第十一回 · 劉全喪妻 Liu Quan Loses His Wife — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

劉全喪妻 Liu Quan Loses His Wife

榜bǎng張zhāng數shù日rì，有yǒu一yí赴fù命mìng進jìn瓜guā果guǒ的de賢xián者zhě，本běn是shì均jūn州zhōu人rén，姓xìng劉liú名míng全quán，家jiā有yǒu萬wàn貫guàn之zhī資zī。只zhǐ因yīn妻qī李lǐ翠cuì蓮lián在zài門mén首shǒu拔bá金jīn釵chāi齋zhāi僧sēng，劉liú全quán罵mà了le他tā幾jǐ句jù，說shuō他tā不bù遵zūn婦fù道dào，擅shàn出chū閨guī門mén。李lǐ氏shì忍rěn氣qì不bú過guò，自zì縊yì而ér死sǐ。撇piē下xià一yì雙shuāng兒ér女nǚ年nián幼yòu，晝zhòu夜yè悲bēi啼tí。劉liú全quán又yòu不bù忍rěn見jiàn，無wú奈nài，遂suì捨shě了le性xìng命mìng，棄qì了le家jiā緣yuán，撇piē了le兒ér女nǚ，情qíng願yuàn以yǐ死sǐ進jìn瓜guā，將jiāng皇huáng榜bǎng揭jiē了le，來lái見jiàn唐táng王wáng。王wáng傳chuán旨zhǐ意yì，教jiào他tā去qù金jīn亭tíng館guǎn裡lǐ，頭tóu頂dǐng一yí對duì南nán瓜guā，袖xiù帶dài黃huáng錢qián，口kǒu噙qín藥yào物wù。榜bǎng张zhāng数shù日rì，有yǒu一yí赴fù命mìng进jìn瓜guā果guǒ的de贤xián者zhě，本běn是shì均jūn州zhōu人rén，姓xìng刘liú名míng全quán，家jiā有yǒu万wàn贯guàn之zhī资zī。只zhǐ因yīn妻qī李lǐ翠cuì莲lián在zài门mén首shǒu拔bá金jīn钗chāi斋zhāi僧sēng，刘liú全quán骂mà了le他tā几jǐ句jù，说shuō他tā不bù遵zūn妇fù道dào，擅shàn出chū闺guī门mén。李lǐ氏shì忍rěn气qì不bú过guò，自zì缢yì而ér死sǐ。撇piē下xià一yì双shuāng儿ér女nǚ年nián幼yòu，昼zhòu夜yè悲bēi啼tí。刘liú全quán又yòu不bù忍rěn见jiàn，无wú奈nài，遂suì舍shě了le性xìng命mìng，弃qì了le家jiā缘yuán，撇piē了le儿ér女nǚ，情qíng愿yuàn以yǐ死sǐ进jìn瓜guā，将jiāng皇huáng榜bǎng揭jiē了le，来lái见jiàn唐táng王wáng。王wáng传chuán旨zhǐ意yì，教jiào他tā去qù金jīn亭tíng馆guǎn里lǐ，头tóu顶dǐng一yí对duì南nán瓜guā，袖xiù带dài黄huáng钱qián，口kǒu噙qín药yào物wù。

逐句解 Line by line

榜bǎng張zhāng數shù日rì，有yǒu一yí赴fù命mìng進jìn瓜guā果guǒ的de賢xián者zhě，本běn是shì均jūn州zhōu人rén，姓xìng劉liú名míng全quán，家jiā有yǒu萬wàn貫guàn之zhī資zī。榜bǎng张zhāng数shù日rì，有yǒu一yí赴fù命mìng进jìn瓜guā果guǒ的de贤xián者zhě，本běn是shì均jūn州zhōu人rén，姓xìng刘liú名míng全quán，家jiā有yǒu万wàn贯guàn之zhī资zī。

The notice had been posted some days when a worthy man came forward to answer the summons and carry the melons and fruit — a native of Junzhou, surnamed Liu and named Quan, whose household possessed ten thousand strings of cash.

赴命 to answer a summons, to accept a charge. 均州 Junzhou. 萬貫之資 'a fortune of ten thousand strings,' great wealth.

