第二十一回 · 屋梁竊聽，得其實信 Eavesdropping from the Roof-Beam — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

屋梁竊聽，得其實信 Eavesdropping from the Roof-Beam

行xíng者zhě在zài屋wū梁liáng上shàng，只zhǐ聽tīng得dé他tā這zhè一yí句jù言yán語yǔ，不bú勝shèng歡huān喜xǐ。即jí抽chōu身shēn飛fēi出chū，現xiàn本běn相xiàng，來lái至zhì林lín中zhōng，叫jiào聲shēng：「兄xiōng弟dì。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「哥gē，你nǐ往wǎng那nǎ裡lǐ去qù來lái？剛gāng才cái一yí個gè打dǎ令lìng字zì旗qí的de妖yāo精jīng，被bèi我wǒ趕gǎn了le去qù也yě。」行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「虧kuī你nǐ，虧kuī你nǐ。老lǎo孫sūn變biàn做zuò蚊wén蟲chóng兒er，進jìn他tā洞dòng去qù探tàn看kàn師shī父fù，原yuán來lái師shī父fù被bèi他tā綁bǎng在zài定dìng風fēng樁zhuāng上shàng哭kū哩li。是shì老lǎo孫sūn吩fēn咐fu，教jiào他tā莫mò哭kū。又yòu飛fēi在zài屋wū梁liáng上shàng聽tīng了le一yì聽tīng，只zhǐ見jiàn那nà拿ná令lìng字zì旗qí的de喘chuǎn噓xū噓xū的de走zǒu進jìn去qù報bào道dào：只zhǐ是shì被bèi你nǐ趕gǎn他tā，卻què不bú見jiàn我wǒ。老lǎo妖yāo亂luàn猜cāi亂luàn說shuō，說shuō老lǎo孫sūn是shì風fēng吹chuī殺shā了le，又yòu說shuō是shì請qǐng神shén兵bīng去qù了le。他tā卻què自zì家jiā供gòng出chū一yí個gè人rén來lái，甚shèn妙miào，甚shèn妙miào。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「他tā供gòng的de是shì誰shuí？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「他tā說shuō怕pà甚shén麼me神shén兵bīng，那nǎ個gè能néng定dìng他tā的de風fēng勢shì，只zhǐ除chú是shì靈líng吉jí菩pú薩sà來lái是shì。──但dàn不bù知zhī靈líng吉jí住zhù在zài何hé處chù？」行xíng者zhě在zài屋wū梁liáng上shàng，只zhǐ听tīng得dé他tā这zhè一yí句jù言yán语yǔ，不bú胜shèng欢huān喜xǐ。即jí抽chōu身shēn飞fēi出chū，现xiàn本běn相xiàng，来lái至zhì林lín中zhōng，叫jiào声shēng：「兄xiōng弟dì。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「哥gē，你nǐ往wǎng那nǎ里lǐ去qù来lái？刚gāng才cái一yí个gè打dǎ令lìng字zì旗qí的de妖yāo精jīng，被bèi我wǒ赶gǎn了le去qù也yě。」行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「亏kuī你nǐ，亏kuī你nǐ。老lǎo孙sūn变biàn做zuò蚊wén虫chóng儿er，进jìn他tā洞dòng去qù探tàn看kàn师shī父fù，原yuán来lái师shī父fù被bèi他tā绑bǎng在zài定dìng风fēng桩zhuāng上shàng哭kū哩li。是shì老lǎo孙sūn吩fēn咐fu，教jiào他tā莫mò哭kū。又yòu飞fēi在zài屋wū梁liáng上shàng听tīng了le一yì听tīng，只zhǐ见jiàn那nà拿ná令lìng字zì旗qí的de喘chuǎn嘘xū嘘xū的de走zǒu进jìn去qù报bào道dào：只zhǐ是shì被bèi你nǐ赶gǎn他tā，却què不bú见jiàn我wǒ。老lǎo妖yāo乱luàn猜cāi乱luàn说shuō，说shuō老lǎo孙sūn是shì风fēng吹chuī杀shā了le，又yòu说shuō是shì请qǐng神shén兵bīng去qù了le。他tā却què自zì家jiā供gòng出chū一yí个gè人rén来lái，甚shèn妙miào，甚shèn妙miào。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「他tā供gòng的de是shì谁shuí？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「他tā说shuō怕pà甚shén么me神shén兵bīng，那nǎ个gè能néng定dìng他tā的de风fēng势shì，只zhǐ除chú是shì灵líng吉jí菩pú萨sà来lái是shì。──但dàn不bù知zhī灵líng吉jí住zhù在zài何hé处chù？」

