第二十四回 · 草還丹 The Grass-Return Elixir — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

草還丹 The Grass-Return Elixir

行xíng者zhě轉zhuǎn身shēn，到dào於yú廚chú房fáng門mén首shǒu，道dào：「獃dāi子zi，你nǐ嚷rǎng甚shén的de？想xiǎng是shì飯fàn不bú夠gòu吃chī，且qiě讓ràng老lǎo和hé尚shàng吃chī飽bǎo，我wǒ們men前qián邊biān大dà人rén家jiā，再zài化huà吃chī去qù罷bà。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「你nǐ進jìn來lái，不bú是shì飯fàn少shǎo。這zhè觀guàn裡lǐ有yǒu一yí件jiàn寶bǎo貝bèi，你nǐ可kě曉xiǎo得dé？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「甚shén麼me寶bǎo貝bèi？」八bā戒jiè笑xiào道dào：「說shuō與yǔ你nǐ，你nǐ不bù曾céng見jiàn；拿ná與yǔ你nǐ，你nǐ不bú認rèn得dé。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「這zhè獃dāi子zi笑xiào話huà我wǒ老lǎo孫sūn。老lǎo孫sūn五wǔ百bǎi年nián前qián，因yīn訪fǎng仙xiān道dào時shí，也yě曾céng雲yún遊yóu在zài海hǎi角jiǎo天tiān涯yá，那nà般bān兒er不bù曾céng見jiàn？」八bā戒jiè道dào：「哥gē啊a，人rén參shēn果guǒ你nǐ曾céng見jiàn麼me？」行xíng者zhě驚jīng道dào：「這zhè個gè真zhēn不bù曾céng見jiàn。但dàn只zhǐ常cháng聞wén得dé人rén說shuō，人rén參shēn果guǒ乃nǎi是shì草cǎo還huán丹dān，人rén吃chī了le極jí能néng延yán壽shòu。如rú今jīn那nǎ裡lǐ有yǒu得dé？」行xíng者zhě转zhuǎn身shēn，到dào于yú厨chú房fáng门mén首shǒu，道dào：「呆dāi子zi，你nǐ嚷rǎng甚shén的de？想xiǎng是shì饭fàn不bú够gòu吃chī，且qiě让ràng老lǎo和hé尚shàng吃chī饱bǎo，我wǒ们men前qián边biān大dà人rén家jiā，再zài化huà吃chī去qù罢bà。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「你nǐ进jìn来lái，不bú是shì饭fàn少shǎo。这zhè观guàn里lǐ有yǒu一yí件jiàn宝bǎo贝bèi，你nǐ可kě晓xiǎo得dé？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「甚shén么me宝bǎo贝bèi？」八bā戒jiè笑xiào道dào：「说shuō与yǔ你nǐ，你nǐ不bù曾céng见jiàn；拿ná与yǔ你nǐ，你nǐ不bú认rèn得dé。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「这zhè呆dāi子zi笑xiào话huà我wǒ老lǎo孙sūn。老lǎo孙sūn五wǔ百bǎi年nián前qián，因yīn访fǎng仙xiān道dào时shí，也yě曾céng云yún游yóu在zài海hǎi角jiǎo天tiān涯yá，那nà般bān儿er不bù曾céng见jiàn？」八bā戒jiè道dào：「哥gē啊a，人rén参shēn果guǒ你nǐ曾céng见jiàn么me？」行xíng者zhě惊jīng道dào：「这zhè个gè真zhēn不bù曾céng见jiàn。但dàn只zhǐ常cháng闻wén得dé人rén说shuō，人rén参shēn果guǒ乃nǎi是shì草cǎo还huán丹dān，人rén吃chī了le极jí能néng延yán寿shòu。如rú今jīn那nǎ里lǐ有yǒu得dé？」

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng者zhě轉zhuǎn身shēn，到dào於yú廚chú房fáng門mén首shǒu，道dào：「獃dāi子zi，你nǐ嚷rǎng甚shén的de？行xíng者zhě转zhuǎn身shēn，到dào于yú厨chú房fáng门mén首shǒu，道dào：「呆dāi子zi，你nǐ嚷rǎng甚shén的de？

Pilgrim turned and came to the kitchen door: "Blockhead, what are you bawling about?

嚷甚的 — 甚的 is the vernacular equivalent of 什麼, with 甚 as shén.

想xiǎng是shì飯fàn不bú夠gòu吃chī，且qiě讓ràng老lǎo和hé尚shàng吃chī飽bǎo，我wǒ們men前qián邊biān大dà人rén家jiā，再zài化huà吃chī去qù罷bà。」想xiǎng是shì饭fàn不bú够gòu吃chī，且qiě让ràng老lǎo和hé尚shàng吃chī饱bǎo，我wǒ们men前qián边biān大dà人rén家jiā，再zài化huà吃chī去qù罢bà。」

I suppose there's not rice enough — let the old monk eat his fill; we'll beg our meal at some great house on ahead."

Pilgrim's first guess is that this is about rations, which tells you what he expects of Bājiè. 化吃, huà chī, to beg food — the ordinary means of support for a mendicant monk, and a reminder that these four live on alms.

