的心病，一时急怒，迷惑了本性。她身子往前一栽，“哇”的一声，一口血直吐出来。她唯求速死。她决心拒绝吃任何东西。当贾母、王夫人、熙凤去看黛玉时，贾母心里只是纳闷，因说：“孩子们从小儿在一处玩，好些是有的。如今大了，懂的人事，就该要分别些，才是做女孩儿的本分，我才心里疼他。若是他心里有别的想头，成了什么人了呢！我可是白疼了他了！”“咱们这种人家，别的事自然没有的，这心病也是断断有不得的！林丫头若不是这个病呢，我凭着花多少钱都使得，就是这个病，不但治不好，我也没心肠了！”黛玉向来病着，自贾母起直到姐妹们的下人，常来问候；今见贾府中上下人等都不过来，连一个问的人都没有，睁开眼，只有紫鹃一人，自料万无生理，因此决心焚稿断痴情。正是宝玉娶宝钗的这个时辰，黛玉气绝。她最后的话是“宝玉，宝玉！你好……”
The love between Baoyu and Daiyu is based on their mutual love and understanding， is a free and purelove without any concern for family status and interests； and it is also a constant and rebellious love， whichemphasizes feeling rather than feudal ethical codes， and even runs counter to feudal ethical codes. AlthoughBaoyu is a talented young man and Daiyu is a beauty， the love affair between Baoyu and Daiyu is differentfrom the way such matters are treated in the traditional genre of novels featuring talented young scholars andbeautiful girls. In the latter novels the heroes and heroines have their struggles to exert control over theirown lives， but their opposition is to the marriage conventions of the time， and not to the basic principlesof the feudal system. They mostly excel in the imperial examinations， and when they do so their familiesbecome reconciled to their unconventional choices of marriage partners， and in the end harmony reigns.
The love between Baoyu and Daiyu， on the other hand， represents a fundamental challenge to the interestsof the feudal family. Baoyu scorns fame and fortune， and refuses to pursue an official position through theimperial examination system， resolutely rebuffing all—even intimates like Shi Xiangyun and Xue Baochai—when they urge him to be ambitious. Of all the young ladies in the household， only Daiyu understandshim， sympathizing with his straightforward nature， and his loathing of hypocrisy， affectation and worldlycalculation. It’s just because Daiyu aids and abets Baoyu in his rebellion against feudal mores， leading himdown a path that may spell ruin for the family， the Lady Dowager， the matriarch of the Jia family， regardsher as completely unsuitable as a marriage partner for Baoyu. The Lady Dowager said，“Baoyu and Daiyuhave been inseparable since they were small， and I didn’t think it mattered as they were children. Sincethen， though， there’s been all this talk about her sudden illness and sudden recovery—just because they aregrowing up now. So I don’t think it proper to leave them together all the time.”“Daiyu is over-sensitive，and though that’s not a bad thing in a way it’s also the reason why I don’t want to marry her to Baoyu. Besides，she’s so delicate， I doubt whether she’s long for this world. The most suitable choice is Baochai.”Accordingto the old lady’s instructions mentioned above， Xifeng made an underhand plan and said，“the only wayis to‘palm off a dummy’on him.”That was the plan to fob off a different bride on Baoyu. The news ofBaoyu’s impending wedding to Baochai， a prospect which Daiyu had dreaded for years， had so enraged herthat she had lost her senses. She staggered and fell， vomiting blood. She just longed to die quickly. She madeup her mind to refuse to eat anything. When the Lady Dowager， Lady Wang and Xifeng went to see Daiyu，the old lady dubiously said，“It’s natural for young people who’ve played together as children to be partial toeach other； but now that they’re big enough to know the facts of life they should keep at a distance. That’s howa girl should behave if she wants me to love her. To get other ideas into her head would be most improper， andall my love for her would be thrown away.”“In a family like ours， of course there can’t be any carryings-on， but even thinking such thoughts is taboo！ If that’s not the root of her illness， I’m willing to spend any sumto cure her. If it is， I doubt if it can be cured and I don’t care！”During Daiyu’s previous illness， everyonefrom the old lady herself down to the maids of her cousins had come to ask after her health. But now not onerelative or servant came， not even sending inquiries， and when she opened her eyes there was nobody butZijuan in the room. She knew there was not the least reason for her to live on. Therefore， Daiyu made up hermind to burn her poems to end her infatuation. It was in the very same hour in which Baoyu and Baochai weremarried that Daiyu breathed her last. Her last words were“Baoyu， Baoyu！ How...”
