第二回 · 筋斗雲法 The Somersault Cloud — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

筋斗雲法 The Somersault Cloud

悟wù空kōng道dào：「這zhè個gè卻què難nán，卻què難nán。」祖zǔ師shī道dào：「世shì上shàng無wú難nán事shì，只zhǐ怕pà有yǒu心xīn人rén。」悟wù空kōng聞wén得dé此cǐ言yán，叩kòu頭tóu禮lǐ拜bài，啟qǐ道dào：「師shī父fù，為wèi人rén須xū為wéi徹chè，索suǒ性xìng捨shě個gè大dà慈cí悲bēi，將jiāng此cǐ騰téng雲yún之zhī法fǎ，一yì發fā傳chuán與yǔ我wǒ罷ba，決jué不bù敢gǎn忘wàng恩ēn。」祖zǔ師shī道dào：「凡fán諸zhū仙xiān騰téng雲yún，皆jiē跌diē足zú而ér起qǐ，你nǐ卻què不bú是shì這zhè般bān。我wǒ才cái見jiàn你nǐ去qù，連lián扯chě方fāng才cái跳tiào上shàng。我wǒ今jīn只zhǐ就jiù你nǐ這zhè個gè勢shì，傳chuán你nǐ個gè斤jīn斗dǒu雲yún罷ba。」悟wù空kōng又yòu禮lǐ拜bài懇kěn求qiú，祖zǔ師shī卻què又yòu傳chuán個gè口kǒu訣jué道dào：「這zhè朵duǒ雲yún，捻niǎn著zhe訣jué，念niàn動dòng真zhēn言yán，攢cuán緊jǐn了le拳quán，將jiāng身shēn一yì抖dǒu，跳tiào將jiāng起qǐ來lái，一yì斤jīn斗dǒu就jiù有yǒu十shí萬wàn八bā千qiān里lǐ路lù哩li。」大dà眾zhòng聽tīng說shuō，一yí個gè個gè嘻xī嘻xī笑xiào道dào：「悟wù空kōng造zào化huà，若ruò會huì這zhè個gè法fǎ兒er，與yǔ人rén家jiā當dāng鋪pù兵bīng、送sòng文wén書shū、遞dì報bào單dān，不bù管guǎn那nǎ裡lǐ都dōu尋xún了le飯fàn吃chī。」師shī徒tú們men天tiān昏hūn各gè歸guī洞dòng府fǔ。這zhè一yí夜yè，悟wù空kōng即jí運yùn神shén煉liàn法fǎ，會huì了le斤jīn斗dǒu雲yún。逐zhú日rì家jiā無wú拘jū無wú束shù，自zì在zài逍xiāo遙yáo，此cǐ亦yì長cháng生shēng之zhī美měi。悟wù空kōng道dào：「这zhè个gè却què难nán，却què难nán。」祖zǔ师shī道dào：「世shì上shàng无wú难nán事shì，只zhǐ怕pà有yǒu心xīn人rén。」悟wù空kōng闻wén得dé此cǐ言yán，叩kòu头tóu礼lǐ拜bài，启qǐ道dào：「师shī父fù，为wèi人rén须xū为wéi彻chè，索suǒ性xìng舍shě个gè大dà慈cí悲bēi，将jiāng此cǐ腾téng云yún之zhī法fǎ，一yì发fā传chuán与yǔ我wǒ罢ba，决jué不bù敢gǎn忘wàng恩ēn。」祖zǔ师shī道dào：「凡fán诸zhū仙xiān腾téng云yún，皆jiē跌diē足zú而ér起qǐ，你nǐ却què不bú是shì这zhè般bān。我wǒ才cái见jiàn你nǐ去qù，连lián扯chě方fāng才cái跳tiào上shàng。我wǒ今jīn只zhǐ就jiù你nǐ这zhè个gè势shì，传chuán你nǐ个gè斤jīn斗dǒu云yún罢ba。」悟wù空kōng又yòu礼lǐ拜bài恳kěn求qiú，祖zǔ师shī却què又yòu传chuán个gè口kǒu诀jué道dào：「这zhè朵duǒ云yún，捻niǎn着zhe诀jué，念niàn动dòng真zhēn言yán，攒cuán紧jǐn了le拳quán，将jiāng身shēn一yì抖dǒu，跳tiào将jiāng起qǐ来lái，一yì斤jīn斗dǒu就jiù有yǒu十shí万wàn八bā千qiān里lǐ路lù哩li。」大dà众zhòng听tīng说shuō，一yí个gè个gè嘻xī嘻xī笑xiào道dào：「悟wù空kōng造zào化huà，若ruò会huì这zhè个gè法fǎ儿er，与yǔ人rén家jiā当dāng铺pù兵bīng、送sòng文wén书shū、递dì报bào单dān，不bù管guǎn那nǎ里lǐ都dōu寻xún了le饭fàn吃chī。」师shī徒tú们men天tiān昏hūn各gè归guī洞dòng府fǔ。这zhè一yí夜yè，悟wù空kōng即jí运yùn神shén炼liàn法fǎ，会huì了le斤jīn斗dǒu云yún。逐zhú日rì家jiā无wú拘jū无wú束shù，自zì在zài逍xiāo遥yáo，此cǐ亦yì长cháng生shēng之zhī美měi。