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng者zhě在zài屋wū梁liáng上shàng，只zhǐ聽tīng得dé他tā這zhè一yí句jù言yán語yǔ，不bú勝shèng歡huān喜xǐ。行xíng者zhě在zài屋wū梁liáng上shàng，只zhǐ听tīng得dé他tā这zhè一yí句jù言yán语yǔ，不bú胜shèng欢huān喜xǐ。

The Pilgrim, up on the roof-beam, heard this one sentence of his and was beyond measure delighted.

只聽得 hangs the perception off de. 這一句言語, "this one sentence" — and the operative part of it, 只除了靈吉菩薩來是, runs nine characters. That is the whole of the chapter's intelligence.

即jí抽chōu身shēn飛fēi出chū，現xiàn本běn相xiàng，來lái至zhì林lín中zhōng，叫jiào聲shēng：「兄xiōng弟dì。」即jí抽chōu身shēn飞fēi出chū，现xiàn本běn相xiàng，来lái至zhì林lín中zhōng，叫jiào声shēng：「兄xiōng弟dì。」

He drew himself up at once and flew out, resumed his true form, came into the wood, and called, "Brother!"

現本相: 相 reads xiàng, "form, appearance." He stays a mosquito until the moment he is clear of the cave.

八bā戒jiè道dào：「哥gē，你nǐ往wǎng那nǎ裡lǐ去qù來lái？剛gāng才cái一yí個gè打dǎ令lìng字zì旗qí的de妖yāo精jīng，被bèi我wǒ趕gǎn了le去qù也yě。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「哥gē，你nǐ往wǎng那nǎ里lǐ去qù来lái？刚gāng才cái一yí个gè打dǎ令lìng字zì旗qí的de妖yāo精jīng，被bèi我wǒ赶gǎn了le去qù也yě。」

Said Bajie, "Elder brother, where have you been? A little while ago a fiend carrying an Orders pennant came by, and I chased him off."

你往那裡去來 takes the questioning nǎ. And Bajie reports his own small victory before asking about anything else, exactly as Bajie would.

行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「虧kuī你nǐ，虧kuī你nǐ。老lǎo孫sūn變biàn做zuò蚊wén蟲chóng兒er，進jìn他tā洞dòng去qù探tàn看kàn師shī父fù，行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「亏kuī你nǐ，亏kuī你nǐ。老lǎo孙sūn变biàn做zuò蚊wén虫chóng儿er，进jìn他tā洞dòng去qù探tàn看kàn师shī父fù，

The Pilgrim laughed. "Well done, well done. Old Monkey changed himself into a mosquito and went into his cave to spy out our master;

虧你，虧你, "we owe it to you" — the same idiom Bajie himself applied to the guardian spirits in the previous passage, and here the Pilgrim is being kind rather than sincere. 蚊蟲兒 ends in the small er.

原yuán來lái師shī父fù被bèi他tā綁bǎng在zài定dìng風fēng樁zhuāng上shàng哭kū哩li。是shì老lǎo孫sūn吩fēn咐fu，教jiào他tā莫mò哭kū。原yuán来lái师shī父fù被bèi他tā绑bǎng在zài定dìng风fēng桩zhuāng上shàng哭kū哩li。是shì老lǎo孙sūn吩fēn咐fu，教jiào他tā莫mò哭kū。

and there was our master, tied by him to the Wind-Stilling Post and weeping. It was old Monkey who told him to stop weeping.

His master, tied to a post and weeping, gets one clause and is left behind. What the Pilgrim actually wants to talk about is the roof-beam.