黛玉生来体弱多病，但非常聪明漂亮，难怪熙凤看到她便笑道：“天下真有这样标致的人儿？我今日才算看见了！”在宝玉看来，黛玉“真是与众各别”。“两弯似蹙非蹙罥烟眉，一双似喜非喜含情目……闲静似娇花照水，行动如弱柳扶风。心较比干多一窍，病如西子胜三分。”林黛玉最突出的特点是弱不禁风，多愁善感。因此“林黛玉”现在已变成了凡有那两个特点的人的代名词。她的另一个特点是爱哭。她为什么哭呢？ 她为美丽而短暂的生命哭泣——“一朝春尽红颜老，花落人亡两不知。”她为自己的命苦哭泣——她父母双亡，又无兄弟姐妹，孤苦伶仃，只得寄居亲戚家中。她为爱而哭泣——“一个是阆苑仙葩，一个是美玉无瑕。
今生偏又遇着他；若说有奇缘，如何心事终虚话？
一个枉自嗟呀，一个空劳牵挂。
一个是水中月，一个是镜中花。
想眼中能有多少泪珠儿，怎禁得秋流到冬，春流到夏！”
Daiyu was born weak and often ill， but very intelligent and beautiful. No wonder Xifeng saw her andcried with a laugh，“This is the first time I’ve set eyes on such a ravishing beauty. Her whole air is sodistinguished！”In Baoyu’s eyes， Daiyu was“different from other girls.”“Her dusky arched eyebrowswere knitted and yet not frowning， her speaking eyes held both merriment and sorrow... In repose she was likea lovely flower mirrored in the water； in motion， a pliant willow swaying in the wind. She looked more sensitivethan Bi Gan， more delicate than Xi Shi.”Lin Daiyu’s most outstanding characteristics are oversensitive andso weak as to be unable to stand any breeze. Thus“LinDaiyu”has already been turned into a substitutename for all those who have the same characteristics now. Her another characteristic is that she often weeps.
What for？ She weeps for her beautiful and short life—“The day that spring takes wing and beauty fades，who will care for the fallen blossom of dead maid？”She weeps for her ill-fate—her parents are dead andshe’s all on her own， with no brothers and sisters； so she has to put up in her grandmother’s house. She weepsfor love—“One is an immortal flower of fairyland，The other fair flawless jade，And were it not predestinedWhy should they meet again in this existence？
Yet， if predestined，Why does their love come to nothing？
One sighs to no purpose，The other yearns in vain；One is the moon reflected in the water，The other but a flower in the mirror.
How many tears can well from her eyes？
Can they flow on from autumn till winter，From spring till summer？”
薛宝钗：薛宝钗出身于金陵书香继世之家，是个生得肌骨莹润，举止娴雅，美丽聪明的姑娘。她父亲在世时，对她极其疼爱，令其读书识字，较之乃兄，竟高十倍。自父亲死后，宝钗见哥不能安慰母心，她便不以书字为念，只留心针黹家计等事，好为母亲分忧代劳。近因今上崇尚诗礼，征采才能，降不世之隆恩，除聘选妃嫔外，在世宦名家之女，皆得亲名达部，以备选择，为宫主郡主入学陪侍，充为才人赞善之职。因此薛宝钗一家人来到荣府住下。
Xue Baochai： Xue Baochai came of a scholarly JinLing family. She is a beautiful and intelligent girlof great natural refinement. While her father was still alive he made her study， and she turned out ten timesbetter than her elder brother. After their father’s death it was so clear that Xue Pan would prove no comfortto their mother that Baochai gave up her studies and devoted herself to needlework and the householdmanagement， so as to share her mother’s burden and cares. Recently， to honor culture， encourage proprietyand search out talent， in addition to selecting consorts and ladies-in-waiting the Emperor in his infinitegoodness had made the Board compile a list of the daughters of ministers and noted families from whom tochoose virtuous and gifted companions for the princesses in their studies. Thus Xue Baochai and her motherand elder brother came to stay in the Rong Mansion.
