第十八回 · 門首議定 The Bargain at the Gate — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

門首議定 The Bargain at the Gate

行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ的de造zào化huà，我wǒ有yǒu營yíng生shēng，這zhè才cái是shì湊còu四sì合hé六liù的de勾gòu當dàng。你nǐ也yě不bù須xū遠yuǎn行xíng，莫mò要yào花huā費fèi了le銀yín子zi。我wǒ們men不bú是shì那nà不bú濟jì的de和hé尚shàng，膿nóng包bāo的de道dào士shì，其qí實shí有yǒu些xiē手shǒu段duàn，慣guàn會huì拿ná妖yāo。這zhè正zhèng是shì：『一yì來lái照zhào顧gù郎láng中zhōng，二èr來lái又yòu醫yī得de眼yǎn好hǎo。』煩fán你nǐ回huí去qù上shàng覆fù你nǐ那nà家jiā主zhǔ，說shuō我wǒ們men是shì東dōng土tǔ駕jià下xià差chāi來lái的de御yù弟dì聖shèng僧sēng，往wǎng西xī天tiān拜bài佛fó求qiú經jīng者zhě，善shàn能néng降xiáng妖yāo縛fù怪guài。」高gāo才cái道dào：「你nǐ莫mò誤wù了le我wǒ。我wǒ是shì一yì肚dǔ子zi氣qì的de人rén，你nǐ錯cuò哄hǒng了le我wǒ，沒méi甚shén手shǒu段duàn，拿ná不bú住zhù那nà妖yāo精jīng，卻què不bú又yòu帶dài累lěi我wǒ來lái受shòu氣qì？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「管guǎn教jiào不bú誤wù了le你nǐ，你nǐ引yǐn我wǒ到dào你nǐ家jiā門mén首shǒu去qù來lái。」那nà人rén也yě無wú計jì奈nài何hé，真zhēn個gè提tí著zhe包bāo袱fú，拿ná了le傘sǎn，轉zhuǎn步bù回huí身shēn，領lǐng他tā師shī徒tú到dào於yú門mén首shǒu道dào：「二èr位wèi長zhǎng老lǎo，你nǐ且qiě在zài馬mǎ臺tái上shàng略lüè坐zuò坐zuò，等děng我wǒ進jìn去qù報bào主zhǔ人rén知zhī道dào。」行xíng者zhě才cái放fàng了le手shǒu，落luò擔dàn牽qiān馬mǎ，師shī徒tú們men坐zuò立lì門mén傍páng等děng候hòu。行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ的de造zào化huà，我wǒ有yǒu营yíng生shēng，这zhè才cái是shì凑còu四sì合hé六liù的de勾gòu当dàng。你nǐ也yě不bù须xū远yuǎn行xíng，莫mò要yào花huā费fèi了le银yín子zi。我wǒ们men不bú是shì那nà不bú济jì的de和hé尚shàng，脓nóng包bāo的de道dào士shì，其qí实shí有yǒu些xiē手shǒu段duàn，惯guàn会huì拿ná妖yāo。这zhè正zhèng是shì：『一yì来lái照zhào顾gù郎láng中zhōng，二èr来lái又yòu医yī得de眼yǎn好hǎo。』烦fán你nǐ回huí去qù上shàng覆fù你nǐ那nà家jiā主zhǔ，说shuō我wǒ们men是shì东dōng土tǔ驾jià下xià差chāi来lái的de御yù弟dì圣shèng僧sēng，往wǎng西xī天tiān拜bài佛fó求qiú经jīng者zhě，善shàn能néng降xiáng妖yāo缚fù怪guài。」高gāo才cái道dào：「你nǐ莫mò误wù了le我wǒ。我wǒ是shì一yì肚dǔ子zi气qì的de人rén，你nǐ错cuò哄hǒng了le我wǒ，没méi甚shén手shǒu段duàn，拿ná不bú住zhù那nà妖yāo精jīng，却què不bú又yòu带dài累lěi我wǒ来lái受shòu气qì？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「管guǎn教jiào不bú误wù了le你nǐ，你nǐ引yǐn我wǒ到dào你nǐ家jiā门mén首shǒu去qù来lái。」那nà人rén也yě无wú计jì奈nài何hé，真zhēn个gè提tí著zhe包bāo袱fú，拿ná了le伞sǎn，转zhuǎn步bù回huí身shēn，领lǐng他tā师shī徒tú到dào于yú门mén首shǒu道dào：「二èr位wèi长zhǎng老lǎo，你nǐ且qiě在zài马mǎ台tái上shàng略lüè坐zuò坐zuò，等děng我wǒ进jìn去qù报bào主zhǔ人rén知zhī道dào。」行xíng者zhě才cái放fàng了le手shǒu，落luò担dàn牵qiān马mǎ，师shī徒tú们men坐zuò立lì门mén傍páng等děng候hòu。

