第十回 · 繪像鎮門 The Painted Door-Gods — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

繪像鎮門 The Painted Door-Gods

二èr將jiàng軍jūn侍shì立lì門mén傍bàng，一yí夜yè天tiān曉xiǎo，更gèng不bù曾céng見jiàn一yì點diǎn邪xié祟suì。是shì夜yè，太tài宗zōng在zài宮gōng，安ān寢qǐn無wú事shì。曉xiǎo來lái宣xuān二èr將jiàng軍jūn，重chóng重chóng賞shǎng勞láo道dào：「朕zhèn自zì得dé疾jí，數shù日rì不bù能néng得dé睡shuì，今jīn夜yè仗zhàng二èr將jiàng軍jūn威wēi勢shì甚shèn安ān。卿qīng且qiě請qǐng出chū安ān息xī安ān息xī，待dài晚wǎn間jiān再zài一yí護hù衛wèi。」二èr將jiàng謝xiè恩ēn而ér出chū。遂suì此cǐ二èr三sān夜yè把bǎ守shǒu俱jù安ān。只zhǐ是shì御yù膳shàn減jiǎn損sǔn，病bìng轉zhuǎn覺jué重zhòng。太tài宗zōng又yòu不bù忍rěn二èr將jiàng辛xīn苦kǔ，又yòu宣xuān叔shū寶bǎo、敬jìng德dé與yǔ杜dù、房fáng諸zhū公gōng入rù宮gōng，吩fēn咐fù道dào：「這zhè兩liǎng日rì朕zhèn雖suī得de安ān，卻què只zhǐ難nán為wéi秦qín、胡hú二èr將jiàng軍jūn徹chè夜yè辛xīn苦kǔ。朕zhèn欲yù召zhào巧qiǎo手shǒu丹dān青qīng，傳chuán二èr將jiàng軍jūn真zhēn容róng，貼tiē於yú門mén上shàng，免miǎn得de勞láo他tā。如rú何hé？」眾zhòng臣chén即jí依yī旨zhǐ，選xuǎn兩liǎng個gè會huì寫xiě真zhēn的de，著zhuó胡hú、秦qín二èr公gōng依yī前qián披pī掛guà，照zhào樣yàng畫huà了le，貼tiē在zài門mén上shàng。夜yè間jiān也yě即jí無wú事shì。二èr将jiàng军jūn侍shì立lì门mén傍bàng，一yí夜yè天tiān晓xiǎo，更gèng不bù曾céng见jiàn一yì点diǎn邪xié祟suì。是shì夜yè，太tài宗zōng在zài宫gōng，安ān寝qǐn无wú事shì。晓xiǎo来lái宣xuān二èr将jiàng军jūn，重chóng重chóng赏shǎng劳láo道dào：「朕zhèn自zì得dé疾jí，数shù日rì不bù能néng得dé睡shuì，今jīn夜yè仗zhàng二èr将jiàng军jūn威wēi势shì甚shèn安ān。卿qīng且qiě请qǐng出chū安ān息xī安ān息xī，待dài晚wǎn间jiān再zài一yí护hù卫wèi。」二èr将jiàng谢xiè恩ēn而ér出chū。遂suì此cǐ二èr三sān夜yè把bǎ守shǒu俱jù安ān。只zhǐ是shì御yù膳shàn减jiǎn损sǔn，病bìng转zhuǎn觉jué重zhòng。太tài宗zōng又yòu不bù忍rěn二èr将jiàng辛xīn苦kǔ，又yòu宣xuān叔shū宝bǎo、敬jìng德dé与yǔ杜dù、房fáng诸zhū公gōng入rù宫gōng，吩fēn咐fù道dào：「这zhè两liǎng日rì朕zhèn虽suī得de安ān，却què只zhǐ难nán为wéi秦qín、胡hú二èr将jiàng军jūn彻chè夜yè辛xīn苦kǔ。朕zhèn欲yù召zhào巧qiǎo手shǒu丹dān青qīng，传chuán二èr将jiàng军jūn真zhēn容róng，贴tiē于yú门mén上shàng，免miǎn得de劳láo他tā。如rú何hé？」众zhòng臣chén即jí依yī旨zhǐ，选xuǎn两liǎng个gè会huì写xiě真zhēn的de，著zhuó胡hú、秦qín二èr公gōng依yī前qián披pī挂guà，照zhào样yàng画huà了le，贴tiē在zài门mén上shàng。夜yè间jiān也yě即jí无wú事shì。