不想如今忽然来了一个薛宝钗，年纪虽大不多，然品格端方，容貌美丽，人人都说黛玉不及。那宝钗却又行为豁达，随分从时，不比黛玉孤高自许，目无下尘，故深得下人之心；就是小丫头们，亦多和宝钗亲近。因而黛玉心中便有些不忿；宝钗却是浑然不觉。当宝玉第一次去见宝钗时，她正坐在炕上做针线，头上挽着黑漆油光的发髻，蜜合色的棉袄……一色儿半新不旧的，看去不见奢华，唯觉雅淡。罕言寡语，人谓藏愚；安分随时，自云守拙。
But now Baochai had suddenly appeared on the scene. Although only slightly older， she was such aproper young lady and so charming that most people considered Daiyu inferior to her. In the eyes of the world，of course， everyone has some merits. In the case of Daiyu and Baochai， one was lovely as a flower， the othergraceful as a willow， but each charming in her own way， according to her distinctive temperament. Besides，Baochai’s generous， tactful and accommodating ways contrasted strongly with Daiyu’s stand-offish reserveand won the hearts of her subordinates， so that nearly all the maids liked to chat with her. Because of this，Daiyu began to feel some twinges of jealousy. But of this Baochai was completely unaware. When Baoyu wentto see Baochai for the first time， she was sewing on the kang. Her glossy black hair was knotted on top of herhead. She was wearing a honey-coloured padded jacket... There was nothing ostentatious about her costume，which was none too new. Her lips needed no rouge， her blue-black eye-brows no brush； her face seemed asilver disk， her eyes almonds swimming in water. Some might think her reticence a cloak for stupidity； butcircumspect as she was she prided herself on her simplicity.
薛宝钗宽厚随和，豁达大度，真有涵养，十分宽容。她在贾府中人缘好，没人不称赞她。甚至她的情敌林黛玉叹道：“你素日待人，固然是极好的，然我最是个多心的人，只当你有心藏奸。从前日你说看杂书不好，又劝我那些好话，竟大感激你。往日竟是我错了，实在误到如今。……怪不得云丫头说你好，我往日见她赞你，我还不受用，昨儿我亲自经过，才知道了。比如你说了那个，我再不轻放过你的；你竟不介意，反劝我那些话：可知我竟自误了。”
Xue Baochai is kind and amiable， generous and magnanimous. She’s really good natured and tolerant.
She is so popular in the Jia Mansions that nobody can help admiring her. Even her rival in love Lin Daiyuexclaimed with a sigh：“How good you always are to others！ I’m so touchy that I used to suspect your motives.
I really began to appreciate you that day when you warned me against indiscriminate reading and gave mesuch good advice. I can see now I’d misjudged you all along ...No wonder Xiangyun speaks so highly of you. Iused to be sceptical when she sang your praises， but not after my own recent experience. For instance， whenyou said anything I always answered back， but instead of taking offence you offered me good advice. Thatshowed that I’d been wrong.”
薛宝钗和林黛玉都一样美丽动人，知书识理，并且起初都吸引着贾宝玉。事实上，宝玉曾一度撇开黛玉，依恋着宝钗。他渐渐疏远宝钗，是因为宝钗一直催促他要适应封建习俗，与他性格不同，她倾向于封建正统观念。宝钗重礼不重情，自觉地压抑自己的个性和情感，时时处处按封建礼教的要求行动。宝玉再次依恋与他意气相投的黛玉，因为她自幼儿不曾劝他去立身扬名。也正是因为这一点，贾家才决心把宝玉婚配给门当户对而且又能把宝玉领上封建正路的宝钗，而不是婚配给与他坚定的反抗性格相合的黛玉。
Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu are equally charming physically and intellectually， and Baoyu was attractedto both of them at first. In fact， Baoyu once clung to Baochai， putting aside Daiyu. He gradually distanceshimself from Baochai， who has been urging him to adapt himself to the feudal mores and whose characteris the opposite of his， being inclined to the ways of feudal orthodoxy. Baochai thinks more of feudal ethicalcodes than of feelings； she involuntarily restrains her temperament and feelings and always behaves herselfaccording to the needs of the feudal ethical codes. He cleaves once more to his true soulmate Daiyu， becauseshe alone had never urged him to seek an official career or fame for himself. It’s also just because of thisthat the Jias determine to marry Baoyu off to Baochai who comes from a noble and very proper family and isgenerally regarded as the very person to steer Baoyu back onto the road of feudal rectitude， instead of Daiyuwhose staunch， defiant character matches that of Baoyu well.
宝钗与宝玉的婚姻不是建立在爱情的基础之上，而是基于家庭利益的各种考虑。作为一个封建社会的女子，宝钗本人不能通过科举考试去获取功名，只能像她诗句所说，“好风凭借力，送我上青云”。即是说，她只能靠丈夫。她理想的丈夫是雄心勃勃，尽力追求功名富贵的人。而宝玉憎恶功名财富，生性叛逆，他们如何能幸福地生活在一起呢？他们结婚后，宝玉忘不了他心爱的黛玉，最终离家出走当了和尚。宝钗过着守活寡的生活，“完美婚姻”变成了悲剧。“可叹停机德，……金簪雪里埋。”“焦首朝朝暮暮，煎心日日复年年。”
The marriage between Baochai and Baoyu is not based on love， but on considerations of family interests.
