第十六回 · 老死鬼的不是 It Was the Old Dead Ghost — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

老死鬼的不是 It Was the Old Dead Ghost

那nà眾zhòng僧sēng見jiàn了le，一yí個gè個gè戰zhàn兢jīng兢jīng的de，上shàng前qián跪guì下xià勸quàn解jiě，三sān藏zàng才cái合hé口kǒu不bú念niàn。行xíng者zhě一yì骨gǔ魯lǔ跳tiào起qǐ來lái，耳ěr朵duo裡lǐ掣chè出chū鐵tiě棒bàng，要yào打dǎ那nà些xiē和hé尚shàng，被bèi三sān藏zàng喝hè住zhù道dào：「這zhè猴hóu頭tóu，你nǐ頭tóu痛tòng還hái不bú怕pà，還hái要yào無wú禮lǐ？休xiū動dòng手shǒu，且qiě莫mò傷shāng人rén，再zài與yǔ我wǒ審shěn問wèn一yí問wèn。」眾zhòng僧sēng們men磕kē頭tóu禮lǐ拜bài，哀āi告gào三sān藏zàng道dào：「老lǎo爺yé饒ráo命mìng。我wǒ等děng委wěi實shí的de不bù曾céng看kàn見jiàn。這zhè都dōu是shì那nà老lǎo死sǐ鬼guǐ的de不bú是shì。他tā昨zuó晚wǎn看kàn著zhe你nǐ的de袈jiā裟shā，只zhǐ哭kū到dào更gēng深shēn時shí候hòu，看kàn也yě不bù曾céng敢gǎn看kàn，思sī量liáng要yào圖tú長cháng久jiǔ，做zuò個gè傳chuán家jiā之zhī寶bǎo，設shè計jì定dìng策cè，要yào燒shāo殺shā老lǎo爺yé。自zì火huǒ起qǐ之zhī候hòu，狂kuáng風fēng大dà作zuò，各gè人rén只zhǐ顧gù救jiù火huǒ，搬bān搶qiǎng物wù件jiàn，更gèng不bù知zhī袈jiā裟shā去qù向xiàng。」那nà众zhòng僧sēng见jiàn了le，一yí个gè个gè战zhàn兢jīng兢jīng的de，上shàng前qián跪guì下xià劝quàn解jiě，三sān藏zàng才cái合hé口kǒu不bú念niàn。行xíng者zhě一yì骨gǔ鲁lǔ跳tiào起qǐ来lái，耳ěr朵duo里lǐ掣chè出chū铁tiě棒bàng，要yào打dǎ那nà些xiē和hé尚shàng，被bèi三sān藏zàng喝hè住zhù道dào：「这zhè猴hóu头tóu，你nǐ头tóu痛tòng还hái不bú怕pà，还hái要yào无wú礼lǐ？休xiū动dòng手shǒu，且qiě莫mò伤shāng人rén，再zài与yǔ我wǒ审shěn问wèn一yí问wèn。」众zhòng僧sēng们men磕kē头tóu礼lǐ拜bài，哀āi告gào三sān藏zàng道dào：「老lǎo爷yé饶ráo命mìng。我wǒ等děng委wěi实shí的de不bù曾céng看kàn见jiàn。这zhè都dōu是shì那nà老lǎo死sǐ鬼guǐ的de不bú是shì。他tā昨zuó晚wǎn看kàn着zhe你nǐ的de袈jiā裟shā，只zhǐ哭kū到dào更gēng深shēn时shí候hòu，看kàn也yě不bù曾céng敢gǎn看kàn，思sī量liáng要yào图tú长cháng久jiǔ，做zuò个gè传chuán家jiā之zhī宝bǎo，设shè计jì定dìng策cè，要yào烧shāo杀shā老lǎo爷yé。自zì火huǒ起qǐ之zhī候hòu，狂kuáng风fēng大dà作zuò，各gè人rén只zhǐ顾gù救jiù火huǒ，搬bān抢qiǎng物wù件jiàn，更gèng不bù知zhī袈jiā裟shā去qù向xiàng。」

