原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
遙問雷音
How Far to Thunderclap
三藏在馬上歡喜道：「徒弟，我一向西來，經歷許多山水，都是那嵯峨險峻之處，更不似此山好景，果然的幽趣非常。若是相近雷音不遠路，我們好整肅端嚴見世尊。」行者笑道：「早哩，早哩，正好不得到哩。」沙僧道：「師兄，我們到雷音有多少遠？」行者道：「十萬八千里，十停中還不曾走了一停哩。」八戒道：「哥啊，要走幾年才得到？」行者道：「這些路，若論二位賢弟，便十來日也可到；若論我走，一日也好走五十遭，還見日色；若論師父走，莫想，莫想。」唐僧道：「悟空，你說得幾時方可到？」行者道：「你自小時走到老，老了再小，老小千番也還難；只要你見性志誠，念念回首處，即是靈山。」沙僧道：「師兄，此間雖不是雷音，觀此景致，必有個好人居止。」行者道：「此言卻當。這裡決無邪祟，一定是個聖僧、仙輩之鄉，我們遊玩慢行。」不題。三藏在马上欢喜道：「徒弟，我一向西来，经历许多山水，都是那嵯峨险峻之处，更不似此山好景，果然的幽趣非常。若是相近雷音不远路，我们好整肃端严见世尊。」行者笑道：「早哩，早哩，正好不得到哩。」沙僧道：「师兄，我们到雷音有多少远？」行者道：「十万八千里，十停中还不曾走了一停哩。」八戒道：「哥啊，要走几年才得到？」行者道：「这些路，若论二位贤弟，便十来日也可到；若论我走，一日也好走五十遭，还见日色；若论师父走，莫想，莫想。」唐僧道：「悟空，你说得几时方可到？」行者道：「你自小时走到老，老了再小，老小千番也还难；只要你见性志诚，念念回首处，即是灵山。」沙僧道：「师兄，此间虽不是雷音，观此景致，必有个好人居止。」行者道：「此言却当。这里决无邪祟，一定是个圣僧、仙辈之乡，我们游玩慢行。」不题。
逐句解 Line by line
三藏在馬上歡喜道：「徒弟，我一向西來，經歷許多山水，都是那嵯峨險峻之處，更不似此山好景，果然的幽趣非常。
三藏在马上欢喜道：「徒弟，我一向西来，经历许多山水，都是那嵯峨险峻之处，更不似此山好景，果然的幽趣非常。
Tripiṭaka, on his horse, said with delight, “Disciples, all my way westward I have passed through many hills and streams, and all were jagged, perilous places — none so fair as this mountain’s prospect. Its hidden charm is rare indeed.
一向 (yíxiàng) = all along; 都是那 (dōu shì nà) (都 (dōu) ‘all,’ 那 (nà) demonstrative); 更不似 (gèng bù sì) ‘still more unlike,’ 似 (sì) comparative.
若是相近雷音不遠路，我們好整肅端嚴見世尊。」
若是相近雷音不远路，我们好整肃端严见世尊。」
If Thunderclap be near and the road not far, we should make ourselves solemn and seemly to meet the World-Honoured One.”
相近 (xiāngjìn) = near to one another, 相 (xiāng) reciprocal; 世尊 (Shìzūn) = the World-Honoured One, the Buddha.
行者笑道：「早哩，早哩，正好不得到哩。」
行者笑道：「早哩，早哩，正好不得到哩。」
Pilgrim said with a laugh, “Too soon, too soon — we are nowhere near arriving.”
正好不得到 (zhèng hǎo bù dé dào): 得到 (dédào) = to reach, 得 (dé) the ‘attain’ sense.
沙僧道：「師兄，我們到雷音有多少遠？」
沙僧道：「师兄，我们到雷音有多少远？」
Sha Monk said, “Elder Brother, how far are we from Thunderclap?”
多少 (duōshao) = how much / how far, 少 (shǎo).
行者道：「十萬八千里，十停中還不曾走了一停哩。」
行者道：「十万八千里，十停中还不曾走了一停哩。」
Pilgrim said, “A hundred and eight thousand li — and of the ten stages we have not yet walked out even one.”
十萬八千里 (shí wàn bā qiān lǐ) = 108,000 li, the symbolic distance to the Buddha’s realm. 十停中 (shí tíng zhōng) = ‘of the ten portions,’ 中 (zhōng) ‘among’; 還 (hái) ‘yet.’
