第十一回 · 判官許諾 The Magistrate's Promise — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

判官許諾 The Magistrate's Promise

那nà判pàn官guān看kàn了le書shū，滿mǎn心xīn歡huān喜xǐ道dào：「魏wèi人rén曹cáo前qián日rì夢mèng斬zhǎn老lǎo龍lóng一yí事shì，臣chén已yǐ早zǎo知zhī，甚shèn是shì誇kuā獎jiǎng不bú盡jìn。又yòu蒙méng他tā早zǎo晚wǎn看kàn顧gù臣chén的de子zǐ孫sūn，今jīn日rì既jì有yǒu書shū來lái，陛bì下xià寬kuān心xīn，微wēi臣chén管guǎn送sòng陛bì下xià還huán陽yáng，重chóng登dēng玉yù闕què。」太tài宗zōng稱chēng謝xiè了le。那nà判pàn官guān看kàn了le书shū，满mǎn心xīn欢huān喜xǐ道dào：「魏wèi人rén曹cáo前qián日rì梦mèng斩zhǎn老lǎo龙lóng一yí事shì，臣chén已yǐ早zǎo知zhī，甚shèn是shì夸kuā奖jiǎng不bú尽jìn。又yòu蒙méng他tā早zǎo晚wǎn看kàn顾gù臣chén的de子zǐ孙sūn，今jīn日rì既jì有yǒu书shū来lái，陛bì下xià宽kuān心xīn，微wēi臣chén管guǎn送sòng陛bì下xià还huán阳yáng，重chóng登dēng玉yù阙què。」太tài宗zōng称chēng谢xiè了le。

逐句解 Line by line

那nà判pàn官guān看kàn了le書shū，滿mǎn心xīn歡huān喜xǐ道dào：「魏wèi人rén曹cáo前qián日rì夢mèng斬zhǎn老lǎo龍lóng一yí事shì，臣chén已yǐ早zǎo知zhī，甚shèn是shì誇kuā獎jiǎng不bú盡jìn。那nà判pàn官guān看kàn了le书shū，满mǎn心xīn欢huān喜xǐ道dào：「魏wèi人rén曹cáo前qián日rì梦mèng斩zhǎn老lǎo龙lóng一yí事shì，臣chén已yǐ早zǎo知zhī，甚shèn是shì夸kuā奖jiǎng不bú尽jìn。

When the magistrate had read the letter, he said with heartfelt delight, 'The matter of Minister Wei's beheading the old dragon in a dream the other day — I knew of it long since, and cannot praise it enough.'

The letter lands well, and note why: not because of the emperor, but because of a professional courtesy between the two friends. 魏人曹 is shorthand for 人曹官魏徵, Wei Zheng of the Bureau of Men, whose execution of the Jing dragon in a dream is told in chapter 10. 甚是, shèn shì, is "exceedingly." 不盡 here is "without end"; 盡 is jìn, and 不 is accordingly bú.

又yòu蒙méng他tā早zǎo晚wǎn看kàn顧gù臣chén的de子zǐ孫sūn，今jīn日rì既jì有yǒu書shū來lái，陛bì下xià寬kuān心xīn，微wēi臣chén管guǎn送sòng陛bì下xià還huán陽yáng，重chóng登dēng玉yù闕què。」又yòu蒙méng他tā早zǎo晚wǎn看kàn顾gù臣chén的de子zǐ孙sūn，今jīn日rì既jì有yǒu书shū来lái，陛bì下xià宽kuān心xīn，微wēi臣chén管guǎn送sòng陛bì下xià还huán阳yáng，重chóng登dēng玉yù阙què。」

'What is more, he has kindly looked after my descendants morning and night. Now that his letter has come, let Your Majesty set your heart at rest — your servant will undertake to send you back to the light, to remount the Jade Towers.'

And the actual reason the emperor will live. 看顧 is to look after someone. 子孫, zǐ sūn, are one's descendants: Wei Zheng has been quietly minding the magistrate's family in the world above, and the debt is about to be settled at imperial scale. 還陽 is huán yáng, to go back to the sunlit world; 重登, chóng dēng, is to climb up again, and 玉闕, the Jade Towers, means the palace.

太tài宗zōng稱chēng謝xiè了le。太tài宗zōng称chēng谢xiè了le。

Taizong voiced his thanks.

A single beat of thanks, and then the Ten Kings send for him.

總評 Commentary

The bargain is now explicit. Wei Zheng has been looking after the magistrate's descendants in the world above; Cuī Jué repays it by undertaking to walk the emperor home.

The underworld of this novel, like the court it copies, runs on reciprocal obligation — a favour done is a favour owed, and death does not cancel the account.