第二十二回 · 妖精識破詐敗 The Fiend Grows Wary — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

妖精識破詐敗 The Fiend Grows Wary

這zhè一yì場chǎng，來lái來lái往wǎng往wǎng，鬥dòu經jīng三sān十shí回huí合hé，不bú見jiàn強qiáng弱ruò。八bā戒jiè又yòu使shǐ個gè佯yáng輸shū計jì，拖tuō了le鈀pá走zǒu。那nà怪guài隨suí後hòu又yòu趕gǎn來lái，擁yōng波bō捉zhuō浪làng，趕gǎn至zhì崖yá邊biān。八bā戒jiè罵mà道dào：「我wǒ把bǎ你nǐ這zhè個gè潑pō怪guài，你nǐ上shàng來lái，這zhè高gāo處chù，腳jiǎo踏tà實shí地dì好hǎo打dǎ。」那nà妖yāo罵mà道dào：「你nǐ這zhè廝sī哄hǒng我wǒ上shàng去qù，又yòu教jiào那nà幫bāng手shǒu來lái哩lī。你nǐ下xià來lái，還hái在zài水shuǐ裡lǐ相xiāng鬥dòu。」原yuán來lái那nà妖yāo乖guāi了le，再zài不bù肯kěn上shàng岸àn，只zhǐ在zài河hé沿yán與yǔ八bā戒jiè鬧nào吵chǎo。这zhè一yì场chǎng，来lái来lái往wǎng往wǎng，斗dòu经jīng三sān十shí回huí合hé，不bú见jiàn强qiáng弱ruò。八bā戒jiè又yòu使shǐ个gè佯yáng输shū计jì，拖tuō了le钯pá走zǒu。那nà怪guài随suí后hòu又yòu赶gǎn来lái，拥yōng波bō捉zhuō浪làng，赶gǎn至zhì崖yá边biān。八bā戒jiè骂mà道dào：「我wǒ把bǎ你nǐ这zhè个gè泼pō怪guài，你nǐ上shàng来lái，这zhè高gāo处chù，脚jiǎo踏tà实shí地dì好hǎo打dǎ。」那nà妖yāo骂mà道dào：「你nǐ这zhè厮sī哄hǒng我wǒ上shàng去qù，又yòu教jiào那nà帮bāng手shǒu来lái哩lī。你nǐ下xià来lái，还hái在zài水shuǐ里lǐ相xiāng斗dòu。」原yuán来lái那nà妖yāo乖guāi了le，再zài不bù肯kěn上shàng岸àn，只zhǐ在zài河hé沿yán与yǔ八bā戒jiè闹nào吵chǎo。

逐句解 Line by line

這zhè一yì場chǎng，來lái來lái往wǎng往wǎng，鬥dòu經jīng三sān十shí回huí合hé，不bú見jiàn強qiáng弱ruò。八bā戒jiè又yòu使shǐ個gè佯yáng輸shū計jì，拖tuō了le鈀pá走zǒu。这zhè一yì场chǎng，来lái来lái往wǎng往wǎng，斗dòu经jīng三sān十shí回huí合hé，不bú见jiàn强qiáng弱ruò。八bā戒jiè又yòu使shǐ个gè佯yáng输shū计jì，拖tuō了le钯pá走zǒu。

This bout went back and forth, and when they had fought some thirty rounds with nothing to choose between them, Bajie once more played his feint of defeat and dragged his rake away in flight.

三十回合 ('thirty bouts') and 不見強弱 ('no telling strong from weak'; 強 qiáng) — the third stalemate; 佯輸計 ('the ruse of feigned defeat'; 鈀 pá) is the same bait as before.

那nà怪guài隨suí後hòu又yòu趕gǎn來lái，擁yōng波bō捉zhuō浪làng，趕gǎn至zhì崖yá邊biān。那nà怪guài随suí后hòu又yòu赶gǎn来lái，拥yōng波bō捉zhuō浪làng，赶gǎn至zhì崖yá边biān。

The monster came chasing after, riding the surge and gripping the waves, and pursued him to the very foot of the cliff.

擁波捉浪 ('embracing the billows, seizing the waves'; 那 nà) — the demon, drawn once more toward the bank, comes to the cliff's edge.

八bā戒jiè罵mà道dào：「我wǒ把bǎ你nǐ這zhè個gè潑pō怪guài，你nǐ上shàng來lái，這zhè高gāo處chù，腳jiǎo踏tà實shí地dì好hǎo打dǎ。」八bā戒jiè骂mà道dào：「我wǒ把bǎ你nǐ这zhè个gè泼pō怪guài，你nǐ上shàng来lái，这zhè高gāo处chù，脚jiǎo踏tà实shí地dì好hǎo打dǎ。」

Bajie cursed: 'You vile monster — come on up here, where the ground is firm underfoot and I can give you a proper drubbing.' The fiend cursed back:

腳踏實地好打 ('feet on solid ground, easy to fight') states Bajie's aim outright: get the demon onto land. His very transparency is what gives the game away.

那nà妖yāo罵mà道dào：「你nǐ這zhè廝sī哄hǒng我wǒ上shàng去qù，又yòu教jiào那nà幫bāng手shǒu來lái哩lī。你nǐ下xià來lái，那nà妖yāo骂mà道dào：「你nǐ这zhè厮sī哄hǒng我wǒ上shàng去qù，又yòu教jiào那nà帮bāng手shǒu来lái哩lī。你nǐ下xià来lái，

'You wretch, you're coaxing me up so that your helper can come at me again. You come down here,

哄我上去 ('lure me up') and 那幫手 ('that helper'; 那 nà, 教 jiào) — the demon, twice-burned, has seen through the ruse: he will not be drawn ashore to the waiting monkey.

還hái在zài水shuǐ裡lǐ相xiāng鬥dòu。」原yuán來lái那nà妖yāo乖guāi了le，再zài不bù肯kěn上shàng岸àn，只zhǐ在zài河hé沿yán與yǔ八bā戒jiè鬧nào吵chǎo。还hái在zài水shuǐ里lǐ相xiāng斗dòu。」原yuán来lái那nà妖yāo乖guāi了le，再zài不bù肯kěn上shàng岸àn，只zhǐ在zài河hé沿yán与yǔ八bā戒jiè闹nào吵chǎo。

'and we'll fight it out in the water.' The fiend, you see, had grown wary; he would not come up onto the bank again, but only wrangled with Bajie at the river's edge.

那妖乖了 ('the fiend had grown canny'; 還 hái, 相 xiāng, 那 nà) — the key turn: the demon has learned the pattern, and the pilgrims' one stratagem is now spent.

總評 Commentary

The third duel confirms what the first two rehearsed: the pilgrims' ruse has reached the end of its usefulness. Bajie feigns defeat and draws the demon toward the cliff exactly as before, but this time the monster refuses the bait — and the reason is that the trick has been too plainly worked. Bajie's own words give it away, boasting of the 'firm ground' where he means to fight, and the demon, twice driven off by the monkey's premature blows, has learned to read the trap.

The narrative marks the change precisely: 那妖乖了 ('the fiend had grown canny'). He will no longer be lured from the water, and the two are reduced to trading curses across the bank. With the demon unbeatable below and unluring above, the pilgrims' martial resources are exhausted — the impasse is now complete, and the chapter has no move left but to send the monkey for divine help.