逐句解 Line by line

二èr將jiàng軍jūn侍shì立lì門mén傍bàng，一yí夜yè天tiān曉xiǎo，更gèng不bù曾céng見jiàn一yì點diǎn邪xié祟suì。是shì夜yè，太tài宗zōng在zài宮gōng，安ān寢qǐn無wú事shì。二èr将jiàng军jūn侍shì立lì门mén傍bàng，一yí夜yè天tiān晓xiǎo，更gèng不bù曾céng见jiàn一yì点diǎn邪xié祟suì。是shì夜yè，太tài宗zōng在zài宫gōng，安ān寝qǐn无wú事shì。

The two generals stood in attendance beside the gate, and all night until dawn not a single trace of anything uncanny was seen. That night Taizong slept peacefully in the palace, untroubled.

二將軍 has 將 as jiàng; 更 in 更不曾 ('not once') is gèng. The mere presence of the armored pair holds the ghosts at bay.

曉xiǎo來lái宣xuān二èr將jiàng軍jūn，重chóng重chóng賞shǎng勞láo道dào：「朕zhèn自zì得dé疾jí，數shù日rì不bù能néng得dé睡shuì，今jīn夜yè仗zhàng二èr將jiàng軍jūn威wēi勢shì甚shèn安ān。卿qīng且qiě請qǐng出chū安ān息xī安ān息xī，待dài晚wǎn間jiān再zài一yí護hù衛wèi。」二èr將jiàng謝xiè恩ēn而ér出chū。晓xiǎo来lái宣xuān二èr将jiàng军jūn，重chóng重chóng赏shǎng劳láo道dào：「朕zhèn自zì得dé疾jí，数shù日rì不bù能néng得dé睡shuì，今jīn夜yè仗zhàng二èr将jiàng军jūn威wēi势shì甚shèn安ān。卿qīng且qiě请qǐng出chū安ān息xī安ān息xī，待dài晚wǎn间jiān再zài一yí护hù卫wèi。」二èr将jiàng谢xiè恩ēn而ér出chū。

At daybreak he summoned the two generals and richly rewarded them, saying: 'Since I fell ill I have not been able to sleep for days, and tonight, relying on the might of you two generals, I have been wholly at peace. Pray withdraw and take your rest, and guard me again come evening.' The two generals gave thanks and withdrew.

The three 將 (二將軍, 二將軍, 二將) are all jiàng; 得 in 得疾 ('fell ill') and 得睡 ('to get sleep') is dé; 甚 in 甚安 ('wholly at peace') is shèn.

遂suì此cǐ二èr三sān夜yè把bǎ守shǒu俱jù安ān。只zhǐ是shì御yù膳shàn減jiǎn損sǔn，病bìng轉zhuǎn覺jué重zhòng。遂suì此cǐ二èr三sān夜yè把bǎ守shǒu俱jù安ān。只zhǐ是shì御yù膳shàn减jiǎn损sǔn，病bìng转zhuǎn觉jué重zhòng。

For the next two or three nights the watch was likewise peaceful. Only the imperial meals grew less, and the illness turned graver.

御膳 is the emperor's food; 病轉覺重 ('the sickness turning heavier') has 重 as zhòng. The haunting is held off, but the sickness deepens.