八戒道：「哥啊，要走幾年才得到？」
八戒道：「哥啊，要走几年才得到？」
Bājiè said, “Brother, how many years must we walk before we get there?”
才得到 (cái dé dào) = only then reach, 得 (dé) ‘attain.’
行者道：「這些路，若論二位賢弟，便十來日也可到；若論我走，一日也好走五十遭，還見日色；若論師父走，莫想，莫想。」
行者道：「这些路，若论二位贤弟，便十来日也可到；若论我走，一日也好走五十遭，还见日色；若论师父走，莫想，莫想。」
Pilgrim said, “This road — if it were the two worthy brothers walking, ten-odd days might do it; if I were to walk it, I could go fifty circuits in a day and still see daylight; but if Master walks it — no hope, no hope.”
若論 (ruò lùn) = as for; 一日 (yí rì) (fourth-tone sandhi before 日); 還見日色 (hái jiàn rì sè) = still see the light of day, 還 (hái) ‘yet / even so.’
唐僧道：「悟空，你說得幾時方可到？」
唐僧道：「悟空，你说得几时方可到？」
Tripiṭaka said, “Wukong, when do you say we may reach it?”
你說得 (nǐ shuō·de): 得 (de) here is the light structural marker linking ‘say’ to the clause that follows.
行者道：「你自小時走到老，老了再小，老小千番也還難；只要你見性志誠，念念回首處，即是靈山。」
行者道：「你自小时走到老，老了再小，老小千番也还难；只要你见性志诚，念念回首处，即是灵山。」
Pilgrim said, “Were you to walk from youth to age, and from age to youth again, a thousand times over, it would still be hard; only let your nature be seen and your will sincere, and at each turning-back of the thought — there is the Numinous Mountain.”
見性志誠 (jiàn xìng zhì chéng) = to perceive one’s (Buddha-)nature with utter sincerity; 靈山 (Língshān) = Vulture Peak, here glossed as an inward attainment — the Chan turn of Pilgrim’s reply.
沙僧道：「師兄，此間雖不是雷音，觀此景致，必有個好人居止。」
沙僧道：「师兄，此间虽不是雷音，观此景致，必有个好人居止。」
Sha Monk said, “Elder Brother, though this place be not Thunderclap, from such scenery there must be some worthy soul dwelling here.”
居止 (jūzhǐ) = to dwell; 觀此景致 (guān cǐ jǐngzhì), 觀 (guān) the ‘behold’ sense; 雖不是 (suī bú shì) (fourth-tone sandhi before 是).
行者道：「此言卻當。
行者道：「此言却当。
Pilgrim said, “Those words are apt.
卻當 (què dàng) = quite fitting, 當 (dàng) the ‘apt / proper’ sense (not dāng).
這裡決無邪祟，一定是個聖僧、仙輩之鄉，我們遊玩慢行。」
这里决无邪祟，一定是个圣僧、仙辈之乡，我们游玩慢行。」
Here there can be no evil sprites — surely this is the home of some holy monk or immortal company. Let us roam and go slowly.”
邪祟 (xiésuì) = malign spirits; 一定 (yídìng) (sandhi before 定); 慢行 (màn xíng) = walk unhurried, 行 (xíng).
不題。
不题。
Of this no more.
不題 (bù tí) = ‘we say no more of it,’ a narrator’s formula closing a thread.
總評 Commentary
The mountain’s beauty prompts a doctrinal exchange rather than mere travelogue. Tripiṭaka, cheered by the prospect, wonders whether the goal is near; Pilgrim deflates him with the novel’s canonical figure of 108,000 li — the same distance as a single somersault of his cloud, and thus a measure less of geography than of spiritual remove.
Pilgrim’s closing reply is the passage’s heart: were the master to walk ‘from youth to age and back again, a thousand times, it would still be hard,’ for the Numinous Mountain (Língshān, Vulture Peak) is reached not by the feet but by ‘seeing one’s nature’ and turning the thought back upon itself. This is the Chan reading of the pilgrimage that recurs throughout the book — the road west is an allegory of interior cultivation.
Sha Monk’s remark that such scenery must shelter ‘some worthy soul’ quietly cues the arrival at Wǔzhuāng Temple. The dialogue tests several 得 readings across constructions (得到／才得到 = dé versus the light 你說得 = de), the reciprocal 相, and 當 = dàng in 卻當.