汗衫繃縛 The Shirt and the Ropes
那婦人與他揭了蓋頭道：「女婿，不是我女兒乖滑，他們大家謙讓，不肯招你。」八戒道：「娘啊，既是他們不肯招我啊，你招了我罷。」那婦人道：「好女婿啞！這等沒大沒小的，連丈母也都要了？我這三個女兒心性最巧，他一人結了一個珍珠篏錦汗衫兒。你若穿得那個的，就教那個招你罷。」八戒道：「好，好，好，把三件兒都拿來我穿了看，若都穿得，就教都招了罷。」那婦人轉進房裡，止取出一件來，遞與八戒。那獃子脫下青錦布直裰，取過衫兒，就穿在身上。還未曾繫上帶子，撲的一蹻，跌倒在地。原來是幾條繩緊緊繃住。那獃子疼痛難禁，這些人早已不見了。那妇人与他揭了盖头道：「女婿，不是我女儿乖滑，他们大家谦让，不肯招你。」八戒道：「娘啊，既是他们不肯招我啊，你招了我罢。」那妇人道：「好女婿哑！这等没大没小的，连丈母也都要了？我这三个女儿心性最巧，他一人结了一个珍珠篏锦汗衫儿。你若穿得那个的，就教那个招你罢。」八戒道：「好，好，好，把三件儿都拿来我穿了看，若都穿得，就教都招了罢。」那妇人转进房里，止取出一件来，递与八戒。那呆子脱下青锦布直裰，取过衫儿，就穿在身上。还未曾系上带子，扑的一𫏋，跌倒在地。原来是几条绳紧紧绷住。那呆子疼痛难禁，这些人早已不见了。
逐句解 Line by line
The woman lifted the veil from him and said, “Son-in-law, it is not that my daughters are slippery — they are all yielding to one another, and none will take you.”
那婦人 nà. 揭了蓋頭 “lifted off the veil.” 謙讓 “to defer modestly to one another.” 不肯招你 “unwilling to take you (as husband).” The widow's excuse keeps the game going.
Bajie said, “Ma'am — if none of them will take me, then you take me yourself.”
既是他們不肯招我 “since they won't take me.” 你招了我罷 “you take me, then.” Bajie's desperation turns, absurdly, upon the mother.
The woman said, “A fine son-in-law indeed!”
那婦人 nà. 好女婿啞 — here 啞 reads yā (= 呀), the exclamatory particle, not the yǎ of “mute.” The widow's mock-scandalized retort.
“So without regard for age or rank — you'd have even your mother-in-law?”
沒大沒小 “without distinction of senior and junior, unmannerly.” 連丈母也都要了 “even the mother-in-law you'd take,” 都 dōu. Bajie's shamelessness is thrown back at him.
“These three daughters of mine are most deft of hand; each has worked a pearl-inlaid brocade undershirt.”
心性最巧 “most clever and skillful.” 珍珠篏錦汗衫 “a pearl-inlaid brocade sweat-shirt,” 一人結了一個 “each made one” (一 yì / yí). The widow introduces the next trial — a fitting-test.
“Whichever one's you can put on, that one I'll have take you.”
穿得那個的 “can wear whichever one's,” 得 the potential de, 那 nà (×2); 就教那個 causative jiào. A fresh pretext to keep Bajie snared.
Bajie said, “Good, good, good — bring all three and let me try them on; if I can wear them all, then have them all take me.”
三件兒都拿來 “bring all three,” 都 dōu (×3, with 若都穿得 and 就教都招了). 穿了看 “try on and see.” Bajie's greed, undimmed by his battering, reaches for all three shirts at once.
The woman turned into the room, brought out only one, and handed it to Bajie.
那婦人 nà. 止取出一件 “brought out but one,” 一 yí. The single shirt is the trap's baited hook.
The blockhead stripped off his dark brocade cassock, took the shirt, and put it on his body.
那獃子 (那 nà; 子 zi). 青錦布直裰 a monk's dark hemp-brocade robe. 就穿在身上 “put it straight on,” 上 the complement. Bajie eagerly dons the shirt.
Before he had even tied the sash, with a lurch he pitched over and fell to the ground.
還未曾繫上帶子 “had not yet fastened the belt,” 還 hái; 帶子, 子 the suffix zi. 撲的一蹻 “with a sudden stumble,” 一 yì. The shirt springs its trap the instant it is on.
It turned out to be several ropes, binding him fast.
幾條繩緊緊繃住 “several cords cinched tight,” the “shirt” become a snare of rope. The contrivance is sprung: Bajie is bound.
The blockhead, unable to bear the pain, found that all these people had already vanished.
那獃子 (那 nà; 子 zi). 疼痛難禁 “the pain past enduring,” 難 nán. 早已不見了 “had already disappeared,” 見 jiàn. The widow and daughters are gone — the test is over, and Bajie left trussed and alone.
The widow lifts Bajie's veil with a fresh excuse — the daughters are not slippery, only too modest to take him — and Bajie, past all shame, turns his suit upon the mother herself. Her mock-scandalized retort (“a fine son-in-law — you'd have even your mother-in-law?”) exposes the depth of his fall, and she baits a new trial: each daughter has made a pearl-inlaid brocade shirt, and whichever one fits shall be his.
Bajie's greed reaches even here for all three at once — bring them all, let me wear them all, and have them all take me. The widow brings out a single shirt, and Bajie eagerly strips off his monk's robe to put it on. The gesture is telling: he sheds the very habit of his vocation for the promise of a bride.
The trap springs at once. Before the sash is even tied, the “shirt” lurches him over — it is a snare of ropes — and binds him fast; and when the pain brings him to himself, the widow and her daughters have vanished utterly. The four saints' test closes on its object: the one disciple who could not curb his appetite is left trussed on the ground, alone in the dark, to await the dawn and his brothers' discovery.