第二十四回 · 謀竊人參 Plotting the Theft — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

謀竊人參 Plotting the Theft

八bā戒jiè道dào：「他tā這zhè裡lǐ有yǒu。那nà童tóng子zǐ拿ná兩liǎng個gè與yǔ師shī父fù吃chī，那nà老lǎo和hé尚shàng不bú認rèn得de，道dào是shì三sān朝zhāo未wèi滿mǎn的de孩hái兒er，不bù曾céng敢gǎn吃chī。那nà童tóng子zǐ老lǎo大dà憊bèi懶lǎn，師shī父fù既jì不bù吃chī，便biàn該gāi讓ràng我wǒ們men，他tā就jiù瞞mán著zhe我wǒ們men，才cái自zì在zài這zhè隔gé壁bì房fáng裡lǐ，一yì家jiā一yí個gè，嘓guō啅zhuó嘓guō啅zhuó的de吃chī了le出chū去qù。就jiù急jí得de我wǒ口kǒu裡lǐ水shuǐ泱yāng。怎zěn麼me得dé一yí個gè兒er嘗cháng新xīn？我wǒ想xiǎng你nǐ有yǒu些xiē溜liū撒sā，去qù他tā那nà園yuán子zi裡lǐ偷tōu幾jǐ個gè來lái嘗cháng嘗cháng，如rú何hé？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「這zhè個gè容róng易yì，老lǎo孫sūn去qù，手shǒu到dào擒qín來lái。」急jí抽chōu身shēn，往wǎng前qián就jiù走zǒu，八bā戒jiè一yì把bǎ扯chě住zhù道dào：「哥gē啊a，我wǒ聽tīng得de他tā在zài這zhè房fáng裡lǐ說shuō，要yào拿ná甚shén麼me金jīn擊jī子zi去qù打dǎ哩lī。須xū是shì幹gàn得de停tíng當dàng，不bù可kě走zǒu露lù風fēng聲shēng。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ曉xiǎo得dé，我wǒ曉xiǎo得dé。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「他tā这zhè里lǐ有yǒu。那nà童tóng子zǐ拿ná两liǎng个gè与yǔ师shī父fù吃chī，那nà老lǎo和hé尚shàng不bú认rèn得de，道dào是shì三sān朝zhāo未wèi满mǎn的de孩hái儿er，不bù曾céng敢gǎn吃chī。那nà童tóng子zǐ老lǎo大dà惫bèi懒lǎn，师shī父fù既jì不bù吃chī，便biàn该gāi让ràng我wǒ们men，他tā就jiù瞒mán著zhe我wǒ们men，才cái自zì在zài这zhè隔gé壁bì房fáng里lǐ，一yì家jiā一yí个gè，啯guō啅zhuó啯guō啅zhuó的de吃chī了le出chū去qù。就jiù急jí得de我wǒ口kǒu里lǐ水shuǐ泱yāng。怎zěn么me得dé一yí个gè儿er尝cháng新xīn？我wǒ想xiǎng你nǐ有yǒu些xiē溜liū撒sā，去qù他tā那nà园yuán子zi里lǐ偷tōu几jǐ个gè来lái尝cháng尝cháng，如rú何hé？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「这zhè个gè容róng易yì，老lǎo孙sūn去qù，手shǒu到dào擒qín来lái。」急jí抽chōu身shēn，往wǎng前qián就jiù走zǒu，八bā戒jiè一yì把bǎ扯chě住zhù道dào：「哥gē啊a，我wǒ听tīng得de他tā在zài这zhè房fáng里lǐ说shuō，要yào拿ná甚shén么me金jīn击jī子zi去qù打dǎ哩lī。须xū是shì干gàn得de停tíng当dàng，不bù可kě走zǒu露lù风fēng声shēng。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ晓xiǎo得dé，我wǒ晓xiǎo得dé。」

逐句解 Line by line

八bā戒jiè道dào：「他tā這zhè裡lǐ有yǒu。八bā戒jiè道dào：「他tā这zhè里lǐ有yǒu。

Bajie said, “They have it right here.

A flat, tempting assertion.

那nà童tóng子zǐ拿ná兩liǎng個gè與yǔ師shī父fù吃chī，那nà老lǎo和hé尚shàng不bú認rèn得de，道dào是shì三sān朝zhāo未wèi滿mǎn的de孩hái兒er，不bù曾céng敢gǎn吃chī。那nà童tóng子zǐ拿ná两liǎng个gè与yǔ师shī父fù吃chī，那nà老lǎo和hé尚shàng不bú认rèn得de，道dào是shì三sān朝zhāo未wèi满mǎn的de孩hái儿er，不bù曾céng敢gǎn吃chī。

The boys brought two for Master to eat, but the old monk didn’t know it — said it was an infant not three days old, and dared not touch it.

那童子 (nà tóngzǐ), 那 (nà) + 子 (zǐ) (the boy-adepts); 那老和尚 (nà lǎo héshàng), 那 (nà); 不認得 (bù rèn·de), 得 (de); 三朝 (sān zhāo), 朝 (zhāo); 孩兒 (hái·er), 兒 (er) suffix.

那nà童tóng子zǐ老lǎo大dà憊bèi懶lǎn，師shī父fù既jì不bù吃chī，便biàn該gāi讓ràng我wǒ們men，他tā就jiù瞞mán著zhe我wǒ們men，才cái自zì在zài這zhè隔gé壁bì房fáng裡lǐ，一yì家jiā一yí個gè，嘓guō啅zhuó嘓guō啅zhuó的de吃chī了le出chū去qù。那nà童tóng子zǐ老lǎo大dà惫bèi懒lǎn，师shī父fù既jì不bù吃chī，便biàn该gāi让ràng我wǒ们men，他tā就jiù瞒mán著zhe我wǒ们men，才cái自zì在zài这zhè隔gé壁bì房fáng里lǐ，一yì家jiā一yí个gè，啯guō啅zhuó啯guō啅zhuó的de吃chī了le出chū去qù。

And those lazy boys — since Master wouldn’t eat, they ought to have offered us; instead they hid it from us, and just now, one apiece in the room next door, gobbled them down, munch-munch, and made off.