As a girl in the feudal society， Baochai herself can not have scholarly honour or official rank by taking partin the imperial examinations. She has to do what her verse reads.“But lend me strength， good wind， to soarup to the azure sky at last.”That is to say， she has to rely on her husband and her ideal husband must be aman who is ambitious and tries his best to seek for fame and riches. But Baoyu detests the pursuit of rank andwealth and has a rebellious nature. How can they happily live on together？ After their marriage， Baoyu cannot forget his sweetheart Daiyu and finally leaves the family home to be a Buddhist monk. Baochai is living awidowed life and the“perfect match”turns into a tragedy.“Alas for her wifely virtue， ...Buried in snow thebroken golden hairpin”.“Burned with anxiety both day and night， comsumed with anguish as time slipsaway.”
宝玉深爱黛玉却被迫和宝钗结婚，因此作者把黛玉与宝钗放在一起写，常常一个出现另一个就会出现，以便读者能理解她们间的鲜明的对照。黛玉没有兄弟姐妹，父母死得早，她与外婆表姐妹们永久住，因她没有其他地方走，林家除她以外真没一个人了。 但宝钗在荣府是暂住，以备选择，为宫主郡主入学陪侍，充为人才赞善之职，并有母亲和哥哥保护。
并且，她还有个舅舅王子腾是现任京营节度使。她家是贾雨村衣袋中“护身符”里四大家族之一的薛家——“丰年好大‘雪’，珍珠如土金如铁。”且家中有百万之富，现领着内帑钱粮，采办杂料。其兄虽是皇商，一应经纪世事全然不知，不过赖祖父旧日情分，户部挂个虚名，支领钱粮。宝钗家在京有几处房舍和商铺，如鼓楼西大街的恒舒当铺等。黛玉生来体弱并常常生病。她素多猜忌，好弄小性儿，多愁善感，说话直率尖刻。但宝钗先天壮实，只是从胎里带来一股热毒，犯时吃一丸冷香丸就好了。她豁达大度，宽厚随和，大方得体，大智若愚。更重要的是，黛玉执着追求自由纯洁的爱情，那种爱情不合封建礼教，不符合封建家族的利益，不遵从封建家长的意志，她认为爱情高于一切，包括她的生命。而宝钗则是总尽力做个封建淑女，遵守“三从四德”，终于成了宝二奶奶、尽孝道的儿媳妇。
Baoyu loves Daiyu deeply but is married by force to Baochai. Thus the author puts Daiyu and Baochaitogether in writing， often one appears after another so that readers can see the striking contrasts betweenthem. Daiyu has no brothers or sisters and her mother and father died early. She stays with her grandmotherand uncle’s girls for ever because she has nowhere else to go. There is really no one left in the Lin familybesides Daiyu. But Baochai stays in the Rong Mansion for the time being for the selection of virtuous andgifted companions for the princesses in their studies under the protection of her mother and elder brother.
Furthermore， she has an uncle named Wang Ziteng who is the Commander-in-Chief of the MetropolitanGarrison. Her family is one of the most notable families in the Officials’ Protective Charm in Jia Yucun’spocket—“The Xues in their affluence are so rich and grand， gold is like iron to them and pearls likesand.”They are millionaires， in receipt of an income from the State Treasury as Purveyors for the ImperialHousehold. Her elder brother， though a Court Purveyor， knows nothing of business or worldly affairs， onlyprevailed on his grandfather’s old connections to find him a well-paid sinecure in the Board of Revenue.
Baochai’s family has some houses and shops， such as a pound called Heng Shu on the main road west of theDrum Tower， etc. in the capital. Daiyu is born weak and often ill. She’s rather jealous and petty-minded，oversensitive and speaking candidly and carpingly. But Baochai is born of a good constitution and only onepill of Cold Fragrance Pills each time an attack comes on—the Monk diagnosed her trouble as a cholerichumour she’d brought from the womb. She’s so broad-minded and sweet-tempered， generous and tactful，just a wise girl looking stupid. What is more important， Daiyu is inflexibly seeking for a free and pure love，which conforms to neither the feudal ethical codes nor the interests of the feudal families nor the will of thefeudal patriarchy， and thinks that love is above all， including her life. Baochai is always doing her best to be avirtuous lady， who observes the three obediences (in ancient China a woman was required to obey her fatherbefore marriage life and her husband during married life and her sons in widowhood) and four virtues (fidelity，physical charm， propriety in speech and efficiency in needle work) and has finally become Madam Bao， sucha dutiful daughter-in-law.
