第二十二回 · 淚別求救南海 The Turn to Guanyin — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

淚別求救南海 The Turn to Guanyin

二èr人rén又yòu到dào高gāo岸àn，見jiàn了le唐táng僧sēng，備bèi言yán難nán捉zhuō。那nà長zhǎng老lǎo滿mǎn眼yǎn下xià淚lèi道dào：「似sì此cǐ艱jiān難nán，怎zěn生shēng得dé渡dù？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「師shī父fù莫mò要yào煩fán惱nǎo。這zhè怪guài深shēn潛qián水shuǐ底dǐ，其qí實shí難nán行xíng。──八bā戒jiè，你nǐ只zhǐ在zài此cǐ保bǎo守shǒu師shī父fù，再zài莫mò與yǔ他tā廝sī斗dòu，等děng老lǎo孫sūn往wǎng南nán海hǎi走zǒu走zǒu去qù來lái。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「哥gē哥ge，你nǐ去qù南nán海hǎi何hé幹gàn？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「這zhè取qǔ經jīng的de勾gòu當dàng，原yuán是shì觀guān音yīn菩pú薩sà；及jí脫tuō解jiě我wǒ等děng，也yě是shì觀guān音yīn菩pú薩sà。今jīn日rì路lù阻zǔ流liú沙shā河hé，不bù能néng前qián進jìn，不bù得de他tā，怎zěn生shēng處chù治zhì？等děng我wǒ去qù請qǐng他tā，還hái強qiáng如rú和hé這zhè妖yāo精jīng相xiāng鬥dòu。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「也yě是shì，也yě是shì。師shī兄xiōng，你nǐ去qù時shí，千qiān萬wàn與yǔ我wǒ上shàng覆fù一yì聲shēng：向xiàng日rì多duō承chéng指zhǐ教jiào。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「悟wù空kōng，若ruò是shì去qù請qǐng菩pú薩sà，卻què也yě不bú必bì遲chí疑yí，快kuài去qù快kuài來lái。」二èr人rén又yòu到dào高gāo岸àn，见jiàn了le唐táng僧sēng，备bèi言yán难nán捉zhuō。那nà长zhǎng老lǎo满mǎn眼yǎn下xià泪lèi道dào：「似sì此cǐ艰jiān难nán，怎zěn生shēng得dé渡dù？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「师shī父fù莫mò要yào烦fán恼nǎo。这zhè怪guài深shēn潜qián水shuǐ底dǐ，其qí实shí难nán行xíng。──八bā戒jiè，你nǐ只zhǐ在zài此cǐ保bǎo守shǒu师shī父fù，再zài莫mò与yǔ他tā厮sī斗dòu，等děng老lǎo孙sūn往wǎng南nán海hǎi走zǒu走zǒu去qù来lái。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「哥gē哥ge，你nǐ去qù南nán海hǎi何hé干gàn？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「这zhè取qǔ经jīng的de勾gòu当dàng，原yuán是shì观guān音yīn菩pú萨sà；及jí脱tuō解jiě我wǒ等děng，也yě是shì观guān音yīn菩pú萨sà。今jīn日rì路lù阻zǔ流liú沙shā河hé，不bù能néng前qián进jìn，不bù得de他tā，怎zěn生shēng处chù治zhì？等děng我wǒ去qù请qǐng他tā，还hái强qiáng如rú和hé这zhè妖yāo精jīng相xiāng斗dòu。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「也yě是shì，也yě是shì。师shī兄xiōng，你nǐ去qù时shí，千qiān万wàn与yǔ我wǒ上shàng覆fù一yì声shēng：向xiàng日rì多duō承chéng指zhǐ教jiào。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「悟wù空kōng，若ruò是shì去qù请qǐng菩pú萨sà，却què也yě不bú必bì迟chí疑yí，快kuài去qù快kuài来lái。」

