Canonical Classics ← 第十一回
第十一回
yóutàizōnghuánhún
jìnguāguǒliúquánpèi

Touring the Underworld, Taizong Returns to Life · Presenting Melons and Fruit, Liu Quan Renews the Marriage Bond

夫妻相會
模式 Mode Read Study
拼音 Pinyin Off
字體 Script
原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

夫妻相會 Husband and Wife Reunited

便biànwènjìnguāderénxìngmíngfāngrénshìliúquándào:「xiǎorénshìjūnzhōuchéngmínxìngliúmíngquányīnshìpiēxiàérrénkànguǎnxiǎorénqíngyuànshějiājuānbàoguówángjìngòngguāguǒxièzhòngwánghòuēn。」shíwángwényánmìngchákānliúquánshìguǐ使shǐláizàisēnluó殿diànxiàliúquánxiānghuìqiányánhuíxièshíwángēnyòu便biànwènjìnguāderénxìngmíngfāngrénshìliúquándào:「xiǎorénshìjūnzhōuchéngmínxìngliúmíngquányīnshìpiēxiàérrénkànguǎnxiǎorénqíngyuànshějiājuānbàoguówángjìngòngguāguǒxièzhòngwánghòuēn。」shíwángwényánmìngchákānliúquánshìguǐ使shǐláizàisēnluó殿diànxiàliúquánxiānghuìqiányánhuíxièshíwángēnyòu


逐句解 Line by line

便biànwènjìnguāderénxìngmíngfāngrénshì 便biànwènjìnguāderénxìngmíngfāngrénshì

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

那方人氏 'of which region a native'; the second here interrogative, , 'which.'

liúquándào:「xiǎorénshìjūnzhōuchéngmínxìngliúmíngquányīnshìpiēxiàérrénkànguǎnxiǎorénqíngyuànshějiājuānbàoguówángjìngòngguāguǒxièzhòngwánghòuēn。」 liúquándào:「xiǎorénshìjūnzhōuchéngmínxìngliúmíngquányīnshìpiēxiàérrénkànguǎnxiǎorénqíngyuànshějiājuānbàoguówángjìngòngguāguǒxièzhòngwánghòuēn。」

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 a commoner's household registration. 捨家棄子 to abandon home and children; . 捐軀報國 'to sacrifice the body to requite the state.'

shíwángwényánmìngchákānliúquánshì shíwángwényánmìngchákānliúquánshì

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

查勘 to investigate and verify.

guǐ使shǐláizàisēnluó殿diànxiàliúquánxiānghuìqiányánhuíxièshíwángēnyòu guǐ使shǐláizàisēnluó殿diànxiàliúquánxiānghuìqiányánhuíxièshíwángēnyòu

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 xiāng huì, to meet together. 訴罷前言 'having recounted all that went before.' 恩宥 gracious pardon.


總評 Commentary

The errand into death yields an unlooked-for grace: Liu Quan is reunited with the very wife whose suicide sent him there. His plain recital — that he abandoned home, children, and life itself out of grief and loyalty — moves the Kings to summon Lady Li, and the melon-mission becomes the occasion of the couple's reunion in the courts of the dead. The scene turns the chapter's grim traffic between the worlds toward reconciliation.