原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
將計就計
Meeting a Stratagem with a Stratagem
行者見了，笑道：「造化，造化，老孫也是便益，菩薩也是省力。這怪叫做不打自招，那怪教他今日了劣。」菩薩說道：「悟空，這教怎麼說？」行者道：「菩薩，我悟空有一句話兒，叫做將計就計，不知菩薩可肯依我？」菩薩道：「你說。」行者說道：「菩薩，你看這盤兒中是兩粒仙丹，便是我們與那妖魔的贄見；這盤兒後面刻的四個字，說『凌虛子製』，便是我們與那妖魔的勾頭。菩薩若要依得我時，我好替你作個計較，也就不須動得干戈，也不須勞得征戰，妖魔眼下遭瘟，佛衣眼下出現；菩薩要不依我時，菩薩往西，我悟空往東，佛衣只當相送，唐三藏只當落空。」菩薩笑道：「這猴熟嘴。」行者道：「不敢，倒是一個計較。」菩薩說：「你這計較怎說？」行者道：「這盤上刻那『凌虛子製』，想這道人就叫做凌虛子。菩薩，你要依我時，可就變做這個道人，我把這丹吃了一粒，變上一粒，略大些兒。菩薩，你就捧了這個盤兒、兩粒仙丹，去與那妖上壽，把這丸大些的讓與那妖。待那妖一口吞之，老孫便於中取事：他若不肯獻出佛衣，老孫將他肚腸就也織將一件出來。」菩薩沒法，只得也點點頭兒依他。行者笑道：「如何？」行者见了，笑道：「造化，造化，老孙也是便益，菩萨也是省力。这怪叫做不打自招，那怪教他今日了劣。」菩萨说道：「悟空，这教怎么说？」行者道：「菩萨，我悟空有一句话儿，叫做将计就计，不知菩萨可肯依我？」菩萨道：「你说。」行者说道：「菩萨，你看这盘儿中是两粒仙丹，便是我们与那妖魔的贽见；这盘儿后面刻的四个字，说『凌虚子制』，便是我们与那妖魔的勾头。菩萨若要依得我时，我好替你作个计较，也就不须动得干戈，也不须劳得征战，妖魔眼下遭瘟，佛衣眼下出现；菩萨要不依我时，菩萨往西，我悟空往东，佛衣只当相送，唐三藏只当落空。」菩萨笑道：「这猴熟嘴。」行者道：「不敢，倒是一个计较。」菩萨说：「你这计较怎说？」行者道：「这盘上刻那『凌虚子制』，想这道人就叫做凌虚子。菩萨，你要依我时，可就变做这个道人，我把这丹吃了一粒，变上一粒，略大些儿。菩萨，你就捧了这个盘儿、两粒仙丹，去与那妖上寿，把这丸大些的让与那妖。待那妖一口吞之，老孙便于中取事：他若不肯献出佛衣，老孙将他肚肠就也织将一件出来。」菩萨没法，只得也点点头儿依他。行者笑道：「如何？」
逐句解 Line by line
行者見了，笑道：「造化，造化，老孫也是便益，菩薩也是省力。
行者见了，笑道：「造化，造化，老孙也是便益，菩萨也是省力。
The Pilgrim saw it and laughed. "Good fortune, good fortune! It is a convenience for old Sun and a saving of labour for the Bodhisattva.
造化, a piece of luck. 便益 and 省力 — the Pilgrim reckons the corpse on the road as a saving of effort for both of them.
這怪叫做不打自招，那怪教他今日了劣。」
这怪叫做不打自招，那怪教他今日了劣。」
This one is what they call a confession without a beating; and as for that fiend, let him be done for this very day."
不打自招, the confession without a beating, is the phrase he already used of the bear's birthday talk. 了劣 — 了 reads liǎo, to finish, and 劣 is written for 帳: to be settled, done for. pypinyin gives le.
菩薩說道：「悟空，這教怎麼說？」
菩萨说道：「悟空，这教怎么说？」
The Bodhisattva said, "Wukong, what do you mean by this?"
這教怎麼說: 教 writes 叫 and reads jiào — what is this to be called?
行者道：「菩薩，我悟空有一句話兒，叫做將計就計，不知菩薩可肯依我？」
行者道：「菩萨，我悟空有一句话儿，叫做将计就计，不知菩萨可肯依我？」
The Pilgrim said, "Bodhisattva, I, Wukong, have a word to say — what is called meeting a stratagem with a stratagem. I do not know whether the Bodhisattva will be willing to follow me."
將計就計, to meet a plot by falling in with it: 將 reads jiāng. 話兒 takes the diminutive er.
菩薩道：「你說。」
菩萨道：「你说。」
The Bodhisattva said, "Speak."
Two graphs. The Bodhisattva has already lost the argument.
行者說道：「菩薩，你看這盤兒中是兩粒仙丹，便是我們與那妖魔的贄見；
行者说道：「菩萨，你看这盘儿中是两粒仙丹，便是我们与那妖魔的贽见；
The Pilgrim said, "Bodhisattva, you see that in this tray are two pellets of immortal elixir. These shall be our gift of introduction to the monster;
贄見 is the gift a guest carries at a first meeting — the correct term, and the Pilgrim uses it of two stolen pills. 盤兒中: zhōng.
這盤兒後面刻的四個字，說『凌虛子製』，便是我們與那妖魔的勾頭。
这盘儿后面刻的四个字，说『凌虚子制』，便是我们与那妖魔的勾头。
and the four graphs cut on the back of the tray, which say 'Made by Lingxuzi' — these shall be our warrant for his arrest.