只zhǐ因yīn妻qī李lǐ翠cuì蓮lián在zài門mén首shǒu拔bá金jīn釵chāi齋zhāi僧sēng，劉liú全quán罵mà了le他tā幾jǐ句jù，說shuō他tā不bù遵zūn婦fù道dào，擅shàn出chū閨guī門mén。只zhǐ因yīn妻qī李lǐ翠cuì莲lián在zài门mén首shǒu拔bá金jīn钗chāi斋zhāi僧sēng，刘liú全quán骂mà了le他tā几jǐ句jù，说shuō他tā不bù遵zūn妇fù道dào，擅shàn出chū闺guī门mén。

It was only that his wife, Li Cuilian, had at their gate drawn out a golden hairpin to give alms to a monk, for which Liu Quan railed at her a few words, saying she did not keep to a wife's proper conduct and had presumed to step beyond the women's quarters.

拔金釵齋僧 to draw off a hairpin to feed a monk, an act of pious charity. 婦道 the proper conduct of a wife. 閨門 the inner women's chambers; for a wife to appear at the gate was thought immodest.

李lǐ氏shì忍rěn氣qì不bú過guò，自zì縊yì而ér死sǐ。撇piē下xià一yì雙shuāng兒ér女nǚ年nián幼yòu，晝zhòu夜yè悲bēi啼tí。李lǐ氏shì忍rěn气qì不bú过guò，自zì缢yì而ér死sǐ。撇piē下xià一yì双shuāng儿ér女nǚ年nián幼yòu，昼zhòu夜yè悲bēi啼tí。

Unable to swallow her anger, Lady Li hanged herself and died, leaving behind a pair of young children who wept day and night.

忍氣不過 unable to bear the humiliation. 自縊 zì yì, to hang oneself. 撇下 to leave behind.

劉liú全quán又yòu不bù忍rěn見jiàn，無wú奈nài，遂suì捨shě了le性xìng命mìng，棄qì了le家jiā緣yuán，撇piē了le兒ér女nǚ，情qíng願yuàn以yǐ死sǐ進jìn瓜guā，將jiāng皇huáng榜bǎng揭jiē了le，來lái見jiàn唐táng王wáng。刘liú全quán又yòu不bù忍rěn见jiàn，无wú奈nài，遂suì舍shě了le性xìng命mìng，弃qì了le家jiā缘yuán，撇piē了le儿ér女nǚ，情qíng愿yuàn以yǐ死sǐ进jìn瓜guā，将jiāng皇huáng榜bǎng揭jiē了le，来lái见jiàn唐táng王wáng。

Liu Quan, moreover, could not bear the sight; and so, helpless, he gave up his own life, cast off his household ties, left his children, and, willing to die in order to present the melons, tore down the imperial notice and came to see the Tang king.

家緣 the bonds of family and home. 揭榜 to tear down a posted notice, signifying acceptance of its charge. 將 jiāng.

王wáng傳chuán旨zhǐ意yì，教jiào他tā去qù金jīn亭tíng館guǎn裡lǐ，頭tóu頂dǐng一yí對duì南nán瓜guā，袖xiù帶dài黃huáng錢qián，口kǒu噙qín藥yào物wù。王wáng传chuán旨zhǐ意yì，教jiào他tā去qù金jīn亭tíng馆guǎn里lǐ，头tóu顶dǐng一yí对duì南nán瓜guā，袖xiù带dài黄huáng钱qián，口kǒu噙qín药yào物wù。

The king issued his command, bidding him go to the Golden Pavilion Lodge, there to balance a pair of pumpkins upon his head, to carry yellow paper-money in his sleeve, and to hold a drug in his mouth.

金亭館 the Golden Pavilion Lodge. 黃錢 yellow paper spirit-money, burned for the dead. 口噙藥物 to hold poison in the mouth — the means of the volunteer's death. 教 jiào.

總評 Commentary

The Liu Quan episode, which the neighboring chapter will complete, opens on a small domestic tragedy: a husband's rebuke over an act of charity drives his wife to suicide, and grief drives him to volunteer for death himself. His willingness to die to deliver the emperor's melons — pumpkins balanced on his head, spirit-money in his sleeve, poison in his mouth — ties the private household to the imperial debt, and carries the chapter's traffic between the worlds into one last errand.