第二十四回 · 遇土而入 It Sinks into the Earth — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

遇土而入 It Sinks into the Earth

遇yù土tǔ而ér入rù者zhě，大dà聖shèng方fāng才cái打dǎ落luò地dì上shàng，他tā即jí鑽zuān下xià土tǔ去qù了le。這zhè個gè土tǔ有yǒu四sì萬wàn七qī千qiān年nián，就jiù是shì鋼gāng鑽zuān鑽zuān他tā也yě鑽zuān不bú動dòng些xiē須xū，比bǐ生shēng鐵tiě也yě還hái硬yìng三sān四sì分fēn，人rén若ruò吃chī了le，所suǒ以yǐ長cháng生shēng。大dà聖shèng不bú信xìn時shí，可kě把bǎ這zhè地dì下xià打dǎ打dǎ兒er看kàn。」行xíng者zhě即jí掣chè金jīn箍gū棒bàng築zhù了le一yí下xià，響xiǎng一yì聲shēng，迸bèng起qǐ棒bàng來lái，土tǔ上shàng更gèng無wú痕hén跡jī。行xíng者zhě道dào：「果guǒ然rán，果guǒ然rán。我wǒ這zhè棍gùn打dǎ石shí頭tóu如rú粉fěn碎suì，撞zhuàng生shēng鐵tiě也yě有yǒu痕hén，怎zěn麼me這zhè一yí下xià打dǎ不bù傷shāng些xiē兒er？這zhè等děng說shuō，我wǒ卻què錯cuò怪guài了le你nǐ了le，你nǐ回huí去qù罷bà。」那nà土tǔ地dì即jí回huí本běn廟miào去qù訖qì。遇yù土tǔ而ér入rù者zhě，大dà圣shèng方fāng才cái打dǎ落luò地dì上shàng，他tā即jí钻zuān下xià土tǔ去qù了le。这zhè个gè土tǔ有yǒu四sì万wàn七qī千qiān年nián，就jiù是shì钢gāng钻zuān钻zuān他tā也yě钻zuān不bú动dòng些xiē须xū，比bǐ生shēng铁tiě也yě还hái硬yìng三sān四sì分fēn，人rén若ruò吃chī了le，所suǒ以yǐ长cháng生shēng。大dà圣shèng不bú信xìn时shí，可kě把bǎ这zhè地dì下xià打dǎ打dǎ儿er看kàn。」行xíng者zhě即jí掣chè金jīn箍gū棒bàng筑zhù了le一yí下xià，响xiǎng一yì声shēng，迸bèng起qǐ棒bàng来lái，土tǔ上shàng更gèng无wú痕hén迹jī。行xíng者zhě道dào：「果guǒ然rán，果guǒ然rán。我wǒ这zhè棍gùn打dǎ石shí头tóu如rú粉fěn碎suì，撞zhuàng生shēng铁tiě也yě有yǒu痕hén，怎zěn么me这zhè一yí下xià打dǎ不bù伤shāng些xiē儿er？这zhè等děng说shuō，我wǒ却què错cuò怪guài了le你nǐ了le，你nǐ回huí去qù罢bà。」那nà土tǔ地dì即jí回huí本běn庙miào去qù讫qì。

逐句解 Line by line

遇yù土tǔ而ér入rù者zhě，大dà聖shèng方fāng才cái打dǎ落luò地dì上shàng，他tā即jí鑽zuān下xià土tǔ去qù了le。遇yù土tǔ而ér入rù者zhě，大dà圣shèng方fāng才cái打dǎ落luò地dì上shàng，他tā即jí钻zuān下xià土tǔ去qù了le。

“As for meeting earth and sinking in — the moment you, Great Sage, knocked it to the ground, it bored straight down into the soil.

方才 (fāng cái) = just now; 鑽下土去 (zuān xià tǔ qù) = bored down into the earth — the answer to why it vanished.

這zhè個gè土tǔ有yǒu四sì萬wàn七qī千qiān年nián，就jiù是shì鋼gāng鑽zuān鑽zuān他tā也yě鑽zuān不bú動dòng些xiē須xū，比bǐ生shēng鐵tiě也yě還hái硬yìng三sān四sì分fēn，人rén若ruò吃chī了le，所suǒ以yǐ長cháng生shēng。这zhè个gè土tǔ有yǒu四sì万wàn七qī千qiān年nián，就jiù是shì钢gāng钻zuān钻zuān他tā也yě钻zuān不bú动dòng些xiē须xū，比bǐ生shēng铁tiě也yě还hái硬yìng三sān四sì分fēn，人rén若ruò吃chī了le，所suǒ以yǐ长cháng生shēng。

This soil is forty-seven thousand years old; a steel drill could not bore into it a hair’s breadth — it is harder than wrought iron by three or four degrees. That men live long from eating the fruit is owing to this.

