第十三回 · 兩界山別 The Parting at Two-Boundary Mountain — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

兩界山別 The Parting at Two-Boundary Mountain

行xíng經jīng半bàn日rì，只zhǐ見jiàn對duì面miàn處chù有yǒu一yí座zuò大dà山shān，真zhēn個gè是shì高gāo接jiē青qīng霄xiāo，崔cuī巍wēi險xiǎn峻jùn。三sān藏zàng不bù一yì時shí到dào了le邊biān前qián。那nà太tài保bǎo登dēng此cǐ山shān如rú行xíng平píng地dì，正zhèng走zǒu到dào半bàn山shān之zhī中zhōng，伯bó欽qīn回huí身shēn，立lì於yú路lù下xià道dào：「長zhǎng老lǎo，請qǐng自zì前qián進jìn，我wǒ卻què告gào回huí。」三sān藏zàng聞wén言yán，滾gǔn鞍ān下xià馬mǎ道dào：「千qiān萬wàn敢gǎn勞láo太tài保bǎo再zài送sòng一yì程chéng。」伯bó欽qīn道dào：「長zhǎng老lǎo不bù知zhī。此cǐ山shān喚huàn做zuò兩liǎng界jiè山shān，東dōng半bàn邊biān屬shǔ我wǒ大dà唐táng所suǒ管guǎn，西xī半bàn邊biān乃nǎi是shì韃dá靼dá的de地dì界jiè。那nà廂xiāng狼láng虎hǔ不bù伏fú我wǒ降xiáng，我wǒ卻què也yě不bù能néng過guò界jiè，你nǐ自zì去qù罷bà。」三sān藏zàng心xīn驚jīng，掄lūn開kāi手shǒu，牽qiān衣yī執zhí袂mèi，滴dī淚lèi難nán分fēn。正zhèng在zài那nà叮dīng嚀níng拜bài別bié之zhī際jì，只zhǐ聽tīng得dé山shān腳jiǎo下xià叫jiào喊hǎn如rú雷léi道dào：「我wǒ師shī父fù來lái也yě！我wǒ師shī父fù來lái也yě！」諕xià得de個gè三sān藏zàng痴chī呆dāi，伯bó欽qīn打dǎ掙zhēng。畢bì竟jìng不bù知zhī是shì甚shén人rén叫jiào喊hǎn，且qiě聽tīng下xià回huí分fēn解jiě。行xíng经jīng半bàn日rì，只zhǐ见jiàn对duì面miàn处chù有yǒu一yí座zuò大dà山shān，真zhēn个gè是shì高gāo接jiē青qīng霄xiāo，崔cuī巍wēi险xiǎn峻jùn。三sān藏zàng不bù一yì时shí到dào了le边biān前qián。那nà太tài保bǎo登dēng此cǐ山shān如rú行xíng平píng地dì，正zhèng走zǒu到dào半bàn山shān之zhī中zhōng，伯bó钦qīn回huí身shēn，立lì于yú路lù下xià道dào：「长zhǎng老lǎo，请qǐng自zì前qián进jìn，我wǒ却què告gào回huí。」三sān藏zàng闻wén言yán，滚gǔn鞍ān下xià马mǎ道dào：「千qiān万wàn敢gǎn劳láo太tài保bǎo再zài送sòng一yì程chéng。」伯bó钦qīn道dào：「长zhǎng老lǎo不bù知zhī。此cǐ山shān唤huàn做zuò两liǎng界jiè山shān，东dōng半bàn边biān属shǔ我wǒ大dà唐táng所suǒ管guǎn，西xī半bàn边biān乃nǎi是shì鞑dá靼dá的de地dì界jiè。那nà厢xiāng狼láng虎hǔ不bù伏fú我wǒ降xiáng，我wǒ却què也yě不bù能néng过guò界jiè，你nǐ自zì去qù罢bà。」三sān藏zàng心xīn惊jīng，抡lūn开kāi手shǒu，牵qiān衣yī执zhí袂mèi，滴dī泪lèi难nán分fēn。正zhèng在zài那nà叮dīng咛níng拜bài别bié之zhī际jì，只zhǐ听tīng得dé山shān脚jiǎo下xià叫jiào喊hǎn如rú雷léi道dào：「我wǒ师shī父fù来lái也yě！我wǒ师shī父fù来lái也yě！」諕xià得de个gè三sān藏zàng痴chī呆dāi，伯bó钦qīn打dǎ挣zhēng。毕bì竟jìng不bù知zhī是shì甚shén人rén叫jiào喊hǎn，且qiě听tīng下xià回huí分fēn解jiě。

