第二十二回 · 法船渡河投西 The Dharma-Boat Crosses the Sands — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition 含詞賦 With rhapsody

法船渡河投西 The Dharma-Boat Crosses the Sands

那nà悟wù淨jìng不bù敢gǎn怠dài慢màn，即jí將jiāng頸jǐng項xiàng下xià掛guà的de骷kū髏lóu取qǔ下xià，用yòng索suǒ子zi結jié作zuò九jiǔ宮gōng，把bǎ菩pú薩sà葫hú蘆lú安ān在zài當dāng中zhōng，請qǐng師shī父fù下xià岸àn。那nà長zhǎng老lǎo遂suì登dēng法fǎ船chuán，坐zuò於yú上shàng面miàn，果guǒ然rán穩wěn似sì輕qīng舟zhōu。左zuǒ有yǒu八bā戒jiè扶fú持chí，右yòu有yǒu悟wù淨jìng捧pěng托tuō；孫sūn行xíng者zhě在zài後hòu面miàn牽qiān了le龍lóng馬mǎ，半bàn雲yún半bàn霧wù相xiāng跟gēn；頭tóu直zhí上shàng又yòu有yǒu木mù吒zhā擁yōng護hù。那nà師shī父fù才cái飄piāo然rán穩wěn渡dù流liú沙shā河hé界jiè，浪làng靜jìng風fēng平píng過guò弱ruò河hé。真zhēn個gè也yě如rú飛fēi似sì箭jiàn，不bù多duō時shí，身shēn登dēng彼bǐ岸àn，得dé脫tuō洪hóng波bō；又yòu不bù拖tuō泥ní帶dài水shuǐ，幸xìng喜xǐ腳jiǎo乾gān手shǒu燥zào，清qīng淨jìng無wú為wéi，師shī徒tú們men腳jiǎo踏tà實shí地dì。那nà木mù吒zhā按àn祥xiáng雲yún，收shōu了le葫hú蘆lú。又yòu只zhǐ見jiàn那nà骷kū髏lóu一yì時shí解jiě化huà作zuò九jiǔ股gǔ陰yīn風fēng，寂jì然rán不bú見jiàn。三sān藏zàng拜bài謝xiè了le木mù吒zhā，頂dǐng禮lǐ了le菩pú薩sà。正zhèng是shì：那nà悟wù净jìng不bù敢gǎn怠dài慢màn，即jí将jiāng颈jǐng项xiàng下xià挂guà的de骷kū髅lóu取qǔ下xià，用yòng索suǒ子zi结jié作zuò九jiǔ宫gōng，把bǎ菩pú萨sà葫hú芦lú安ān在zài当dāng中zhōng，请qǐng师shī父fù下xià岸àn。那nà长zhǎng老lǎo遂suì登dēng法fǎ船chuán，坐zuò于yú上shàng面miàn，果guǒ然rán稳wěn似sì轻qīng舟zhōu。左zuǒ有yǒu八bā戒jiè扶fú持chí，右yòu有yǒu悟wù净jìng捧pěng托tuō；孙sūn行xíng者zhě在zài后hòu面miàn牵qiān了le龙lóng马mǎ，半bàn云yún半bàn雾wù相xiāng跟gēn；头tóu直zhí上shàng又yòu有yǒu木mù咤zhā拥yōng护hù。那nà师shī父fù才cái飘piāo然rán稳wěn渡dù流liú沙shā河hé界jiè，浪làng静jìng风fēng平píng过guò弱ruò河hé。真zhēn个gè也yě如rú飞fēi似sì箭jiàn，不bù多duō时shí，身shēn登dēng彼bǐ岸àn，得dé脱tuō洪hóng波bō；又yòu不bù拖tuō泥ní带dài水shuǐ，幸xìng喜xǐ脚jiǎo干gān手shǒu燥zào，清qīng净jìng无wú为wéi，师shī徒tú们men脚jiǎo踏tà实shí地dì。那nà木mù咤zhā按àn祥xiáng云yún，收shōu了le葫hú芦lú。又yòu只zhǐ见jiàn那nà骷kū髅lóu一yì时shí解jiě化huà作zuò九jiǔ股gǔ阴yīn风fēng，寂jì然rán不bú见jiàn。三sān藏zàng拜bài谢xiè了le木mù咤zhā，顶dǐng礼lǐ了le菩pú萨sà。正zhèng是shì：

木mù吒zhā徑jìng回huí東dōng洋yáng海hǎi，三sān藏zàng上shàng馬mǎ卻què投tóu西xī。木mù咤zhā径jìng回huí东dōng洋yáng海hǎi，三sān藏zàng上shàng马mǎ却què投tóu西xī。

畢bì竟jìng不bù知zhī幾jǐ時shí才cái得dé正zhèng果guǒ求qiú經jīng，且qiě聽tīng下xià回huí分fēn解jiě。毕bì竟jìng不bù知zhī几jǐ时shí才cái得dé正zhèng果guǒ求qiú经jīng，且qiě听tīng下xià回huí分fēn解jiě。

逐句解 Line by line

那nà悟wù淨jìng不bù敢gǎn怠dài慢màn，即jí將jiāng頸jǐng項xiàng下xià掛guà的de骷kū髏lóu取qǔ下xià，那nà悟wù净jìng不bù敢gǎn怠dài慢màn，即jí将jiāng颈jǐng项xiàng下xià挂guà的de骷kū髅lóu取qǔ下xià，

Wujing, not daring to be slow, took down the skulls that hung at his neck,

不敢怠慢, 'dared not be slow about it' (那 nà, 將 jiāng) — the new disciple is eager, and the first thing he does in his new post is take his own trophies off his neck.