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ的de造zào化huà，我wǒ有yǒu營yíng生shēng，這zhè才cái是shì湊còu四sì合hé六liù的de勾gòu當dàng。行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ的de造zào化huà，我wǒ有yǒu营yíng生shēng，这zhè才cái是shì凑còu四sì合hé六liù的de勾gòu当dàng。

The Pilgrim said, "Your luck is in, and I am in business: the four and the six make ten, and here is the very trade for us both.

造化, one's allotted fortune. 湊四合六: four and six make ten — a perfect fit, a bargain that suits both parties. 勾當 takes 勾 as gòu and 當 as dàng; the word is neutral here, "affair, piece of business."

你nǐ也yě不bù須xū遠yuǎn行xíng，莫mò要yào花huā費fèi了le銀yín子zi。你nǐ也yě不bù须xū远yuǎn行xíng，莫mò要yào花huā费fèi了le银yín子zi。

You need go no farther, and you need spend none of your silver.

遠行: 行 is xíng. The Pilgrim spares the man the journey and the silver in one breath, having just cost him both.

我wǒ們men不bú是shì那nà不bú濟jì的de和hé尚shàng，膿nóng包bāo的de道dào士shì，其qí實shí有yǒu些xiē手shǒu段duàn，慣guàn會huì拿ná妖yāo。我wǒ们men不bú是shì那nà不bú济jì的de和hé尚shàng，脓nóng包bāo的de道dào士shì，其qí实shí有yǒu些xiē手shǒu段duàn，惯guàn会huì拿ná妖yāo。

We are not of those worthless monks and pox-ridden Daoists. We have some skill in fact, and we are old hands at taking monsters.

He returns Gao Cai's own epithets — 不濟的和尚，膿包的道士 — and pointedly does not deny being a monk. 慣會, "well practised at."

這zhè正zhèng是shì：『一yì來lái照zhào顧gù郎láng中zhōng，二èr來lái又yòu醫yī得de眼yǎn好hǎo。』这zhè正zhèng是shì：『一yì来lái照zhào顾gù郎láng中zhōng，二èr来lái又yòu医yī得de眼yǎn好hǎo。』

As the saying has it, 'First it obliges the physician; second, it gets the eye cured.'

The proverb turns on 照顧, which means both "to look after" and "to give one's custom to." 醫得眼好 takes 得 as the resultative de. It stands as prose, not verse, by the rule for quoted sayings.

煩fán你nǐ回huí去qù上shàng覆fù你nǐ那nà家jiā主zhǔ，說shuō我wǒ們men是shì東dōng土tǔ駕jià下xià差chāi來lái的de御yù弟dì聖shèng僧sēng，烦fán你nǐ回huí去qù上shàng覆fù你nǐ那nà家jiā主zhǔ，说shuō我wǒ们men是shì东dōng土tǔ驾jià下xià差chāi来lái的de御yù弟dì圣shèng僧sēng，

Be so good as to go back and inform your master that we are the holy monk, imperial brother of the Tang court, sent forth by our sovereign,

上覆, to report to a superior. 差來: 差 is chāi, "dispatched," not chà; pypinyin defaults wrongly. 御弟 — imperial younger brother — is the title Taizong conferred in chapter twelve.

往wǎng西xī天tiān拜bài佛fó求qiú經jīng者zhě，善shàn能néng降xiáng妖yāo縛fù怪guài。」往wǎng西xī天tiān拜bài佛fó求qiú经jīng者zhě，善shàn能néng降xiáng妖yāo缚fù怪guài。」

bound west to worship the Buddha and seek the scriptures, and well able to subdue fiends and bind demons."

降妖縛怪: 降 is xiáng. The Pilgrim assigns the whole title to we, and lets Sanzang stand as the exorcist, which he is not.

