第十一回 · 鬼門關 Through the Gate of Ghosts — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

鬼門關 Through the Gate of Ghosts

二èr人rén正zhèng說shuō間jiān，只zhǐ見jiàn那nà邊biān有yǒu一yí對duì青qīng衣yī童tóng子zǐ執zhí幢chuáng幡fān、寶bǎo蓋gài，高gāo叫jiào道dào：「閻yán王wáng有yǒu請qǐng，有yǒu請qǐng。」太tài宗zōng遂suì與yǔ崔cuī判pàn官guān並bìng二èr童tóng子zǐ舉jǔ步bù前qián進jìn。忽hū見jiàn一yí座zuò城chéng，城chéng門mén上shàng掛guà著zhe一yí面miàn大dà牌pái，上shàng寫xiě著zhe「幽yōu冥míng地dì府fǔ鬼guǐ門mén關guān」七qī個gè大dà金jīn字zì。那nà青qīng衣yī將jiāng幢chuáng幡fān搖yáo動dòng，引yǐn太tài宗zōng徑jìng入rù城chéng中zhōng，順shùn街jiē而ér走zǒu。只zhǐ見jiàn那nà街jiē傍bàng邊biān有yǒu先xiān主zhǔ李lǐ淵yuān、先xiān兄xiōng建jiàn成chéng、故gù弟dì元yuán吉jí，上shàng前qián道dào：「世shì民mín來lái了le，世shì民mín來lái了le。」那nà建jiàn成chéng、元yuán吉jí就jiù來lái揪jiū打dǎ索suǒ命mìng。太tài宗zōng躲duǒ閃shǎn不bù及jí，被bèi他tā扯chě住zhù。幸xìng有yǒu崔cuī判pàn官guān喚huàn一yì青qīng面miàn獠liáo牙yá鬼guǐ使shǐ，喝hē退tuì了le建jiàn成chéng、元yuán吉jí，太tài宗zōng方fāng得dé脫tuō身shēn而ér去qù。行xíng不bú數shù里lǐ，見jiàn一yí座zuò碧bì瓦wǎ樓lóu臺tái，真zhēn個gè壯zhuàng麗lì。但dàn見jiàn：二èr人rén正zhèng说shuō间jiān，只zhǐ见jiàn那nà边biān有yǒu一yí对duì青qīng衣yī童tóng子zǐ执zhí幢chuáng幡fān、宝bǎo盖gài，高gāo叫jiào道dào：「阎yán王wáng有yǒu请qǐng，有yǒu请qǐng。」太tài宗zōng遂suì与yǔ崔cuī判pàn官guān并bìng二èr童tóng子zǐ举jǔ步bù前qián进jìn。忽hū见jiàn一yí座zuò城chéng，城chéng门mén上shàng挂guà著zhe一yí面miàn大dà牌pái，上shàng写xiě著zhe「幽yōu冥míng地dì府fǔ鬼guǐ门mén关guān」七qī个gè大dà金jīn字zì。那nà青qīng衣yī将jiāng幢chuáng幡fān摇yáo动dòng，引yǐn太tài宗zōng径jìng入rù城chéng中zhōng，顺shùn街jiē而ér走zǒu。只zhǐ见jiàn那nà街jiē傍bàng边biān有yǒu先xiān主zhǔ李lǐ渊yuān、先xiān兄xiōng建jiàn成chéng、故gù弟dì元yuán吉jí，上shàng前qián道dào：「世shì民mín来lái了le，世shì民mín来lái了le。」那nà建jiàn成chéng、元yuán吉jí就jiù来lái揪jiū打dǎ索suǒ命mìng。太tài宗zōng躲duǒ闪shǎn不bù及jí，被bèi他tā扯chě住zhù。幸xìng有yǒu崔cuī判pàn官guān唤huàn一yì青qīng面miàn獠liáo牙yá鬼guǐ使shǐ，喝hē退tuì了le建jiàn成chéng、元yuán吉jí，太tài宗zōng方fāng得dé脱tuō身shēn而ér去qù。行xíng不bú数shù里lǐ，见jiàn一yí座zuò碧bì瓦wǎ楼lóu台tái，真zhēn个gè壮zhuàng丽lì。但dàn见jiàn：

逐句解 Line by line

二èr人rén正zhèng說shuō間jiān，只zhǐ見jiàn那nà邊biān有yǒu一yí對duì青qīng衣yī童tóng子zǐ執zhí幢chuáng幡fān、寶bǎo蓋gài，高gāo叫jiào道dào：「閻yán王wáng有yǒu請qǐng，有yǒu請qǐng。」二èr人rén正zhèng说shuō间jiān，只zhǐ见jiàn那nà边biān有yǒu一yí对duì青qīng衣yī童tóng子zǐ执zhí幢chuáng幡fān、宝bǎo盖gài，高gāo叫jiào道dào：「阎yán王wáng有yǒu请qǐng，有yǒu请qǐng。」

As the two were speaking, they saw off to one side a pair of blue-clad boys bearing pennants and a jeweled canopy, who called aloud, 'King Yama requests you — requests you!'

青衣童子 blue-robed page-boys of the infernal court; 子 here zǐ. 幢幡 ceremonial pennants; 寶蓋 a jeweled canopy of state.

