第十二回 · 冥府會妻 The Reunion Before the Kings of Death — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

冥府會妻 The Reunion Before the Kings of Death

唐táng王wáng道dào：「你nǐ在zài陰yīn司sī見jiàn些xiē甚shén麼me來lái？」劉liú全quán道dào：「臣chén不bù曾céng遠yuǎn行xíng，沒méi見jiàn甚shén的de，只zhǐ聞wén得dé閻yán王wáng問wèn臣chén鄉xiāng貫guàn、姓xìng名míng。臣chén將jiāng棄qì家jiā捨shě子zǐ，因yīn妻qī縊yì死sǐ，願yuàn來lái進jìn瓜guā之zhī事shì，說shuō了le一yí遍biàn。他tā急jí差chāi鬼guǐ使shǐ，引yǐn過guò我wǒ妻qī，就jiù在zài森sēn羅luó殿diàn下xià相xiāng會huì。一yí壁bì廂xiāng又yòu檢jiǎn看kàn死sǐ生shēng文wén簿bù，說shuō我wǒ夫fū妻qī都dōu有yǒu登dēng仙xiān之zhī壽shòu，便biàn差chāi鬼guǐ使shǐ送sòng回huí。臣chén在zài前qián走zǒu，我wǒ妻qī後hòu行xíng，幸xìng得dé還huán魂hún。但dàn不bù知zhī妻qī投tóu何hé所suǒ。」唐táng王wáng驚jīng問wèn道dào：「那nà閻yán王wáng可kě曾céng說shuō你nǐ妻qī甚shén麼me？」劉liú全quán道dào：「閻yán王wáng不bù曾céng說shuō甚shén麼me，只zhǐ聽tīng得dé鬼guǐ使shǐ說shuō：『李lǐ翠cuì蓮lián歸guī陰yīn日rì久jiǔ，屍shī首shǒu無wú存cún。』閻yán王wáng道dào：『唐táng御yù妹mèi李lǐ玉yù英yīng今jīn該gāi促cù死sǐ，教jiào翠cuì蓮lián即jí借jiè玉yù英yīng屍shī還huán魂hún去qù罷bà。』臣chén不bù知zhī『唐táng御yù妹mèi』是shì甚shén地dì方fāng，家jiā居jū何hé處chù，我wǒ還hái未wèi曾céng得dé去qù找zhǎo尋xún哩li。」唐táng王wáng道dào：「你nǐ在zài阴yīn司sī见jiàn些xiē甚shén么me来lái？」刘liú全quán道dào：「臣chén不bù曾céng远yuǎn行xíng，没méi见jiàn甚shén的de，只zhǐ闻wén得dé阎yán王wáng问wèn臣chén乡xiāng贯guàn、姓xìng名míng。臣chén将jiāng弃qì家jiā舍shě子zǐ，因yīn妻qī缢yì死sǐ，愿yuàn来lái进jìn瓜guā之zhī事shì，说shuō了le一yí遍biàn。他tā急jí差chāi鬼guǐ使shǐ，引yǐn过guò我wǒ妻qī，就jiù在zài森sēn罗luó殿diàn下xià相xiāng会huì。一yí壁bì厢xiāng又yòu检jiǎn看kàn死sǐ生shēng文wén簿bù，说shuō我wǒ夫fū妻qī都dōu有yǒu登dēng仙xiān之zhī寿shòu，便biàn差chāi鬼guǐ使shǐ送sòng回huí。臣chén在zài前qián走zǒu，我wǒ妻qī后hòu行xíng，幸xìng得dé还huán魂hún。但dàn不bù知zhī妻qī投tóu何hé所suǒ。」唐táng王wáng惊jīng问wèn道dào：「那nà阎yán王wáng可kě曾céng说shuō你nǐ妻qī甚shén么me？」刘liú全quán道dào：「阎yán王wáng不bù曾céng说shuō甚shén么me，只zhǐ听tīng得dé鬼guǐ使shǐ说shuō：『李lǐ翠cuì莲lián归guī阴yīn日rì久jiǔ，尸shī首shǒu无wú存cún。』阎yán王wáng道dào：『唐táng御yù妹mèi李lǐ玉yù英yīng今jīn该gāi促cù死sǐ，教jiào翠cuì莲lián即jí借jiè玉yù英yīng尸shī还huán魂hún去qù罢bà。』臣chén不bù知zhī『唐táng御yù妹mèi』是shì甚shén地dì方fāng，家jiā居jū何hé处chù，我wǒ还hái未wèi曾céng得dé去qù找zhǎo寻xún哩li。」

逐句解 Line by line

唐táng王wáng道dào：「你nǐ在zài陰yīn司sī見jiàn些xiē甚shén麼me來lái？」唐táng王wáng道dào：「你nǐ在zài阴yīn司sī见jiàn些xiē甚shén么me来lái？」

The Tang king said: 'What did you see in the shades below?'

