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.'

魏人曹 = 人曹官魏徵, 'Wei Zheng of the Bureau of Men,' whose dream-execution of the Jing dragon is told in ch. 10. 甚是 (shèn shì) 'exceedingly.' 不盡 'without end'; 盡 jìn, and 不 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.'

看顧 to watch over. 子孫 (zǐsūn) descendants. 還陽 huán yáng, to return to the yang-world of the living. 重登 chóng dēng, 'to ascend once again'; 玉闕 the Jade Towers, the imperial 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 brief beat closing the exchange before the Ten Kings' summons.

總評 Commentary

The scene makes the bargain plain: Wei Zheng has cared for the magistrate's descendants in the world above, and Cui Jue now repays the debt by pledging to shepherd the emperor home. The tale's underworld, like its court, is bound together by reciprocal obligation — a favour done is a favour owed, even across the divide of death.