第十四回 · 猴王自陳 The Monkey Names Himself — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

猴王自陳 The Monkey Names Himself

劉liú太tài保bǎo誠chéng然rán膽dǎn大dà，走zǒu上shàng前qián來lái，與yǔ他tā拔bá去qù了le鬢bìn邊biān草cǎo，頷hàn下xià莎suō，問wèn道dào：「你nǐ有yǒu甚shén麼me說shuō話huà？」那nà猴hóu道dào：「我wǒ沒méi話huà說shuō，教jiào那nà個gè師shī父fù上shàng來lái，我wǒ問wèn他tā一yí問wèn。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「你nǐ問wèn我wǒ甚shén麼me？」那nà猴hóu道dào：「你nǐ可kě是shì東dōng土tǔ大dà王wáng差chāi往wǎng西xī天tiān取qǔ經jīng去qù的de麼me？」三sān藏zàng道dào：「我wǒ正zhèng是shì，你nǐ問wèn怎zěn麼me？」那nà猴hóu道dào：「我wǒ是shì五wǔ百bǎi年nián前qián大dà鬧nào天tiān宮gōng的de齊qí天tiān大dà聖shèng，只zhǐ因yīn犯fàn了le誑kuáng上shàng之zhī罪zuì，被bèi佛fó祖zǔ壓yā於yú此cǐ處chù。前qián者zhě有yǒu個gè觀guān音yīn菩pú薩sà，領lǐng佛fó旨zhǐ意yì，上shàng東dōng土tǔ尋xún取qǔ經jīng人rén。我wǒ教jiào他tā救jiù我wǒ一yí救jiù，他tā勸quàn我wǒ再zài莫mò行xíng兇xiōng，歸guī依yī佛fó法fǎ，盡jìn慇yīn懃qín保bǎo護hù取qǔ經jīng人rén，往wǎng西xī方fāng拜bài佛fó，功gōng成chéng後hòu自zì有yǒu好hǎo處chù。故gù此cǐ晝zhòu夜yè提tí心xīn，晨chén昏hūn弔diào膽dǎn，只zhǐ等děng師shī父fù來lái救jiù我wǒ脫tuō身shēn。我wǒ願yuàn保bǎo你nǐ取qǔ經jīng，與yǔ你nǐ做zuò個gè徒tú弟dì。」刘liú太tài保bǎo诚chéng然rán胆dǎn大dà，走zǒu上shàng前qián来lái，与yǔ他tā拔bá去qù了le鬓bìn边biān草cǎo，颔hàn下xià莎suō，问wèn道dào：「你nǐ有yǒu甚shén么me说shuō话huà？」那nà猴hóu道dào：「我wǒ没méi话huà说shuō，教jiào那nà个gè师shī父fù上shàng来lái，我wǒ问wèn他tā一yí问wèn。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「你nǐ问wèn我wǒ甚shén么me？」那nà猴hóu道dào：「你nǐ可kě是shì东dōng土tǔ大dà王wáng差chāi往wǎng西xī天tiān取qǔ经jīng去qù的de么me？」三sān藏zàng道dào：「我wǒ正zhèng是shì，你nǐ问wèn怎zěn么me？」那nà猴hóu道dào：「我wǒ是shì五wǔ百bǎi年nián前qián大dà闹nào天tiān宫gōng的de齐qí天tiān大dà圣shèng，只zhǐ因yīn犯fàn了le诳kuáng上shàng之zhī罪zuì，被bèi佛fó祖zǔ压yā于yú此cǐ处chù。前qián者zhě有yǒu个gè观guān音yīn菩pú萨sà，领lǐng佛fó旨zhǐ意yì，上shàng东dōng土tǔ寻xún取qǔ经jīng人rén。我wǒ教jiào他tā救jiù我wǒ一yí救jiù，他tā劝quàn我wǒ再zài莫mò行xíng凶xiōng，归guī依yī佛fó法fǎ，尽jìn慇yīn懃qín保bǎo护hù取qǔ经jīng人rén，往wǎng西xī方fāng拜bài佛fó，功gōng成chéng后hòu自zì有yǒu好hǎo处chù。故gù此cǐ昼zhòu夜yè提tí心xīn，晨chén昏hūn吊diào胆dǎn，只zhǐ等děng师shī父fù来lái救jiù我wǒ脱tuō身shēn。我wǒ愿yuàn保bǎo你nǐ取qǔ经jīng，与yǔ你nǐ做zuò个gè徒tú弟dì。」