甚麼 is the question-word shén me, 'what.'

劉liú全quán道dào：「臣chén不bù曾céng遠yuǎn行xíng，沒méi見jiàn甚shén的de，只zhǐ聞wén得dé閻yán王wáng問wèn臣chén鄉xiāng貫guàn、姓xìng名míng。刘liú全quán道dào：「臣chén不bù曾céng远yuǎn行xíng，没méi见jiàn甚shén的de，只zhǐ闻wén得dé阎yán王wáng问wèn臣chén乡xiāng贯guàn、姓xìng名míng。

Liu Quan said: 'Your servant did not travel far and saw little, but I heard the King of the Dead ask my native place and my name.'

鄉貫 (xiāng guàn) is a man's native place and registration — the two facts any clerk asks for first, in this world or the other. Two readings to catch: 甚 in 甚的 is shén, 'anything, aught,' and 得 in 聞得 is the toneless de that ties a verb to its outcome, 'heard that' — as again in 聽得 a few lines on.

臣chén將jiāng棄qì家jiā捨shě子zǐ，因yīn妻qī縊yì死sǐ，願yuàn來lái進jìn瓜guā之zhī事shì，說shuō了le一yí遍biàn。臣chén将jiāng弃qì家jiā舍shě子zǐ，因yīn妻qī缢yì死sǐ，愿yuàn来lái进jìn瓜guā之zhī事shì，说shuō了le一yí遍biàn。

'I told, from beginning to end, how I had forsaken my home and abandoned my children, come because my wife had hanged herself, and wished to present the melons.'

將 is the disposal jiāng, here taking hold of the whole tale and laying it out. In 捨子, 'abandoned my children,' 子 is the full noun zǐ, not the toneless suffix zi it becomes elsewhere. 一遍 takes yí before the fourth tone of 遍 (biàn).

他tā急jí差chāi鬼guǐ使shǐ，引yǐn過guò我wǒ妻qī，就jiù在zài森sēn羅luó殿diàn下xià相xiāng會huì。他tā急jí差chāi鬼guǐ使shǐ，引yǐn过guò我wǒ妻qī，就jiù在zài森sēn罗luó殿diàn下xià相xiāng会huì。

'He at once dispatched a ghost-warden to bring my wife across, and we met below the Hall of Judgment.'

差 in 急差 is chāi, to dispatch. 相 in 相會 is xiāng, the word that makes an action run both ways: they met each other.

一yí壁bì廂xiāng又yòu檢jiǎn看kàn死sǐ生shēng文wén簿bù，說shuō我wǒ夫fū妻qī都dōu有yǒu登dēng仙xiān之zhī壽shòu，便biàn差chāi鬼guǐ使shǐ送sòng回huí。一yí壁bì厢xiāng又yòu检jiǎn看kàn死sǐ生shēng文wén簿bù，说shuō我wǒ夫fū妻qī都dōu有yǒu登dēng仙xiān之zhī寿shòu，便biàn差chāi鬼guǐ使shǐ送sòng回huí。

'On the other side, too, they examined the ledgers of life and death, and finding that we husband and wife both had years yet of ascent to immortality, they sent us back by a ghost-warden.'

一壁廂 (yí bì xiāng) is plain storyteller's language for 'over on the other side, meanwhile.' The 一 takes yí before the fourth tone of 壁 (bì), yì being the form it takes before the other three. 死生文簿 is the underworld's register of lifespans — the ledger pulled out and checked while the couple stand waiting. 差 in 便差 is again chāi; 都 in 都有 is dōu.