逐句解 Line by line

悟wù空kōng道dào：「這zhè個gè卻què難nán，卻què難nán。」悟wù空kōng道dào：「这zhè个gè却què难nán，却què难nán。」

Wukong said: "That's hard, that's hard."

卻難 — "that's hard, that's hard," with 卻 as an intensifier. Note the shape of it. He has spent the whole chapter saying 不學不學 to everything offered him. This is the first thing he has wanted and thought beyond his reach.

祖zǔ師shī道dào：「世shì上shàng無wú難nán事shì，只zhǐ怕pà有yǒu心xīn人rén。」祖zǔ师shī道dào：「世shì上shàng无wú难nán事shì，只zhǐ怕pà有yǒu心xīn人rén。」

The Patriarch said: "There is nothing hard in the world — one only fears a person with a will."

世上無難事，只怕有心人 — nothing in the world is hard; difficulty is only afraid of a person with a will. A genuine and thoroughly current proverb, the sort of thing painted on classroom walls. 有心人 is one of resolve.

悟wù空kōng聞wén得dé此cǐ言yán，叩kòu頭tóu禮lǐ拜bài，啟qǐ道dào：「師shī父fù，為wèi人rén須xū為wéi徹chè，索suǒ性xìng捨shě個gè大dà慈cí悲bēi，將jiāng此cǐ騰téng雲yún之zhī法fǎ，一yì發fā傳chuán與yǔ我wǒ罷ba，決jué不bù敢gǎn忘wàng恩ēn。」悟wù空kōng闻wén得dé此cǐ言yán，叩kòu头tóu礼lǐ拜bài，启qǐ道dào：「师shī父fù，为wèi人rén须xū为wéi彻chè，索suǒ性xìng舍shě个gè大dà慈cí悲bēi，将jiāng此cǐ腾téng云yún之zhī法fǎ，一yì发fā传chuán与yǔ我wǒ罢ba，决jué不bù敢gǎn忘wàng恩ēn。」

Hearing this, Wukong bowed his head in worship and said respectfully: "Master, in doing a kindness one should see it through; just dispense a great mercy and pass me this cloud-soaring method all at once — I shall surely never forget the kindness."

He takes the proverb as an opening and pounces. 為人須為徹 is another saying — if you're going to do somebody a kindness, see it through — and note the two lives of 為 inside five characters: wèi, "for the sake of," then wéi, "to do." 索性 is "just, may as well," and 一發 is "while you're at it, all in one go." He is haggling with his own master, and doing it charmingly. (一發 is yì fā; 不敢 keeps bù.)

