原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
引僧見駕
The Audience Before the Throne
菩薩欣然從之,拽轉步,徑進東華門裡。黃門官轉奏,蒙旨宣至寶殿。見蕭瑀引著兩個疥癩僧人,立於階下,唐王問曰:「蕭瑀來奏何事?」蕭瑀俯伏階前道:「臣出了東華門前,偶遇二僧,乃賣袈裟與錫杖者。臣思法師玄奘可著此服,故領僧人啟見。」太宗大喜,便問那袈裟價值幾何。菩薩與木叉侍立階下,更不行禮,因問袈裟之價,答道:「袈裟五千兩,錫杖二千兩。」太宗道:「那袈裟有何好處,就值許多?」菩萨欣然从之,拽转步,径进东华门里。黄门官转奏,蒙旨宣至宝殿。见萧瑀引著两个疥癞僧人,立于阶下,唐王问曰:「萧瑀来奏何事?」萧瑀俯伏阶前道:「臣出了东华门前,偶遇二僧,乃卖袈裟与锡杖者。臣思法师玄奘可著此服,故领僧人启见。」太宗大喜,便问那袈裟价值几何。菩萨与木叉侍立阶下,更不行礼,因问袈裟之价,答道:「袈裟五千两,锡杖二千两。」太宗道:「那袈裟有何好处,就值许多?」
逐句解 Line by line
菩薩欣然從之,拽轉步,徑進東華門裡。
菩萨欣然从之,拽转步,径进东华门里。
The Bodhisattva gladly assented, turned on her heel, and went straight in through the Donghua Gate.
拽轉步 ('turned on her heel') reads 拽 as zhuài; 東華門 (the Donghua Gate) is an eastern gate of the palace.
黃門官轉奏,蒙旨宣至寶殿。
黄门官转奏,蒙旨宣至宝殿。
The gate-officer relayed the report, and by imperial command they were summoned to the treasure-hall.
黃門官 is a palace gate-officer who conveys messages to the throne.
見蕭瑀引著兩個疥癩僧人,立於階下,唐王問曰:「蕭瑀來奏何事?」
见萧瑀引著两个疥癞僧人,立于阶下,唐王问曰:「萧瑀来奏何事?」
Seeing Xiao Yu leading two scabby, mangy monks who stood below the steps, the Tang king asked: 'What does Xiao Yu come to report?'
著 in 引著 ('leading') is the durative zhe.
蕭瑀俯伏階前道:「臣出了東華門前,偶遇二僧,乃賣袈裟與錫杖者。
萧瑀俯伏阶前道:「臣出了东华门前,偶遇二僧,乃卖袈裟与锡杖者。
Xiao Yu prostrated himself before the steps and said: 'As your servant was leaving the Donghua Gate, I chanced upon two monks who were selling a cassock and a staff.'
了 in 臣出了 takes the aspectual le.
臣思法師玄奘可著此服,故領僧人啟見。」
臣思法师玄奘可著此服,故领僧人启见。」
'I thought the Dharma Master Xuanzang might wear this garment, and so have brought the monks to present themselves.'
著 in 可著此服 ('might wear this garment') is zhuó ('to wear').
太宗大喜,便問那袈裟價值幾何。
太宗大喜,便问那袈裟价值几何。
Taizong was greatly pleased, and asked what the cassock was worth.
那 in 那袈裟 is the demonstrative nà.
菩薩與木叉侍立階下,更不行禮,因問袈裟之價,答道:「袈裟五千兩,錫杖二千兩。」
菩萨与木叉侍立阶下,更不行礼,因问袈裟之价,答道:「袈裟五千两,锡杖二千两。」
The Bodhisattva and Moksha stood in attendance below the steps and did not even perform obeisance; and when asked the cassock's price, answered: 'The cassock, five thousand taels; the staff, two thousand.'
更不行禮 ('did not even perform obeisance') is a telling detail: the disguised Bodhisattva does not bow before the emperor, a subtle sign of her true rank. 更 is gèng and 行 in 行禮 is xíng.
太宗道:「那袈裟有何好處,就值許多?」
太宗道:「那袈裟有何好处,就值许多?」
Taizong said: 'What virtue has that cassock, to be worth so much?'
那 in 那袈裟 is the demonstrative nà. The emperor's question is the cue for the descriptive rhapsody that follows.
總評 Commentary
The disguised Bodhisattva is brought before the throne, and the storyteller plants a quiet marker of her hidden status: she and Moksha 'did not even perform obeisance' to the emperor — an impertinence that would be unthinkable in a true mendicant, and a sign, legible to the reader if not to the court, that these are no ordinary monks. Xiao Yu's recommendation frames the cassock as destined for Xuanzang, and Taizong's question — what makes it worth so much? — sets up the two great descriptive set-pieces that form the chapter's ornamental climax: the rhapsody of the cassock and the verse of the staff.