第十一回 · 借金一庫 A Vault of Gold Borrowed — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

借金一庫 A Vault of Gold Borrowed

慌huāng得de那nà太tài宗zōng藏cáng藏cáng躲duǒ躲duǒ，只zhǐ叫jiào：「崔cuī先xiān生shēng救jiù我wǒ！崔cuī先xiān生shēng救jiù我wǒ！」判pàn官guān道dào：「陛bì下xià，那nà些xiē人rén都dōu是shì那nà六liù十shí四sì處chù煙yān塵chén、七qī十shí二èr處chù草cǎo寇kòu眾zhòng王wáng子zǐ、眾zhòng頭tóu目mù的de鬼guǐ魂hún，盡jìn是shì枉wǎng死sǐ的de冤yuān業yè，無wú收shōu無wú管guǎn，不bù得dé超chāo生shēng，又yòu無wú錢qián鈔chāo盤pán纏chán，都dōu是shì孤gū寒hán餓è鬼guǐ。陛bì下xià得dé些xiē錢qián鈔chāo與yǔ他tā，我wǒ才cái救jiù得de哩lī。」太tài宗zōng道dào：「寡guǎ人rén空kōng身shēn到dào此cǐ，卻què那nǎ裡lǐ得dé有yǒu錢qián鈔chāo？」判pàn官guān道dào：「陛bì下xià，陽yáng間jiān有yǒu一yì人rén，金jīn銀yín若ruò干gàn，在zài我wǒ這zhè陰yīn司sī裡lǐ寄jì放fàng。陛bì下xià可kě出chū名míng立lì一yì約yuē，小xiǎo判pàn可kě作zuò保bǎo，且qiě借jiè他tā一yí庫kù，給gěi散sàn這zhè些xiē餓è鬼guǐ，方fāng得dé過guò去qù。太tài宗zōng問wèn曰yuē：「此cǐ人rén是shì誰shuí？」判pàn官guān道dào：「他tā是shì河hé南nán開kāi封fēng府fǔ人rén氏shì，姓xìng相xiàng名míng良liáng，他tā有yǒu十shí三sān庫kù金jīn銀yín在zài此cǐ。陛bì下xià若ruò借jiè用yòng過guò他tā的de，到dào陽yáng間jiān還huán他tā便biàn了le。」慌huāng得de那nà太tài宗zōng藏cáng藏cáng躲duǒ躲duǒ，只zhǐ叫jiào：「崔cuī先xiān生shēng救jiù我wǒ！崔cuī先xiān生shēng救jiù我wǒ！」判pàn官guān道dào：「陛bì下xià，那nà些xiē人rén都dōu是shì那nà六liù十shí四sì处chù烟yān尘chén、七qī十shí二èr处chù草cǎo寇kòu众zhòng王wáng子zǐ、众zhòng头tóu目mù的de鬼guǐ魂hún，尽jìn是shì枉wǎng死sǐ的de冤yuān业yè，无wú收shōu无wú管guǎn，不bù得dé超chāo生shēng，又yòu无wú钱qián钞chāo盘pán缠chán，都dōu是shì孤gū寒hán饿è鬼guǐ。陛bì下xià得dé些xiē钱qián钞chāo与yǔ他tā，我wǒ才cái救jiù得de哩lī。」太tài宗zōng道dào：「寡guǎ人rén空kōng身shēn到dào此cǐ，却què那nǎ里lǐ得dé有yǒu钱qián钞chāo？」判pàn官guān道dào：「陛bì下xià，阳yáng间jiān有yǒu一yì人rén，金jīn银yín若ruò干gàn，在zài我wǒ这zhè阴yīn司sī里lǐ寄jì放fàng。陛bì下xià可kě出chū名míng立lì一yì约yuē，小xiǎo判pàn可kě作zuò保bǎo，且qiě借jiè他tā一yí库kù，给gěi散sàn这zhè些xiē饿è鬼guǐ，方fāng得dé过guò去qù。太tài宗zōng问wèn曰yuē：「此cǐ人rén是shì谁shuí？」判pàn官guān道dào：「他tā是shì河hé南nán开kāi封fēng府fǔ人rén氏shì，姓xìng相xiàng名míng良liáng，他tā有yǒu十shí三sān库kù金jīn银yín在zài此cǐ。陛bì下xià若ruò借jiè用yòng过guò他tā的de，到dào阳yáng间jiān还huán他tā便biàn了le。」

逐句解 Line by line

慌huāng得de那nà太tài宗zōng藏cáng藏cáng躲duǒ躲duǒ，只zhǐ叫jiào：「崔cuī先xiān生shēng救jiù我wǒ！崔cuī先xiān生shēng救jiù我wǒ！」慌huāng得de那nà太tài宗zōng藏cáng藏cáng躲duǒ躲duǒ，只zhǐ叫jiào：「崔cuī先xiān生shēng救jiù我wǒ！崔cuī先xiān生shēng救jiù我wǒ！」

So panicked was Taizong that he shrank and dodged this way and that, crying only, 'Master Cui, save me! Master Cui, save me!'

慌得 resultative de, 'so flustered that.' 藏藏躲躲 hiding and dodging; 藏 cáng.

