“She had her hair pinned nonchalantly back from her face, then allowed to hang down to her shoulders. Her sleeveless cheongsam of electric blue moiré satin reached to the knees, its shallow, rounded collar standing only half an inch tall, in the western style. A broochfixed to the collar matched her diamond-studdedsapphirebutton earrings.”

　　张爱玲小说的翻译，似乎只有女性能胜任。不说文思细密，就是那服装和打扮的描写，比如王佳芝在麻将桌上的装扮，令我等望而却步：“云鬓蓬松往上扫，后发齐肩，光着手臂，电蓝水渍纹缎齐膝旗袍，小圆角衣领只半寸高，像洋服一样。领口一只别针，与碎钻镶蓝宝石的‘纽扣’耳环成套。Lovell 女士却信笔译来，举重若轻：

　　另外摘录小说中关键场景译文如下，作为汉译英范例，与英语同行们共同学习：

　　1. (在珠宝店，王佳芝心神不宁，在钻戒的璀璨里，为情而伤。)

　　“这个人是真爱我的，她突然想，心下轰然一声，若有所失。”