用yòng索suǒ子zi結jié作zuò九jiǔ宮gōng，把bǎ菩pú薩sà葫hú蘆lú安ān在zài當dāng中zhōng，請qǐng師shī父fù下xià岸àn。用yòng索suǒ子zi结jié作zuò九jiǔ宫gōng，把bǎ菩pú萨sà葫hú芦lú安ān在zài当dāng中zhōng，请qǐng师shī父fù下xià岸àn。

bound them with cords into the Nine Palaces, set the Bodhisattva's gourd in the middle, and invited the master down to the bank.

結作九宮, bound into the Nine Palaces (子 the light zi, 中 zhōng) — nine skulls in a three-by-three grid with the gourd in the middle square, exactly as prescribed. What has been assembled is not a raft. It is a diagram.

那nà長zhǎng老lǎo遂suì登dēng法fǎ船chuán，坐zuò於yú上shàng面miàn，果guǒ然rán穩wěn似sì輕qīng舟zhōu。左zuǒ有yǒu八bā戒jiè扶fú持chí，右yòu有yǒu悟wù淨jìng捧pěng托tuō；那nà长zhǎng老lǎo遂suì登dēng法fǎ船chuán，坐zuò于yú上shàng面miàn，果guǒ然rán稳wěn似sì轻qīng舟zhōu。左zuǒ有yǒu八bā戒jiè扶fú持chí，右yòu有yǒu悟wù净jìng捧pěng托tuō；

The elder then stepped onto the dharma-boat and sat upon it, and indeed it was as steady as a light skiff. On the left Bajie steadied it, on the right Wujing bore it up;

穩似輕舟, 'steady as a light skiff' (那 nà, 長 zhǎng, 似 sì). Recall the stele: on this water a goose feather sinks. The one thing that was proved impossible in the opening scene is now happening, and the prose passes over it in four characters.

孫sūn行xíng者zhě在zài後hòu面miàn牽qiān了le龍lóng馬mǎ，半bàn雲yún半bàn霧wù相xiāng跟gēn；頭tóu直zhí上shàng又yòu有yǒu木mù吒zhā擁yōng護hù。孙sūn行xíng者zhě在zài后hòu面miàn牵qiān了le龙lóng马mǎ，半bàn云yún半bàn雾wù相xiāng跟gēn；头tóu直zhí上shàng又yòu有yǒu木mù咤zhā拥yōng护hù。

Sun Wukong came behind leading the dragon-horse, following half in cloud and half in mist; and directly overhead Mokṣa kept watch.

牽了龍馬, leading the dragon-horse (行 xíng, 相 xiāng), and 木吒擁護, Mokṣa guarding overhead. Everyone has a station: Bajie left, Wujing right, the monkey behind with the horse, the envoy above. After a chapter of each of them failing separately, they cross in formation.

那nà師shī父fù才cái飄piāo然rán穩wěn渡dù流liú沙shā河hé界jiè，浪làng靜jìng風fēng平píng過guò弱ruò河hé。真zhēn個gè也yě如rú飛fēi似sì箭jiàn，那nà师shī父fù才cái飘piāo然rán稳wěn渡dù流liú沙shā河hé界jiè，浪làng静jìng风fēng平píng过guò弱ruò河hé。真zhēn个gè也yě如rú飞fēi似sì箭jiàn，

The master then, borne lightly and steadily, crossed the bounds of the Flowing Sands; the waves stilled and the wind fell as they passed the Weak River. Truly it was as swift as a flying arrow,

飄然穩渡, 'crossed lightly and steadily' (那 nà, 似 sì), and 浪靜風平 — waves still, wind level. The river that swallowed feathers and threw up monsters simply lies down. Nothing was done to it. The right passenger list solved it.

不bù多duō時shí，身shēn登dēng彼bǐ岸àn，得dé脫tuō洪hóng波bō；不bù多duō时shí，身shēn登dēng彼bǐ岸àn，得dé脱tuō洪hóng波bō；

and in no long while he set foot on the farther shore, delivered from the mighty flood;

得脫洪波, 'won free of the great flood' (得 dé). Two days, three duels, three rhapsodies and a journey to the Southern Sea, and the crossing itself takes one clause.

