第十回 · 力士傳旨 The Rain-Decree Descends — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition 含詞賦 With rhapsody

力士傳旨 The Rain-Decree Descends

此cǐ時shí龍lóng子zǐ、龍lóng孫sūn與yǔ那nà魚yú卿qīng、蟹xiè士shì正zhèng歡huān笑xiào談tán此cǐ事shì未wèi畢bì，只zhǐ聽tīng得dé半bàn空kōng中zhōng叫jiào：「涇jīng河hé龍lóng王wáng接jiē旨zhǐ。」眾zhòng擡tái頭tóu上shàng看kàn，是shì一yí個gè金jīn衣yī力lì士shì，手shǒu擎qíng玉yù帝dì敕chì旨zhǐ，徑jìng投tóu水shuǐ府fǔ而ér來lái。慌huāng得de龍lóng王wáng整zhěng衣yī端duān肅sù，焚fén香xiāng接jiē了le旨zhǐ。金jīn衣yī力lì士shì回huí空kōng而ér去qù。龍lóng王wáng謝xiè恩ēn，拆chāi封fēng看kàn時shí，上shàng寫xiě著zhe：此cǐ时shí龙lóng子zǐ、龙lóng孙sūn与yǔ那nà鱼yú卿qīng、蟹xiè士shì正zhèng欢huān笑xiào谈tán此cǐ事shì未wèi毕bì，只zhǐ听tīng得dé半bàn空kōng中zhōng叫jiào：「泾jīng河hé龙lóng王wáng接jiē旨zhǐ。」众zhòng抬tái头tóu上shàng看kàn，是shì一yí个gè金jīn衣yī力lì士shì，手shǒu擎qíng玉yù帝dì敕chì旨zhǐ，径jìng投tóu水shuǐ府fǔ而ér来lái。慌huāng得de龙lóng王wáng整zhěng衣yī端duān肃sù，焚fén香xiāng接jiē了le旨zhǐ。金jīn衣yī力lì士shì回huí空kōng而ér去qù。龙lóng王wáng谢xiè恩ēn，拆chāi封fēng看kàn时shí，上shàng写xiě着zhe：

敕chì命mìng八bā河hé總zǒng，驅qū雷léi掣chè電diàn行xíng：敕chì命mìng八bā河hé总zǒng，驱qū雷léi掣chè电diàn行xíng：

明míng朝zhāo施shī雨yǔ澤zé，普pǔ濟jì長cháng安ān城chéng。明míng朝zhāo施shī雨yǔ泽zé，普pǔ济jì长cháng安ān城chéng。

逐句解 Line by line

此cǐ時shí龍lóng子zǐ、龍lóng孫sūn與yǔ那nà魚yú卿qīng、蟹xiè士shì正zhèng歡huān笑xiào談tán此cǐ事shì未wèi畢bì，只zhǐ聽tīng得dé半bàn空kōng中zhōng叫jiào：「涇jīng河hé龍lóng王wáng接jiē旨zhǐ。」此cǐ时shí龙lóng子zǐ、龙lóng孙sūn与yǔ那nà鱼yú卿qīng、蟹xiè士shì正zhèng欢huān笑xiào谈tán此cǐ事shì未wèi毕bì，只zhǐ听tīng得dé半bàn空kōng中zhōng叫jiào：「泾jīng河hé龙lóng王wáng接jiē旨zhǐ。」

Just then, while the dragon-sons and dragon-grandsons, the fish nobles and crab officers, were still laughing and talking over the matter, a voice called out from the middle air: 'Dragon King of the Jing, receive the decree!'

The timing is the whole point: the decree arrives mid-laugh. 接旨 is to receive an imperial command. (龍子 takes 子 as zǐ, and 那 is the pointing nà.)

