第十二回 · 劉全復命 Liu Quan Reports at Court — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

劉全復命 Liu Quan Reports at Court

唐táng王wáng當dāng殿diàn，忽hū有yǒu當dāng駕jià官guān奏zòu道dào：「萬wàn歲suì，今jīn有yǒu進jìn瓜guā果guǒ人rén劉liú全quán還huán魂hún，在zài朝cháo門mén外wài等děng旨zhǐ。」唐táng王wáng大dà驚jīng，急jí傳chuán旨zhǐ，將jiāng劉liú全quán召zhào進jìn，俯fǔ伏fú丹dān墀chí。太tài宗zōng問wèn道dào：「進jìn瓜guā果guǒ之zhī事shì何hé如rú？」劉liú全quán道dào：「臣chén頂dǐng瓜guā果guǒ，徑jìng至zhì鬼guǐ門mén關guān，引yǐn上shàng森sēn羅luó殿diàn，見jiàn了le那nà十shí代dài閻yán君jūn，將jiāng瓜guā果guǒ奉fèng上shàng，備bèi言yán我wǒ王wáng慇yīn懃qín致zhì謝xiè之zhī意yì。閻yán君jūn甚shèn喜xǐ，多duō多duō拜bài上shàng我wǒ王wáng道dào：『真zhēn是shì個gè有yǒu信xìn有yǒu德dé的de太tài宗zōng皇huáng帝dì！』」唐táng王wáng当dāng殿diàn，忽hū有yǒu当dāng驾jià官guān奏zòu道dào：「万wàn岁suì，今jīn有yǒu进jìn瓜guā果guǒ人rén刘liú全quán还huán魂hún，在zài朝cháo门mén外wài等děng旨zhǐ。」唐táng王wáng大dà惊jīng，急jí传chuán旨zhǐ，将jiāng刘liú全quán召zhào进jìn，俯fǔ伏fú丹dān墀chí。太tài宗zōng问wèn道dào：「进jìn瓜guā果guǒ之zhī事shì何hé如rú？」刘liú全quán道dào：「臣chén顶dǐng瓜guā果guǒ，径jìng至zhì鬼guǐ门mén关guān，引yǐn上shàng森sēn罗luó殿diàn，见jiàn了le那nà十shí代dài阎yán君jūn，将jiāng瓜guā果guǒ奉fèng上shàng，备bèi言yán我wǒ王wáng慇yīn懃qín致zhì谢xiè之zhī意yì。阎yán君jūn甚shèn喜xǐ，多duō多duō拜bài上shàng我wǒ王wáng道dào：『真zhēn是shì个gè有yǒu信xìn有yǒu德dé的de太tài宗zōng皇huáng帝dì！』」

逐句解 Line by line

唐táng王wáng當dāng殿diàn，忽hū有yǒu當dāng駕jià官guān奏zòu道dào：「萬wàn歲suì，今jīn有yǒu進jìn瓜guā果guǒ人rén劉liú全quán還huán魂hún，在zài朝cháo門mén外wài等děng旨zhǐ。」唐táng王wáng当dāng殿diàn，忽hū有yǒu当dāng驾jià官guān奏zòu道dào：「万wàn岁suì，今jīn有yǒu进jìn瓜guā果guǒ人rén刘liú全quán还huán魂hún，在zài朝cháo门mén外wài等děng旨zhǐ。」

The Tang king was holding court when an officer of the imperial carriage suddenly announced: 'Your Majesty, the melon-bearer Liu Quan has now returned to life, and waits beyond the palace gate for your command.'

當駕官 is an officer in attendance on the emperor's carriage. 還 in 還魂 is huán, to give back: the soul returned to its body, and so 'restored to life.' 朝 in 朝門 is cháo, the court.

唐táng王wáng大dà驚jīng，急jí傳chuán旨zhǐ，將jiāng劉liú全quán召zhào進jìn，俯fǔ伏fú丹dān墀chí。唐táng王wáng大dà惊jīng，急jí传chuán旨zhǐ，将jiāng刘liú全quán召zhào进jìn，俯fǔ伏fú丹dān墀chí。

The Tang king was greatly astonished. He quickly gave order to summon Liu Quan in, who bowed low upon the vermilion steps.

丹墀 (dān chí) is the vermilion terrace below the throne, the spot where a subject goes down on his face. 將 in 將劉全 is the disposal jiāng, taking hold of the man and bringing him in.

太tài宗zōng問wèn道dào：「進jìn瓜guā果guǒ之zhī事shì何hé如rú？」太tài宗zōng问wèn道dào：「进jìn瓜guā果guǒ之zhī事shì何hé如rú？」

Taizong asked: 'How went the matter of the melons and fruit?'

Straight to business. The melons were the interest on Taizong's own loan of life, and he wants to know whether the payment was received.

劉liú全quán道dào：「臣chén頂dǐng瓜guā果guǒ，徑jìng至zhì鬼guǐ門mén關guān，引yǐn上shàng森sēn羅luó殿diàn，見jiàn了le那nà十shí代dài閻yán君jūn，將jiāng瓜guā果guǒ奉fèng上shàng，備bèi言yán我wǒ王wáng慇yīn懃qín致zhì謝xiè之zhī意yì。刘liú全quán道dào：「臣chén顶dǐng瓜guā果guǒ，径jìng至zhì鬼guǐ门mén关guān，引yǐn上shàng森sēn罗luó殿diàn，见jiàn了le那nà十shí代dài阎yán君jūn，将jiāng瓜guā果guǒ奉fèng上shàng，备bèi言yán我wǒ王wáng慇yīn懃qín致zhì谢xiè之zhī意yì。

Liu Quan said: 'Your servant bore the melons and fruit straight to the Gate of Ghosts, and was led up to the Hall of Judgment, where I saw the Ten Kings of the Underworld. I presented the melons and fruit and spoke fully of my king's earnest thanks.'

鬼門關, the Gate of Ghosts, is the pass into the underworld; 森羅殿, the Hall of Judgment, is where the Ten Kings sit. 慇懃 (yīn qín) is earnest, assiduous — this text's way of writing 殷勤. 那 in 那十代閻君 is the pointing nà.

閻yán君jūn甚shèn喜xǐ，多duō多duō拜bài上shàng我wǒ王wáng道dào：『真zhēn是shì個gè有yǒu信xìn有yǒu德dé的de太tài宗zōng皇huáng帝dì！』」阎yán君jūn甚shèn喜xǐ，多duō多duō拜bài上shàng我wǒ王wáng道dào：『真zhēn是shì个gè有yǒu信xìn有yǒu德dé的de太tài宗zōng皇huáng帝dì！』」

'The Kings were greatly pleased, and again and again sent up their respects to my king, saying, "Truly he is a Taizong emperor of faith and of virtue!"'

甚 in 甚喜 is shèn, 'very' — the same character as the question-word shén in 甚麼, doing an entirely different job. The Kings' verdict on Taizong, 有信有德, 'a man of his word and of virtue,' is the note the whole chapter is tuned to: the merit is earned not by piety in the abstract but by keeping a promise to creditors he need never have seen again.

總評 Commentary

Liu Quan turns a private prophecy into public proof. Notice the shape of his report: errand discharged, thanks conveyed, a superior's pleasure recorded. It reads like an official filing his paperwork on return, which is very much how this novel sees the underworld — the Tang civil service with the lights turned down, complete with gates, halls, ledgers and wardens.

The Kings' commendation of Taizong as a man of his word and of virtue is not idle flattery. It restates the moral logic by which he was granted his extra years, and it clears the ground for the great act of merit-making that will fill the rest of the chapter.