第十二回 · 七日正會 The Seventh-Day Assembly — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

七日正會 The Seventh-Day Assembly

光guāng陰yīn撚niǎn指zhǐ，卻què當dāng七qī日rì正zhèng會huì。玄xuán奘zàng又yòu具jù表biǎo，請qǐng唐táng王wáng拈niān香xiāng。此cǐ時shí善shàn聲shēng遍biàn滿mǎn天tiān下xià。太tài宗zōng即jí排pái駕jià，率lǜ文wén武wǔ多duō官guān、后hòu妃fēi國guó戚qī，早zǎo赴fù寺sì裡lǐ。那nà一yì城chéng人rén，無wú論lùn大dà小xiǎo尊zūn卑bēi，俱jù詣yì寺sì聽tīng講jiǎng。光guāng阴yīn撚niǎn指zhǐ，却què当dāng七qī日rì正zhèng会huì。玄xuán奘zàng又yòu具jù表biǎo，请qǐng唐táng王wáng拈niān香xiāng。此cǐ时shí善shàn声shēng遍biàn满mǎn天tiān下xià。太tài宗zōng即jí排pái驾jià，率lǜ文wén武wǔ多duō官guān、后hòu妃fēi国guó戚qī，早zǎo赴fù寺sì里lǐ。那nà一yì城chéng人rén，无wú论lùn大dà小xiǎo尊zūn卑bēi，俱jù诣yì寺sì听tīng讲jiǎng。

逐句解 Line by line

光guāng陰yīn撚niǎn指zhǐ，卻què當dāng七qī日rì正zhèng會huì。光guāng阴yīn撚niǎn指zhǐ，却què当dāng七qī日rì正zhèng会huì。

Time slipped by at a finger's snap, and it came to the seventh day, the main assembly.

正會 ('the main assembly') is the culminating seventh-day session of the forty-nine-day rite; 正 is zhèng.

玄xuán奘zàng又yòu具jù表biǎo，請qǐng唐táng王wáng拈niān香xiāng。此cǐ時shí善shàn聲shēng遍biàn滿mǎn天tiān下xià。玄xuán奘zàng又yòu具jù表biǎo，请qǐng唐táng王wáng拈niān香xiāng。此cǐ时shí善shàn声shēng遍biàn满mǎn天tiān下xià。

Xuanzang again drew up a memorial, inviting the Tang king to offer incense. By this time the fame of the good work filled all under heaven.

善聲 ('the fame of the good work') has spread through the realm, drawing the whole city to the temple.

太tài宗zōng即jí排pái駕jià，率lǜ文wén武wǔ多duō官guān、后hòu妃fēi國guó戚qī，早zǎo赴fù寺sì裡lǐ。太tài宗zōng即jí排pái驾jià，率lǜ文wén武wǔ多duō官guān、后hòu妃fēi国guó戚qī，早zǎo赴fù寺sì里lǐ。

Taizong at once ordered his equipage, and led his civil and military officers, his consorts and imperial kin, and came early to the temple.

The full imperial household attends the climactic session in person.

那nà一yì城chéng人rén，無wú論lùn大dà小xiǎo尊zūn卑bēi，俱jù詣yì寺sì聽tīng講jiǎng。那nà一yì城chéng人rén，无wú论lùn大dà小xiǎo尊zūn卑bēi，俱jù诣yì寺sì听tīng讲jiǎng。

The whole city, high and low, noble and base without distinction, all came to the temple to hear the exposition.

那 in 那一城人 is the demonstrative nà; 一城 takes sandhi yì. The gathering of the entire city sets the stage for a public revelation.

總評 Commentary

The seventh-day session gathers the largest possible audience: not only the emperor and his whole household, but the entire city, 'high and low, noble and base without distinction.' The storyteller is careful to assemble this crowd because what is about to happen must be public — Guanyin's challenge to Xuanzang, and her revelation of her true form, will be witnessed by all Chang'an, converting a private doctrinal correction into a founding public event. The brief passage is pure narrative setup, clearing the ground and filling the hall for the chapter's climax.