第二十一回 · 徑往小須彌山 Straight South to Little Mount Sumeru — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

徑往小須彌山 Straight South to Little Mount Sumeru

孫sūn大dà聖shèng跳tiào在zài空kōng中zhōng，縱zòng觔jīn斗dǒu雲yún，徑jìng往wǎng直zhí南nán上shàng去qù，果guǒ然rán速sù快kuài，他tā點diǎn頭tóu經jīng過guò三sān千qiān里lǐ，扭niǔ腰yāo八bā百bǎi有yǒu餘yú程chéng。須xū臾yú，見jiàn一yí座zuò高gāo山shān，半bàn中zhōng間jiān有yǒu祥xiáng雲yún出chū現xiàn，瑞ruì藹ǎi紛fēn紛fēn。山shān凹āo裡lǐ果guǒ有yǒu一yí座zuò禪chán院yuàn，只zhǐ聽tīng得de鐘zhōng磬qìng悠yōu揚yáng，又yòu見jiàn那nà香xiāng煙yān縹piǎo緲miǎo。大dà聖shèng直zhí至zhì門mén前qián，見jiàn一yí道dào人rén，項xiàng掛guà數shù珠zhū，口kǒu中zhōng念niàn佛fó。行xíng者zhě道dào：「道dào人rén作zuò揖yī。」那nà道dào人rén躬gōng身shēn答dá禮lǐ道dào：「那nǎ裡lǐ來lái的de老lǎo爺yé？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「這zhè可kě是shì靈líng吉jí菩pú薩sà講jiǎng經jīng處chù麼me？」道dào人rén道dào：「此cǐ間jiān正zhèng是shì，有yǒu何hé話huà說shuō？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「累lèi煩fán你nǐ老lǎo人rén家jiā與yǔ我wǒ傳chuán答dá傳chuán答dá：我wǒ是shì東dōng土tǔ大dà唐táng駕jià下xià御yù弟dì三sān藏zàng法fǎ師shī的de徒tú弟dì齊qí天tiān大dà聖shèng孫sūn悟wù空kōng行xíng者zhě，今jīn有yǒu一yí事shì，要yào見jiàn菩pú薩sà。」道dào人rén笑xiào道dào：「老lǎo爺yé字zì多duō話huà多duō，我wǒ不bù能néng全quán記jì。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ只zhǐ說shuō是shì唐táng僧sēng徒tú弟dì孫sūn悟wù空kōng來lái了le。」孙sūn大dà圣shèng跳tiào在zài空kōng中zhōng，纵zòng觔jīn斗dǒu云yún，径jìng往wǎng直zhí南nán上shàng去qù，果guǒ然rán速sù快kuài，他tā点diǎn头tóu经jīng过guò三sān千qiān里lǐ，扭niǔ腰yāo八bā百bǎi有yǒu余yú程chéng。须xū臾yú，见jiàn一yí座zuò高gāo山shān，半bàn中zhōng间jiān有yǒu祥xiáng云yún出chū现xiàn，瑞ruì蔼ǎi纷fēn纷fēn。山shān凹āo里lǐ果guǒ有yǒu一yí座zuò禅chán院yuàn，只zhǐ听tīng得de钟zhōng磬qìng悠yōu扬yáng，又yòu见jiàn那nà香xiāng烟yān缥piǎo缈miǎo。大dà圣shèng直zhí至zhì门mén前qián，见jiàn一yí道dào人rén，项xiàng挂guà数shù珠zhū，口kǒu中zhōng念niàn佛fó。行xíng者zhě道dào：「道dào人rén作zuò揖yī。」那nà道dào人rén躬gōng身shēn答dá礼lǐ道dào：「那nǎ里lǐ来lái的de老lǎo爷yé？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「这zhè可kě是shì灵líng吉jí菩pú萨sà讲jiǎng经jīng处chù么me？」道dào人rén道dào：「此cǐ间jiān正zhèng是shì，有yǒu何hé话huà说shuō？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「累lèi烦fán你nǐ老lǎo人rén家jiā与yǔ我wǒ传chuán答dá传chuán答dá：我wǒ是shì东dōng土tǔ大dà唐táng驾jià下xià御yù弟dì三sān藏zàng法fǎ师shī的de徒tú弟dì齐qí天tiān大dà圣shèng孙sūn悟wù空kōng行xíng者zhě，今jīn有yǒu一yí事shì，要yào见jiàn菩pú萨sà。」道dào人rén笑xiào道dào：「老lǎo爷yé字zì多duō话huà多duō，我wǒ不bù能néng全quán记jì。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ只zhǐ说shuō是shì唐táng僧sēng徒tú弟dì孙sūn悟wù空kōng来lái了le。」