祖zǔ師shī道dào：「凡fán諸zhū仙xiān騰téng雲yún，皆jiē跌diē足zú而ér起qǐ，你nǐ卻què不bú是shì這zhè般bān。我wǒ才cái見jiàn你nǐ去qù，連lián扯chě方fāng才cái跳tiào上shàng。我wǒ今jīn只zhǐ就jiù你nǐ這zhè個gè勢shì，傳chuán你nǐ個gè斤jīn斗dǒu雲yún罷ba。」祖zǔ师shī道dào：「凡fán诸zhū仙xiān腾téng云yún，皆jiē跌diē足zú而ér起qǐ，你nǐ却què不bú是shì这zhè般bān。我wǒ才cái见jiàn你nǐ去qù，连lián扯chě方fāng才cái跳tiào上shàng。我wǒ今jīn只zhǐ就jiù你nǐ这zhè个gè势shì，传chuán你nǐ个gè斤jīn斗dǒu云yún罢ba。」

The Patriarch said: "All the immortals soar by springing up from a stamp of the foot — but you are not like that. Just now I saw you rise only with a tumbling pull. So I will work from this very motion of yours, and pass you the somersault-cloud."

And here is the finest piece of teaching in the chapter. Other immortals take off by stamping — 跌足而起 — and Wukong does not; so the master, having watched him tumble, does not correct the motion but builds on it. 我今只就你這個勢, "I'll work from this very posture of yours" (勢 is the shape of a movement). The 斤斗雲, written elsewhere 筋斗雲 — the somersault-cloud — is therefore designed around one particular monkey's bad habits. (不是 takes bú.)

悟wù空kōng又yòu禮lǐ拜bài懇kěn求qiú，祖zǔ師shī卻què又yòu傳chuán個gè口kǒu訣jué道dào：「這zhè朵duǒ雲yún，捻niǎn著zhe訣jué，念niàn動dòng真zhēn言yán，攢cuán緊jǐn了le拳quán，將jiāng身shēn一yì抖dǒu，跳tiào將jiāng起qǐ來lái，一yì斤jīn斗dǒu就jiù有yǒu十shí萬wàn八bā千qiān里lǐ路lù哩li。」悟wù空kōng又yòu礼lǐ拜bài恳kěn求qiú，祖zǔ师shī却què又yòu传chuán个gè口kǒu诀jué道dào：「这zhè朵duǒ云yún，捻niǎn着zhe诀jué，念niàn动dòng真zhēn言yán，攒cuán紧jǐn了le拳quán，将jiāng身shēn一yì抖dǒu，跳tiào将jiāng起qǐ来lái，一yì斤jīn斗dǒu就jiù有yǒu十shí万wàn八bā千qiān里lǐ路lù哩li。」

Wukong bowed again and earnestly begged, and the Patriarch passed him another formula: "For this cloud, make the hand-sign, recite the true words, clench your fists tight, give your body a shake and leap up — and one somersault carries you a hundred and eight thousand li."

The method, and it is entirely physical: make the hand-sign (捻著訣, 捻 niǎn), speak the true words, clench the fists (攢 cuán), shake the body, jump. Then the number. A hundred and eight thousand 里 in one bound — and hold on to that figure, because it is exactly the distance the pilgrims will later be told separates China from the Buddha's mountain. The entire journey of the novel, in a single hop. (一抖 and 一斤斗 are both yì; the 將 of 跳將起來 is a little linking syllable, jiāng.)

大dà眾zhòng聽tīng說shuō，一yí個gè個gè嘻xī嘻xī笑xiào道dào：「悟wù空kōng造zào化huà，若ruò會huì這zhè個gè法fǎ兒er，與yǔ人rén家jiā當dāng鋪pù兵bīng、送sòng文wén書shū、遞dì報bào單dān，不bù管guǎn那nǎ裡lǐ都dōu尋xún了le飯fàn吃chī。」大dà众zhòng听tīng说shuō，一yí个gè个gè嘻xī嘻xī笑xiào道dào：「悟wù空kōng造zào化huà，若ruò会huì这zhè个gè法fǎ儿er，与yǔ人rén家jiā当dāng铺pù兵bīng、送sòng文wén书shū、递dì报bào单dān，不bù管guǎn那nǎ里lǐ都dōu寻xún了le饭fàn吃chī。」

Hearing this, the others giggled one and all: "What luck Wukong has! If he knows this trick, he could serve as a relay-courier for people, carrying documents and dispatches, and find a meal wherever he goes."

