第二十一回 · 莊門告借一宵 Asking a Night's Lodging at the Farm Gate — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

莊門告借一宵 Asking a Night's Lodging at the Farm Gate

他tā兩liǎng個gè不bù敢gǎn擅shàn入rù，只zhǐ得dé叫jiào一yì聲shēng：「開kāi門mén，開kāi門mén！」那nà裡lǐ有yǒu一yì老lǎo者zhě，帶dài幾jǐ個gè年nián幼yòu的de農nóng夫fū，叉chā鈀pá掃sǎo帚zhǒu齊qí來lái，問wèn道dào：「甚shén麼me人rén？甚shén麼me人rén？」行xíng者zhě躬gōng身shēn道dào：「我wǒ們men是shì東dōng土tǔ大dà唐táng聖shèng僧sēng的de徒tú弟dì。因yīn往wǎng西xī方fāng拜bài佛fó求qiú經jīng，路lù過guò此cǐ山shān，被bèi黃huáng風fēng大dà王wáng拿ná了le我wǒ師shī父fù去qù了le，我wǒ們men還hái未wèi曾céng救jiù得dé。天tiān色sè已yǐ晚wǎn，特tè來lái府fǔ上shàng告gào借jiè一yì宵xiāo，萬wàn望wàng方fāng便biàn方fāng便biàn。」那nà老lǎo者zhě答dá禮lǐ道dào：「失shī迎yíng，失shī迎yíng。此cǐ間jiān乃nǎi雲yún多duō人rén少shǎo之zhī處chù，卻què才cái聞wén得de叫jiào門mén，恐kǒng怕pà是shì妖yāo狐hú、老lǎo虎hǔ及jí山shān中zhōng強qiáng盜dào等děng類lèi，故gù此cǐ小xiǎo介jiè愚yú頑wán，多duō有yǒu衝chōng撞zhuàng，不bù知zhī是shì二èr位wèi長zhǎng老lǎo。請qǐng進jìn，請qǐng進jìn。」他tā两liǎng个gè不bù敢gǎn擅shàn入rù，只zhǐ得dé叫jiào一yì声shēng：「开kāi门mén，开kāi门mén！」那nà里lǐ有yǒu一yì老lǎo者zhě，带dài几jǐ个gè年nián幼yòu的de农nóng夫fū，叉chā钯pá扫sǎo帚zhǒu齐qí来lái，问wèn道dào：「甚shén么me人rén？甚shén么me人rén？」行xíng者zhě躬gōng身shēn道dào：「我wǒ们men是shì东dōng土tǔ大dà唐táng圣shèng僧sēng的de徒tú弟dì。因yīn往wǎng西xī方fāng拜bài佛fó求qiú经jīng，路lù过guò此cǐ山shān，被bèi黄huáng风fēng大dà王wáng拿ná了le我wǒ师shī父fù去qù了le，我wǒ们men还hái未wèi曾céng救jiù得dé。天tiān色sè已yǐ晚wǎn，特tè来lái府fǔ上shàng告gào借jiè一yì宵xiāo，万wàn望wàng方fāng便biàn方fāng便biàn。」那nà老lǎo者zhě答dá礼lǐ道dào：「失shī迎yíng，失shī迎yíng。此cǐ间jiān乃nǎi云yún多duō人rén少shǎo之zhī处chù，却què才cái闻wén得de叫jiào门mén，恐kǒng怕pà是shì妖yāo狐hú、老lǎo虎hǔ及jí山shān中zhōng强qiáng盗dào等děng类lèi，故gù此cǐ小xiǎo介jiè愚yú顽wán，多duō有yǒu冲chōng撞zhuàng，不bù知zhī是shì二èr位wèi长zhǎng老lǎo。请qǐng进jìn，请qǐng进jìn。」

逐句解 Line by line

他tā兩liǎng個gè不bù敢gǎn擅shàn入rù，只zhǐ得dé叫jiào一yì聲shēng：「開kāi門mén，開kāi門mén！」他tā两liǎng个gè不bù敢gǎn擅shàn入rù，只zhǐ得dé叫jiào一yì声shēng：「开kāi门mén，开kāi门mén！」

The two of them did not dare to walk in unbidden, and could only call out, "Open the gate! Open the gate!"

只得 takes 得 as dé, "could only." 擅入, to enter without leave — the Pilgrim is on his best behaviour, which is itself a sign that he cannot see.

那nà裡lǐ有yǒu一yì老lǎo者zhě，帶dài幾jǐ個gè年nián幼yòu的de農nóng夫fū，叉chā鈀pá掃sǎo帚zhǒu齊qí來lái，問wèn道dào：「甚shén麼me人rén？甚shén麼me人rén？」那nà里lǐ有yǒu一yì老lǎo者zhě，带dài几jǐ个gè年nián幼yòu的de农nóng夫fū，叉chā钯pá扫sǎo帚zhǒu齐qí来lái，问wèn道dào：「甚shén么me人rén？甚shén么me人rén？」

Within there was an old man, and with him several young farmhands, who came out together with pitchforks and rakes and brooms, asking, "Who is there? Who is there?"

