第十一回 · 夫妻相會 Husband and Wife Reunited — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

夫妻相會 Husband and Wife Reunited

便biàn問wèn那nà進jìn瓜guā的de人rén姓xìng名míng，那nǎ方fāng人rén氏shì。劉liú全quán道dào：「小xiǎo人rén是shì均jūn州zhōu城chéng民mín籍jí。姓xìng劉liú名míng全quán。因yīn妻qī李lǐ氏shì縊yì死sǐ，撇piē下xià兒ér女nǚ，無wú人rén看kān管guǎn，小xiǎo人rén情qíng願yuàn捨shě家jiā棄qì子zǐ，捐juān軀qū報bào國guó，特tè與yǔ我wǒ王wáng進jìn貢gòng瓜guā果guǒ，謝xiè眾zhòng大dà王wáng厚hòu恩ēn。」十shí王wáng聞wén言yán，即jí命mìng查chá勘kān劉liú全quán妻qī李lǐ氏shì。那nà鬼guǐ使shǐ速sù取qǔ來lái在zài森sēn羅luó殿diàn下xià，與yǔ劉liú全quán夫fū妻qī相xiāng會huì。訴sù罷bà前qián言yán，回huí謝xiè十shí王wáng恩ēn宥yòu。便biàn问wèn那nà进jìn瓜guā的de人rén姓xìng名míng，那nǎ方fāng人rén氏shì。刘liú全quán道dào：「小xiǎo人rén是shì均jūn州zhōu城chéng民mín籍jí。姓xìng刘liú名míng全quán。因yīn妻qī李lǐ氏shì缢yì死sǐ，撇piē下xià儿ér女nǚ，无wú人rén看kān管guǎn，小xiǎo人rén情qíng愿yuàn舍shě家jiā弃qì子zǐ，捐juān躯qū报bào国guó，特tè与yǔ我wǒ王wáng进jìn贡gòng瓜guā果guǒ，谢xiè众zhòng大dà王wáng厚hòu恩ēn。」十shí王wáng闻wén言yán，即jí命mìng查chá勘kān刘liú全quán妻qī李lǐ氏shì。那nà鬼guǐ使shǐ速sù取qǔ来lái在zài森sēn罗luó殿diàn下xià，与yǔ刘liú全quán夫fū妻qī相xiāng会huì。诉sù罢bà前qián言yán，回huí谢xiè十shí王wáng恩ēn宥yòu。

逐句解 Line by line

便biàn問wèn那nà進jìn瓜guā的de人rén姓xìng名míng，那nǎ方fāng人rén氏shì。便biàn问wèn那nà进jìn瓜guā的de人rén姓xìng名míng，那nǎ方fāng人rén氏shì。

He then asked the melon-bringer's name and from what region he came.

那方人氏 is "a native of which region" — the second 那 is the question word, nǎ, "which," not the pointing nà. Standard intake questions, asked of a man who is standing in hell holding fruit.

劉liú全quán道dào：「小xiǎo人rén是shì均jūn州zhōu城chéng民mín籍jí。姓xìng劉liú名míng全quán。因yīn妻qī李lǐ氏shì縊yì死sǐ，撇piē下xià兒ér女nǚ，無wú人rén看kān管guǎn，小xiǎo人rén情qíng願yuàn捨shě家jiā棄qì子zǐ，捐juān軀qū報bào國guó，特tè與yǔ我wǒ王wáng進jìn貢gòng瓜guā果guǒ，謝xiè眾zhòng大dà王wáng厚hòu恩ēn。」刘liú全quán道dào：「小xiǎo人rén是shì均jūn州zhōu城chéng民mín籍jí。姓xìng刘liú名míng全quán。因yīn妻qī李lǐ氏shì缢yì死sǐ，撇piē下xià儿ér女nǚ，无wú人rén看kān管guǎn，小xiǎo人rén情qíng愿yuàn舍shě家jiā弃qì子zǐ，捐juān躯qū报bào国guó，特tè与yǔ我wǒ王wáng进jìn贡gòng瓜guā果guǒ，谢xiè众zhòng大dà王wáng厚hòu恩ēn。」

Liu Quan said, 'I am a registered commoner of Junzhou city, surnamed Liu and named Quan. Because my wife, Lady Li, hanged herself and died, leaving our children with none to care for them, I willingly forsook home and children and gave up my life to serve my country, coming expressly to offer melons and fruit at my king's command and to thank the great Kings for their bounty.'

民籍 is registration as a commoner — the household register that fixed who you were and where you belonged. 捨家棄子 is to give up home and children; 子 is zǐ. 捐軀報國, "give the body to repay the state," is the formula for dying in the country's service, normally said of soldiers. He is using it of a fruit delivery, and he means it.

十shí王wáng聞wén言yán，即jí命mìng查chá勘kān劉liú全quán妻qī李lǐ氏shì。十shí王wáng闻wén言yán，即jí命mìng查chá勘kān刘liú全quán妻qī李lǐ氏shì。

Hearing this, the Ten Kings at once ordered an inquiry into Liu Quan's wife, Lady Li.

查勘 is to investigate and verify — the Kings order a records check on a name they have just heard, and get a result immediately.

那nà鬼guǐ使shǐ速sù取qǔ來lái在zài森sēn羅luó殿diàn下xià，與yǔ劉liú全quán夫fū妻qī相xiāng會huì。訴sù罷bà前qián言yán，回huí謝xiè十shí王wáng恩ēn宥yòu。那nà鬼guǐ使shǐ速sù取qǔ来lái在zài森sēn罗luó殿diàn下xià，与yǔ刘liú全quán夫fū妻qī相xiāng会huì。诉sù罢bà前qián言yán，回huí谢xiè十shí王wáng恩ēn宥yòu。

The demon quickly brought her before the Hall of Judgment, where husband and wife were reunited. When they had told over all that had passed, they turned to thank the Ten Kings for their clemency.

相會 is xiāng huì, to meet one another. 訴罷前言 is "having told over everything that happened." 恩宥 is gracious pardon. The couple who last spoke to each other in an argument about a hairpin are reunited in front of the bench of the dead.

總評 Commentary

The errand into death turns up an unlooked-for grace: Liu Quan is reunited with the very wife whose suicide sent him here. His plain recital — that he gave up home, children and life itself out of grief and loyalty — moves the Kings to send for Lady Li, and the melon delivery becomes the occasion of the couple's reunion in the courts of the dead.

The chapter's grim traffic between the worlds turns, for a moment, toward reconciliation.