逐句解 Line by line

那nà眾zhòng僧sēng見jiàn了le，一yí個gè個gè戰zhàn兢jīng兢jīng的de，上shàng前qián跪guì下xià勸quàn解jiě，三sān藏zàng才cái合hé口kǒu不bú念niàn。那nà众zhòng僧sēng见jiàn了le，一yí个gè个gè战zhàn兢jīng兢jīng的de，上shàng前qián跪guì下xià劝quàn解jiě，三sān藏zàng才cái合hé口kǒu不bú念niàn。

Seeing this, the monks were every one of them trembling and shaking; they came forward, knelt, and pleaded for him, and only then did Sanzang close his mouth and cease.

戰兢兢 is trembling with fear. They kneel to intercede for the man who burned their house, because he is being tortured in front of them. It is the only disinterested act any of them performs in the whole chapter.

行xíng者zhě一yì骨gǔ魯lǔ跳tiào起qǐ來lái，耳ěr朵duo裡lǐ掣chè出chū鐵tiě棒bàng，要yào打dǎ那nà些xiē和hé尚shàng，行xíng者zhě一yì骨gǔ鲁lǔ跳tiào起qǐ来lái，耳ěr朵duo里lǐ掣chè出chū铁tiě棒bàng，要yào打dǎ那nà些xiē和hé尚shàng，

The Pilgrim sprang up with a roll, drew the iron rod from his ear, and would have laid about him among the monks,

一骨魯, all at once and with a roll of the body — the same vernacular adverb used of him springing off the bed at midnight. 耳朵裡掣出鐵棒: the cudgel lives in his ear, shrunk to a needle, and comes out full size.

被bèi三sān藏zàng喝hè住zhù道dào：「這zhè猴hóu頭tóu，你nǐ頭tóu痛tòng還hái不bú怕pà，還hái要yào無wú禮lǐ？被bèi三sān藏zàng喝hè住zhù道dào：「这zhè猴hóu头tóu，你nǐ头tóu痛tòng还hái不bú怕pà，还hái要yào无wú礼lǐ？

but Sanzang shouted him down. "Monkey-head! Your skull aches, and still you are not afraid? Still you would be insolent?

這猴頭, "this monkey-head," is Sanzang's standing term of exasperation. Both instances of 還 are hái. The rebuke is correct, and it is delivered by a man who has just made his disciple's skull ache on purpose.

休xiū動dòng手shǒu，且qiě莫mò傷shāng人rén，再zài與yǔ我wǒ審shěn問wèn一yí問wèn。」休xiū动dòng手shǒu，且qiě莫mò伤shāng人rén，再zài与yǔ我wǒ审shěn问wèn一yí问wèn。」

"Stay your hand. Do no man harm. Let me question them once more."

休動手，且莫傷人 — "stay your hand; harm no one." Sanzang's compassion is intact, and it arrives, as it always does, one instrument too late.

眾zhòng僧sēng們men磕kē頭tóu禮lǐ拜bài，哀āi告gào三sān藏zàng道dào：「老lǎo爺yé饒ráo命mìng。我wǒ等děng委wěi實shí的de不bù曾céng看kàn見jiàn。众zhòng僧sēng们men磕kē头tóu礼lǐ拜bài，哀āi告gào三sān藏zàng道dào：「老lǎo爷yé饶ráo命mìng。我wǒ等děng委wěi实shí的de不bù曾céng看kàn见jiàn。

The monks knocked their heads and made their obeisance, imploring Sanzang: "Your Worship, spare our lives! We truly and honestly never saw it.

饒命 is spare our lives; 委實的 is truly and in fact.

這zhè都dōu是shì那nà老lǎo死sǐ鬼guǐ的de不bú是shì。这zhè都dōu是shì那nà老lǎo死sǐ鬼guǐ的de不bú是shì。

"It is all the fault of that old dead ghost.

