第十一回 · 太宗自述 The Emperor's Own Account — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

太宗自述 The Emperor's Own Account

太tài宗zōng道dào：「日rì前qián接jiē得de魏wèi徵zhēng書shū，朕zhèn覺jué神shén魂hún出chū殿diàn，只zhǐ見jiàn羽yǔ林lín軍jūn請qǐng朕zhèn出chū獵liè。正zhèng行xíng時shí，人rén馬mǎ無wú蹤zōng，又yòu見jiàn那nà先xiān君jūn父fù王wáng與yǔ先xiān兄xiōng弟dì爭zhēng嚷rǎng。正zhèng難nán解jiě處chù，見jiàn一yì人rén烏wū帽mào皂zào袍páo，乃nǎi是shì判pàn官guān崔cuī珏jué，喝hē退tuì先xiān兄xiōng弟dì。朕zhèn將jiāng魏wèi徵zhēng書shū傳chuán遞dì與yǔ他tā。正zhèng看kàn時shí，又yòu見jiàn青qīng衣yī者zhě執zhí幢chuáng幡fān，引yǐn朕zhèn入rù內nèi，到dào森sēn羅luó殿diàn上shàng，與yǔ十shí代dài閻yán王wáng敘xù坐zuò。他tā說shuō那nà涇jīng河hé龍lóng誣wū告gào我wǒ許xǔ救jiù轉zhuǎn殺shā之zhī事shì，是shì朕zhèn將jiāng前qián言yán陳chén具jù一yí遍biàn。他tā說shuō已yǐ三sān曹cáo對duì過guò案àn了le，急jí命mìng取qǔ生shēng死sǐ文wén簿bù，檢jiǎn看kàn我wǒ的de陽yáng壽shòu。時shí有yǒu崔cuī判pàn官guān傳chuán上shàng簿bù子zi，閻yán王wáng看kàn了le，道dào寡guǎ人rén有yǒu三sān十shí三sān年nián天tiān祿lù，才cái過guò得de一yī十shí三sān年nián，還hái該gāi我wǒ二èr十shí年nián陽yáng壽shòu，即jí著zhuó朱zhū太tài尉wèi、崔cuī判pàn官guān送sòng朕zhèn回huí來lái。朕zhèn與yǔ十shí王wáng作zuò別bié，允yǔn了le送sòng他tā瓜guā果guǒ謝xiè恩ēn。太tài宗zōng道dào：「日rì前qián接jiē得de魏wèi征zhēng书shū，朕zhèn觉jué神shén魂hún出chū殿diàn，只zhǐ见jiàn羽yǔ林lín军jūn请qǐng朕zhèn出chū猎liè。正zhèng行xíng时shí，人rén马mǎ无wú踪zōng，又yòu见jiàn那nà先xiān君jūn父fù王wáng与yǔ先xiān兄xiōng弟dì争zhēng嚷rǎng。正zhèng难nán解jiě处chù，见jiàn一yì人rén乌wū帽mào皂zào袍páo，乃nǎi是shì判pàn官guān崔cuī珏jué，喝hē退tuì先xiān兄xiōng弟dì。朕zhèn将jiāng魏wèi征zhēng书shū传chuán递dì与yǔ他tā。正zhèng看kàn时shí，又yòu见jiàn青qīng衣yī者zhě执zhí幢chuáng幡fān，引yǐn朕zhèn入rù内nèi，到dào森sēn罗luó殿diàn上shàng，与yǔ十shí代dài阎yán王wáng叙xù坐zuò。他tā说shuō那nà泾jīng河hé龙lóng诬wū告gào我wǒ许xǔ救jiù转zhuǎn杀shā之zhī事shì，是shì朕zhèn将jiāng前qián言yán陈chén具jù一yí遍biàn。他tā说shuō已yǐ三sān曹cáo对duì过guò案àn了le，急jí命mìng取qǔ生shēng死sǐ文wén簿bù，检jiǎn看kàn我wǒ的de阳yáng寿shòu。时shí有yǒu崔cuī判pàn官guān传chuán上shàng簿bù子zi，阎yán王wáng看kàn了le，道dào寡guǎ人rén有yǒu三sān十shí三sān年nián天tiān禄lù，才cái过guò得de一yī十shí三sān年nián，还hái该gāi我wǒ二èr十shí年nián阳yáng寿shòu，即jí著zhuó朱zhū太tài尉wèi、崔cuī判pàn官guān送sòng朕zhèn回huí来lái。朕zhèn与yǔ十shí王wáng作zuò别bié，允yǔn了le送sòng他tā瓜guā果guǒ谢xiè恩ēn。

