第十一回 · 十王迎駕 The Ten Kings Descend — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

十王迎駕 The Ten Kings Descend

太tài宗zōng正zhèng在zài外wài面miàn觀guān看kàn，只zhǐ見jiàn那nà壁bì廂xiāng環huán珮pèi叮dīng噹dāng，仙xiān香xiāng奇qí異yì，外wài有yǒu兩liǎng對duì提tí燭zhú，後hòu面miàn卻què是shì十shí代dài閻yán王wáng降jiàng階jiē而ér至zhì，是shì那nà十shí代dài閻yán君jūn：秦qín廣guǎng王wáng、初chū江jiāng王wáng、宋sòng帝dì王wáng、仵wǔ官guān王wáng、閻yán羅luó王wáng、平píng等děng王wáng、泰tài山shān王wáng、都dū市shì王wáng、卞biàn城chéng王wáng、轉zhuǎn輪lún王wáng。十shí王wáng出chū在zài森sēn羅luó寶bǎo殿diàn，控kòng背bèi躬gōng身shēn，迎yíng迓yà太tài宗zōng。太tài宗zōng謙qiān下xià，不bù敢gǎn前qián行xíng。十shí王wáng道dào：「陛bì下xià是shì陽yáng間jiān人rén王wáng，我wǒ等děng是shì陰yīn間jiān鬼guǐ王wáng，分fèn所suǒ當dāng然rán，何hé須xū過guò讓ràng？」太tài宗zōng道dào：「朕zhèn得dé罪zuì麾huī下xià，豈qǐ敢gǎn論lùn陰yīn陽yáng人rén鬼guǐ之zhī道dào？」遜xùn之zhī不bù已yǐ。太tài宗zōng前qián行xíng，徑jìng入rù森sēn羅luó殿diàn上shàng，與yǔ十shí王wáng禮lǐ畢bì，分fēn賓bīn主zhǔ坐zuò定dìng。太tài宗zōng正zhèng在zài外wài面miàn观guān看kàn，只zhǐ见jiàn那nà壁bì厢xiāng环huán珮pèi叮dīng当dāng，仙xiān香xiāng奇qí异yì，外wài有yǒu两liǎng对duì提tí烛zhú，后hòu面miàn却què是shì十shí代dài阎yán王wáng降jiàng阶jiē而ér至zhì，是shì那nà十shí代dài阎yán君jūn：秦qín广guǎng王wáng、初chū江jiāng王wáng、宋sòng帝dì王wáng、仵wǔ官guān王wáng、阎yán罗luó王wáng、平píng等děng王wáng、泰tài山shān王wáng、都dū市shì王wáng、卞biàn城chéng王wáng、转zhuǎn轮lún王wáng。十shí王wáng出chū在zài森sēn罗luó宝bǎo殿diàn，控kòng背bèi躬gōng身shēn，迎yíng迓yà太tài宗zōng。太tài宗zōng谦qiān下xià，不bù敢gǎn前qián行xíng。十shí王wáng道dào：「陛bì下xià是shì阳yáng间jiān人rén王wáng，我wǒ等děng是shì阴yīn间jiān鬼guǐ王wáng，分fèn所suǒ当dāng然rán，何hé须xū过guò让ràng？」太tài宗zōng道dào：「朕zhèn得dé罪zuì麾huī下xià，岂qǐ敢gǎn论lùn阴yīn阳yáng人rén鬼guǐ之zhī道dào？」逊xùn之zhī不bù已yǐ。太tài宗zōng前qián行xíng，径jìng入rù森sēn罗luó殿diàn上shàng，与yǔ十shí王wáng礼lǐ毕bì，分fēn宾bīn主zhǔ坐zuò定dìng。

逐句解 Line by line

While Taizong stood without and gazed, he heard from a side chamber the tinkling of girdle-jades and caught a rare, unearthly incense. Two pairs of lamp-bearers came forth ahead, and behind them the Ten Kings of the Dead descended the steps — the Ten Kings being: King Qinguang, King Chujiang, King Songdi, King Wuguan, King Yama, King Pingdeng, King Taishan, King Dushi, King Biancheng, and King Zhuanlun.

