第十回 · 夢斬顯驗 The Dragon's Head Falls from the Clouds — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

夢斬顯驗 The Dragon's Head Falls from the Clouds

魏wèi徵zhēng謝xiè了le恩ēn，卻què才cái撚niǎn子zǐ在zài手shǒu，忽hū聽tīng得dé朝cháo門mén外wài大dà呼hū小xiǎo叫jiào。原yuán來lái是shì秦qín叔shū寶bǎo、徐xú茂mào公gōng等děng，將jiāng著zhe一yí個gè血xuè淋lín的de龍lóng頭tóu，擲zhì在zài帝dì前qián，啟qǐ奏zòu道dào：「陛bì下xià，海hǎi淺qiǎn河hé枯kū曾céng有yǒu見jiàn，這zhè般bān異yì事shì卻què無wú聞wén。」太tài宗zōng與yǔ魏wèi徵zhēng起qǐ身shēn道dào：「此cǐ物wù何hé來lái？」叔shū寶bǎo、茂mào公gōng道dào：「千qiān步bù廊láng南nán，十shí字zì街jiē上shàng，雲yún端duān裡lǐ落luò下xià這zhè顆kē龍lóng頭tóu，微wēi臣chén不bù敢gǎn不bú奏zòu。」唐táng王wáng驚jīng問wèn魏wèi徵zhēng：「此cǐ是shì何hé說shuō？」魏wèi徵zhēng轉zhuǎn身shēn叩kòu頭tóu道dào：「是shì臣chén才cái一yí夢mèng斬zhǎn的de。」唐táng王wáng聞wén言yán，大dà驚jīng道dào：「賢xián卿qīng盹dǔn睡shuì之zhī時shí，又yòu不bù曾céng見jiàn動dòng身shēn動dòng手shǒu，又yòu無wú刀dāo劍jiàn，如rú何hé卻què斬zhǎn此cǐ龍lóng？」魏wèi徵zhēng奏zòu道dào：「主zhǔ公gōng，臣chén的de身shēn在zài君jūn前qián，夢mèng離lí陛bì下xià。身shēn在zài君jūn前qián對duì殘cán局jú，合hé眼yǎn朦méng朧lóng；夢mèng離lí陛bì下xià乘shèng瑞ruì雲yún，出chū神shén抖dǒu擻sǒu。那nà條tiáo龍lóng在zài剮guǎ龍lóng臺tái上shàng，被bèi天tiān兵bīng將jiàng綁bǎng縛fù其qí中zhōng。是shì臣chén道dào：『你nǐ犯fàn天tiān條tiáo，合hé當dāng死sǐ罪zuì。我wǒ奉fèng天tiān命mìng，斬zhǎn汝rǔ殘cán生shēng。』龍lóng聞wén哀āi苦kǔ，臣chén抖dǒu精jīng神shén。龍lóng聞wén哀āi苦kǔ，伏fú爪zhǎo收shōu鱗lín甘gān受shòu死sǐ；臣chén抖dǒu精jīng神shén，撩liāo衣yī進jìn步bù舉jǔ霜shuāng鋒fēng。扢gǔ扠chā一yì聲shēng刀dāo過guò處chù，龍lóng頭tóu因yīn此cǐ落luò虛xū空kōng。」魏wèi征zhēng谢xiè了le恩ēn，却què才cái撚niǎn子zǐ在zài手shǒu，忽hū听tīng得dé朝cháo门mén外wài大dà呼hū小xiǎo叫jiào。原yuán来lái是shì秦qín叔shū宝bǎo、徐xú茂mào公gōng等děng，将jiāng着zhe一yí个gè血xuè淋lín的de龙lóng头tóu，掷zhì在zài帝dì前qián，启qǐ奏zòu道dào：「陛bì下xià，海hǎi浅qiǎn河hé枯kū曾céng有yǒu见jiàn，这zhè般bān异yì事shì却què无wú闻wén。」太tài宗zōng与yǔ魏wèi征zhēng起qǐ身shēn道dào：「此cǐ物wù何hé来lái？」叔shū宝bǎo、茂mào公gōng道dào：「千qiān步bù廊láng南nán，十shí字zì街jiē上shàng，云yún端duān里lǐ落luò下xià这zhè颗kē龙lóng头tóu，微wēi臣chén不bù敢gǎn不bú奏zòu。」唐táng王wáng惊jīng问wèn魏wèi征zhēng：「此cǐ是shì何hé说shuō？」魏wèi征zhēng转zhuǎn身shēn叩kòu头tóu道dào：「是shì臣chén才cái一yí梦mèng斩zhǎn的de。」唐táng王wáng闻wén言yán，大dà惊jīng道dào：「贤xián卿qīng盹dǔn睡shuì之zhī时shí，又yòu不bù曾céng见jiàn动dòng身shēn动dòng手shǒu，又yòu无wú刀dāo剑jiàn，如rú何hé却què斩zhǎn此cǐ龙lóng？」魏wèi征zhēng奏zòu道dào：「主zhǔ公gōng，臣chén的de身shēn在zài君jūn前qián，梦mèng离lí陛bì下xià。身shēn在zài君jūn前qián对duì残cán局jú，合hé眼yǎn朦méng胧lóng；梦mèng离lí陛bì下xià乘shèng瑞ruì云yún，出chū神shén抖dǒu擞sǒu。那nà条tiáo龙lóng在zài剐guǎ龙lóng台tái上shàng，被bèi天tiān兵bīng将jiàng绑bǎng缚fù其qí中zhōng。是shì臣chén道dào：『你nǐ犯fàn天tiān条tiáo，合hé当dāng死sǐ罪zuì。我wǒ奉fèng天tiān命mìng，斩zhǎn汝rǔ残cán生shēng。』龙lóng闻wén哀āi苦kǔ，臣chén抖dǒu精jīng神shén。龙lóng闻wén哀āi苦kǔ，伏fú爪zhǎo收shōu鳞lín甘gān受shòu死sǐ；臣chén抖dǒu精jīng神shén，撩liāo衣yī进jìn步bù举jǔ霜shuāng锋fēng。扢gǔ扠chā一yì声shēng刀dāo过guò处chù，龙lóng头tóu因yīn此cǐ落luò虚xū空kōng。」