逐句解 Line by line

二èr人rén又yòu到dào高gāo岸àn，見jiàn了le唐táng僧sēng，備bèi言yán難nán捉zhuō。那nà長zhǎng老lǎo滿mǎn眼yǎn下xià淚lèi道dào：「似sì此cǐ艱jiān難nán，怎zěn生shēng得dé渡dù？」二èr人rén又yòu到dào高gāo岸àn，见jiàn了le唐táng僧sēng，备bèi言yán难nán捉zhuō。那nà长zhǎng老lǎo满mǎn眼yǎn下xià泪lèi道dào：「似sì此cǐ艰jiān难nán，怎zěn生shēng得dé渡dù？」

The two came up again onto the high bank, saw the Tang Monk, and told him in full how hard the demon was to catch. The elder, his eyes brimming with tears, said: 'With such difficulty as this, how are we ever to cross?'

備言難捉, told him in full how hard the thing was to catch (難 nán). Then 滿眼下淚, 'eyes full, tears falling' (那 nà, 長 zhǎng), and 怎生得渡, 'however are we ever to cross?' — where 得 is dé, the modal of managing to do a thing, the reading it always takes in this 怎生得 pattern. Sanzang has contributed nothing to two days of fighting and it is his weeping that breaks the deadlock.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「師shī父fù莫mò要yào煩fán惱nǎo。這zhè怪guài深shēn潛qián水shuǐ底dǐ，其qí實shí難nán行xíng。──八bā戒jiè，行xíng者zhě道dào：「师shī父fù莫mò要yào烦fán恼nǎo。这zhè怪guài深shēn潜qián水shuǐ底dǐ，其qí实shí难nán行xíng。──八bā戒jiè，

The Pilgrim said: 'Master, don't distress yourself. This creature lies deep at the bottom of the water — there's truly no getting at him. — Bajie,

深潛水底, lying deep on the bed of the river, and 其實難行, 'truly there is no getting on' (難 nán, 行 xíng). He states the position honestly before proposing anything — which, from this character, is itself a sign that the situation is serious.

你nǐ只zhǐ在zài此cǐ保bǎo守shǒu師shī父fù，再zài莫mò與yǔ他tā廝sī斗dòu，等děng老lǎo孫sūn往wǎng南nán海hǎi走zǒu走zǒu去qù來lái。」你nǐ只zhǐ在zài此cǐ保bǎo守shǒu师shī父fù，再zài莫mò与yǔ他tā厮sī斗dòu，等děng老lǎo孙sūn往wǎng南nán海hǎi走zǒu走zǒu去qù来lái。」

'you just stay here and guard the master, and don't fight him any more; wait while old Sun makes a trip to the Southern Sea.'

往南海走走去來, 'I'll take a stroll to the Southern Sea' — the studied casualness is pure Wukong; he is proposing to fetch a Bodhisattva. 廝斗 is 'to fight it out,' with 斗 read dòu, standing here for 鬥.

八bā戒jiè道dào：「哥gē哥ge，你nǐ去qù南nán海hǎi何hé幹gàn？」行xíng者zhě道dào：八bā戒jiè道dào：「哥gē哥ge，你nǐ去qù南nán海hǎi何hé干gàn？」行xíng者zhě道dào：

Bajie said: 'Elder brother, what will you do at the Southern Sea?' The Pilgrim said:

何幹, 'to what purpose?' Bajie's question is a piece of stagecraft: it lets the monkey lay out the reasoning for the reader.

「這zhè取qǔ經jīng的de勾gòu當dàng，原yuán是shì觀guān音yīn菩pú薩sà；及jí脫tuō解jiě我wǒ等děng，也yě是shì觀guān音yīn菩pú薩sà。「这zhè取qǔ经jīng的de勾gòu当dàng，原yuán是shì观guān音yīn菩pú萨sà；及jí脱tuō解jiě我wǒ等děng，也yě是shì观guān音yīn菩pú萨sà。

'This whole business of fetching the scriptures was Guanyin's doing in the first place; and it was Guanyin, too, who delivered and released us.'

