第十二回 · 賜號捻土 The Name Bestowed; The Pinch of Dust — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

賜號捻土 The Name Bestowed; The Pinch of Dust

太tài宗zōng舉jǔ爵jué，又yòu問wèn曰yuē：「御yù弟dì雅yǎ號hào甚shén稱chēng？」玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「貧pín僧sēng出chū家jiā人rén，未wèi敢gǎn稱chēng號hào。」太tài宗zōng道dào：「當dāng時shí菩pú薩sà說shuō，西xī天tiān有yǒu經jīng三sān藏zàng。御yù弟dì可kě指zhǐ經jīng取qǔ號hào，號hào作zuò三sān藏zàng何hé如rú？」玄xuán奘zàng又yòu謝xiè恩ēn，接jiē了le御yù酒jiǔ道dào：「陛bì下xià，酒jiǔ乃nǎi僧sēng家jiā頭tóu一yí戒jiè，貧pín僧sēng自zì為wéi人rén，不bú會huì飲yǐn酒jiǔ。」太tài宗zōng道dào：「今jīn日rì之zhī行xíng，比bǐ他tā事shì不bù同tóng，此cǐ乃nǎi素sù酒jiǔ，只zhǐ飲yǐn此cǐ一yì杯bēi，以yǐ盡jìn朕zhèn奉fèng餞jiàn之zhī意yì。」三sān藏zàng不bù敢gǎn不bú受shòu，接jiē了le酒jiǔ，方fāng待dài要yào飲yǐn，只zhǐ見jiàn太tài宗zōng低dī頭tóu，將jiāng御yù指zhǐ拾shí一yì撮zuǒ塵chén土tǔ，彈dàn入rù酒jiǔ中zhōng。三sān藏zàng不bù解jiě其qí意yì，太tài宗zōng笑xiào道dào：「御yù弟dì啊a，這zhè一yí去qù，到dào西xī天tiān，幾jǐ時shí可kě回huí？」三sān藏zàng道dào：「只zhǐ在zài三sān年nián，徑jìng回huí上shàng國guó。」太tài宗zōng道dào：「日rì久jiǔ年nián深shēn，山shān遙yáo路lù遠yuǎn，御yù弟dì可kě進jìn此cǐ酒jiǔ：寧níng戀liàn本běn鄉xiāng一yì捻niǎn土tǔ，莫mò愛ài他tā鄉xiāng萬wàn兩liǎng金jīn。」三sān藏zàng方fāng悟wù捻niǎn土tǔ之zhī意yì，復fù謝xiè恩ēn飲yǐn盡jìn，辭cí謝xiè出chū關guān而ér去qù。唐táng王wáng駕jià回huí。太tài宗zōng举jǔ爵jué，又yòu问wèn曰yuē：「御yù弟dì雅yǎ号hào甚shén称chēng？」玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「贫pín僧sēng出chū家jiā人rén，未wèi敢gǎn称chēng号hào。」太tài宗zōng道dào：「当dāng时shí菩pú萨sà说shuō，西xī天tiān有yǒu经jīng三sān藏zàng。御yù弟dì可kě指zhǐ经jīng取qǔ号hào，号hào作zuò三sān藏zàng何hé如rú？」玄xuán奘zàng又yòu谢xiè恩ēn，接jiē了le御yù酒jiǔ道dào：「陛bì下xià，酒jiǔ乃nǎi僧sēng家jiā头tóu一yí戒jiè，贫pín僧sēng自zì为wéi人rén，不bú会huì饮yǐn酒jiǔ。」太tài宗zōng道dào：「今jīn日rì之zhī行xíng，比bǐ他tā事shì不bù同tóng，此cǐ乃nǎi素sù酒jiǔ，只zhǐ饮yǐn此cǐ一yì杯bēi，以yǐ尽jìn朕zhèn奉fèng饯jiàn之zhī意yì。」三sān藏zàng不bù敢gǎn不bú受shòu，接jiē了le酒jiǔ，方fāng待dài要yào饮yǐn，只zhǐ见jiàn太tài宗zōng低dī头tóu，将jiāng御yù指zhǐ拾shí一yì撮zuǒ尘chén土tǔ，弹dàn入rù酒jiǔ中zhōng。三sān藏zàng不bù解jiě其qí意yì，太tài宗zōng笑xiào道dào：「御yù弟dì啊a，这zhè一yí去qù，到dào西xī天tiān，几jǐ时shí可kě回huí？」三sān藏zàng道dào：「只zhǐ在zài三sān年nián，径jìng回huí上shàng国guó。」太tài宗zōng道dào：「日rì久jiǔ年nián深shēn，山shān遥yáo路lù远yuǎn，御yù弟dì可kě进jìn此cǐ酒jiǔ：宁níng恋liàn本běn乡xiāng一yì捻niǎn土tǔ，莫mò爱ài他tā乡xiāng万wàn两liǎng金jīn。」三sān藏zàng方fāng悟wù捻niǎn土tǔ之zhī意yì，复fù谢xiè恩ēn饮yǐn尽jìn，辞cí谢xiè出chū关guān而ér去qù。唐táng王wáng驾jià回huí。