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng經jīng半bàn日rì，只zhǐ見jiàn對duì面miàn處chù有yǒu一yí座zuò大dà山shān，真zhēn個gè是shì高gāo接jiē青qīng霄xiāo，崔cuī巍wēi險xiǎn峻jùn。三sān藏zàng不bù一yì時shí到dào了le邊biān前qián。那nà太tài保bǎo登dēng此cǐ山shān如rú行xíng平píng地dì，正zhèng走zǒu到dào半bàn山shān之zhī中zhōng，伯bó欽qīn回huí身shēn，立lì於yú路lù下xià道dào：「長zhǎng老lǎo，請qǐng自zì前qián進jìn，我wǒ卻què告gào回huí。」三sān藏zàng聞wén言yán，滾gǔn鞍ān下xià馬mǎ道dào：「千qiān萬wàn敢gǎn勞láo太tài保bǎo再zài送sòng一yì程chéng。」伯bó欽qīn道dào：「長zhǎng老lǎo不bù知zhī。此cǐ山shān喚huàn做zuò兩liǎng界jiè山shān，東dōng半bàn邊biān屬shǔ我wǒ大dà唐táng所suǒ管guǎn，西xī半bàn邊biān乃nǎi是shì韃dá靼dá的de地dì界jiè。那nà廂xiāng狼láng虎hǔ不bù伏fú我wǒ降xiáng，我wǒ卻què也yě不bù能néng過guò界jiè，你nǐ自zì去qù罷bà。」三sān藏zàng心xīn驚jīng，掄lūn開kāi手shǒu，牽qiān衣yī執zhí袂mèi，滴dī淚lèi難nán分fēn。正zhèng在zài那nà叮dīng嚀níng拜bài別bié之zhī際jì，只zhǐ聽tīng得dé山shān腳jiǎo下xià叫jiào喊hǎn如rú雷léi道dào：「我wǒ師shī父fù來lái也yě！我wǒ師shī父fù來lái也yě！」諕xià得de個gè三sān藏zàng痴chī呆dāi，伯bó欽qīn打dǎ掙zhēng。行xíng经jīng半bàn日rì，只zhǐ见jiàn对duì面miàn处chù有yǒu一yí座zuò大dà山shān，真zhēn个gè是shì高gāo接jiē青qīng霄xiāo，崔cuī巍wēi险xiǎn峻jùn。三sān藏zàng不bù一yì时shí到dào了le边biān前qián。那nà太tài保bǎo登dēng此cǐ山shān如rú行xíng平píng地dì，正zhèng走zǒu到dào半bàn山shān之zhī中zhōng，伯bó钦qīn回huí身shēn，立lì于yú路lù下xià道dào：「长zhǎng老lǎo，请qǐng自zì前qián进jìn，我wǒ却què告gào回huí。」三sān藏zàng闻wén言yán，滚gǔn鞍ān下xià马mǎ道dào：「千qiān万wàn敢gǎn劳láo太tài保bǎo再zài送sòng一yì程chéng。」伯bó钦qīn道dào：「长zhǎng老lǎo不bù知zhī。此cǐ山shān唤huàn做zuò两liǎng界jiè山shān，东dōng半bàn边biān属shǔ我wǒ大dà唐táng所suǒ管guǎn，西xī半bàn边biān乃nǎi是shì鞑dá靼dá的de地dì界jiè。那nà厢xiāng狼láng虎hǔ不bù伏fú我wǒ降xiáng，我wǒ却què也yě不bù能néng过guò界jiè，你nǐ自zì去qù罢bà。」三sān藏zàng心xīn惊jīng，抡lūn开kāi手shǒu，牵qiān衣yī执zhí袂mèi，滴dī泪lèi难nán分fēn。正zhèng在zài那nà叮dīng咛níng拜bài别bié之zhī际jì，只zhǐ听tīng得dé山shān脚jiǎo下xià叫jiào喊hǎn如rú雷léi道dào：「我wǒ师shī父fù来lái也yě！我wǒ师shī父fù来lái也yě！」諕xià得de个gè三sān藏zàng痴chī呆dāi，伯bó钦qīn打dǎ挣zhēng。

