第二十四回 · 殿懸天地 “Heaven and Earth” in the Hall — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

殿懸天地 “Heaven and Earth” in the Hall

那nà童tóng子zǐ控kòng背bèi躬gōng身shēn，出chū來lái迎yíng接jiē道dào：「老lǎo師shī父fù，失shī迎yíng，請qǐng坐zuò。」長zhǎng老lǎo歡huān喜xǐ，遂suì與yǔ二èr童tóng子zǐ上shàng了le正zhèng殿diàn觀guān看kàn。原yuán來lái是shì向xiàng南nán的de五wǔ間jiān大dà殿diàn，都dōu是shì上shàng明míng下xià暗àn的de雕diāo花huā格gé子zi。那nà仙xiān童tóng推tuī開kāi格gé子zi，請qǐng唐táng僧sēng入rù殿diàn處chù，只zhǐ見jiàn那nà壁bì中zhōng間jiān掛guà著zhe五wǔ彩cǎi裝zhuāng成chéng的de「天tiān地dì」二èr大dà字zì，設shè一yì張zhāng朱zhū紅hóng雕diāo漆qī的de香xiāng几jǐ，几jǐ上shàng有yǒu一yí副fù黃huáng金jīn爐lú瓶píng，爐lú邊biān有yǒu方fāng便biàn整zhěng香xiāng。那nà童tóng子zǐ控kòng背bèi躬gōng身shēn，出chū来lái迎yíng接jiē道dào：「老lǎo师shī父fù，失shī迎yíng，请qǐng坐zuò。」长zhǎng老lǎo欢huān喜xǐ，遂suì与yǔ二èr童tóng子zǐ上shàng了le正zhèng殿diàn观guān看kàn。原yuán来lái是shì向xiàng南nán的de五wǔ间jiān大dà殿diàn，都dōu是shì上shàng明míng下xià暗àn的de雕diāo花huā格gé子zi。那nà仙xiān童tóng推tuī开kāi格gé子zi，请qǐng唐táng僧sēng入rù殿diàn处chù，只zhǐ见jiàn那nà壁bì中zhōng间jiān挂guà著zhe五wǔ彩cǎi装zhuāng成chéng的de「天tiān地dì」二èr大dà字zì，设shè一yì张zhāng朱zhū红hóng雕diāo漆qī的de香xiāng几jǐ，几jǐ上shàng有yǒu一yí副fù黄huáng金jīn炉lú瓶píng，炉lú边biān有yǒu方fāng便biàn整zhěng香xiāng。

逐句解 Line by line

那nà童tóng子zǐ控kòng背bèi躬gōng身shēn，出chū來lái迎yíng接jiē道dào：「老lǎo師shī父fù，失shī迎yíng，請qǐng坐zuò。」那nà童tóng子zǐ控kòng背bèi躬gōng身shēn，出chū来lái迎yíng接jiē道dào：「老lǎo师shī父fù，失shī迎yíng，请qǐng坐zuò。」

The boys, bowing low with rounded backs, came out to receive them: “Venerable Master, forgive our tardy welcome — pray be seated.”

控背躬身 (kòng bèi gōng shēn) = to bend the back and bow the body, a posture of deep deference; 那童子 (nà tóngzǐ), 子 (zǐ) (the boy-adept); 失迎 (shī yíng) = forgive the tardy welcome.

長zhǎng老lǎo歡huān喜xǐ，遂suì與yǔ二èr童tóng子zǐ上shàng了le正zhèng殿diàn觀guān看kàn。长zhǎng老lǎo欢huān喜xǐ，遂suì与yǔ二èr童tóng子zǐ上shàng了le正zhèng殿diàn观guān看kàn。

The Elder was pleased, and went up with the two boys into the main hall to look about.

長老 (zhǎnglǎo), 長 (zhǎng) (the Elder); 二童子 (èr tóngzǐ), 子 (zǐ); 觀看 (guān kàn), verb 觀 (guān); 上了 (shàng le), 了 (le).

原yuán來lái是shì向xiàng南nán的de五wǔ間jiān大dà殿diàn，都dōu是shì上shàng明míng下xià暗àn的de雕diāo花huā格gé子zi。原yuán来lái是shì向xiàng南nán的de五wǔ间jiān大dà殿diàn，都dōu是shì上shàng明míng下xià暗àn的de雕diāo花huā格gé子zi。

It proved to be a five-bay great hall facing south, all of carved-flower lattices, bright above and dark below.

向南 (xiàng nán) = facing south; 上明下暗 (shàng míng xià àn) = lattices open (bright) above, panelled (dark) below; 雕花格子 (diāohuā gézi), 子 (zi) suffix.

那nà仙xiān童tóng推tuī開kāi格gé子zi，請qǐng唐táng僧sēng入rù殿diàn處chù，只zhǐ見jiàn那nà壁bì中zhōng間jiān掛guà著zhe五wǔ彩cǎi裝zhuāng成chéng的de「天tiān地dì」二èr大dà字zì，設shè一yì張zhāng朱zhū紅hóng雕diāo漆qī的de香xiāng几jǐ，几jǐ上shàng有yǒu一yí副fù黃huáng金jīn爐lú瓶píng，爐lú邊biān有yǒu方fāng便biàn整zhěng香xiāng。那nà仙xiān童tóng推tuī开kāi格gé子zi，请qǐng唐táng僧sēng入rù殿diàn处chù，只zhǐ见jiàn那nà壁bì中zhōng间jiān挂guà著zhe五wǔ彩cǎi装zhuāng成chéng的de「天tiān地dì」二èr大dà字zì，设shè一yì张zhāng朱zhū红hóng雕diāo漆qī的de香xiāng几jǐ，几jǐ上shàng有yǒu一yí副fù黄huáng金jīn炉lú瓶píng，炉lú边biān有yǒu方fāng便biàn整zhěng香xiāng。

The immortal boys pushed open the lattice and led the Tang Monk into the hall; and there he saw, hung in the midst of the wall, the two great characters “Heaven-and-Earth,” worked in five colours, with a cinnabar-lacquered incense-table set below, a golden censer-and-vase upon it, and beside the censer sticks of fine incense.

那 (nà) (twice); 格子 (gézi), 子 (zi) suffix; 中間 (zhōngjiān); 掛著 (guà·zhe), the durative 著 (zhe); 「天地」 (Tiān Dì) = the two words Heaven-and-Earth.

總評 Commentary

The boys receive the pilgrims with formal deference — 控背躬身, backs bent and bodies bowed — and the main hall is described: a five-bay chamber facing south, its carved lattices bright above and dark below. At its very centre hangs not an image of any deity but the two great characters 「天地」 (Heaven-and-Earth), before a cinnabar incense-table and a golden censer.

That scroll is the passage’s hook. Its oddity — why should an abbey venerate the abstract Heaven-and-Earth rather than named gods? — will prompt the Tang Monk’s question and, through the boys’ startling answer, disclose just how high their master ranks. Readings: the titular 童子 = zǐ against the suffixal 子 = zi in 格子, and 掛著 = zhe (durative ‘hanging’).