原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
龍宮訴悶
Wukong at the Dragon Palace
卻說那悟空別了師父，一觔斗雲，徑轉東洋大海。按住雲頭，分開水道，徑至水晶宮前。早驚動龍王出來迎接，接至宮裡坐下。禮畢，龍王道：「近聞得大聖難滿，失賀！想必是重整仙山，復歸古洞矣？」悟空道：「我也有此心性，只是又做了和尚了。」龍王道：「做甚和尚？」行者道：「我虧了南海菩薩勸善，教我正果，隨東土唐僧上西方拜佛，皈依沙門，又喚為行者了。」龍王道：「這等真是可賀，可賀。這才叫做改邪歸正，懲創善心。既如此，怎麼不西去，復東回何也？」行者笑道：「那是唐僧不識人性。有幾個毛賊剪徑，是我將他打死，唐僧就緒緒叨叨，說了我若干的不是。你想老孫可是受得悶氣的？是我撇了他，欲回本山，故此先來望你一望，求鍾茶吃。」龍王道：「承降，承降。」當時龍子、龍孫即捧香茶來獻。却说那悟空别了师父，一觔斗云，径转东洋大海。按住云头，分开水道，径至水晶宫前。早惊动龙王出来迎接，接至宫里坐下。礼毕，龙王道：「近闻得大圣难满，失贺！想必是重整仙山，复归古洞矣？」悟空道：「我也有此心性，只是又做了和尚了。」龙王道：「做甚和尚？」行者道：「我亏了南海菩萨劝善，教我正果，随东土唐僧上西方拜佛，皈依沙门，又唤为行者了。」龙王道：「这等真是可贺，可贺。这才叫做改邪归正，惩创善心。既如此，怎么不西去，复东回何也？」行者笑道：「那是唐僧不识人性。有几个毛贼剪径，是我将他打死，唐僧就绪绪叨叨，说了我若干的不是。你想老孙可是受得闷气的？是我撇了他，欲回本山，故此先来望你一望，求钟茶吃。」龙王道：「承降，承降。」当时龙子、龙孙即捧香茶来献。
逐句解 Line by line
卻說那悟空別了師父，一觔斗雲，徑轉東洋大海。
却说那悟空别了师父，一觔斗云，径转东洋大海。
Now this Wukong, having parted from his master, rode a somersault-cloud straight back to the Eastern Ocean.
Wukong flees eastward to his old haunts and allies. 那悟空 reads 那 as nà; 觔斗雲 ("somersault-cloud") reads 斗 as dǒu.
按住雲頭，分開水道，徑至水晶宮前。
按住云头，分开水道，径至水晶宫前。
Pressing down the head of his cloud, he parted the waters and came straight to the Crystal Palace.
He descends to the Crystal Palace of the Dragon King of the Eastern Ocean — an old acquaintance from the theft of the cudgel in the early chapters. 分開 reads 分 as fēn.
早驚動龍王出來迎接，接至宮裡坐下。禮畢，龍王道：
早惊动龙王出来迎接，接至宫里坐下。礼毕，龙王道：
The Dragon King, startled into awareness, came out to meet him and led him within to be seated. The courtesies done, the Dragon King said:
The Dragon King's hospitality frames a scene of counsel: the host will become the monkey's monitor.
「近聞得大聖難滿，失賀！想必是重整仙山，復歸古洞矣？」
「近闻得大圣难满，失贺！想必是重整仙山，复归古洞矣？」
"I have lately heard that the Great Sage's calamity is at an end — my congratulations! Surely you have set your immortal mountain in order again and returned to your ancient cave?"
His polite assumption — that the freed Sage has resumed his old kingship — sets up the surprising truth. 聞得 takes 得 as de; 難滿 ("the calamity fulfilled") reads 難 as nàn; 重整 reads 重 as chóng.
悟空道：「我也有此心性，只是又做了和尚了。」龍王道：「做甚和尚？」
悟空道：「我也有此心性，只是又做了和尚了。」龙王道：「做甚和尚？」
Wukong said, "That was indeed my mind; but I have gone and become a monk instead." The Dragon King said, "A monk? How so?"
Wukong's admission that he has become a monk astonishes the Dragon King. 做甚 reads 甚 as shén.