逐句解 Line by line

太tài宗zōng舉jǔ爵jué，又yòu問wèn曰yuē：「御yù弟dì雅yǎ號hào甚shén稱chēng？」太tài宗zōng举jǔ爵jué，又yòu问wèn曰yuē：「御yù弟dì雅yǎ号hào甚shén称chēng？」

Taizong raised the cup and asked: 'What is the Imperial Brother's elegant style-name?'

甚 in 甚稱 ('what is [it] styled') is the interrogative shén; 雅號 is a literary style-name.

玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「貧pín僧sēng出chū家jiā人rén，未wèi敢gǎn稱chēng號hào。」玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「贫pín僧sēng出chū家jiā人rén，未wèi敢gǎn称chēng号hào。」

Xuanzang said: 'Your poor monk is one who has left the household; I have not presumed to take a style-name.'

As a monk, Xuanzang has renounced the worldly custom of a literary sobriquet.

太tài宗zōng道dào：「當dāng時shí菩pú薩sà說shuō，西xī天tiān有yǒu經jīng三sān藏zàng。御yù弟dì可kě指zhǐ經jīng取qǔ號hào，號hào作zuò三sān藏zàng何hé如rú？」太tài宗zōng道dào：「当dāng时shí菩pú萨sà说shuō，西xī天tiān有yǒu经jīng三sān藏zàng。御yù弟dì可kě指zhǐ经jīng取qǔ号hào，号hào作zuò三sān藏zàng何hé如rú？」

Taizong said: 'The Bodhisattva said just now that in the Western Heaven there are scriptures in Three Baskets. The Imperial Brother might take his name from the scriptures — what if you were styled "Tripitaka"?'

Both occurrences of 藏 in 三藏 ('the Three Baskets,' the Tripiṭaka) are zàng. The emperor coins the name by which Xuanzang will be known for the rest of the novel — Sanzang, 'Tripiṭaka.'

玄xuán奘zàng又yòu謝xiè恩ēn，接jiē了le御yù酒jiǔ道dào：「陛bì下xià，酒jiǔ乃nǎi僧sēng家jiā頭tóu一yí戒jiè，貧pín僧sēng自zì為wéi人rén，不bú會huì飲yǐn酒jiǔ。」玄xuán奘zàng又yòu谢xiè恩ēn，接jiē了le御yù酒jiǔ道dào：「陛bì下xià，酒jiǔ乃nǎi僧sēng家jiā头tóu一yí戒jiè，贫pín僧sēng自zì为wéi人rén，不bú会huì饮yǐn酒jiǔ。」

Xuanzang thanked him again, and taking the imperial wine said: 'Your Majesty, wine is the very first prohibition of the monk's house; since I became a man, I have never drunk wine.'

為 in 自為人 ('since I became a man') is wéi. The prohibition on alcohol is the first of the monastic precepts.

太tài宗zōng道dào：「今jīn日rì之zhī行xíng，比bǐ他tā事shì不bù同tóng，此cǐ乃nǎi素sù酒jiǔ，只zhǐ飲yǐn此cǐ一yì杯bēi，以yǐ盡jìn朕zhèn奉fèng餞jiàn之zhī意yì。」太tài宗zōng道dào：「今jīn日rì之zhī行xíng，比bǐ他tā事shì不bù同tóng，此cǐ乃nǎi素sù酒jiǔ，只zhǐ饮yǐn此cǐ一yì杯bēi，以yǐ尽jìn朕zhèn奉fèng饯jiàn之zhī意yì。」

Taizong said: 'Today's journey is unlike other matters; this is but a plain wine — drink only this one cup, to fulfill my wish to speed you on your way.'

素酒 ('plain wine') is understood as unfermented or mild, that a monk might take; 盡 in 以盡...之意 is jìn.

