第十一回 · 枉死城 The City of the Wrongfully Dead — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

枉死城 The City of the Wrongfully Dead

正zhèng說shuō間jiān，那nà幾jǐ個gè橋qiáo梁liáng使shǐ者zhě早zǎo已yǐ回huí去qù了le。太tài宗zōng心xīn又yòu驚jīng惶huáng，點diǎn頭tóu暗àn嘆tàn，默mò默mò悲bēi傷shāng。相xiāng隨suí著zhe判pàn官guān、太tài尉wèi，早zǎo過guò了le奈nài河hé惡è水shuǐ，血xuè盆pén苦kǔ界jiè。前qián又yòu到dào枉wǎng死sǐ城chéng，只zhǐ聽tīng哄hǒng哄hǒng人rén嚷rǎng，分fēn明míng說shuō：「李lǐ世shì民mín來lái了le，李lǐ世shì民mín來lái了le。」太tài宗zōng聽tīng叫jiào，心xīn驚jīng膽dǎn戰zhàn。見jiàn一yì夥huǒ拖tuō腰yāo折zhé臂bì、有yǒu足zú無wú頭tóu的de鬼guǐ魅mèi，上shàng前qián攔lán住zhù；都dōu叫jiào道dào：「還huán我wǒ命mìng來lái！還huán我wǒ命mìng來lái！」正zhèng说shuō间jiān，那nà几jǐ个gè桥qiáo梁liáng使shǐ者zhě早zǎo已yǐ回huí去qù了le。太tài宗zōng心xīn又yòu惊jīng惶huáng，点diǎn头tóu暗àn叹tàn，默mò默mò悲bēi伤shāng。相xiāng随suí著zhe判pàn官guān、太tài尉wèi，早zǎo过guò了le奈nài河hé恶è水shuǐ，血xuè盆pén苦kǔ界jiè。前qián又yòu到dào枉wǎng死sǐ城chéng，只zhǐ听tīng哄hǒng哄hǒng人rén嚷rǎng，分fēn明míng说shuō：「李lǐ世shì民mín来lái了le，李lǐ世shì民mín来lái了le。」太tài宗zōng听tīng叫jiào，心xīn惊jīng胆dǎn战zhàn。见jiàn一yì伙huǒ拖tuō腰yāo折zhé臂bì、有yǒu足zú无wú头tóu的de鬼guǐ魅mèi，上shàng前qián拦lán住zhù；都dōu叫jiào道dào：「还huán我wǒ命mìng来lái！还huán我wǒ命mìng来lái！」

逐句解 Line by line

正zhèng說shuō間jiān，那nà幾jǐ個gè橋qiáo梁liáng使shǐ者zhě早zǎo已yǐ回huí去qù了le。正zhèng说shuō间jiān，那nà几jǐ个gè桥qiáo梁liáng使shǐ者zhě早zǎo已yǐ回huí去qù了le。

Even as they spoke, the several Bridge-Wardens had already gone back.

橋梁使者 the bridge-wardens of the preceding passage, their office now discharged.

太tài宗zōng心xīn又yòu驚jīng惶huáng，點diǎn頭tóu暗àn嘆tàn，默mò默mò悲bēi傷shāng。太tài宗zōng心xīn又yòu惊jīng惶huáng，点diǎn头tóu暗àn叹tàn，默mò默mò悲bēi伤shāng。

Taizong's heart was seized once more with dread; he nodded, sighed inwardly, and grieved in silence.

The emperor's mounting terror is a keynote of the whole tour.

相xiāng隨suí著zhe判pàn官guān、太tài尉wèi，早zǎo過guò了le奈nài河hé惡è水shuǐ，血xuè盆pén苦kǔ界jiè。相xiāng随suí著zhe判pàn官guān、太tài尉wèi，早zǎo过guò了le奈nài河hé恶è水shuǐ，血xuè盆pén苦kǔ界jiè。

Following close upon the magistrate and the marshal, he soon passed the evil waters of the Nai and the bitter realm of the blood-basin.

相隨著 durative zhe. 血盆苦界 'the bitter world of the blood-basin,' a region of the underworld.

前qián又yòu到dào枉wǎng死sǐ城chéng，只zhǐ聽tīng哄hǒng哄hǒng人rén嚷rǎng，分fēn明míng說shuō：「李lǐ世shì民mín來lái了le，李lǐ世shì民mín來lái了le。」前qián又yòu到dào枉wǎng死sǐ城chéng，只zhǐ听tīng哄hǒng哄hǒng人rén嚷rǎng，分fēn明míng说shuō：「李lǐ世shì民mín来lái了le，李lǐ世shì民mín来lái了le。」

Ahead they came to the City of the Wrongfully Dead, where a clamorous uproar of voices cried out clearly, 'Li Shimin has come! Li Shimin has come!'

枉死城 (wǎngsǐ chéng) the City of Those Who Died Unjustly or Untimely — here, the war-dead of Taizong's campaigns.

太tài宗zōng聽tīng叫jiào，心xīn驚jīng膽dǎn戰zhàn。太tài宗zōng听tīng叫jiào，心xīn惊jīng胆dǎn战zhàn。

Hearing the shout, Taizong quaked in heart and gall.

心驚膽戰 'heart alarmed and gall trembling,' utterly terrified.

見jiàn一yì夥huǒ拖tuō腰yāo折zhé臂bì、有yǒu足zú無wú頭tóu的de鬼guǐ魅mèi，上shàng前qián攔lán住zhù；都dōu叫jiào道dào：「還huán我wǒ命mìng來lái！還huán我wǒ命mìng來lái！」见jiàn一yì伙huǒ拖tuō腰yāo折zhé臂bì、有yǒu足zú无wú头tóu的de鬼guǐ魅mèi，上shàng前qián拦lán住zhù；都dōu叫jiào道dào：「还huán我wǒ命mìng来lái！还huán我wǒ命mìng来lái！」

He saw a throng of specters — dragging their loins, arms broken, some with feet but no heads — press forward to bar his way, all crying, 'Give me back my life! Give me back my life!'

拖腰折臂、有足無頭 the mutilated forms of those slain in battle. 還我命來 huán wǒ mìng lái, 'give me back my life'; 還 huán. These are the ghosts of the soldiers who fell in Taizong's wars of unification.

總評 Commentary

The City of the Wrongfully Dead brings the emperor face to face with the human cost of his throne: not the brothers of the palace coup, but the massed war-dead of his campaigns, mutilated and clamoring for the lives he took. Their cry — 「還我命來！」 — is the same demand for restitution that governs the whole underworld economy of this chapter, and it sets up the transaction by which Taizong must, quite literally, pay off his dead.