眾zhòng擡tái頭tóu上shàng看kàn，是shì一yí個gè金jīn衣yī力lì士shì，手shǒu擎qíng玉yù帝dì敕chì旨zhǐ，徑jìng投tóu水shuǐ府fǔ而ér來lái。众zhòng抬tái头tóu上shàng看kàn，是shì一yí个gè金jīn衣yī力lì士shì，手shǒu擎qíng玉yù帝dì敕chì旨zhǐ，径jìng投tóu水shuǐ府fǔ而ér来lái。

All raised their heads to look: it was a golden-robed strongman, bearing aloft the Jade Emperor's decree, coming straight down toward the water-court.

A 金衣力士, 'golden-clad strongman,' is a heavenly envoy, and what he holds aloft is the 玉帝敕旨, the mandate of the Jade Emperor, supreme ruler of Heaven. 擎 is to hold something up.

慌huāng得de龍lóng王wáng整zhěng衣yī端duān肅sù，焚fén香xiāng接jiē了le旨zhǐ。金jīn衣yī力lì士shì回huí空kōng而ér去qù。慌huāng得de龙lóng王wáng整zhěng衣yī端duān肃sù，焚fén香xiāng接jiē了le旨zhǐ。金jīn衣yī力lì士shì回huí空kōng而ér去qù。

In alarm the Dragon King straightened his robes and composed himself, burned incense, and received the decree. The golden-robed envoy returned into the sky.

端肅 is grave and reverent, and 焚香, burning incense, is what marks the solemnity of receiving Heaven's command. The dragon who was swaggering a moment ago is straightening his robes. 了 in 接了 is the completive le.

龍lóng王wáng謝xiè恩ēn，拆chāi封fēng看kàn時shí，上shàng寫xiě著zhe：龙lóng王wáng谢xiè恩ēn，拆chāi封fēng看kàn时shí，上shàng写xiě着zhe：

The Dragon King gave thanks for the grace, broke the seal, and looked; upon it was written:

謝恩 is to give thanks for a favor, and an order from Heaven counts as a favor whatever it happens to contain. 著 in 上寫著, 'written upon it,' is the ongoing-state zhe. The decree comes as a 五言 quatrain, four lines of five characters.

敕chì命mìng八bā河hé總zǒng，驅qū雷léi掣chè電diàn行xíng：敕chì命mìng八bā河hé总zǒng，驱qū雷léi掣chè电diàn行xíng：

By command: you, Marshal of the Eight Rivers, drive the thunder and wield the lightning forth —

敕命 is an imperial command, and 八河總, commander of the eight rivers, is the dragon's own office: Heaven addresses him by his job title. 驅雷掣電 is to drive the thunder and pull the lightning along. 行 is xíng.

明míng朝zhāo施shī雨yǔ澤zé，普pǔ濟jì長cháng安ān城chéng。明míng朝zhāo施shī雨yǔ泽zé，普pǔ济jì长cháng安ān城chéng。

tomorrow bestow the grace of rain, and bring universal relief to the city of Chang'an.

雨澤 is the bounty of rain and 普濟 is to bring relief to all, so the order is framed as mercy toward a thirsty city. Read the terms carefully, because they are about to turn out identical to the diviner's forecast. 明朝, 'tomorrow morning,' takes 朝 as zhāo, and 長 in 長安 is cháng.

總評 Commentary

Heaven answers the dragon's overconfidence at the exact moment of his court's laughter. A golden-robed envoy descends with the Jade Emperor's decree, and its content is a formal 五言 quatrain of command: the Dragon King, as Marshal of the Eight Rivers, is to drive thunder and lightning and send rain over Chang'an tomorrow. The solemnity of the reception — robes straightened, incense burned, thanks offered for the grace — makes plain that this is no request but an ordinance, and binding absolutely.

The irony completes itself the moment the decree is read, because its terms are the very thing the dragon has just bet he could disprove. He has wagered that nobody can know when and how much rain will fall; and here is Heaven itself commanding exactly the rain 袁守誠 foretold. The trap the dragon set for the diviner has closed on the dragon. To win his bet, he must now disobey Heaven.