第十一回 · 棺中大叫 The Cry from the Coffin — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

棺中大叫 The Cry from the Coffin

正zhèng講jiǎng處chù，只zhǐ聽tīng得de棺guān中zhōng連lián聲shēng大dà叫jiào道dào：「渰yǎn殺shā我wǒ耶yé！渰yǎn殺shā我wǒ耶yé！」諕xià得de個gè文wén官guān武wǔ將jiàng心xīn慌huāng，皇huáng后hòu嬪pín妃fēi膽dǎn戰zhàn。一yí個gè個gè：正zhèng讲jiǎng处chù，只zhǐ听tīng得de棺guān中zhōng连lián声shēng大dà叫jiào道dào：「渰yǎn杀shā我wǒ耶yé！渰yǎn杀shā我wǒ耶yé！」諕xià得de个gè文wén官guān武wǔ将jiàng心xīn慌huāng，皇huáng后hòu嫔pín妃fēi胆dǎn战zhàn。一yí个gè个gè：

逐句解 Line by line

正zhèng講jiǎng處chù，只zhǐ聽tīng得de棺guān中zhōng連lián聲shēng大dà叫jiào道dào：「渰yǎn殺shā我wǒ耶yé！渰yǎn殺shā我wǒ耶yé！」正zhèng讲jiǎng处chù，只zhǐ听tīng得de棺guān中zhōng连lián声shēng大dà叫jiào道dào：「渰yǎn杀shā我wǒ耶yé！渰yǎn杀shā我wǒ耶yé！」

Just as they were disputing, they heard from within the coffin a cry raised again and again: 'You're drowning me! You're drowning me!'

渰殺 (yǎn shā) 'to drown to death'; 渰 = 淹. The emperor's first words on reviving echo the plunge into the Wei that returned him. 得 here resultative de; 中 zhōng.

諕xià得de個gè文wén官guān武wǔ將jiàng心xīn慌huāng，皇huáng后hòu嬪pín妃fēi膽dǎn戰zhàn。一yí個gè個gè：諕xià得de个gè文wén官guān武wǔ将jiàng心xīn慌huāng，皇huáng后hòu嫔pín妃fēi胆dǎn战zhàn。一yí个gè个gè：

It so terrified the civil officers and military officials that their hearts quailed, and the empress and consorts trembled in their gall. Every one of them —

諕 xià (= 嚇), to frighten. 文官武將 civil officials and military officers; 將 jiàng. The formula 一個個 introduces the rhapsody of the terrified court that follows.

總評 Commentary

The emperor's resurrection is announced not by a stately awakening but by a muffled shout from inside the coffin — 「渰殺我耶！」 — the last words of his underworld journey (the marshal's shove into the Wei) bursting into the world of the living. The terror it provokes among the assembled court sets up the comic rhapsody of panic that follows, and vindicates Wei Zheng on the spot.