逐句解 Line by line

Wei Zheng had just given thanks for the favor and taken a stone in his fingers, when suddenly there arose a great shouting outside the court gate. It was Qin Shubao, Xu Maogong, and the others, who cast down before the throne a blood-dripping dragon's head and reported: 'Your Majesty — shallow seas and dried-up rivers have been seen before, but a wonder like this has never been heard of.'

Watch the timing: 魏徵 has only just picked up a stone to start the new game. 撚子, twirling a stone in the fingers, takes 子 as zǐ, a go stone, and 著 in 將著, 'carrying,' is the ongoing-state zhe. 海淺河枯, seas gone shallow and rivers run dry, pairs two proverbial portents: the generals are reaching for the largest omens they know and finding them inadequate. What has landed in the waking world is a head cut off in a dream.

太tài宗zōng與yǔ魏wèi徵zhēng起qǐ身shēn道dào：「此cǐ物wù何hé來lái？」太tài宗zōng与yǔ魏wèi征zhēng起qǐ身shēn道dào：「此cǐ物wù何hé来lái？」

Taizong and Wei Zheng rose and asked: 'Where has this thing come from?'

A perfectly ordinary question, asked by two men, one of whom already knows the answer.

叔shū寶bǎo、茂mào公gōng道dào：「千qiān步bù廊láng南nán，十shí字zì街jiē上shàng，雲yún端duān裡lǐ落luò下xià這zhè顆kē龍lóng頭tóu，微wēi臣chén不bù敢gǎn不bú奏zòu。」叔shū宝bǎo、茂mào公gōng道dào：「千qiān步bù廊láng南nán，十shí字zì街jiē上shàng，云yún端duān里lǐ落luò下xià这zhè颗kē龙lóng头tóu，微wēi臣chén不bù敢gǎn不bú奏zòu。」

Shubao and Maogong said: 'South of the Thousand-Pace Gallery, at the crossroads, this dragon's head fell out of the clouds; your servants dared not fail to report it.'

