第二十二回 · 次早再議 Next Morning's Plan — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

次早再議 Next Morning's Plan

次cì早zǎo，三sān藏zàng道dào：「悟wù空kōng，今jīn日rì怎zěn生shēng區qū處chù？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「沒méi甚shén區qū處chù，還hái須xū八bā戒jiè下xià水shuǐ。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「哥gē哥gē，你nǐ要yào圖tú乾gān淨jìng，只zhǐ作zuò成chéng我wǒ下xià水shuǐ。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「賢xián弟dì，這zhè番fān我wǒ再zài不bù急jí性xìng了le，只zhǐ讓ràng你nǐ引yǐn他tā上shàng來lái，我wǒ攔lán住zhù河hé沿yán，不bú讓ràng他tā回huí去qù，務wù要yào將jiāng他tā擒qín了le。」次cì早zǎo，三sān藏zàng道dào：「悟wù空kōng，今jīn日rì怎zěn生shēng区qū处chù？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「没méi甚shén区qū处chù，还hái须xū八bā戒jiè下xià水shuǐ。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「哥gē哥gē，你nǐ要yào图tú干gān净jìng，只zhǐ作zuò成chéng我wǒ下xià水shuǐ。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「贤xián弟dì，这zhè番fān我wǒ再zài不bù急jí性xìng了le，只zhǐ让ràng你nǐ引yǐn他tā上shàng来lái，我wǒ拦lán住zhù河hé沿yán，不bú让ràng他tā回huí去qù，务wù要yào将jiāng他tā擒qín了le。」

逐句解 Line by line

次cì早zǎo，三sān藏zàng道dào：「悟wù空kōng，今jīn日rì怎zěn生shēng區qū處chù？」次cì早zǎo，三sān藏zàng道dào：「悟wù空kōng，今jīn日rì怎zěn生shēng区qū处chù？」

Early next morning Sanzang said: 'Wukong, how are we to manage today?' The Pilgrim said:

怎生區處 ('however are we to dispose of it?') — the master's morning question renews the unsolved problem of the crossing.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「沒méi甚shén區qū處chù，還hái須xū八bā戒jiè下xià水shuǐ。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「没méi甚shén区qū处chù，还hái须xū八bā戒jiè下xià水shuǐ。」

'There's no particular plan — Bajie must go down into the water again.' Bajie said:

沒甚區處 ('no plan to speak of'; 甚 shén, here 甚 = 什麼, 'any'). 還須八戒下水 ('Bajie must still go down'; 還 hái) — the monkey falls back on the one workable course.

八bā戒jiè道dào：「哥gē哥gē，你nǐ要yào圖tú乾gān淨jìng，只zhǐ作zuò成chéng我wǒ下xià水shuǐ。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「哥gē哥gē，你nǐ要yào图tú干gān净jìng，只zhǐ作zuò成chéng我wǒ下xià水shuǐ。」

'Elder brother, you just want to keep yourself clean, and put all the water-work off on me.' The Pilgrim said:

圖乾淨 ('to seek an easy, clean berth'; 乾 gān in 乾淨, 'clean,' not qián) — Bajie's grumble that he is being made to do the dirty, dangerous part.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「賢xián弟dì，這zhè番fān我wǒ再zài不bù急jí性xìng了le，只zhǐ讓ràng你nǐ引yǐn他tā上shàng來lái，行xíng者zhě道dào：「贤xián弟dì，这zhè番fān我wǒ再zài不bù急jí性xìng了le，只zhǐ让ràng你nǐ引yǐn他tā上shàng来lái，

'Worthy brother, this time I won't be so hasty — I'll just let you draw him up,

再不急性了 ('will not be impatient again') — the monkey promises, in so many words, to correct the very fault that twice spoiled the ruse.

我wǒ攔lán住zhù河hé沿yán，不bú讓ràng他tā回huí去qù，務wù要yào將jiāng他tā擒qín了le。」我wǒ拦lán住zhù河hé沿yán，不bú让ràng他tā回huí去qù，务wù要yào将jiāng他tā擒qín了le。」

'and I'll block the riverbank so he can't get back — we must be sure to take him.'

攔住河沿 ('bar the river's edge') adopts Bajie's own earlier proposal — cut off the retreat first; 務要將他擒了 ('be sure to seize him'; 將 jiāng, disposal).

總評 Commentary

The morning brings no new plan, only a resolve to execute the old one properly. The monkey concedes that Bajie must again take the water, and Bajie grumbles, not without justice, that his brother 'just wants to keep clean' and leave him the dangerous part. The brief exchange is domestic comedy, but it registers the pilgrims' constrained position: with the demon unreachable in the flood, the same imperfect stratagem is all they have.

What is new is the monkey's promise. Twice his impatience has driven the demon back into the water at the moment of capture; here he pledges, in plain words, 再不急性了 ('I won't be hasty again'), and adopts Bajie's sensible correction — to bar the bank and cut off the retreat before striking. The scene sets up a third attempt that ought, by its own logic, to succeed; that it too will fail, for reasons no resolve can mend, is what finally turns the chapter toward Guanyin.