又yòu飛fēi在zài屋wū梁liáng上shàng聽tīng了le一yì聽tīng，只zhǐ見jiàn那nà拿ná令lìng字zì旗qí的de喘chuǎn噓xū噓xū的de走zǒu進jìn去qù報bào道dào：又yòu飞fēi在zài屋wū梁liáng上shàng听tīng了le一yì听tīng，只zhǐ见jiàn那nà拿ná令lìng字zì旗qí的de喘chuǎn嘘xū嘘xū的de走zǒu进jìn去qù报bào道dào：

Then I flew up onto the roof-beam and listened a while, and there came the fellow with the Orders pennant, panting and blowing, walking in to report

喘噓噓的, panting and out of breath: this is the imp of the previous passage, seen a second time and from the other side. Overlapping narration of this kind is rare in the novel, and it is handled here with real precision — the reader watches the same messenger arrive twice.

只zhǐ是shì被bèi你nǐ趕gǎn他tā，卻què不bú見jiàn我wǒ。老lǎo妖yāo亂luàn猜cāi亂luàn說shuō，說shuō老lǎo孫sūn是shì風fēng吹chuī殺shā了le，又yòu說shuō是shì請qǐng神shén兵bīng去qù了le。只zhǐ是shì被bèi你nǐ赶gǎn他tā，却què不bú见jiàn我wǒ。老lǎo妖yāo乱luàn猜cāi乱luàn说shuō，说shuō老lǎo孙sūn是shì风fēng吹chuī杀shā了le，又yòu说shuō是shì请qǐng神shén兵bīng去qù了le。

that you had chased him and that of me there was no sign. The old fiend guessed this way and that, and said that old Monkey had been blown dead by the wind, and then that he had gone to fetch divine soldiers.

亂猜亂說, "guessing wildly and talking wildly." The Pilgrim relays both of the fiend's wrong guesses with obvious pleasure.

他tā卻què自zì家jiā供gòng出chū一yí個gè人rén來lái，甚shèn妙miào，甚shèn妙miào。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「他tā供gòng的de是shì誰shuí？」他tā却què自zì家jiā供gòng出chū一yí个gè人rén来lái，甚shèn妙miào，甚shèn妙miào。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「他tā供gòng的de是shì谁shuí？」

And then, of his own accord, he named a man in evidence. Very good! Very good!" Said Bajie, "And whom did he name?"

供 reads gòng in both places, and it is a legal word: to give evidence, to name a name under examination. Watch the grammar, because it settles who is who — 供出一個人來 makes the person named the object of the verb, and 他供的是誰 then nominalises it: not "who was he confessing to," but "who is the man he named?" The Pilgrim is treating the fiend's boast as testimony extracted in court, and the joke is that nobody extracted anything. It was volunteered. 甚妙 takes 甚 as shèn, "very."

行xíng者zhě道dào：「他tā說shuō怕pà甚shén麼me神shén兵bīng，那nǎ個gè能néng定dìng他tā的de風fēng勢shì，只zhǐ除chú是shì靈líng吉jí菩pú薩sà來lái是shì。行xíng者zhě道dào：「他tā说shuō怕pà甚shén么me神shén兵bīng，那nǎ个gè能néng定dìng他tā的de风fēng势shì，只zhǐ除chú是shì灵líng吉jí菩pú萨sà来lái是shì。

Said the Pilgrim, "He said that he feared no divine soldiers, and that there was only one who could still his wind, and none but the Bodhisattva Lingji.

甚 is now shén, the question word, four characters after the shèn above it. 那個 is nǎ.

──但dàn不bù知zhī靈líng吉jí住zhù在zài何hé處chù？」 ──但dàn不bù知zhī灵líng吉jí住zhù在zài何hé处chù？」

— But I do not know where Lingji lives."

The whole chapter now turns on a point of geography, and the answer is going to walk out of the roadside in the next passage. 處 is chù, "place."

總評 Commentary

The Pilgrim reaches for courtroom language to describe what happened. 他卻自家供出一個人來 — he named a man in evidence, unprompted — and Bajie picks the word straight up: 他供的是誰, and whom did he name? 供 (gòng) is what a prisoner does under examination. Nobody examined him. He said it to keep his own troops calm, and it will cost him everything he has.

The passage ends on a dash and a question: ──但不知靈吉住在何處？ They have the name and no address. And the novel has carefully arranged for them to be standing in the open road when they say so out loud. Whoever is listening this time is not a mosquito.