逐句解 Line by line

太tài宗zōng道dào：「日rì前qián接jiē得de魏wèi徵zhēng書shū，朕zhèn覺jué神shén魂hún出chū殿diàn，只zhǐ見jiàn羽yǔ林lín軍jūn請qǐng朕zhèn出chū獵liè。太tài宗zōng道dào：「日rì前qián接jiē得de魏wèi征zhēng书shū，朕zhèn觉jué神shén魂hún出chū殿diàn，只zhǐ见jiàn羽yǔ林lín军jūn请qǐng朕zhèn出chū猎liè。

Taizong said, 'The other day, when I had received Wei Zheng's letter, I felt my soul-spirit pass out of the hall, and saw the Feathered Forest guards inviting me out to hunt.'

接得 de, 'received.' 羽林軍 the imperial Feathered Forest guard. The emperor's summary retraces the journey the reader has followed.

正zhèng行xíng時shí，人rén馬mǎ無wú蹤zōng，又yòu見jiàn那nà先xiān君jūn父fù王wáng與yǔ先xiān兄xiōng弟dì爭zhēng嚷rǎng。正zhèng行xíng时shí，人rén马mǎ无wú踪zōng，又yòu见jiàn那nà先xiān君jūn父fù王wáng与yǔ先xiān兄xiōng弟dì争zhēng嚷rǎng。

'Just as I rode, men and horses vanished without a trace, and I saw my late father the king and my late brothers in noisy dispute.'

先君父王 the late Gaozu; 先兄弟 the slain Jiancheng and Yuanji. 爭嚷 to wrangle clamorously. 行 xíng.

正zhèng難nán解jiě處chù，見jiàn一yì人rén烏wū帽mào皂zào袍páo，乃nǎi是shì判pàn官guān崔cuī珏jué，喝hē退tuì先xiān兄xiōng弟dì。正zhèng难nán解jiě处chù，见jiàn一yì人rén乌wū帽mào皂zào袍páo，乃nǎi是shì判pàn官guān崔cuī珏jué，喝hē退tuì先xiān兄xiōng弟dì。

'Just as I was at a loss, I saw a man in a black cap and dark gown — none other than the magistrate Cui Jue — who with a shout drove off my late brothers.'

烏帽皂袍 black cap and black gown, the garb of the underworld magistrate. 難解 nán, hard to resolve.

朕zhèn將jiāng魏wèi徵zhēng書shū傳chuán遞dì與yǔ他tā。朕zhèn将jiāng魏wèi征zhēng书shū传chuán递dì与yǔ他tā。

'I handed Wei Zheng's letter over to him.'

將 jiāng, marking disposal — 'took the letter and passed it to him.'

正zhèng看kàn時shí，又yòu見jiàn青qīng衣yī者zhě執zhí幢chuáng幡fān，引yǐn朕zhèn入rù內nèi，到dào森sēn羅luó殿diàn上shàng，與yǔ十shí代dài閻yán王wáng敘xù坐zuò。正zhèng看kàn时shí，又yòu见jiàn青qīng衣yī者zhě执zhí幢chuáng幡fān，引yǐn朕zhèn入rù内nèi，到dào森sēn罗luó殿diàn上shàng，与yǔ十shí代dài阎yán王wáng叙xù坐zuò。

'As I looked on, I saw blue-clad ones bearing pennants who led me within, to the Hall of Judgment, where I sat in converse with the Ten Kings of the Dead.'