And the other disciples immediately think of the postal service. A 鋪兵 (pù bīng) is a relay runner on the imperial courier network, and with a power that crosses the world in an instant, the best they can picture is steady work carrying dispatches and a meal at the end of it. It is a superb joke, and it tells you exactly what these men are. 當 is dāng, to serve as, not dàng as in 當鋪 (dàng pù), a pawnshop; 那裡 takes 那 as nǎ, wherever. (一個個 is yí gè gè; 不管 keeps bù.)

師shī徒tú們men天tiān昏hūn各gè歸guī洞dòng府fǔ。师shī徒tú们men天tiān昏hūn各gè归guī洞dòng府fǔ。

At dusk master and disciples each went back to their dwellings.

天昏 is dusk, and everybody goes home to bed.

這zhè一yí夜yè，悟wù空kōng即jí運yùn神shén煉liàn法fǎ，會huì了le斤jīn斗dǒu雲yún。这zhè一yí夜yè，悟wù空kōng即jí运yùn神shén炼liàn法fǎ，会huì了le斤jīn斗dǒu云yún。

That night Wukong circulated his spirit and worked the method, and mastered the somersault-cloud.

Everybody except one. 運神煉法 is to circulate the spirit and work the method, and by morning he has it. (這一夜 is yí yè.)

逐zhú日rì家jiā無wú拘jū無wú束shù，自zì在zài逍xiāo遙yáo，此cǐ亦yì長cháng生shēng之zhī美měi。逐zhú日rì家jiā无wú拘jū无wú束shù，自zì在zài逍xiāo遥yáo，此cǐ亦yì长cháng生shēng之zhī美měi。

Day after day he was free and unfettered, at ease and carefree — and this too was a delight of his long life.

無拘無束 is free and unfettered, and 逍遙 is the untrammelled wandering of the 《莊子》's opening chapter, 逍遙遊 — the great Chinese image of the unconstrained life. 逐日家 is "day after day," with 家 as a colloquial suffix. Then the narrator's verdict: 此亦長生之美, this too is one of the good things about living forever. The whole apprenticeship comes to rest on that quiet sentence.

總評 Commentary

Here Wukong receives the power that, with his iron cudgel, will become his signature: the 筋斗雲, the somersault-cloud. The detail that matters is pedagogical. The master does not impose a standard technique; he builds the new power on Wukong's own clumsy tumbling motion — 我今只就你這個勢，傳你個斤斗雲, "I will work from this very posture of yours." The gift is cut to fit the monkey's nature, the somersault he was already turning transmuted into a stride across the world. And the formula is as concrete and physical as the elixir-verse before it — hand-sign, true words, clenched fists, a shake, a leap — keeping up the novel's insistence that the Way is a craft with exact moves rather than a vague mysticism.

The figure attached to it — 一斤斗就有十萬八千里, a hundred and eight thousand 里 at a single bound — is one of the most resonant numbers in the book. It is precisely the distance the pilgrims will later be told lies between China and the Buddha's Vulture Peak, so that Wukong's leap quietly measures out the whole span of the journey to come; and it sets up the great irony of the seventh chapter, where all this speed cannot carry him off the palm of the Buddha's hand. Characteristically, the novel punctures the marvel in the same breath: the other disciples, giggling, can imagine no grander use for a power that crosses the world in an instant than running the post — carrying documents and dispatches for hire, and finding a meal wherever it puts them down. The sublime and the mundane, once again, inside a single line.