勾頭 is a warrant of arrest. The maker's mark becomes a legal instrument in the space of one clause. 凌虛子: the lexical 子, zǐ.
菩薩若要依得我時，我好替你作個計較，
菩萨若要依得我时，我好替你作个计较，
If the Bodhisattva will do as I say, I can lay a scheme for you,
依得 takes the potential dé. 計較, a scheme.
也就不須動得干戈，也不須勞得征戰，妖魔眼下遭瘟，佛衣眼下出現；
也就不须动得干戈，也不须劳得征战，妖魔眼下遭瘟，佛衣眼下出现；
and there will be no need to move shield and spear, nor any labour of battle. The monster shall have his plague this instant, and the Buddha-robe shall appear this instant.
Two more potentials, 動得 and 勞得, both dé. 遭瘟, to catch the plague — the Pilgrim's word for what a Bodhisattva is to do to a living creature.
菩薩要不依我時，菩薩往西，我悟空往東，
菩萨要不依我时，菩萨往西，我悟空往东，
But if the Bodhisattva will not do as I say, then let the Bodhisattva go west and Wukong go east:
The threat is put with perfect courtesy and is entirely serious.
佛衣只當相送，唐三藏只當落空。」
佛衣只当相送，唐三藏只当落空。」
the Buddha-robe will count as a gift bestowed, and Sanzang of the Tang will count as come to nothing."
只當 — 當 reads dàng, to count as, to be reckoned; not the dāng that pypinyin supplies. 相送: xiāng. He proposes to abandon both the robe and his master if he is not obeyed.
菩薩笑道：「這猴熟嘴。」行者道：「不敢，倒是一個計較。」菩薩說：「你這計較怎說？」
菩萨笑道：「这猴熟嘴。」行者道：「不敢，倒是一个计较。」菩萨说：「你这计较怎说？」
The Bodhisattva laughed. "This monkey has a ready mouth." The Pilgrim said, "I would not presume — but it is a scheme, for all that." The Bodhisattva said, "And how does this scheme of yours run?"
熟嘴, a well-practised mouth. It is the only rebuke she offers, and it is affectionate.
行者道：「這盤上刻那『凌虛子製』，想這道人就叫做凌虛子。
行者道：「这盘上刻那『凌虚子制』，想这道人就叫做凌虚子。
The Pilgrim said, "On this tray is cut 'Made by Lingxuzi.' I fancy this Taoist is called Lingxuzi.
Two occurrences of 凌虛子, both taking the lexical zǐ of a Taoist style-name.
菩薩，你要依我時，可就變做這個道人，
菩萨，你要依我时，可就变做这个道人，
Bodhisattva, if you will do as I say, you have only to change into this Taoist;
變做這個道人. He has just killed the Taoist and is now assigning his face to the Bodhisattva.
我把這丹吃了一粒，變上一粒，略大些兒。
我把这丹吃了一粒，变上一粒，略大些儿。
and I will eat one of these pills and turn myself into another, a trifle larger.
略大些兒 — the whole plan turns on a pill a trifle bigger than its fellow, and on nobody looking closely.
菩薩，你就捧了這個盤兒、兩粒仙丹，去與那妖上壽，把這丸大些的讓與那妖。
菩萨，你就捧了这个盘儿、两粒仙丹，去与那妖上寿，把这丸大些的让与那妖。
Bodhisattva, you shall then take up this tray with its two pellets, go and drink the fiend's health, and yield him the larger pill.
上壽, to drink a birthday health. The bear has been waiting two days for exactly this.
待那妖一口吞之，老孫便於中取事：
待那妖一口吞之，老孙便于中取事：
Wait till the fiend has swallowed it at a gulp, and old Sun will do his business from within:
於中取事, to do the business from inside — the Pilgrim's signature manoeuvre, used here for the first time in the novel.
他若不肯獻出佛衣，老孫將他肚腸就也織將一件出來。」
他若不肯献出佛衣，老孙将他肚肠就也织将一件出来。」
if he will not give up the Buddha-robe, old Sun will weave him one out of his very bowels."
織將一件出來: 將 is the verbal particle, jiāng. He offers to weave a cassock out of the bear's intestines, and the sentence is a joke.
菩薩沒法，只得也點點頭兒依他。行者笑道：「如何？」
菩萨没法，只得也点点头儿依他。行者笑道：「如何？」
The Bodhisattva had no help for it, and could only nod her head and do as he said. The Pilgrim laughed. "How is that?"
沒法, no way out; 只得 takes dé. 點點頭兒, a little nod. The Bodhisattva of Great Compassion is manoeuvred into an assassination by a monkey, and consents by nodding.
總評 Commentary
The Pilgrim looks at a murdered stranger and sees an opportunity: 造化，造化. Within a hundred graphs he has designed a poisoning, cast the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion in the role of the poisoner, assigned her the face of the man he has just killed, and threatened to abandon his master if she declines. 佛衣只當相送，唐三藏只當落空。 The threat is delivered in the courteous conditional, and it works.
What the passage will not let the reader forget is the vocabulary. The stolen pills are a 贄見, the gift a guest brings at a first meeting. The maker's mark is a 勾頭, a warrant of arrest. The whole is 將計就計, meeting a stratagem with a stratagem — though no stratagem has yet been laid against them. Every term is drawn from the world of law and ceremony, and every one of them describes an ambush. Then: 菩薩沒法，只得也點點頭兒依他。 She had no way out, and could only nod.