千步廊, the Thousand-Pace Gallery, and 十字街, the crossroads, place the marvel in the middle of the capital and in front of everybody. 不敢不奏, 'dared not not report,' is the doubled negative of an official who would rather not be carrying this news and has no choice.

唐táng王wáng驚jīng問wèn魏wèi徵zhēng：「此cǐ是shì何hé說shuō？」唐táng王wáng惊jīng问wèn魏wèi征zhēng：「此cǐ是shì何hé说shuō？」

The Tang king asked Wei Zheng in astonishment: 'What is the meaning of this?'

The emperor turns to his minister for an explanation he could not possibly guess.

魏wèi徵zhēng轉zhuǎn身shēn叩kòu頭tóu道dào：「是shì臣chén才cái一yí夢mèng斬zhǎn的de。」魏wèi征zhēng转zhuǎn身shēn叩kòu头tóu道dào：「是shì臣chén才cái一yí梦mèng斩zhǎn的de。」

Wei Zheng turned and, knocking his head to the ground, said: 'It was I who beheaded it just now, in a dream.'

No preamble and no defense — 才一夢斬, just beheaded, in a single dream. The flatness of the confession is what makes it land. (一 is yí before the falling tone of 夢.)

唐táng王wáng聞wén言yán，大dà驚jīng道dào：「賢xián卿qīng盹dǔn睡shuì之zhī時shí，又yòu不bù曾céng見jiàn動dòng身shēn動dòng手shǒu，又yòu無wú刀dāo劍jiàn，如rú何hé卻què斬zhǎn此cǐ龍lóng？」唐táng王wáng闻wén言yán，大dà惊jīng道dào：「贤xián卿qīng盹dǔn睡shuì之zhī时shí，又yòu不bù曾céng见jiàn动dòng身shēn动dòng手shǒu，又yòu无wú刀dāo剑jiàn，如rú何hé却què斩zhǎn此cǐ龙lóng？」

At these words the Tang king was greatly startled: 'While you were dozing, my worthy minister, I saw you neither stir nor lift a hand, and you had no blade — how then did you behead this dragon?'

盹睡 is to nod off. The emperor's objection is the reader's own — no movement, no weapon, nothing on the man's hands — and it sets up the account that follows.

魏wèi徵zhēng奏zòu道dào：「主zhǔ公gōng，臣chén的de身shēn在zài君jūn前qián，夢mèng離lí陛bì下xià。身shēn在zài君jūn前qián對duì殘cán局jú，合hé眼yǎn朦méng朧lóng；夢mèng離lí陛bì下xià乘shèng瑞ruì雲yún，出chū神shén抖dǒu擻sǒu。魏wèi征zhēng奏zòu道dào：「主zhǔ公gōng，臣chén的de身shēn在zài君jūn前qián，梦mèng离lí陛bì下xià。身shēn在zài君jūn前qián对duì残cán局jú，合hé眼yǎn朦méng胧lóng；梦mèng离lí陛bì下xià乘shèng瑞ruì云yún，出chū神shén抖dǒu擞sǒu。

Wei Zheng replied: 'My lord, my body was here before my sovereign, but my dream departed from Your Majesty. My body, before my sovereign, faced the unfinished game, eyes closed and drowsing; my dream, parting from Your Majesty, rode an auspicious cloud, my spirit roused and stirring.'

The answer rises into balanced parallel prose, each clause squared against its partner: 身在君前, the body before the lord, against 夢離陛下, the dream departed from him. 出神 is the spirit going forth from a sleeping body, and 乘 in 乘瑞雲, riding the auspicious cloud, is chéng.