那老死鬼 — "that old dead ghost." An hour ago he was 公公 to them, grandfather, and 師祖, grand-patriarch of the house. He has been dead perhaps ten minutes, and the honorifics are already gone.

他tā昨zuó晚wǎn看kàn著zhe你nǐ的de袈jiā裟shā，只zhǐ哭kū到dào更gēng深shēn時shí候hòu，看kàn也yě不bù曾céng敢gǎn看kàn，他tā昨zuó晚wǎn看kàn着zhe你nǐ的de袈jiā裟shā，只zhǐ哭kū到dào更gēng深shēn时shí候hòu，看kàn也yě不bù曾céng敢gǎn看kàn，

"Last night he sat looking at your cassock and wept until the watches were deep; he never once dared even to look at it properly,

看著你的袈裟 takes zhe; 更深 is gēng shēn, the deep watches of the night. And 看也不曾敢看 — "he never once dared even to look at it" — is the most exact thing anyone in this chapter says about him. He wept all night over a bundle he could not bring himself to open.

思sī量liáng要yào圖tú長cháng久jiǔ，做zuò個gè傳chuán家jiā之zhī寶bǎo，設shè計jì定dìng策cè，要yào燒shāo殺shā老lǎo爺yé。思sī量liáng要yào图tú长cháng久jiǔ，做zuò个gè传chuán家jiā之zhī宝bǎo，设shè计jì定dìng策cè，要yào烧shāo杀shā老lǎo爷yé。

"but thought how to keep it for ever, and make it the treasure handed down in the family, and laid his plans and settled his scheme to burn your Worships to death.

思量 takes liáng; 長久 takes cháng. 傳家之寶 comes round for the third and last time here — Guangzhi coined it, Guangmou repeated it, and now the rank and file recite the whole plot as though they had merely happened to overhear it.

自zì火huǒ起qǐ之zhī候hòu，狂kuáng風fēng大dà作zuò，各gè人rén只zhǐ顧gù救jiù火huǒ，搬bān搶qiǎng物wù件jiàn，更gèng不bù知zhī袈jiā裟shā去qù向xiàng。」自zì火huǒ起qǐ之zhī候hòu，狂kuáng风fēng大dà作zuò，各gè人rén只zhǐ顾gù救jiù火huǒ，搬bān抢qiǎng物wù件jiàn，更gèng不bù知zhī袈jiā裟shā去qù向xiàng。」

"From the moment the fire arose, a violent wind sprang up, and every man of us thought only of fighting the fire and snatching out the goods; and we know nothing of where the cassock has gone."

狂風大作 is "a violent wind sprang up." They do not know where it came from, and they never will; the creature who raised it is standing over them with a rod. Their last words are a perfect summary of the house: 只顧救火，搬搶物件 — we thought only of the fire and of snatching out the goods.

總評 Commentary

The monks kneel to save Wukong from Sanzang, which is the one selfless thing done by anybody in this monastery, and they do it for the creature who burned it down. Then, the moment the pain stops, they turn on their dead master: 這都是那老死鬼的不是. "It is all the fault of that old dead ghost." The man was 公公 to them an hour ago. Wú Chéng'ēn lets the sentence stand without a word of gloss, and it does more damage to the house than the fire did.

But their account of him is, unexpectedly, the truest portrait in the chapter. 他昨晚看著你的袈裟，只哭到更深時候，看也不曾敢看 — he sat looking at your cassock and wept into the deep watches, and never once dared to look at it properly. That is the whole of the man. He had the thing in his hands, under a lamp, all night, and could not open it; what he wanted was never to see it but to have it, and the wanting was so complete that seeing became impossible. He then burned two hundred and thirty men out of their beds to secure a bundle he had not untied, and this morning he ran at a wall because he could not find it. 損人利己一場空 — the poem has already said it, and the monks, without the least idea what they are saying, have now proved it.