第十一回 · 十八層地獄 The Eighteen Hells — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

十八層地獄 The Eighteen Hells

太tài宗zōng全quán靠kào著zhe那nà判pàn官guān保bǎo護hù，過guò了le陰yīn山shān。前qián進jìn又yòu歷lì了le許xǔ多duō衙yá門mén，一yí處chù處chù俱jù是shì悲bēi聲shēng振zhèn耳ěr，惡è怪guài驚jīng心xīn。太tài宗zōng又yòu道dào：「此cǐ是shì何hé處chù？」判pàn官guān道dào：「此cǐ是shì陰yīn山shān背bèi後hòu一yī十shí八bā層céng地dì獄yù。」太tài宗zōng道dào：「是shì那nǎ十shí八bā層céng？」判pàn官guān道dào：「你nǐ聽tīng我wǒ說shuō：太tài宗zōng全quán靠kào著zhe那nà判pàn官guān保bǎo护hù，过guò了le阴yīn山shān。前qián进jìn又yòu历lì了le许xǔ多duō衙yá门mén，一yí处chù处chù俱jù是shì悲bēi声shēng振zhèn耳ěr，恶è怪guài惊jīng心xīn。太tài宗zōng又yòu道dào：「此cǐ是shì何hé处chù？」判pàn官guān道dào：「此cǐ是shì阴yīn山shān背bèi后hòu一yī十shí八bā层céng地dì狱yù。」太tài宗zōng道dào：「是shì那nǎ十shí八bā层céng？」判pàn官guān道dào：「你nǐ听tīng我wǒ说shuō：

逐句解 Line by line

太tài宗zōng全quán靠kào著zhe那nà判pàn官guān保bǎo護hù，過guò了le陰yīn山shān。太tài宗zōng全quán靠kào著zhe那nà判pàn官guān保bǎo护hù，过guò了le阴yīn山shān。

Relying wholly on the magistrate's protection, Taizong passed over the Shaded Mountain.

靠著 durative zhe. The crossing is dispatched in a single sentence, the terror of the peak now behind him.

前qián進jìn又yòu歷lì了le許xǔ多duō衙yá門mén，一yí處chù處chù俱jù是shì悲bēi聲shēng振zhèn耳ěr，惡è怪guài驚jīng心xīn。前qián进jìn又yòu历lì了le许xǔ多duō衙yá门mén，一yí处chù处chù俱jù是shì悲bēi声shēng振zhèn耳ěr，恶è怪guài惊jīng心xīn。

Going on, they passed through many an office-gate, and in place after place wails of grief assailed the ear and hideous fiends struck terror to the heart.

衙門 the administrative bureaux — hell is imagined as a vast government compound. 一處處 'place after place.'

太tài宗zōng又yòu道dào：「此cǐ是shì何hé處chù？」判pàn官guān道dào：「此cǐ是shì陰yīn山shān背bèi後hòu一yī十shí八bā層céng地dì獄yù。」太tài宗zōng又yòu道dào：「此cǐ是shì何hé处chù？」判pàn官guān道dào：「此cǐ是shì阴yīn山shān背bèi后hòu一yī十shí八bā层céng地dì狱yù。」

Taizong asked again, 'What place is this?' The magistrate said, 'This is the Eighteen Hells, behind the Shaded Mountain.'

一十八層地獄 the Eighteen Levels of Hell; 一 read yī as a numeral. Their number and names vary from source to source.

太tài宗zōng道dào：「是shì那nǎ十shí八bā層céng？」判pàn官guān道dào：「你nǐ聽tīng我wǒ說shuō：太tài宗zōng道dào：「是shì那nǎ十shí八bā层céng？」判pàn官guān道dào：「你nǐ听tīng我wǒ说shuō：

Taizong said, 'Which are the eighteen levels?' The magistrate said, 'Listen while I tell you:'

那 here interrogative, nǎ = 哪, 'which.' The question cues the rhapsodic catalogue of hells that follows.

總評 Commentary

The passage bridges from mountain to hells, casting the underworld once more in the image of the earthly state — a warren of 衙門, office-gates, through which the emperor is conducted. Taizong's question, 「是那十八層？」, is the tale's device for launching the great enumerative set-piece: the roll-call of the eighteen hells and the sins that fill them.