行者道：「我虧了南海菩薩勸善，教我正果，隨東土唐僧上西方拜佛，皈依沙門，又喚為行者了。」
行者道：「我亏了南海菩萨劝善，教我正果，随东土唐僧上西方拜佛，皈依沙门，又唤为行者了。」
The Pilgrim said, "I owe it to the Bodhisattva of the Southern Sea, who counselled me to goodness and set me toward the true fruit; I follow the Tang monk of the Eastern Land to the West to worship the Buddha, have taken refuge in the gate of the sangha, and am called the Pilgrim now."
His account is, for once, straight and grateful — Guanyin's counsel, the Tang mission, refuge in the sangha. 行者 reads 行 as xíng; 拜佛 reads 佛 as fó; 喚為 ("called as") reads 為 as wéi.
龍王道：「這等真是可賀，可賀。這才叫做改邪歸正，懲創善心。
龙王道：「这等真是可贺，可贺。这才叫做改邪归正，惩创善心。
The Dragon King said, "This is truly to be congratulated! This is what is meant by forsaking the wrong and returning to the right, chastening oneself toward the good.
The Dragon King approves in the language of conversion — 改邪歸正, "forsaking the wrong and returning to the right."
既如此，怎麼不西去，復東回何也？」
既如此，怎么不西去，复东回何也？」
But if so, why are you not going west — why turn back east?"
His pointed question exposes the desertion the monkey is trying to gloss over.
行者笑道：「那是唐僧不識人性。有幾個毛賊剪徑，是我將他打死，唐僧就緒緒叨叨，說了我若干的不是。
行者笑道：「那是唐僧不识人性。有几个毛贼剪径，是我将他打死，唐僧就绪绪叨叨，说了我若干的不是。
The Pilgrim laughed and said, "It is that the Tang monk does not understand human nature. A few petty thieves waylaid us; I beat them to death, and the Tang monk fell to nagging on and on, reciting no end of my faults.
Wukong's version blames the monk entirely — a few robbers killed, and endless nagging in return. 行者 reads 行 as xíng; 那是 reads 那 as nà; 將他 reads 將 as jiāng.
你想老孫可是受得悶氣的？是我撇了他，欲回本山，故此先來望你一望，求鍾茶吃。」
你想老孙可是受得闷气的？是我撇了他，欲回本山，故此先来望你一望，求钟茶吃。」
Do you think old Sun is one to swallow resentment? So I left him, meaning to return to my own mountain — and came first to look in on you, and beg a cup of tea."
His pride is the real motive, thinly veiled as a courtesy call for tea. 受得悶氣 ("endure resentment") reads 得 as dé.
龍王道：「承降，承降。」當時龍子、龍孫即捧香茶來獻。
龙王道：「承降，承降。」当时龙子、龙孙即捧香茶来献。
The Dragon King said, "Honoured, honoured!" And at once the dragon-sons and dragon-grandsons brought fragrant tea and offered it.
The Dragon King's polite reply and the tea set the stage for his admonition. 承降 ("honoured by your visit") reads both 降 as jiàng; 龍子 reads 子 as zǐ.
總評 Commentary
With the quarrel behind him, the narrative follows Wukong to the Crystal Palace of the Dragon King of the Eastern Ocean, an old acquaintance from the novel's opening arc (it was from this dragon that the monkey first extorted his iron cudgel). The scene is a deft piece of construction: the host who once suffered the monkey's bullying now becomes the agent of his moral instruction.
The dialogue lets Wukong tell his own version of the rupture — the monk's nagging, his own wounded pride — and the reader hears how self-serving it is: the killing is passed over lightly, the desertion dressed up as a social call. The Dragon King's approving talk of "forsaking the wrong and returning to the right" only sharpens the irony, since the monkey has just turned his back on the very conversion being praised.
The courtesy of tea sets up the real purpose of the visit, which is not refreshment but counsel. In the next passage the Dragon King will use a painting on his wall — the story of Zhang Liang's humility at the Yi Bridge — to shame Wukong into returning to his master. The palace interlude thus turns from welcome to admonition, the first of the two forces (persuasion here, the fillet later) that will bring the monkey back to the road.