敘坐 to sit and converse in due order. The Hall of Judgment and the Ten Kings of the earlier passages.

他tā說shuō那nà涇jīng河hé龍lóng誣wū告gào我wǒ許xǔ救jiù轉zhuǎn殺shā之zhī事shì，是shì朕zhèn將jiāng前qián言yán陳chén具jù一yí遍biàn。他tā说shuō那nà泾jīng河hé龙lóng诬wū告gào我wǒ许xǔ救jiù转zhuǎn杀shā之zhī事shì，是shì朕zhèn将jiāng前qián言yán陈chén具jù一yí遍biàn。

'They spoke of how the Jing-River dragon had falsely charged me with promising rescue and then turning to slaughter; and I laid out the whole matter from the first.'

誣告 to bring a false accusation. 陳具一遍 to set forth in full, point by point. 將 jiāng.

他tā說shuō已yǐ三sān曹cáo對duì過guò案àn了le，急jí命mìng取qǔ生shēng死sǐ文wén簿bù，檢jiǎn看kàn我wǒ的de陽yáng壽shòu。他tā说shuō已yǐ三sān曹cáo对duì过guò案àn了le，急jí命mìng取qǔ生shēng死sǐ文wén簿bù，检jiǎn看kàn我wǒ的de阳yáng寿shòu。

'They said the three tribunals had already confronted the case, and quickly ordered the register of life and death fetched, to examine my allotted span.'

對過案 to have completed the tribunal confrontation. 生死文簿 the register of life and death.

時shí有yǒu崔cuī判pàn官guān傳chuán上shàng簿bù子zi，閻yán王wáng看kàn了le，道dào寡guǎ人rén有yǒu三sān十shí三sān年nián天tiān祿lù，才cái過guò得de一yī十shí三sān年nián，還hái該gāi我wǒ二èr十shí年nián陽yáng壽shòu，即jí著zhuó朱zhū太tài尉wèi、崔cuī判pàn官guān送sòng朕zhèn回huí來lái。时shí有yǒu崔cuī判pàn官guān传chuán上shàng簿bù子zi，阎yán王wáng看kàn了le，道dào寡guǎ人rén有yǒu三sān十shí三sān年nián天tiān禄lù，才cái过guò得de一yī十shí三sān年nián，还hái该gāi我wǒ二èr十shí年nián阳yáng寿shòu，即jí著zhuó朱zhū太tài尉wèi、崔cuī判pàn官guān送sòng朕zhèn回huí来lái。

'Then Magistrate Cui handed up the ledger, and when King Yama had looked, he said that I had thirty-three years of heaven-granted tenure — that only thirteen had passed, and I was still owed twenty years of life — and at once directed Marshal Zhu and Magistrate Cui to escort me back.'

天祿 the heaven-granted span of rank. 才過得一十三年 'only thirteen years had elapsed'; 得 de, 一 read yī. 即著 zhuó, 'directed.' The emperor unknowingly recites the doctored figure.

朕zhèn與yǔ十shí王wáng作zuò別bié，允yǔn了le送sòng他tā瓜guā果guǒ謝xiè恩ēn。朕zhèn与yǔ十shí王wáng作zuò别bié，允yǔn了le送sòng他tā瓜guā果guǒ谢xiè恩ēn。

'I took my leave of the Ten Kings, and promised to send them melons and fruit in thanks for their kindness.'

允 to consent, to promise. The melon-pledge that sets up the Liu Quan episode to come.

總評 Commentary

The emperor's first-person recap compresses the whole underworld journey into a courtier's report, retelling for his ministers what the reader has already witnessed. Its quiet irony is that Taizong recites the forged life-span as plain fact — 'thirty-three years... only thirteen passed' — wholly unaware that his twenty extra years rest on Cui Jue's two strokes of the brush. The account also re-plants the melon-promise, keeping the thread that will lead, in the next chapter's neighbor-episode, to Liu Quan's errand into death.