原是觀音菩薩, 'it was Guanyin's in the first place.' The argument is sound administration as well as sound theology. She designed the pilgrimage and she personally released each of them into it; an obstacle to her project is therefore her business to resolve.

今jīn日rì路lù阻zǔ流liú沙shā河hé，不bù能néng前qián進jìn，不bù得de他tā，怎zěn生shēng處chù治zhì？今jīn日rì路lù阻zǔ流liú沙shā河hé，不bù能néng前qián进jìn，不bù得de他tā，怎zěn生shēng处chù治zhì？

'Today our road is blocked at the River of Flowing Sands, we cannot go forward; without him we cannot manage it — so how are we to deal with it?'

路阻流沙河, the road barred at the Flowing Sands, and then the line that matters: 不得他，怎生處治, 'without him, how are we to manage?' (得 de). Not without defeating him — without him. The demon is not the obstacle to be removed. He is the thing they need.

等děng我wǒ去qù請qǐng他tā，還hái強qiáng如rú和hé這zhè妖yāo精jīng相xiāng鬥dòu。」等děng我wǒ去qù请qǐng他tā，还hái强qiáng如rú和hé这zhè妖yāo精jīng相xiāng斗dòu。」

'Let me go and invite her — better that than brawling with this monster.' Bajie said:

還強如 … 相鬥, 'better than brawling with it' (還 hái, 強 qiáng, 相 xiāng). A round trip to the Southern Sea is now the labour-saving option.

八bā戒jiè道dào：「也yě是shì，也yě是shì。師shī兄xiōng，你nǐ去qù時shí，千qiān萬wàn與yǔ我wǒ上shàng覆fù一yì聲shēng：向xiàng日rì多duō承chéng指zhǐ教jiào。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「也yě是shì，也yě是shì。师shī兄xiōng，你nǐ去qù时shí，千qiān万wàn与yǔ我wǒ上shàng覆fù一yì声shēng：向xiàng日rì多duō承chéng指zhǐ教jiào。」

'True, true. Elder brother, when you go, do be sure to convey a word for me: my thanks for all her past instruction.' Sanzang said:

上覆一聲, 'convey a word upward' — the polite formula for sending a message to a superior — and 向日多承指教, thanks for her guidance in days gone by (教 jiào). Bajie was Guanyin's convert too, and remembers his manners. The chapter is beginning to line its converts up.

三sān藏zàng道dào：「悟wù空kōng，若ruò是shì去qù請qǐng菩pú薩sà，卻què也yě不bú必bì遲chí疑yí，快kuài去qù快kuài來lái。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「悟wù空kōng，若ruò是shì去qù请qǐng菩pú萨sà，却què也yě不bú必bì迟chí疑yí，快kuài去qù快kuài来lái。」

Sanzang said: 'Wukong, if you are going to invite the Bodhisattva, then don't dither — go quickly and come back quickly.'

不必遲疑, no dithering, and 快去快來, go fast and come back fast (藏 zàng). The master, who has been in tears a moment ago, is suddenly all urgency.

總評 Commentary

The master's tears are the hinge of the chapter. Force has failed three times over, and it is Sanzang's helpless 怎生得渡 ('how are we ever to cross?') that finally prompts the decisive move. Out of stratagems, the Pilgrim proposes the only recourse left: fetch the Bodhisattva Guanyin from her Southern Sea. His reasoning is good theology and good sense at once — the pilgrimage was her design and every disciple owes his release to her, so its obstacles are properly hers to clear.

The passage quietly assembles the company's shared debt to her. The monkey recalls that she began the quest and freed them all; Bajie, converted in his own turn, sends a courteous word of thanks for her past instruction; the master urges haste. And notice how the demon is now being discussed — 不得他，怎生處治, 'without him, how are we to manage?' He is no longer something to be beaten but something to be obtained. All of which prepares the reader for the revelation waiting at Potalaka: that the fiend has been Guanyin's appointed disciple-in-waiting from the start.