又yòu不bù拖tuō泥ní帶dài水shuǐ，幸xìng喜xǐ腳jiǎo乾gān手shǒu燥zào，清qīng淨jìng無wú為wéi，師shī徒tú們men腳jiǎo踏tà實shí地dì。又yòu不bù拖tuō泥ní带dài水shuǐ，幸xìng喜xǐ脚jiǎo干gān手shǒu燥zào，清qīng净jìng无wú为wéi，师shī徒tú们men脚jiǎo踏tà实shí地dì。

and without so much as trailing mud or water, dry of foot and hand — pure and unstriving — master and disciples set their feet on solid ground.

The best line in the chapter, and it works on two levels at once. 不拖泥帶水 — 'without trailing mud or dragging water' — is a live idiom meaning to do a thing cleanly, without mess or dithering; it is what you say of a decision made crisply. Here the novel switches the literal sense back on: they cross a river and arrive 腳乾手燥, dry of foot and hand (乾 is gān, dry, not qián). Then 清淨無為, 'pure and unstriving' — 無為 being the great Daoist term for acting without forcing (為 wéi). And 腳踏實地, feet on solid ground: the same phrase Bajie shouted across the water when he was trying to lure the demon ashore. It failed as a taunt. It arrives here as an achievement.

那nà木mù吒zhā按àn祥xiáng雲yún，收shōu了le葫hú蘆lú。又yòu只zhǐ見jiàn那nà骷kū髏lóu一yì時shí解jiě化huà作zuò九jiǔ股gǔ陰yīn風fēng，那nà木mù咤zhā按àn祥xiáng云yún，收shōu了le葫hú芦lú。又yòu只zhǐ见jiàn那nà骷kū髅lóu一yì时shí解jiě化huà作zuò九jiǔ股gǔ阴yīn风fēng，

Mokṣa then brought down his auspicious cloud and took back the gourd; and behold, the skulls at once dissolved into nine streams of dark wind,

解化作九股陰風, 'dissolved into nine strands of shadowy wind' (那 nà twice). The skulls do not sink or scatter; they come undone. Their office is finished, and the novel disposes of them with one last touch of the uncanny — a reminder, at the moment of arrival, of what the boat was made of.

寂jì然rán不bú見jiàn。三sān藏zàng拜bài謝xiè了le木mù吒zhā，頂dǐng禮lǐ了le菩pú薩sà。正zhèng是shì：寂jì然rán不bú见jiàn。三sān藏zàng拜bài谢xiè了le木mù咤zhā，顶dǐng礼lǐ了le菩pú萨sà。正zhèng是shì：

and were silently gone. Sanzang bowed his thanks to Mokṣa and did reverence toward the Bodhisattva. It is aptly said:

頂禮了菩薩, prostrating toward the Bodhisattva (藏 zàng) — she is not present, and he bows to her anyway. Then 正是, 'and so it is aptly said,' the tag that brings on the closing couplet.

Mokṣa went straight back to the Eastern Ocean; Sanzang mounted his horse and turned again toward the west.

The closing couplet, two clauses moving in opposite directions: 木吒 (Mokṣa) turns back east to Guanyin's sea, while 三藏 — with 藏 carrying the zàng — gets back on his horse and heads west. The episode closes and the road reopens in a single line.

In the end, there is no knowing when they will at last attain the true fruit and win the scriptures; so listen to the next chapter for the explanation.

The storyteller's sign-off, unchanged for a hundred chapters. 正果, the 'true fruit,' is the final attainment the whole journey is for (得 dé), and 且聽下回分解, 'pray hear the next instalment explain it' (分 fēn), is where every chapter stops. They have gained a disciple and crossed a river. They are no nearer knowing when it ends.

總評 Commentary

The crossing, withheld for the whole chapter, is over in a few strokes — and the manner of it is the point. The dharma-boat, made of the demon's own nine skulls with Guanyin's gourd at the centre, carries the mortal master 'steady as a light skiff' over the very water that would not float a feather. The company arranges itself around him, the wind drops, the waves go flat. What defeated two days of force yields at once to a sacred vessel, and the reader is meant to notice that nothing was done to the river at all.

The landing is written with unusual care. They come ashore 腳乾手燥, dry of hand and foot, 不拖泥帶水 — an idiom for doing something cleanly, restored here to its literal sense — and 清淨無為, 'pure and unstriving,' which is the Daoist phrase for achieving by not forcing. Every word of that describes the chapter's own argument. Three duels and a hawk-stoop got them nowhere; a name spoken over the water got them across without wetting their shoes.

Then the ritual furniture is cleared away. The skulls come undone into nine strands of dark wind and are gone; Mokṣa takes back the gourd and returns to Guanyin's ocean; Sanzang bows his thanks, mounts, and turns west again. The company is now complete — the monkey, the dragon-horse, Bajie and the newly won Sha Wujing — and the pilgrimage resumes toward a true fruit that, as the narrator cheerfully reminds us in the last line, is still nowhere in sight.