逐句解 Line by line

劉liú太tài保bǎo誠chéng然rán膽dǎn大dà，走zǒu上shàng前qián來lái，與yǔ他tā拔bá去qù了le鬢bìn邊biān草cǎo，頷hàn下xià莎suō，問wèn道dào：「你nǐ有yǒu甚shén麼me說shuō話huà？」刘liú太tài保bǎo诚chéng然rán胆dǎn大dà，走zǒu上shàng前qián来lái，与yǔ他tā拔bá去qù了le鬓bìn边biān草cǎo，颔hàn下xià莎suō，问wèn道dào：「你nǐ有yǒu甚shén么me说shuō话huà？」

The Grand Guardian was bold indeed. Stepping forward, he pulled away the grass at the monkey's temples and the sedge beneath his chin, and asked, "What is it you have to say?"

Boqin's courage is played throughout against Sanzang's timidity. He grooms the monkey — clearing away the very grass and sedge of the portrait — as if readying him to be seen and spoken to. 莎 ("sedge") is again read suō.

那nà猴hóu道dào：「我wǒ沒méi話huà說shuō，教jiào那nà個gè師shī父fù上shàng來lái，我wǒ問wèn他tā一yí問wèn。」那nà猴hóu道dào：「我wǒ没méi话huà说shuō，教jiào那nà个gè师shī父fù上shàng来lái，我wǒ问wèn他tā一yí问wèn。」

The monkey said, "I have nothing to say to you. Have that master there come up; I have a question to put to him."

The monkey pointedly bypasses the hunter and asks for the monk, sensing at once whose business he is truly concerned with. His terseness (我沒話說) marks the difference between a passer-by and the master he has awaited.

三sān藏zàng道dào：「你nǐ問wèn我wǒ甚shén麼me？」三sān藏zàng道dào：「你nǐ问wèn我wǒ甚shén么me？」

Sanzang said, "What would you ask me?"

那nà猴hóu道dào：「你nǐ可kě是shì東dōng土tǔ大dà王wáng差chāi往wǎng西xī天tiān取qǔ經jīng去qù的de麼me？」那nà猴hóu道dào：「你nǐ可kě是shì东dōng土tǔ大dà王wáng差chāi往wǎng西xī天tiān取qǔ经jīng去qù的de么me？」

The monkey said, "Are you the one the sovereign of the Eastern Land has sent to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures?"

東土 (dōngtǔ), the "Eastern Land," is Tang China; the Western Heaven (西天) is India, home of the scriptures. 差 ("to dispatch, send on a mission") is here read chāi. The monkey confirms Sanzang's identity before revealing his own.

三sān藏zàng道dào：「我wǒ正zhèng是shì，你nǐ問wèn怎zěn麼me？」三sān藏zàng道dào：「我wǒ正zhèng是shì，你nǐ问wèn怎zěn么me？」

Sanzang said, "I am indeed. Why do you ask?"

那nà猴hóu道dào：「我wǒ是shì五wǔ百bǎi年nián前qián大dà鬧nào天tiān宮gōng的de齊qí天tiān大dà聖shèng，只zhǐ因yīn犯fàn了le誑kuáng上shàng之zhī罪zuì，被bèi佛fó祖zǔ壓yā於yú此cǐ處chù。那nà猴hóu道dào：「我wǒ是shì五wǔ百bǎi年nián前qián大dà闹nào天tiān宫gōng的de齐qí天tiān大dà圣shèng，只zhǐ因yīn犯fàn了le诳kuáng上shàng之zhī罪zuì，被bèi佛fó祖zǔ压yā于yú此cǐ处chù。

The monkey said, "I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, who five hundred years ago made havoc in the Halls of Heaven; only because I committed the crime of deceiving those above was I pressed down here by the Buddha Patriarch.

The self-introduction rehearses the novel's earlier plot. 齊天大聖, "Great Sage Equal to Heaven," is the title Wukong claimed before his rebellion; 大鬧天宮, "the great havoc in Heaven," is that rebellion; 誑上之罪, "the crime of deceiving those above," names the offence for which the Buddha (佛祖, with 佛 read fó) sealed him here.