高gāo才cái道dào：「你nǐ莫mò誤wù了le我wǒ。我wǒ是shì一yì肚dǔ子zi氣qì的de人rén，你nǐ錯cuò哄hǒng了le我wǒ，高gāo才cái道dào：「你nǐ莫mò误wù了le我wǒ。我wǒ是shì一yì肚dǔ子zi气qì的de人rén，你nǐ错cuò哄hǒng了le我wǒ，

Gao Cai said, "Do not lead me astray. I am a man with a bellyful of anger already. If you have gulled me,

一肚子氣 — a belly full of temper; 一 takes the mechanical sandhi yí before the fourth-tone 肚. 哄, to gull, to fob off.

沒méi甚shén手shǒu段duàn，拿ná不bú住zhù那nà妖yāo精jīng，卻què不bú又yòu帶dài累lěi我wǒ來lái受shòu氣qì？」没méi甚shén手shǒu段duàn，拿ná不bú住zhù那nà妖yāo精jīng，却què不bú又yòu带dài累lěi我wǒ来lái受shòu气qì？」

and have no skill, and cannot take the monster, will you not have got me abused all over again?"

沒甚手段: 甚 is shén, as in 甚麼, not the intensifier shèn. 帶累 — to implicate, to drag another into one's trouble — takes 累 as lěi.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「管guǎn教jiào不bú誤wù了le你nǐ，你nǐ引yǐn我wǒ到dào你nǐ家jiā門mén首shǒu去qù來lái。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「管guǎn教jiào不bú误wù了le你nǐ，你nǐ引yǐn我wǒ到dào你nǐ家jiā门mén首shǒu去qù来lái。」

The Pilgrim said, "I warrant I shall not lead you astray. Bring me to the gate of your house."

管教, "I guarantee." 門首, the gateway. Gao Cai has bargained his freedom for an introduction he does not want to make.

那nà人rén也yě無wú計jì奈nài何hé，真zhēn個gè提tí著zhe包bāo袱fú，拿ná了le傘sǎn，轉zhuǎn步bù回huí身shēn，領lǐng他tā師shī徒tú到dào於yú門mén首shǒu道dào：那nà人rén也yě无wú计jì奈nài何hé，真zhēn个gè提tí著zhe包bāo袱fú，拿ná了le伞sǎn，转zhuǎn步bù回huí身shēn，领lǐng他tā师shī徒tú到dào于yú门mén首shǒu道dào：

The man had no choice. He picked up his pack in earnest, took his umbrella, turned about, and led the master and disciple to the gate, saying,

提著包袱 keeps 著 as zhe. 真個 — "in earnest," the narrator noting that the man now moves without being held.

「二èr位wèi長zhǎng老lǎo，你nǐ且qiě在zài馬mǎ臺tái上shàng略lüè坐zuò坐zuò，等děng我wǒ進jìn去qù報bào主zhǔ人rén知zhī道dào。」「二èr位wèi长zhǎng老lǎo，你nǐ且qiě在zài马mǎ台tái上shàng略lüè坐zuò坐zuò，等děng我wǒ进jìn去qù报bào主zhǔ人rén知zhī道dào。」

"Your reverences, sit a moment on the mounting-block while I go in and let the master of the house know."

馬臺 is the stone block set by a gate for mounting a horse; guests of no consequence wait there. The courtesy 二位長老 is addressed to both, though only one is an elder.

行xíng者zhě才cái放fàng了le手shǒu，落luò擔dàn牽qiān馬mǎ，師shī徒tú們men坐zuò立lì門mén傍páng等děng候hòu。行xíng者zhě才cái放fàng了le手shǒu，落luò担dàn牵qiān马mǎ，师shī徒tú们men坐zuò立lì门mén傍páng等děng候hòu。

Only then did the Pilgrim let go his hand. He set down the load, led the horse, and master and disciple stood and sat by the gate to wait.

落擔: 擔 is dàn, the noun, a carrying-load. 門傍 writes 門旁, and 傍 takes páng by the loan-graph rule.

總評 Commentary

The Pilgrim negotiates like a tradesman and quotes like one. 湊四合六的勾當, 才有買賣, 照顧郎中 — three commercial figures in as many exchanges. What he offers Gao Cai is not deliverance but a saving of expenses, and the servant, who has been given five mace and a scolding, understands the terms exactly.

Yet observe how he styles the party: 東土駕下差來的御弟聖僧. The credentials are Sanzang's, the imperial commission is Sanzang's, and the promise 善能降妖縛怪 is entirely the monkey's. This habit of announcing the master's dignity in order to sell his own services will persist for eighty chapters, and it is one of the few forms of loyalty Sun Wukong practises without being compelled.