第十二回 · 結為兄弟 Sworn Brothers; The Vow — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

結為兄弟 Sworn Brothers; The Vow

唐táng王wáng果guǒ是shì十shí分fēn賢xián德dé，就jiù去qù那nà寺sì裡lǐ佛fó前qián，與yǔ玄xuán奘zàng拜bài了le四sì拜bài，口kǒu稱chēng「御yù弟dì聖shèng僧sēng」。玄xuán奘zàng感gǎn謝xiè不bù盡jìn道dào：「陛bì下xià，貧pín僧sēng有yǒu何hé德dé何hé能néng，敢gǎn蒙méng天tiān恩ēn眷juàn顧gù如rú此cǐ？我wǒ這zhè一yí去qù，定dìng要yào捐juān軀qū努nǔ力lì，直zhí至zhì西xī天tiān；如rú不bú到dào西xī天tiān，不bù得dé真zhēn經jīng，即jí死sǐ也yě不bù敢gǎn回huí國guó，永yǒng墮duò沉chén淪lún地dì獄yù。」隨suí在zài佛fó前qián拈niān香xiāng，以yǐ此cǐ為wéi誓shì。唐táng王wáng甚shèn喜xǐ，即jí命mìng回huí鑾luán，待dài選xuǎn良liáng利lì日rì辰chén，發fā牒dié出chū行xíng，遂suì此cǐ駕jià回huí各gè散sàn。唐táng王wáng果guǒ是shì十shí分fēn贤xián德dé，就jiù去qù那nà寺sì里lǐ佛fó前qián，与yǔ玄xuán奘zàng拜bài了le四sì拜bài，口kǒu称chēng「御yù弟dì圣shèng僧sēng」。玄xuán奘zàng感gǎn谢xiè不bù尽jìn道dào：「陛bì下xià，贫pín僧sēng有yǒu何hé德dé何hé能néng，敢gǎn蒙méng天tiān恩ēn眷juàn顾gù如rú此cǐ？我wǒ这zhè一yí去qù，定dìng要yào捐juān躯qū努nǔ力lì，直zhí至zhì西xī天tiān；如rú不bú到dào西xī天tiān，不bù得dé真zhēn经jīng，即jí死sǐ也yě不bù敢gǎn回huí国guó，永yǒng堕duò沉chén沦lún地dì狱yù。」随suí在zài佛fó前qián拈niān香xiāng，以yǐ此cǐ为wéi誓shì。唐táng王wáng甚shèn喜xǐ，即jí命mìng回huí銮luán，待dài选xuǎn良liáng利lì日rì辰chén，发fā牒dié出chū行xíng，遂suì此cǐ驾jià回huí各gè散sàn。

逐句解 Line by line

唐táng王wáng果guǒ是shì十shí分fēn賢xián德dé，就jiù去qù那nà寺sì裡lǐ佛fó前qián，與yǔ玄xuán奘zàng拜bài了le四sì拜bài，口kǒu稱chēng「御yù弟dì聖shèng僧sēng」。唐táng王wáng果guǒ是shì十shí分fēn贤xián德dé，就jiù去qù那nà寺sì里lǐ佛fó前qián，与yǔ玄xuán奘zàng拜bài了le四sì拜bài，口kǒu称chēng「御yù弟dì圣shèng僧sēng」。

The Tang king was indeed most worthy and virtuous: he went there before the Buddha in the temple, made four bows with Xuanzang, and called him 'Imperial Brother, Holy Monk.'

御弟聖僧 ('Imperial Brother, Holy Monk') is the title by which Xuanzang will be known hereafter; the emperor's four bows before the Buddha seal the sworn brotherhood. 那 is demonstrative nà; 佛前 takes the global 佛 fó.

玄xuán奘zàng感gǎn謝xiè不bù盡jìn道dào：「陛bì下xià，貧pín僧sēng有yǒu何hé德dé何hé能néng，敢gǎn蒙méng天tiān恩ēn眷juàn顧gù如rú此cǐ？玄xuán奘zàng感gǎn谢xiè不bù尽jìn道dào：「陛bì下xià，贫pín僧sēng有yǒu何hé德dé何hé能néng，敢gǎn蒙méng天tiān恩ēn眷juàn顾gù如rú此cǐ？

Xuanzang, thanking him without end, said: 'Your Majesty, what virtue or ability has your poor monk, that he should dare receive such heavenly grace and favor?'

盡 in 感謝不盡 ('thanking without end') is jìn. The monk's humility answers the emperor's extraordinary condescension.

我wǒ這zhè一yí去qù，定dìng要yào捐juān軀qū努nǔ力lì，直zhí至zhì西xī天tiān；如rú不bú到dào西xī天tiān，不bù得dé真zhēn經jīng，即jí死sǐ也yě不bù敢gǎn回huí國guó，永yǒng墮duò沉chén淪lún地dì獄yù。」我wǒ这zhè一yí去qù，定dìng要yào捐juān躯qū努nǔ力lì，直zhí至zhì西xī天tiān；如rú不bú到dào西xī天tiān，不bù得dé真zhēn经jīng，即jí死sǐ也yě不bù敢gǎn回huí国guó，永yǒng堕duò沉chén沦lún地dì狱yù。」

'This journey of mine — I am resolved to give my very body and strive with all my might, straight to the Western Heaven; and if I do not reach the Western Heaven, or fail to obtain the true scriptures, then even in death I dare not return to my country, but shall fall forever into the hell of perdition.'

得 in 不得真經 ('fail to obtain the true scriptures') is dé. Xuanzang's vow — death and eternal hell before failure or return — is the absolute commitment that defines his character.

隨suí在zài佛fó前qián拈niān香xiāng，以yǐ此cǐ為wéi誓shì。随suí在zài佛fó前qián拈niān香xiāng，以yǐ此cǐ为wéi誓shì。

And there before the Buddha he offered incense, taking this as his oath.

為 in 以此為誓 ('taking this as his oath') is wéi; 佛前 takes the global 佛 fó. The vow is sworn in the most binding way, before the Buddha himself.

唐táng王wáng甚shèn喜xǐ，即jí命mìng回huí鑾luán，待dài選xuǎn良liáng利lì日rì辰chén，發fā牒dié出chū行xíng，遂suì此cǐ駕jià回huí各gè散sàn。唐táng王wáng甚shèn喜xǐ，即jí命mìng回huí銮luán，待dài选xuǎn良liáng利lì日rì辰chén，发fā牒dié出chū行xíng，遂suì此cǐ驾jià回huí各gè散sàn。

The Tang king was greatly pleased, and at once ordered the imperial carriage to return, to await the choosing of a fair and auspicious day when the travel-document would be issued and the journey begun; and thereupon the carriage returned and all dispersed.

甚 in 甚喜 is the intensifier shèn; 行 in 出行 ('to set out') is xíng; 散 in 各散 ('all dispersed') is sàn. The chapter's action closes on the eve of departure.

總評 Commentary

The chapter's action closes on the forging of the bond and the making of the vow. Taizong's four bows before the Buddha and his bestowal of the title 'Imperial Brother, Holy Monk' raise Xuanzang to kinship with the throne — the origin of his standing as the Tang Monk, sent west not merely as a cleric but as the emperor's own brother and envoy. Xuanzang answers with the vow that will govern the entire pilgrimage: to press on to the Western Heaven though it cost his body, and, failing, to accept death and eternal perdition rather than return empty-handed. Sworn before the Buddha over incense, it is the strongest oath the novel can frame, and it fixes the moral stakes of the journey. With the auspicious day yet to be chosen and the travel-document yet to be issued, the chapter ends poised on the threshold of the road itself.