The tinkling 環珮, jade pendants worn at the belt, is the sound that announces a royal party before you see it. The 十代閻君 are the Ten Kings, one to each of the ten courts of the underworld — a full appellate system. In 都市王, 都 is dū.

十shí王wáng出chū在zài森sēn羅luó寶bǎo殿diàn，控kòng背bèi躬gōng身shēn，迎yíng迓yà太tài宗zōng。太tài宗zōng謙qiān下xià，不bù敢gǎn前qián行xíng。十shí王wáng出chū在zài森sēn罗luó宝bǎo殿diàn，控kòng背bèi躬gōng身shēn，迎yíng迓yà太tài宗zōng。太tài宗zōng谦qiān下xià，不bù敢gǎn前qián行xíng。

The Ten Kings came out from the Hall of Judgment and, arching their backs and bowing low, went to receive Taizong. Taizong, all humility, did not dare to go before them.

控背躬身, "back arched, body bent," is a deep bow. 迎迓, yíng yà, is to go out and meet a guest. The defendant is being received like a visiting head of state, and has the grace to look embarrassed about it.

十shí王wáng道dào：「陛bì下xià是shì陽yáng間jiān人rén王wáng，我wǒ等děng是shì陰yīn間jiān鬼guǐ王wáng，分fèn所suǒ當dāng然rán，何hé須xū過guò讓ràng？」十shí王wáng道dào：「陛bì下xià是shì阳yáng间jiān人rén王wáng，我wǒ等děng是shì阴yīn间jiān鬼guǐ王wáng，分fèn所suǒ当dāng然rán，何hé须xū过guò让ràng？」

The Ten Kings said, 'Your Majesty is a king of men in the world of light; we are kings of ghosts in the world of shade. This is but what our stations require — why yield so overmuch?'

The Kings settle the seating question with a piece of pure Confucian reasoning: you rule the living, we rule the dead, the ranks are parallel, so stop bowing. 分所當然, fèn suǒ dāng rán, is "what one's station calls for" — 分 here is fèn, one's allotted place, not fēn, "to divide." 過讓 is to defer more than the occasion requires.

太tài宗zōng道dào：「朕zhèn得dé罪zuì麾huī下xià，豈qǐ敢gǎn論lùn陰yīn陽yáng人rén鬼guǐ之zhī道dào？」遜xùn之zhī不bù已yǐ。太tài宗zōng道dào：「朕zhèn得dé罪zuì麾huī下xià，岂qǐ敢gǎn论lùn阴yīn阳yáng人rén鬼guǐ之zhī道dào？」逊xùn之zhī不bù已yǐ。

Taizong replied, 'I have given offense before you, sirs — how should I dare to dispute the protocol of yin and yang, of men and ghosts?' — and yielded without cease.

得罪麾下, "I have offended those beneath your banner," is a formula of self-abasement, and the emperor keeps at it — 遜之不已, deferring without stopping. He is, after all, on trial.

太tài宗zōng前qián行xíng，徑jìng入rù森sēn羅luó殿diàn上shàng，與yǔ十shí王wáng禮lǐ畢bì，分fēn賓bīn主zhǔ坐zuò定dìng。太tài宗zōng前qián行xíng，径jìng入rù森sēn罗luó殿diàn上shàng，与yǔ十shí王wáng礼lǐ毕bì，分fēn宾bīn主zhǔ坐zuò定dìng。

Then Taizong went forward, entering straight into the Hall of Judgment, and when the courtesies with the Ten Kings were done, they seated themselves as host and guest.

They sort themselves into host and guest, which settles the whole question of who is trying whom. 分賓主, fēn bīn zhǔ, is to take places by that relation; here 分 is fēn, "to divide" — the opposite reading to the one two lines earlier, and the difference between "sorting people out" and "the role you were born to."

總評 Commentary

The reception is the exact reverse of the gate scene before it. Where the murdered brothers came at him, the Ten Kings bow, and press on him the courtesy owed a living sovereign even among the dead.

Their exchange over precedence — a king of the living taking his seat among kings of the dead — is Confucian ceremony transplanted into hell, and it sets the polite tone for a tribunal that has, as it turns out, already made up its mind.