那裡有一老者: 那 is demonstrative nà, "in there," as ruled in ch19 and ch20 — not the interrogative. 鈀 reads pá (pypinyin gives bǎ): the same graph as Bajie's muckrake, here an ordinary farm tool.

行xíng者zhě躬gōng身shēn道dào：「我wǒ們men是shì東dōng土tǔ大dà唐táng聖shèng僧sēng的de徒tú弟dì。行xíng者zhě躬gōng身shēn道dào：「我wǒ们men是shì东dōng土tǔ大dà唐táng圣shèng僧sēng的de徒tú弟dì。

The Pilgrim bowed and said, "We are disciples of a holy monk from the Land of the East, the Great Tang.

躬身, to bend the body. 東土大唐 is the pilgrims' standing self-introduction, and it is always given before anything is asked for.

因yīn往wǎng西xī方fāng拜bài佛fó求qiú經jīng，路lù過guò此cǐ山shān，被bèi黃huáng風fēng大dà王wáng拿ná了le我wǒ師shī父fù去qù了le，我wǒ們men還hái未wèi曾céng救jiù得dé。因yīn往wǎng西xī方fāng拜bài佛fó求qiú经jīng，路lù过guò此cǐ山shān，被bèi黄huáng风fēng大dà王wáng拿ná了le我wǒ师shī父fù去qù了le，我wǒ们men还hái未wèi曾céng救jiù得dé。

We were going west to worship the Buddha and seek the scriptures, and passing this mountain we had our master taken from us by the Great King of Yellow Wind; we have not yet been able to rescue him.

還未曾救得: 還 is hái, and 得 the potential dé. The Pilgrim states the loss of his master plainly and without excuse.

天tiān色sè已yǐ晚wǎn，特tè來lái府fǔ上shàng告gào借jiè一yì宵xiāo，萬wàn望wàng方fāng便biàn方fāng便biàn。」天tiān色sè已yǐ晚wǎn，特tè来lái府fǔ上shàng告gào借jiè一yì宵xiāo，万wàn望wàng方fāng便biàn方fāng便biàn。」

The day is late, and we have come to beg the loan of a night's shelter of your house. We ask this kindness of you."

告借一宵 — to beg the loan of one night. 萬望方便 is a formula of humble request, the doubled 方便 softening it further.

那nà老lǎo者zhě答dá禮lǐ道dào：「失shī迎yíng，失shī迎yíng。那nà老lǎo者zhě答dá礼lǐ道dào：「失shī迎yíng，失shī迎yíng。

The old man returned the bow. "Forgive us for meeting you so ill.

失迎, "we failed to meet you properly," is the host's formula. The old man is courteous in exactly the register of a Ming gentleman-farmer, which is what he is pretending to be.

此cǐ間jiān乃nǎi雲yún多duō人rén少shǎo之zhī處chù，卻què才cái聞wén得de叫jiào門mén，恐kǒng怕pà是shì妖yāo狐hú、老lǎo虎hǔ及jí山shān中zhōng強qiáng盜dào等děng類lèi，此cǐ间jiān乃nǎi云yún多duō人rén少shǎo之zhī处chù，却què才cái闻wén得de叫jiào门mén，恐kǒng怕pà是shì妖yāo狐hú、老lǎo虎hǔ及jí山shān中zhōng强qiáng盗dào等děng类lèi，

This is a place of many clouds and few people, and hearing a knocking just now we feared it might be a fiend-fox, a tiger, or bandits from the hills;

處 is chù, place; 聞得 takes de; 山中強盜 takes zhōng and qiáng. 雲多人少 — clouds many, men few: a phrase for high remote country.

故gù此cǐ小xiǎo介jiè愚yú頑wán，多duō有yǒu衝chōng撞zhuàng，不bù知zhī是shì二èr位wèi長zhǎng老lǎo。請qǐng進jìn，請qǐng進jìn。」故gù此cǐ小xiǎo介jiè愚yú顽wán，多duō有yǒu冲chōng撞zhuàng，不bù知zhī是shì二èr位wèi长zhǎng老lǎo。请qǐng进jìn，请qǐng进jìn。」

and so my foolish lads were rough with you, not knowing that it was two reverend elders. Come in, come in."

小介 — 介 reads jiè, servant, the same word written 价 in ch18. 長老, "reverend elder," takes zhǎng.

總評 Commentary

Everything in this exchange is correct. The pilgrims do not walk in; they call. The old man does not open at once; he comes out armed with what a farmer would be armed with, and apologises for it afterwards. The formulae are exact — 告借一宵, 萬望方便, 失迎, 請進 — and they are exact because the spirits who have staged this scene know how such a scene is staged.

The pitchforks are worth noticing: 叉鈀, the same graph as the nine-toothed muckrake that Bajie carries. The dharma-protectors have furnished their imaginary farm with the tools of the disciple who is about to sleep in it. The whole of chapter 21's middle is built on this quiet doubling, and the pilgrims see none of it — one because he is an idiot, and the other because he is blind.