判pàn官guān道dào：「陛bì下xià，那nà些xiē人rén都dōu是shì那nà六liù十shí四sì處chù煙yān塵chén、七qī十shí二èr處chù草cǎo寇kòu眾zhòng王wáng子zǐ、眾zhòng頭tóu目mù的de鬼guǐ魂hún，盡jìn是shì枉wǎng死sǐ的de冤yuān業yè，無wú收shōu無wú管guǎn，不bù得dé超chāo生shēng，又yòu無wú錢qián鈔chāo盤pán纏chán，都dōu是shì孤gū寒hán餓è鬼guǐ。判pàn官guān道dào：「陛bì下xià，那nà些xiē人rén都dōu是shì那nà六liù十shí四sì处chù烟yān尘chén、七qī十shí二èr处chù草cǎo寇kòu众zhòng王wáng子zǐ、众zhòng头tóu目mù的de鬼guǐ魂hún，尽jìn是shì枉wǎng死sǐ的de冤yuān业yè，无wú收shōu无wú管guǎn，不bù得dé超chāo生shēng，又yòu无wú钱qián钞chāo盘pán缠chán，都dōu是shì孤gū寒hán饿è鬼guǐ。

The magistrate said, 'Your Majesty, those are the ghost-souls of the princes and chieftains of the sixty-four places of dust-and-smoke and the seventy-two bands of grass-bandits — all unjustly dead, their grievances unresolved, unclaimed and unmastered, unable to win rebirth, and lacking any cash for the journey; all are destitute, forlorn hungry ghosts.'

六十四處煙塵、七十二處草寇 a formulaic tally of the rebel forces subdued in the Tang founding wars. 王子 wáng zǐ. 盡 jìn. 盤纏 travel-money.

陛bì下xià得dé些xiē錢qián鈔chāo與yǔ他tā，我wǒ才cái救jiù得de哩lī。」陛bì下xià得dé些xiē钱qián钞chāo与yǔ他tā，我wǒ才cái救jiù得de哩lī。」

'If Your Majesty will give them some money, only then can I save you.'

得 here first dé, 'to obtain, to give'; then de, the potential 'can (save).'

太tài宗zōng道dào：「寡guǎ人rén空kōng身shēn到dào此cǐ，卻què那nǎ裡lǐ得dé有yǒu錢qián鈔chāo？」太tài宗zōng道dào：「寡guǎ人rén空kōng身shēn到dào此cǐ，却què那nǎ里lǐ得dé有yǒu钱qián钞chāo？」

Taizong said, 'I have come here empty-handed — where should I get any money?'

那裡 here interrogative, nǎ lǐ, 'where'; 那 nǎ. 得有 dé, 'to come to have.'

判pàn官guān道dào：「陛bì下xià，陽yáng間jiān有yǒu一yì人rén，金jīn銀yín若ruò干gàn，在zài我wǒ這zhè陰yīn司sī裡lǐ寄jì放fàng。判pàn官guān道dào：「陛bì下xià，阳yáng间jiān有yǒu一yì人rén，金jīn银yín若ruò干gàn，在zài我wǒ这zhè阴yīn司sī里lǐ寄jì放fàng。

The magistrate said, 'Your Majesty, there is a man in the world of light who has a certain store of gold and silver on deposit here in my shadow-office.'

寄放 to leave on deposit — the notion that merit-gold offered above is held to one's credit below.

陛bì下xià可kě出chū名míng立lì一yì約yuē，小xiǎo判pàn可kě作zuò保bǎo，且qiě借jiè他tā一yí庫kù，給gěi散sàn這zhè些xiē餓è鬼guǐ，方fāng得dé過guò去qù。陛bì下xià可kě出chū名míng立lì一yì约yuē，小xiǎo判pàn可kě作zuò保bǎo，且qiě借jiè他tā一yí库kù，给gěi散sàn这zhè些xiē饿è鬼guǐ，方fāng得dé过guò去qù。

'Your Majesty may put your name to a bond, with your humble magistrate standing surety, and borrow a vault of his, to dole out to these hungry ghosts — only so can you pass through.'

出名立一約 'to sign one's name to a contract.' 作保 to stand as guarantor. 給散 gěi sàn, to distribute. 方得 dé, 'only then can.'

太tài宗zōng問wèn曰yuē：「此cǐ人rén是shì誰shuí？」太tài宗zōng问wèn曰yuē：「此cǐ人rén是shì谁shuí？」

Taizong asked, 'Who is this man?'

A brief question introducing the benefactor's name.

判pàn官guān道dào：「他tā是shì河hé南nán開kāi封fēng府fǔ人rén氏shì，姓xìng相xiàng名míng良liáng，他tā有yǒu十shí三sān庫kù金jīn銀yín在zài此cǐ。判pàn官guān道dào：「他tā是shì河hé南nán开kāi封fēng府fǔ人rén氏shì，姓xìng相xiàng名míng良liáng，他tā有yǒu十shí三sān库kù金jīn银yín在zài此cǐ。

The magistrate said, 'He is a man of Kaifeng prefecture in Henan, surnamed Xiang and named Liang, who has thirteen vaults of gold and silver here.'

相良 (Xiàng Liáng); the surname 相 is read xiàng. 開封府 Kaifeng, in Henan. His deposited merit-wealth is drawn upon to pay the emperor's ghostly creditors.

陛bì下xià若ruò借jiè用yòng過guò他tā的de，到dào陽yáng間jiān還huán他tā便biàn了le。」陛bì下xià若ruò借jiè用yòng过guò他tā的de，到dào阳yáng间jiān还huán他tā便biàn了le。」

'If Your Majesty borrows some of his, you need only repay him when you reach the world of light.'

還他 huán tā, to repay him; 還 huán. The loan sets up the later episode of repaying Xiang Liang.

總評 Commentary

The scene is one of the novel's most vivid images of a bureaucratized, monetized afterlife: the war-dead must be bought off, and the currency is 'merit-gold' that a pious man of Kaifeng, Xiang Liang, has accumulated on deposit below through his charities above. Cui Jue arranges a formal loan — bond, surety, and a promise of repayment in the world of the living — so that the resurrection of an emperor turns on an ordinary transaction of credit, complete with paperwork.