逐句解 Line by line

孫sūn大dà聖shèng跳tiào在zài空kōng中zhōng，縱zòng觔jīn斗dǒu雲yún，徑jìng往wǎng直zhí南nán上shàng去qù，孙sūn大dà圣shèng跳tiào在zài空kōng中zhōng，纵zòng觔jīn斗dǒu云yún，径jìng往wǎng直zhí南nán上shàng去qù，

The Great Sage leapt up into the air, mounted his cloud-somersault, and went off due south;

觔斗雲: 觔 is jīn (= 筋) and 斗 is dǒu. The somersault-cloud carries him a hundred and eight thousand lǐ at a bound.

果guǒ然rán速sù快kuài，他tā點diǎn頭tóu經jīng過guò三sān千qiān里lǐ，扭niǔ腰yāo八bā百bǎi有yǒu餘yú程chéng。果guǒ然rán速sù快kuài，他tā点diǎn头tóu经jīng过guò三sān千qiān里lǐ，扭niǔ腰yāo八bā百bǎi有yǒu余yú程chéng。

and truly he was swift: with one nod of his head he passed three thousand lǐ, and with one twist of his waist eight hundred more.

點頭經過三千里，扭腰八百有餘程 — a parallel couplet of prose, untagged, and prose it stays. The measure 里 is left as lǐ.

須xū臾yú，見jiàn一yí座zuò高gāo山shān，半bàn中zhōng間jiān有yǒu祥xiáng雲yún出chū現xiàn，瑞ruì藹ǎi紛fēn紛fēn。须xū臾yú，见jiàn一yí座zuò高gāo山shān，半bàn中zhōng间jiān有yǒu祥xiáng云yún出chū现xiàn，瑞ruì蔼ǎi纷fēn纷fēn。

In a moment he saw a high mountain, and halfway up it auspicious clouds appeared, and lucky vapours lay thick.

須臾, in an instant. 祥雲 and 瑞藹 are the standing signs, in this novel, that a holy person is beneath.

山shān凹āo裡lǐ果guǒ有yǒu一yí座zuò禪chán院yuàn，只zhǐ聽tīng得de鐘zhōng磬qìng悠yōu揚yáng，又yòu見jiàn那nà香xiāng煙yān縹piǎo緲miǎo。山shān凹āo里lǐ果guǒ有yǒu一yí座zuò禅chán院yuàn，只zhǐ听tīng得de钟zhōng磬qìng悠yōu扬yáng，又yòu见jiàn那nà香xiāng烟yān缥piǎo缈miǎo。

In a fold of the hills there was indeed a monastery, and he heard the bell and the chime-stone sounding far off, and saw the incense-smoke drifting.

鐘磬悠揚: the bronze bell and the stone chime of a monastery. 縹緲, faint and drifting, of smoke.

大dà聖shèng直zhí至zhì門mén前qián，見jiàn一yí道dào人rén，項xiàng掛guà數shù珠zhū，口kǒu中zhōng念niàn佛fó。大dà圣shèng直zhí至zhì门mén前qián，见jiàn一yí道dào人rén，项xiàng挂guà数shù珠zhū，口kǒu中zhōng念niàn佛fó。

The Great Sage came up to the gate, and there was a Daoist attendant with a string of beads about his neck, reciting the Buddha's name.

道人 is the Daoist word for a lay attendant, and this one is telling Buddhist beads and reciting the name of the Buddha at a bodhisattva's gate. The novel puts the two vocabularies side by side without a word of explanation, as it does everywhere.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「道dào人rén作zuò揖yī。」那nà道dào人rén躬gōng身shēn答dá禮lǐ道dào：「那nǎ裡lǐ來lái的de老lǎo爺yé？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「道dào人rén作zuò揖yī。」那nà道dào人rén躬gōng身shēn答dá礼lǐ道dào：「那nǎ里lǐ来lái的de老lǎo爷yé？」

Said the Pilgrim, "Attendant, I salute you." The attendant bowed and returned the courtesy. "And whence comes your worship?" he said.