They had journeyed half a day when, on the side opposite, they saw a great mountain, one that truly reached up to touch the blue empyrean, towering and steep and sheer. In no long time Sanzang came up before it. The Guardian climbed this mountain as though walking on level ground; but when they had come to the middle of the range, Boqin turned about and stood at the foot of the path, saying: "Elder, pray go forward on your own; I must here take my leave." Hearing this, Sanzang tumbled from his saddle and said: "I beg and implore the Guardian to see me one stage further." Boqin said: "Elder, you do not know. This mountain is called the Mountain of Two Boundaries; its eastern half belongs to the governance of our Great Tang, but its western half is the territory of the Tatars. The wolves and tigers over yonder do not submit to my subduing, and I for my part may not cross the boundary; you must go on by yourself." Sanzang was stricken with fear; he flung out his hands and clung to Boqin's clothes and sleeves, his tears falling, loath to part. And just at this moment of earnest leave-taking, there came from the foot of the mountain a shout like thunder, crying: "My master is come! My master is come!" It frightened Sanzang out of his wits, and left Boqin dumbstruck.

兩界山 (Liǎng-jiè Shān), the "Mountain of Two Boundaries," is exactly what its name says: east of the ridgeline is Tang, west of it is not. Boqin's authority ends at that line and he says so plainly — the wolves and tigers over there do not answer to him. 我降 uses 降 in the sense "to subdue," read xiáng, as against jiàng, "to descend," which is how the same character was read back in the opening poem when the emperor sent his edict down. Then the shout comes from under the mountain — "My master is come!" — and that is Sun Wukong, pinned there five hundred years and about to be let out. The first disciple announces himself before anyone has laid eyes on him.

畢bì竟jìng不bù知zhī是shì甚shén人rén叫jiào喊hǎn，且qiě聽tīng下xià回huí分fēn解jiě。毕bì竟jìng不bù知zhī是shì甚shén人rén叫jiào喊hǎn，且qiě听tīng下xià回huí分fēn解jiě。

There is no telling, in the end, who it was that shouted; and for that, you must listen to the explanation in the next chapter.

且聽下回分解, "listen to the explanation in the next chapter," is the storyteller's standard sign-off — the line that ends every installment, cutting away at the worst possible moment and sending the audience home wanting the next one.

總評 Commentary

The chapter ends at a border, which is the right place for it. Boqin has carried the pilgrim out of the wilderness, fed him, sheltered him and walked him halfway up a mountain, and now he stops: the Tang writ reaches this far and no further, and neither does he.

The parting is played for real feeling. Xuanzang comes off his horse, catches at the hunter's sleeves, and cries — a grown man clinging to a near-stranger at the edge of the known world. It is the last image in a chapter that has shown him kept alive at every single step by other people's kindness.

And then, at the exact moment he is about to be left alone, a voice like thunder from under the mountain: "My master is come!" The reader knows who that is. Xuanzang does not, and the novel stops there — mid-shout, question unanswered, in the storyteller's oldest manner.

It is a well-chosen cut. Everything up to here has been the pilgrim on his own, helpless and rescued by luck and heaven. What is buried under that mountain changes the arrangement permanently.