前qián者zhě有yǒu個gè觀guān音yīn菩pú薩sà，領lǐng佛fó旨zhǐ意yì，上shàng東dōng土tǔ尋xún取qǔ經jīng人rén。前qián者zhě有yǒu个gè观guān音yīn菩pú萨sà，领lǐng佛fó旨zhǐ意yì，上shàng东dōng土tǔ寻xún取qǔ经jīng人rén。

Some time ago a Bodhisattva, Guanyin, came at the Buddha's command to the Eastern Land to seek out a scripture-pilgrim.

The reference is to the mission that frames the whole pilgrimage: Guanyin (觀音菩薩) was sent by the Buddha to find a worthy monk to fetch the scriptures, and along the way recruited the disciples-to-be, Wukong among them.

我wǒ教jiào他tā救jiù我wǒ一yí救jiù，他tā勸quàn我wǒ再zài莫mò行xíng兇xiōng，歸guī依yī佛fó法fǎ，盡jìn慇yīn懃qín保bǎo護hù取qǔ經jīng人rén，往wǎng西xī方fāng拜bài佛fó，功gōng成chéng後hòu自zì有yǒu好hǎo處chù。我wǒ教jiào他tā救jiù我wǒ一yí救jiù，他tā劝quàn我wǒ再zài莫mò行xíng凶xiōng，归guī依yī佛fó法fǎ，尽jìn慇yīn懃qín保bǎo护hù取qǔ经jīng人rén，往wǎng西xī方fāng拜bài佛fó，功gōng成chéng后hòu自zì有yǒu好hǎo处chù。

I begged her to save me, and she urged me to do no more violence, to take refuge in the Buddha's Law, and with all diligence to guard the scripture-pilgrim on his way west to worship the Buddha — after which good fortune would surely be mine.

Guanyin's three conditions — renounce violence, take refuge in the Law, escort the pilgrim — are the terms of Wukong's redemption. 盡 here reads jìn ("to the utmost"); 慇懃 ("with earnest devotion") describes the diligence she enjoined.

故gù此cǐ晝zhòu夜yè提tí心xīn，晨chén昏hūn弔diào膽dǎn，只zhǐ等děng師shī父fù來lái救jiù我wǒ脫tuō身shēn。故gù此cǐ昼zhòu夜yè提tí心xīn，晨chén昏hūn吊diào胆dǎn，只zhǐ等děng师shī父fù来lái救jiù我wǒ脱tuō身shēn。

So day and night I have kept my heart on guard, watchful from dusk to dawn, waiting only for a master to come and set me free.

The monkey's account of his long, watchful waiting — 晝夜提心，晨昏弔膽, "heart held up by day and by night, gall hung in alarm from dusk to dawn" — recasts his imprisonment as a penitent vigil.

我wǒ願yuàn保bǎo你nǐ取qǔ經jīng，與yǔ你nǐ做zuò個gè徒tú弟dì。」我wǒ愿yuàn保bǎo你nǐ取qǔ经jīng，与yǔ你nǐ做zuò个gè徒tú弟dì。」

I am willing to guard you on your journey, and to become your disciple."

He closes by offering exactly what the plot requires: to guard the pilgrim and become Sanzang's first disciple.

總評 Commentary

With the monkey now visible, the scene becomes a dialogue of recognition. He brushes the hunter aside and asks for the monk directly, then delivers a compact self-introduction that doubles as a recap for the reader: he is the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, imprisoned by the Buddha for his rebellion, and — crucially — already promised to the pilgrimage by Guanyin.

This is the hinge on which Wukong's return turns. His release is not a chance rescue but the completion of a bargain struck chapters earlier, when the Bodhisattva recruited the future disciples. The three conditions she set him — renounce violence, take refuge in the Law, escort the scripture-pilgrim — define the discipline the rest of the chapter will test, when his old ferocity resurfaces against the Six Robbers.

The monkey's language recasts five hundred years of punishment as a penitent's vigil (晝夜提心，晨昏弔膽). Whether that repentance runs deep or is merely expedient is a question the novel leaves open; within pages he will kill six men without a qualm. For now he says exactly what is needed, and offers himself as Sanzang's first disciple.