The two 那 take different readings: 那道人 is nà, 那裡來的老爺 is nǎ, "whence." 作揖 is the salutation with joined hands.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「這zhè可kě是shì靈líng吉jí菩pú薩sà講jiǎng經jīng處chù麼me？」道dào人rén道dào：「此cǐ間jiān正zhèng是shì，有yǒu何hé話huà說shuō？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「这zhè可kě是shì灵líng吉jí菩pú萨sà讲jiǎng经jīng处chù么me？」道dào人rén道dào：「此cǐ间jiān正zhèng是shì，有yǒu何hé话huà说shuō？」

Said the Pilgrim, "Is this the place where the Bodhisattva Lingji expounds the scriptures?" Said the attendant, "It is indeed. What have you to say?"

講經處: 處 is chù, place. The Pilgrim, who broke into heaven, is knocking politely at a gate and asking whether he has the right address.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「累lèi煩fán你nǐ老lǎo人rén家jiā與yǔ我wǒ傳chuán答dá傳chuán答dá：行xíng者zhě道dào：「累lèi烦fán你nǐ老lǎo人rén家jiā与yǔ我wǒ传chuán答dá传chuán答dá：

Said the Pilgrim, "May I trouble you, sir, to carry in a word for me:

累煩 takes 累 as lèi, "to trouble." 傳答傳答, verb reduplication: to carry a word in and bring one back.

我wǒ是shì東dōng土tǔ大dà唐táng駕jià下xià御yù弟dì三sān藏zàng法fǎ師shī的de徒tú弟dì齊qí天tiān大dà聖shèng孫sūn悟wù空kōng行xíng者zhě，今jīn有yǒu一yí事shì，要yào見jiàn菩pú薩sà。」我wǒ是shì东dōng土tǔ大dà唐táng驾jià下xià御yù弟dì三sān藏zàng法fǎ师shī的de徒tú弟dì齐qí天tiān大dà圣shèng孙sūn悟wù空kōng行xíng者zhě，今jīn有yǒu一yí事shì，要yào见jiàn菩pú萨sà。」

I am the disciple of the Dharma Master Sanzang, the sworn brother of the emperor of the Great Tang in the Land of the East, and my name is Sun Wukong the Pilgrim, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven; and I have a business, and would see the Bodhisattva."

Eight titles in one breath — 東土大唐, 駕下御弟, 三藏法師, 徒弟, 齊天大聖, 孫悟空, 行者. 藏 in 三藏 is always zàng, the name.

道dào人rén笑xiào道dào：「老lǎo爺yé字zì多duō話huà多duō，我wǒ不bù能néng全quán記jì。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ只zhǐ說shuō是shì唐táng僧sēng徒tú弟dì孫sūn悟wù空kōng來lái了le。」道dào人rén笑xiào道dào：「老lǎo爷yé字zì多duō话huà多duō，我wǒ不bù能néng全quán记jì。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ只zhǐ说shuō是shì唐táng僧sēng徒tú弟dì孙sūn悟wù空kōng来lái了le。」

The attendant laughed. "Your worship has many words and many titles, and I cannot remember them all." Said the Pilgrim, "Then say only that Sun Wukong, the Tang monk's disciple, has come."

字多話多, "many characters and many words." The joke lands because it is the only time in the novel that anyone tells the Great Sage his name is too long, and because he takes it entirely well.

總評 Commentary

The gatekeeper is the best minor character in the chapter. He is a 道人, a Daoist attendant, wearing Buddhist prayer-beads and reciting the Buddha's name outside a bodhisattva's lecture hall; and when the Great Sage Equal to Heaven delivers his full style — seven titles, thirty-five graphs — he laughs and says he cannot remember it. The Pilgrim, who once wrecked the peach banquet over a question of rank, simply shortens it.

Something has changed in him. Two chapters ago he would have gone in over the wall. Here he asks whether this is the right place, waits at the gate, gives his name twice, and lets a servant edit it. The chapter has taken his eyes, his hundred bodies and his self-sufficiency, and what it gives back is a Pilgrim who can ask for help.