鋼鑽 (gāng zuàn) = a steel drill; 還硬三四分 (hái yìng sān sì fēn), 還 (hái) with 分 (fēn) ‘degrees’; 吃了 (chī le), 了 (le); 所以長生 (suǒyǐ chángshēng), 長 (cháng) ‘long (life).’

大dà聖shèng不bú信xìn時shí，可kě把bǎ這zhè地dì下xià打dǎ打dǎ兒er看kàn。」大dà圣shèng不bú信xìn时shí，可kě把bǎ这zhè地dì下xià打dǎ打dǎ儿er看kàn。」

If you do not believe it, Great Sage, give the ground here a rap and see.”

打打兒 (dǎ dǎ·er), 兒 (er) (‘give it a rap’).

行xíng者zhě即jí掣chè金jīn箍gū棒bàng築zhù了le一yí下xià，響xiǎng一yì聲shēng，迸bèng起qǐ棒bàng來lái，土tǔ上shàng更gèng無wú痕hén跡jī。行xíng者zhě即jí掣chè金jīn箍gū棒bàng筑zhù了le一yí下xià，响xiǎng一yì声shēng，迸bèng起qǐ棒bàng来lái，土tǔ上shàng更gèng无wú痕hén迹jī。

Pilgrim at once drew his gold-banded staff and struck the ground once; with a clang the staff sprang back, and there was not a mark on the soil.

金箍棒 (jīn gū bàng) = the gold-banded cudgel; 築了 (zhù le), 了 (le); 迸起棒來 (bèng qǐ bàng lái) = the staff sprang back; 更無痕跡 (gèng wú hénjì), 更 (gèng).

行xíng者zhě道dào：「果guǒ然rán，果guǒ然rán。行xíng者zhě道dào：「果guǒ然rán，果guǒ然rán。

Pilgrim said, “True enough, true enough.

行 (xíng); 果然 (guǒrán) = indeed so.

我wǒ這zhè棍gùn打dǎ石shí頭tóu如rú粉fěn碎suì，撞zhuàng生shēng鐵tiě也yě有yǒu痕hén，怎zěn麼me這zhè一yí下xià打dǎ不bù傷shāng些xiē兒er？我wǒ这zhè棍gùn打dǎ石shí头tóu如rú粉fěn碎suì，撞zhuàng生shēng铁tiě也yě有yǒu痕hén，怎zěn么me这zhè一yí下xià打dǎ不bù伤shāng些xiē儿er？

This staff of mine smashes stone to powder and dents even wrought iron — how did this one blow not so much as scratch it?

如粉碎 (rú fěn suì) = [smashes] to powder; 打不傷些兒 (dǎ bù shāng xiē·er), 兒 (er) = not injure in the least.

這zhè等děng說shuō，我wǒ卻què錯cuò怪guài了le你nǐ了le，你nǐ回huí去qù罷bà。」这zhè等děng说shuō，我wǒ却què错cuò怪guài了le你nǐ了le，你nǐ回huí去qù罢bà。」

Then it is as you say — I wrongly blamed you. You may go back.”

錯怪了 (cuò guài le), 了 (le) — the apology to the Earth-God.

那nà土tǔ地dì即jí回huí本běn廟miào去qù訖qì。那nà土tǔ地dì即jí回huí本běn庙miào去qù讫qì。

And the Earth-God went straight back to his shrine.

那 (nà); 本廟 (běn miào) = his own shrine; 去訖 (qù qì) = departed.

總評 Commentary

The specific answer lands: the fruit met earth and ‘bored straight down into the soil’ — and the garden’s soil is itself a marvel, 47,000 years old and harder than wrought iron, which the Earth-God says is the very reason the fruit confers long life. Pilgrim tests it with a blow of his staff — the same cudgel that smashes stone and dents iron — and it leaves not a mark, confirming the account.

Convinced, Pilgrim does something rare: he apologises (‘I wrongly blamed you’), and the Earth-God withdraws. The episode closes the mystery of the vanished fruit and, in passing, deepens the abbey’s marvel — even its ground is of an impossible antiquity. Readings: 長生長 = cháng (long life), 還硬還 = hái, and the diminutive 兒 = er in 打打兒／些兒.