臣chén在zài前qián走zǒu，我wǒ妻qī後hòu行xíng，幸xìng得dé還huán魂hún。臣chén在zài前qián走zǒu，我wǒ妻qī后hòu行xíng，幸xìng得dé还huán魂hún。

'Your servant walked ahead and my wife came behind, and by good fortune I was restored to life.'

The passage's two working characters meet in one line: 得 in 幸得 is dé, 'managed to, had the luck to,' while 還 in 還魂 is huán, to give the soul back.

但dàn不bù知zhī妻qī投tóu何hé所suǒ。」但dàn不bù知zhī妻qī投tóu何hé所suǒ。」

'But I do not know where my wife has been lodged.'

He asks the one question this room could answer on the spot — and neither he nor the court yet knows it.

唐táng王wáng驚jīng問wèn道dào：「那nà閻yán王wáng可kě曾céng說shuō你nǐ妻qī甚shén麼me？」唐táng王wáng惊jīng问wèn道dào：「那nà阎yán王wáng可kě曾céng说shuō你nǐ妻qī甚shén么me？」

The Tang king asked in alarm: 'Did the King of the Dead say anything of your wife?'

那 in 那閻王 is the pointing nà; 甚麼 is the question-word shén me.

劉liú全quán道dào：「閻yán王wáng不bù曾céng說shuō甚shén麼me，只zhǐ聽tīng得dé鬼guǐ使shǐ說shuō：『李lǐ翠cuì蓮lián歸guī陰yīn日rì久jiǔ，屍shī首shǒu無wú存cún。』刘liú全quán道dào：「阎yán王wáng不bù曾céng说shuō甚shén么me，只zhǐ听tīng得dé鬼guǐ使shǐ说shuō：『李lǐ翠cuì莲lián归guī阴yīn日rì久jiǔ，尸shī首shǒu无wú存cún。』

Liu Quan said: 'The King of the Dead said nothing, but I heard a warden say, "Li Cuilian has long returned to the shades, and her corpse is no more."'

聽得 takes the toneless de. The warden's aside supplies the missing premise: no body left, therefore a substitute must be found. The whole episode turns on that one administrative fact.

閻yán王wáng道dào：『唐táng御yù妹mèi李lǐ玉yù英yīng今jīn該gāi促cù死sǐ，教jiào翠cuì蓮lián即jí借jiè玉yù英yīng屍shī還huán魂hún去qù罷bà。』阎yán王wáng道dào：『唐táng御yù妹mèi李lǐ玉yù英yīng今jīn该gāi促cù死sǐ，教jiào翠cuì莲lián即jí借jiè玉yù英yīng尸shī还huán魂hún去qù罢bà。』

'The King said, "The Tang imperial sister Li Yuying is fated to die untimely today; let Cuilian borrow Yuying's body and return to life."'

The ruling itself, and it reaches the reader at two removes — Liu Quan quoting the King. 教 is jiào, 'let, cause to'; 還 in 還魂 is huán. This is the underworld's own minute of the transfer we watched happen in the chapter's opening lines.

臣chén不bù知zhī『唐táng御yù妹mèi』是shì甚shén地dì方fāng，家jiā居jū何hé處chù，我wǒ還hái未wèi曾céng得dé去qù找zhǎo尋xún哩li。」臣chén不bù知zhī『唐táng御yù妹mèi』是shì甚shén地dì方fāng，家jiā居jū何hé处chù，我wǒ还hái未wèi曾céng得dé去qù找zhǎo寻xún哩li。」

'Your servant does not know what place this "Tang imperial sister" is, nor where her household lies, and I have not yet been able to go and seek her out.'

Three readings close the passage. 甚 in 甚地方 is shén, 'what place'; 還 in 我還 is hái, 'still, yet,' and not the huán it carried in 還魂 a moment ago; 得 in 得去 is dé, 'be able to.'

總評 Commentary

Liu Quan's account closes on Cuilian's like the two halves of a split tally-stick. She narrated the quarrel and the death; he narrates the remedy — the ledger consulted, the shared years discovered, the ruling that Cuilian should borrow Yuying's body and return to life.

The irony peaks in his last line, where he says he does not know where this 'Tang imperial sister' is to be found, while the reader, the court, and the transmigrated soul in the next room all do. The chapter has now justified its opening trick from inside its own bureaucratic machinery, and stands ready to spend the goodwill on Taizong's great rite of deliverance.