太tài宗zōng又yòu不bù忍rěn二èr將jiàng辛xīn苦kǔ，又yòu宣xuān叔shū寶bǎo、敬jìng德dé與yǔ杜dù、房fáng諸zhū公gōng入rù宮gōng，吩fēn咐fù道dào：「這zhè兩liǎng日rì朕zhèn雖suī得de安ān，卻què只zhǐ難nán為wéi秦qín、胡hú二èr將jiàng軍jūn徹chè夜yè辛xīn苦kǔ。朕zhèn欲yù召zhào巧qiǎo手shǒu丹dān青qīng，傳chuán二èr將jiàng軍jūn真zhēn容róng，貼tiē於yú門mén上shàng，免miǎn得de勞láo他tā。如rú何hé？」太tài宗zōng又yòu不bù忍rěn二èr将jiàng辛xīn苦kǔ，又yòu宣xuān叔shū宝bǎo、敬jìng德dé与yǔ杜dù、房fáng诸zhū公gōng入rù宫gōng，吩fēn咐fù道dào：「这zhè两liǎng日rì朕zhèn虽suī得de安ān，却què只zhǐ难nán为wéi秦qín、胡hú二èr将jiàng军jūn彻chè夜yè辛xīn苦kǔ。朕zhèn欲yù召zhào巧qiǎo手shǒu丹dān青qīng，传chuán二èr将jiàng军jūn真zhēn容róng，贴tiē于yú门mén上shàng，免miǎn得de劳láo他tā。如rú何hé？」

Taizong, moreover, could not bear the two generals' hardship, and again summoned Shubao, Jingde, and the lords Du and Fang into the palace, instructing them: 'These two days I have indeed been at peace, but it only puts Generals Qin and Hu to the trouble of a whole night's watch. I wish to call skilled painters to render the true likenesses of the two generals and paste them on the gate, so as to spare them the toil. What do you say?'

二將 and 二將軍 have 將 as jiàng; 為 in 難為 ('to put to trouble') is wéi; 得 in 免得 ('so as to avoid') is de. 丹青 ('cinnabar and azure') is painting. The emperor's compassion yields the door-god image.

眾zhòng臣chén即jí依yī旨zhǐ，選xuǎn兩liǎng個gè會huì寫xiě真zhēn的de，著zhuó胡hú、秦qín二èr公gōng依yī前qián披pī掛guà，照zhào樣yàng畫huà了le，貼tiē在zài門mén上shàng。夜yè間jiān也yě即jí無wú事shì。众zhòng臣chén即jí依yī旨zhǐ，选xuǎn两liǎng个gè会huì写xiě真zhēn的de，著zhuó胡hú、秦qín二èr公gōng依yī前qián披pī挂guà，照zhào样yàng画huà了le，贴tiē在zài门mén上shàng。夜yè间jiān也yě即jí无wú事shì。

The officials at once followed the decree, chose two skilled portraitists, had the lords Hu and Qin dress as before in their armor, painted them to the life, and pasted the pictures on the gate. And that night, too, all was quiet.

著 in 著胡、秦 ('had Hu and Qin') is the causative zhuó; 寫真 is 'to paint a true likeness.' The painted images prove as potent as the living guards — and the door-god portrait is born.

總評 Commentary

The two generals succeed simply by standing there: not a ghost appears, and the emperor sleeps. But the chapter's famous turn is the emperor's tender scruple — unwilling to cost his generals their nightly rest, he has their portraits painted and pasted on the gate in their stead. The detail is the crux of the door-god legend: the images work as well as the men, and the practice of pasting the armored likenesses of 秦叔寶 and 尉遲敬德 on doorways passes into custom.

The passage is quietly rich in the mechanics of a folk belief taking shape. The living guards give way to their painted 真容, 'true likenesses,' and the transfer of guardian power from person to image is exactly the logic of the New Year door-god prints that would hang on Chinese gates for centuries. The novel offers not merely the identity of the door-gods but the very moment their pictures first took up the watch — an origin-story compressed into a sickbed's practical kindness.