第十三回 · 鎮山太保 The Mountain-Warden Liu Boqin — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

鎮山太保 The Mountain-Warden Liu Boqin

三sān藏zàng見jiàn他tā來lái得de漸jiàn近jìn，跪guì在zài路lù傍páng，合hé掌zhǎng高gāo叫jiào道dào：「大dà王wáng救jiù命mìng！大dà王wáng救jiù命mìng！」那nà條tiáo漢hàn到dào邊biān前qián，放fàng下xià鋼gāng叉chā，用yòng手shǒu攙chān起qǐ道dào：「長zhǎng老lǎo休xiū怕pà。我wǒ不bú是shì歹dǎi人rén，我wǒ是shì這zhè山shān中zhōng的de獵liè戶hù，姓xìng劉liú名míng伯bó欽qīn，綽chuò號hào鎮zhèn山shān太tài保bǎo。我wǒ才cái自zì來lái，要yào尋xún兩liǎng隻zhī山shān蟲chóng食shí用yòng。不bù期qī遇yù著zháo你nǐ，多duō有yǒu衝chōng撞zhuàng。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「貧pín僧sēng是shì大dà唐táng駕jià下xià欽qīn差chāi，往wǎng西xī天tiān拜bài佛fó求qiú經jīng的de和hé尚shàng。適shì間jiān來lái到dào此cǐ處chù，遇yù著zháo些xiē狼láng虎hǔ蛇shé蟲chóng，四sì邊biān圍wéi繞rào，不bù能néng前qián進jìn。忽hū見jiàn太tài保bǎo來lái，眾zhòng獸shòu皆jiē走zǒu，救jiù了le貧pín僧sēng性xìng命mìng，多duō謝xiè，多duō謝xiè。」伯bó欽qīn道dào：「我wǒ在zài這zhè裡lǐ住zhù人rén，專zhuān倚yǐ打dǎ些xiē狼láng虎hǔ為wèi生shēng，捉zhuō些xiē蛇shé蟲chóng過guò活huó，故gù此cǐ眾zhòng獸shòu怕pà我wǒ走zǒu了le。你nǐ既jì是shì唐táng朝cháo來lái的de，與yǔ我wǒ都dōu是shì鄉xiāng里lǐ。此cǐ間jiān還hái是shì大dà唐táng的de地dì界jiè，我wǒ也yě是shì唐táng朝cháo的de百bǎi姓xìng，我wǒ和hé你nǐ同tóng食shí皇huáng王wáng的de水shuǐ土tǔ，誠chéng然rán是shì一yì國guó之zhī人rén。你nǐ休xiū怕pà，跟gēn我wǒ來lái，到dào我wǒ舍shè下xià歇xiē馬mǎ，明míng朝zhāo我wǒ送sòng你nǐ上shàng路lù。」三sān藏zàng聞wén言yán，滿mǎn心xīn歡huān喜xǐ，謝xiè了le伯bó欽qīn，牽qiān馬mǎ隨suí行xíng。三sān藏zàng见jiàn他tā来lái得de渐jiàn近jìn，跪guì在zài路lù傍páng，合hé掌zhǎng高gāo叫jiào道dào：「大dà王wáng救jiù命mìng！大dà王wáng救jiù命mìng！」那nà条tiáo汉hàn到dào边biān前qián，放fàng下xià钢gāng叉chā，用yòng手shǒu搀chān起qǐ道dào：「长zhǎng老lǎo休xiū怕pà。我wǒ不bú是shì歹dǎi人rén，我wǒ是shì这zhè山shān中zhōng的de猎liè户hù，姓xìng刘liú名míng伯bó钦qīn，绰chuò号hào镇zhèn山shān太tài保bǎo。我wǒ才cái自zì来lái，要yào寻xún两liǎng只zhī山shān虫chóng食shí用yòng。不bù期qī遇yù着zháo你nǐ，多duō有yǒu冲chōng撞zhuàng。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「贫pín僧sēng是shì大dà唐táng驾jià下xià钦qīn差chāi，往wǎng西xī天tiān拜bài佛fó求qiú经jīng的de和hé尚shàng。适shì间jiān来lái到dào此cǐ处chù，遇yù着zháo些xiē狼láng虎hǔ蛇shé虫chóng，四sì边biān围wéi绕rào，不bù能néng前qián进jìn。忽hū见jiàn太tài保bǎo来lái，众zhòng兽shòu皆jiē走zǒu，救jiù了le贫pín僧sēng性xìng命mìng，多duō谢xiè，多duō谢xiè。」伯bó钦qīn道dào：「我wǒ在zài这zhè里lǐ住zhù人rén，专zhuān倚yǐ打dǎ些xiē狼láng虎hǔ为wèi生shēng，捉zhuō些xiē蛇shé虫chóng过guò活huó，故gù此cǐ众zhòng兽shòu怕pà我wǒ走zǒu了le。你nǐ既jì是shì唐táng朝cháo来lái的de，与yǔ我wǒ都dōu是shì乡xiāng里lǐ。此cǐ间jiān还hái是shì大dà唐táng的de地dì界jiè，我wǒ也yě是shì唐táng朝cháo的de百bǎi姓xìng，我wǒ和hé你nǐ同tóng食shí皇huáng王wáng的de水shuǐ土tǔ，诚chéng然rán是shì一yì国guó之zhī人rén。你nǐ休xiū怕pà，跟gēn我wǒ来lái，到dào我wǒ舍shè下xià歇xiē马mǎ，明míng朝zhāo我wǒ送sòng你nǐ上shàng路lù。」三sān藏zàng闻wén言yán，满mǎn心xīn欢huān喜xǐ，谢xiè了le伯bó钦qīn，牵qiān马mǎ随suí行xíng。