那童子 (nà tóngzǐ), 那 (nà) + 子 (zǐ); 老大憊懶 (lǎo dà bèi lǎn) = thoroughly lazy; 瞞著 (mán·zhe), durative 著 (zhe); 嘓啅嘓啅 (guō zhuó guō zhuó) = onomatopoeia for gulping/chewing.

就jiù急jí得de我wǒ口kǒu裡lǐ水shuǐ泱yāng。就jiù急jí得de我wǒ口kǒu里lǐ水shuǐ泱yāng。

It set my mouth fair watering.

急得 (jí·de), light 得 (de) (‘so [anxious] that…’); 水泱 (shuǐ yāng) = to well up with water (saliva).

怎zěn麼me得dé一yí個gè兒er嘗cháng新xīn？怎zěn么me得dé一yí个gè儿er尝cháng新xīn？

How am I to get one to taste?

怎麼得 (zěnme dé), 得 (dé) ‘how to get’; 一個兒 (yí gè·er), 兒 (er) suffix.

我wǒ想xiǎng你nǐ有yǒu些xiē溜liū撒sā，去qù他tā那nà園yuán子zi裡lǐ偷tōu幾jǐ個gè來lái嘗cháng嘗cháng，如rú何hé？」我wǒ想xiǎng你nǐ有yǒu些xiē溜liū撒sā，去qù他tā那nà园yuán子zi里lǐ偷tōu几jǐ个gè来lái尝cháng尝cháng，如rú何hé？」

I reckon you’re nimble enough — go into their orchard and filch a few for us to taste. How’s that?”

溜撒 (liū sǎ) = quick, nimble; 那園子 (nà yuánzi), 那 (nà) + 子 (zi) suffix; 偷幾個 (tōu jǐ gè) = to steal a few.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「這zhè個gè容róng易yì，老lǎo孫sūn去qù，手shǒu到dào擒qín來lái。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「这zhè个gè容róng易yì，老lǎo孙sūn去qù，手shǒu到dào擒qín来lái。」

Pilgrim said, “Easy enough — Old Sun will go; I’ll have them the moment I reach.”

行者 (xíngzhě), 行 (xíng); 手到擒來 (shǒu dào qín lái) = ‘caught the instant the hand arrives,’ i.e. child’s play.

急jí抽chōu身shēn，往wǎng前qián就jiù走zǒu，八bā戒jiè一yì把bǎ扯chě住zhù道dào：「哥gē啊a，我wǒ聽tīng得de他tā在zài這zhè房fáng裡lǐ說shuō，要yào拿ná甚shén麼me金jīn擊jī子zi去qù打dǎ哩lī。急jí抽chōu身shēn，往wǎng前qián就jiù走zǒu，八bā戒jiè一yì把bǎ扯chě住zhù道dào：「哥gē啊a，我wǒ听tīng得de他tā在zài这zhè房fáng里lǐ说shuō，要yào拿ná甚shén么me金jīn击jī子zi去qù打dǎ哩lī。

He whipped round to be off, but Bajie caught him fast: “Brother — I heard them say in there that you must fetch some golden striker to knock them down.

聽得 (tīng·de), 得 (de) (‘heard’); 甚麼 (shénme), 甚 (shén); 金擊子 (jīn jī·zi), 子 (zi) suffix.

須xū是shì幹gàn得de停tíng當dàng，不bù可kě走zǒu露lù風fēng聲shēng。」须xū是shì干gàn得de停tíng当dàng，不bù可kě走zǒu露lù风fēng声shēng。」

You must manage it neatly, and let no word of it leak out.”

幹得 (gàn·de), light 得 (de) (‘do it [properly]’); 停當 (tíng dàng), 當 (dàng) ‘in order, properly settled’; 走露風聲 (zǒu lù fēng shēng) = to let the secret out.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ曉xiǎo得dé，我wǒ曉xiǎo得dé。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ晓xiǎo得dé，我wǒ晓xiǎo得dé。」

Pilgrim said, “I know, I know.”

行者 (xíngzhě), 行 (xíng); 曉得 (xiǎo dé) (‘to know’), 得 (dé) — doubled for airy confidence.

總評 Commentary

The plot is struck. Bājiè lays out the grievance — the boys, rather than share what Master refused, hid the fruit and gulped it down next door (‘munch-munch,’ the text’s 嘓啅嘓啅) — and proposes that the nimble Pilgrim slip into the orchard and filch a few. Pilgrim agrees at once, with his customary bravado (‘caught the instant the hand arrives’).

Bājiè’s one caution is the practical hinge: he has overheard that a golden striker is needed to knock the fruit down, and warns Pilgrim to ‘manage it neatly’ and let no word leak. Pilgrim’s airy ‘I know, I know’ is the last beat before the theft — and, as the next passages will show, he does not in fact know: the fruit will vanish into the earth at his first careless strike.

Readings close the chapter’s long run on 得 (聽得／急得 = de against 怎麼得／曉得 = dé) and on 當 (停當 = dàng, the ‘settled’ sense, joining 當果子／不當 from P16), with the boy-adept 童子 = zǐ against the suffixal 園子／擊子 = zi, and 三朝 = zhāo recalled from P5 and P16.