三sān藏zàng不bù敢gǎn不bú受shòu，接jiē了le酒jiǔ，方fāng待dài要yào飲yǐn，只zhǐ見jiàn太tài宗zōng低dī頭tóu，將jiāng御yù指zhǐ拾shí一yì撮zuǒ塵chén土tǔ，彈dàn入rù酒jiǔ中zhōng。三sān藏zàng不bù敢gǎn不bú受shòu，接jiē了le酒jiǔ，方fāng待dài要yào饮yǐn，只zhǐ见jiàn太tài宗zōng低dī头tóu，将jiāng御yù指zhǐ拾shí一yì撮zuǒ尘chén土tǔ，弹dàn入rù酒jiǔ中zhōng。

Tripitaka dared not refuse; he took the wine and was just about to drink, when he saw Taizong bend down, pinch up a bit of dust with his imperial fingers, and flick it into the cup.

藏 in 三藏 is zàng; 將 in 將御指 is the disposal jiāng. The emperor's strange gesture sets up the parting lesson.

三sān藏zàng不bù解jiě其qí意yì，太tài宗zōng笑xiào道dào：「御yù弟dì啊a，這zhè一yí去qù，到dào西xī天tiān，幾jǐ時shí可kě回huí？」三sān藏zàng不bù解jiě其qí意yì，太tài宗zōng笑xiào道dào：「御yù弟dì啊a，这zhè一yí去qù，到dào西xī天tiān，几jǐ时shí可kě回huí？」

Tripitaka did not understand his meaning, and Taizong smiled and said: 'Imperial Brother — this journey to the Western Heaven, when will you return?'

藏 in 三藏 is zàng.

三sān藏zàng道dào：「只zhǐ在zài三sān年nián，徑jìng回huí上shàng國guó。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「只zhǐ在zài三sān年nián，径jìng回huí上shàng国guó。」

Tripitaka said: 'In but three years I shall come straight back to the high land.'

藏 in 三藏 is zàng. His confident estimate — three years — will prove far short of the fourteen the journey takes.

太tài宗zōng道dào：「日rì久jiǔ年nián深shēn，山shān遙yáo路lù遠yuǎn，御yù弟dì可kě進jìn此cǐ酒jiǔ：寧níng戀liàn本běn鄉xiāng一yì捻niǎn土tǔ，莫mò愛ài他tā鄉xiāng萬wàn兩liǎng金jīn。」太tài宗zōng道dào：「日rì久jiǔ年nián深shēn，山shān遥yáo路lù远yuǎn，御yù弟dì可kě进jìn此cǐ酒jiǔ：宁níng恋liàn本běn乡xiāng一yì捻niǎn土tǔ，莫mò爱ài他tā乡xiāng万wàn两liǎng金jīn。」

Taizong said: 'The days will be long and the years deep, the mountains far and the road distant. Let the Imperial Brother drink this wine, and: better to cherish one pinch of your native soil than to love ten thousand taels of another land's gold.'

The emperor's parting couplet — 寧戀本鄉一捻土，莫愛他鄉萬兩金 — is one of the most quoted lines of the novel, a lesson in love of homeland; the pinch of dust in the cup was its wordless emblem. Spoken as a proverb, it is set here as prose rather than as cited verse.

三sān藏zàng方fāng悟wù捻niǎn土tǔ之zhī意yì，復fù謝xiè恩ēn飲yǐn盡jìn，辭cí謝xiè出chū關guān而ér去qù。唐táng王wáng駕jià回huí。三sān藏zàng方fāng悟wù捻niǎn土tǔ之zhī意yì，复fù谢xiè恩ēn饮yǐn尽jìn，辞cí谢xiè出chū关guān而ér去qù。唐táng王wáng驾jià回huí。

Then Tripitaka grasped the meaning of the pinched dust, and thanking him again, drank the cup dry, took his leave, and went out beyond the barrier. The Tang king's carriage returned.

藏 in 三藏 is zàng; 盡 in 飲盡 ('drank dry') is jìn. With the cup drained and the barrier crossed, the pilgrimage proper begins.

總評 Commentary

The chapter's final scene gives Xuanzang both his name and his deepest charge. Taizong styles him 'Tripitaka' after the Three Baskets of scripture he goes to fetch — the name that will identify him through the whole journey — and then, in the celebrated pinch-of-dust farewell, teaches him a lesson no rescript could carry. Flicking a bit of native earth into the wine, the emperor draws out the couplet that has become proverbial: better one pinch of home soil than a fortune in foreign gold. The gesture binds the cosmic pilgrimage to the tie of homeland, and the wine — which the monk cannot refuse his sworn brother and sovereign — seals the bond. Tripitaka's confident 'three years' hangs over the parting with quiet irony, for the reader knows the road will take fourteen; and as he drinks and passes beyond the barrier, the long journey west at last begins.