逐句解 Line by line

Seeing him come gradually nearer, Sanzang knelt by the roadside, pressed his palms together, and cried aloud: "Great King, spare my life! Great King, spare my life!" The fellow came up before him, set down his trident, raised him with his hand, and said: "Have no fear, elder. I am no evildoer; I am a hunter of these mountains. My surname is Liu, my name Boqin, and my style is Guardian of the Mountain. I have just come out looking for a couple of mountain beasts to eat; I did not expect to meet you, and I have given you a great fright." Sanzang said: "This poor monk is a priest sent by imperial commission under the Tang court, on his way to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha and seek the scriptures. Coming just now to this place, I met with wolves and tigers, snakes and vermin, that hemmed me in on all four sides so that I could go no farther. Then all at once the Guardian appeared, and every beast fled and my poor life was saved. My thanks, my thanks."

Xuanzang sees an armed man and assumes the worst. 大王 (dà wáng), "Great King," is how you address a bandit chief or a mountain demon — it is the same title the pit-monster held an hour ago — so the monk is begging for his life from the man who has just saved it. Boqin's first act is to put him straight. 鎮山太保 (Zhèn-shān Tài-bǎo), "Guardian of the Mountain," is a hunter's nickname; 太保 was originally a lofty court appointment, worn here by a countryman with no court anywhere near him. 欽差 marks Xuanzang as travelling under imperial warrant.

伯bó欽qīn道dào：「我wǒ在zài這zhè裡lǐ住zhù人rén，專zhuān倚yǐ打dǎ些xiē狼láng虎hǔ為wèi生shēng，捉zhuō些xiē蛇shé蟲chóng過guò活huó，故gù此cǐ眾zhòng獸shòu怕pà我wǒ走zǒu了le。你nǐ既jì是shì唐táng朝cháo來lái的de，與yǔ我wǒ都dōu是shì鄉xiāng里lǐ。此cǐ間jiān還hái是shì大dà唐táng的de地dì界jiè，我wǒ也yě是shì唐táng朝cháo的de百bǎi姓xìng，我wǒ和hé你nǐ同tóng食shí皇huáng王wáng的de水shuǐ土tǔ，誠chéng然rán是shì一yì國guó之zhī人rén。你nǐ休xiū怕pà，跟gēn我wǒ來lái，到dào我wǒ舍shè下xià歇xiē馬mǎ，明míng朝zhāo我wǒ送sòng你nǐ上shàng路lù。」三sān藏zàng聞wén言yán，滿mǎn心xīn歡huān喜xǐ，謝xiè了le伯bó欽qīn，牽qiān馬mǎ隨suí行xíng。伯bó钦qīn道dào：「我wǒ在zài这zhè里lǐ住zhù人rén，专zhuān倚yǐ打dǎ些xiē狼láng虎hǔ为wèi生shēng，捉zhuō些xiē蛇shé虫chóng过guò活huó，故gù此cǐ众zhòng兽shòu怕pà我wǒ走zǒu了le。你nǐ既jì是shì唐táng朝cháo来lái的de，与yǔ我wǒ都dōu是shì乡xiāng里lǐ。此cǐ间jiān还hái是shì大dà唐táng的de地dì界jiè，我wǒ也yě是shì唐táng朝cháo的de百bǎi姓xìng，我wǒ和hé你nǐ同tóng食shí皇huáng王wáng的de水shuǐ土tǔ，诚chéng然rán是shì一yì国guó之zhī人rén。你nǐ休xiū怕pà，跟gēn我wǒ来lái，到dào我wǒ舍shè下xià歇xiē马mǎ，明míng朝zhāo我wǒ送sòng你nǐ上shàng路lù。」三sān藏zàng闻wén言yán，满mǎn心xīn欢huān喜xǐ，谢xiè了le伯bó钦qīn，牵qiān马mǎ随suí行xíng。

Boqin said: "I make my living here among men, relying wholly on striking down wolves and tigers, and catching snakes and vermin to keep myself — that is why the beasts feared me and fled. Since you have come from the land of Tang, we are countrymen. This is still within the borders of Great Tang, and I too am a subject of the Tang court; you and I drink the same waters and eat of the same soil of our sovereign — truly we are men of one country. Have no fear; come with me, and lodge your horse at my cottage, and tomorrow I will see you on your way." Hearing this, Sanzang was filled with joy; he thanked Boqin, and, leading his horse, went along with him.

同食皇王的水土 — "we eat of the same soil of our sovereign." That is the sentence that changes everything: the moment Boqin places the monk as a fellow subject of Tang, he stops being a stranger with a trident and becomes a host. Shared sovereign, shared ground, therefore obligation. 明朝 here is "tomorrow," with 朝 read zhāo.

總評 Commentary

The scene opens on a misunderstanding that is funny and also fair. A man with a trident and a bow comes out of the trees at a monk who has spent the night watching people be eaten; of course he assumes the worst and starts begging. Boqin sets down his weapon, pulls him up, and apologises for the fright.

The correction introduces the chapter's other main character, and the novel draws him warmly — blunt, cheerful, quick to reassure. What settles it is the discovery that they are countrymen: same emperor, same soil, therefore come home with me. Hospitality here runs on citizenship rather than charity.

The register shifts decisively at this point. The first half of the chapter was tiger-fiends, cannibal feasts and a star-god; the second half will be a mother, a kitchen, and a funeral rite. The pilgrim, given up for dead an hour ago, is about to be given supper.