太tài宗zōng遂suì與yǔ崔cuī判pàn官guān並bìng二èr童tóng子zǐ舉jǔ步bù前qián進jìn。忽hū見jiàn一yí座zuò城chéng，城chéng門mén上shàng掛guà著zhe一yí面miàn大dà牌pái，上shàng寫xiě著zhe「幽yōu冥míng地dì府fǔ鬼guǐ門mén關guān」七qī個gè大dà金jīn字zì。太tài宗zōng遂suì与yǔ崔cuī判pàn官guān并bìng二èr童tóng子zǐ举jǔ步bù前qián进jìn。忽hū见jiàn一yí座zuò城chéng，城chéng门mén上shàng挂guà著zhe一yí面miàn大dà牌pái，上shàng写xiě著zhe「幽yōu冥míng地dì府fǔ鬼guǐ门mén关guān」七qī个gè大dà金jīn字zì。

So Taizong, together with Magistrate Cui and the two boys, stepped forward. All at once he saw a walled city, above whose gate hung a great placard inscribed with seven large golden characters: 'GATE OF GHOSTS, NETHER REGION OF SHADOWY GLOOM.'

幽冥地府鬼門關 'the Ghost-Gate of the shadowy nether administration,' the traditional portal to the underworld. 掛著 / 寫著 durative zhe.

那nà青qīng衣yī將jiāng幢chuáng幡fān搖yáo動dòng，引yǐn太tài宗zōng徑jìng入rù城chéng中zhōng，順shùn街jiē而ér走zǒu。那nà青qīng衣yī将jiāng幢chuáng幡fān摇yáo动dòng，引yǐn太tài宗zōng径jìng入rù城chéng中zhōng，顺shùn街jiē而ér走zǒu。

The blue-clad boys shook their pennants and led Taizong straight into the city, walking on down the street.

將 here jiāng, marking disposal ('took the pennants and shook them'). 中 zhōng, 'within.'

只zhǐ見jiàn那nà街jiē傍bàng邊biān有yǒu先xiān主zhǔ李lǐ淵yuān、先xiān兄xiōng建jiàn成chéng、故gù弟dì元yuán吉jí，上shàng前qián道dào：「世shì民mín來lái了le，世shì民mín來lái了le。」只zhǐ见jiàn那nà街jiē傍bàng边biān有yǒu先xiān主zhǔ李lǐ渊yuān、先xiān兄xiōng建jiàn成chéng、故gù弟dì元yuán吉jí，上shàng前qián道dào：「世shì民mín来lái了le，世shì民mín来lái了le。」

Then he saw, at the roadside, his late father Li Yuan, his late elder brother Jiancheng, and his dead younger brother Yuanji, who came forward crying, 'Shimin has come! Shimin has come!'

李淵, Gaozu, Taizong's father; 建成 and 元吉, the crown prince and prince slain by Taizong at the Xuanwu Gate coup of 626. 世民 is Taizong's personal name, Li Shimin.

那nà建jiàn成chéng、元yuán吉jí就jiù來lái揪jiū打dǎ索suǒ命mìng。太tài宗zōng躲duǒ閃shǎn不bù及jí，被bèi他tā扯chě住zhù。那nà建jiàn成chéng、元yuán吉jí就jiù来lái揪jiū打dǎ索suǒ命mìng。太tài宗zōng躲duǒ闪shǎn不bù及jí，被bèi他tā扯chě住zhù。

Jiancheng and Yuanji rushed up to seize and beat him, demanding his life. Taizong could not dodge in time and was clutched fast in their grip.

索命 'to demand a life,' the vengeance of the murdered dead. The fratricide that founded Taizong's reign returns to accost him on the very threshold of judgment.

幸xìng有yǒu崔cuī判pàn官guān喚huàn一yì青qīng面miàn獠liáo牙yá鬼guǐ使shǐ，喝hē退tuì了le建jiàn成chéng、元yuán吉jí，太tài宗zōng方fāng得dé脫tuō身shēn而ér去qù。幸xìng有yǒu崔cuī判pàn官guān唤huàn一yì青qīng面miàn獠liáo牙yá鬼guǐ使shǐ，喝hē退tuì了le建jiàn成chéng、元yuán吉jí，太tài宗zōng方fāng得dé脱tuō身shēn而ér去qù。

By good fortune Magistrate Cui summoned a demon-runner with blue face and jutting fangs, who with a single shout drove Jiancheng and Yuanji back, so that Taizong won free and went on.

青面獠牙 'blue-faced and fanged,' the stock aspect of an infernal enforcer. 喝退 to repel with a shout.

行xíng不bú數shù里lǐ，見jiàn一yí座zuò碧bì瓦wǎ樓lóu臺tái，真zhēn個gè壯zhuàng麗lì。但dàn見jiàn：行xíng不bú数shù里lǐ，见jiàn一yí座zuò碧bì瓦wǎ楼lóu台tái，真zhēn个gè壮zhuàng丽lì。但dàn见jiàn：

Before he had gone a few li, he came upon a tower-hall roofed in jade-green tiles, truly magnificent. Thus it appeared:

碧瓦樓臺 a hall tiled in kingfisher-green. The formula 但見 introduces the descriptive rhapsody that follows.

總評 Commentary

The gate-scene exposes the emperor's blood-guilt at the threshold of the dead: the victims of the Xuanwu Gate — his father present, his two brothers assailing — meet him as accusing ghosts before he can reach the court, and only the magistrate's summoned enforcer clears his path. The tale lets the reader feel the weight of Taizong's fratricide even as the apparatus of his reprieve is already turning.