那nà條tiáo龍lóng在zài剮guǎ龍lóng臺tái上shàng，被bèi天tiān兵bīng將jiàng綁bǎng縛fù其qí中zhōng。是shì臣chén道dào：『你nǐ犯fàn天tiān條tiáo，合hé當dāng死sǐ罪zuì。我wǒ奉fèng天tiān命mìng，斬zhǎn汝rǔ殘cán生shēng。』那nà条tiáo龙lóng在zài剐guǎ龙lóng台tái上shàng，被bèi天tiān兵bīng将jiàng绑bǎng缚fù其qí中zhōng。是shì臣chén道dào：『你nǐ犯fàn天tiān条tiáo，合hé当dāng死sǐ罪zuì。我wǒ奉fèng天tiān命mìng，斩zhǎn汝rǔ残cán生shēng。』

'That dragon was upon the Dragon-Execution Terrace, bound fast there by the soldiers and generals of Heaven. And I said to him: "You have broken the law of Heaven and rightly incur the penalty of death. By Heaven's command, I cut short your remaining life."'

將 in 天兵將, 'heavenly soldiers and generals,' is jiàng, and the 剮龍臺 is the terrace where dragons are executed. 合當死罪, 'rightly incurring the death penalty,' pronounces the sentence 袁守誠 had named the day before. The diviner was right about this too.

龍lóng聞wén哀āi苦kǔ，臣chén抖dǒu精jīng神shén。龍lóng聞wén哀āi苦kǔ，伏fú爪zhǎo收shōu鱗lín甘gān受shòu死sǐ；臣chén抖dǒu精jīng神shén，撩liāo衣yī進jìn步bù舉jǔ霜shuāng鋒fēng。扢gǔ扠chā一yì聲shēng刀dāo過guò處chù，龍lóng頭tóu因yīn此cǐ落luò虛xū空kōng。」龙lóng闻wén哀āi苦kǔ，臣chén抖dǒu精jīng神shén。龙lóng闻wén哀āi苦kǔ，伏fú爪zhǎo收shōu鳞lín甘gān受shòu死sǐ；臣chén抖dǒu精jīng神shén，撩liāo衣yī进jìn步bù举jǔ霜shuāng锋fēng。扢gǔ扠chā一yì声shēng刀dāo过guò处chù，龙lóng头tóu因yīn此cǐ落luò虚xū空kōng。」

'The dragon, hearing this, grieved in anguish; I braced my spirit. The dragon, hearing this, drew in his claws and folded his scales and willingly received death; I braced my spirit, hitched up my robe, stepped forward, and raised the frost-bright blade. With a single ringing stroke the sword passed through — and the dragon's head thereupon fell into the empty void.'

The lines double before the blow lands — 龍聞哀苦 and 臣抖精神 each said twice — which slows the moment down and gives it the cadence of a ritual rather than a killing. 撩衣 is to hitch up the robe, and 扢扠 (gǔ chā) is the ringing sound of the sword. The dream-execution is finished, and the result is bleeding on the palace floor.

總評 Commentary

The chapter's central marvel is now disclosed. As 魏徵 takes up a go stone to resume the game, the generals burst in with a dragon's head fallen out of the clouds into the Chang'an crossroads, and 魏徵 quietly confesses: he beheaded it just now, in his doze. To the emperor's astonishment — a motionless sleeper, no blade, no movement — he gives an account that rises into balanced parallel prose, the finest rhetorical set-piece in the chapter: 身在君前對殘局…夢離陛下乘瑞雲, my body before my lord faced the game, my dream, parting from him, rode a cloud.

The doubling of the lines — 龍聞哀苦, 臣抖精神, each said twice before the stroke falls — gives the execution the cadence of ritual, and the dragon's willing submission, 伏爪收鱗甘受死, drawing in his claws and folding his scales to receive death, lends it a strange dignity. What began as a petty deception over a fortune-teller's bet ends here, on the Dragon-Execution Terrace of the other world, with a sentence carried out by a sleeping minister — and a bleeding head in this one. The two realms the chapter has kept running in parallel meet in a single grisly object thrown down before the throne.