八bā戒jiè道dào：「你nǐ進jìn來lái，不bú是shì飯fàn少shǎo。八bā戒jiè道dào：「你nǐ进jìn来lái，不bú是shì饭fàn少shǎo。

Bajie said, "Come in — it's not that the rice is short.

飯少 — 少 as shǎo, "little, short."

這zhè觀guàn裡lǐ有yǒu一yí件jiàn寶bǎo貝bèi，你nǐ可kě曉xiǎo得dé？」这zhè观guàn里lǐ有yǒu一yí件jiàn宝bǎo贝bèi，你nǐ可kě晓xiǎo得dé？」

There's a treasure in this abbey — do you know of it?"

The bait is set. 曉得 takes 得 as dé, "to know."

行xíng者zhě道dào：「甚shén麼me寶bǎo貝bèi？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「甚shén么me宝bǎo贝bèi？」

Pilgrim said, "What treasure?"

And taken.

八bā戒jiè笑xiào道dào：「說shuō與yǔ你nǐ，你nǐ不bù曾céng見jiàn；拿ná與yǔ你nǐ，你nǐ不bú認rèn得dé。」八bā戒jiè笑xiào道dào：「说shuō与yǔ你nǐ，你nǐ不bù曾céng见jiàn；拿ná与yǔ你nǐ，你nǐ不bú认rèn得dé。」

Bajie said with a grin, "Tell you, and you've never seen it; hand it you, and you'd not know it."

Bājiè plays him perfectly: not only have you never seen it, you would not recognise it if I put it in your hand. 不認得 takes the light de.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「這zhè獃dāi子zi笑xiào話huà我wǒ老lǎo孫sūn。行xíng者zhě道dào：「这zhè呆dāi子zi笑xiào话huà我wǒ老lǎo孙sūn。

Pilgrim said, "This blockhead makes sport of Old Sun.

笑話, xiào hua, to make sport of someone.

老lǎo孫sūn五wǔ百bǎi年nián前qián，因yīn訪fǎng仙xiān道dào時shí，也yě曾céng雲yún遊yóu在zài海hǎi角jiǎo天tiān涯yá，那nà般bān兒er不bù曾céng見jiàn？」老lǎo孙sūn五wǔ百bǎi年nián前qián，因yīn访fǎng仙xiān道dào时shí，也yě曾céng云yún游yóu在zài海hǎi角jiǎo天tiān涯yá，那nà般bān儿er不bù曾céng见jiàn？」

Five hundred years ago, when I went seeking the immortal Way, I roamed to the corners of sea and sky — what have I not seen?"

Out comes the standard boast. The five hundred years refers to his youth before the Havoc in Heaven, when he wandered the world looking for a teacher. 雲遊, yún yóu, "to roam like a cloud," the standard term for a monk or adept travelling without fixed destination. 那般兒, what manner of thing.

八bā戒jiè道dào：「哥gē啊a，人rén參shēn果guǒ你nǐ曾céng見jiàn麼me？」八bā戒jiè道dào：「哥gē啊a，人rén参shēn果guǒ你nǐ曾céng见jiàn么me？」

Bajie said, "Brother — have you ever seen a ginseng-fruit?"

The question that deflates him.

行xíng者zhě驚jīng道dào：「這zhè個gè真zhēn不bù曾céng見jiàn。行xíng者zhě惊jīng道dào：「这zhè个gè真zhēn不bù曾céng见jiàn。

Pilgrim said, startled, "That I truly have never seen.

And the admission. 驚, jīng, startled — Pilgrim is genuinely caught out, which does not happen often.

但dàn只zhǐ常cháng聞wén得dé人rén說shuō，人rén參shēn果guǒ乃nǎi是shì草cǎo還huán丹dān，人rén吃chī了le極jí能néng延yán壽shòu。但dàn只zhǐ常cháng闻wén得dé人rén说shuō，人rén参shēn果guǒ乃nǎi是shì草cǎo还huán丹dān，人rén吃chī了le极jí能néng延yán寿shòu。

But I have often heard it said that the ginseng-fruit is the Grass-Return Elixir, and that a man who eats it can greatly lengthen his years.

He knows the name and the property but has never laid eyes on one. 草還丹 takes 還 as huán, "to return" — the alchemical 還丹, the elixir cycled back to its original state — not the hái of "still." 常聞得 takes the light de.

如rú今jīn那nǎ裡lǐ有yǒu得dé？」如rú今jīn那nǎ里lǐ有yǒu得dé？」

But where is any to be had these days?"

Here 那裡 is nǎ lǐ, the interrogative "where," not the demonstrative nà lǐ. 有得 takes 得 as dé. He assumes the thing is extinct; Bājiè is about to tell him it is forty paces away.

總評 Commentary

Pilgrim assumes the fuss is about short rations and offers to beg a meal further down the road. Bājiè, who has judged his audience precisely, does not lead with the fruit — he leads with a challenge. There is a treasure in this abbey, and you would not know it if I put it in your hand.

It works instantly. Out comes the standard boast: five hundred years ago, seeking the Way, he roamed to the corners of sea and sky, and what has he not seen? Then the question — have you ever seen a ginseng-fruit? — and Pilgrim is genuinely caught out, which is rare enough to be worth marking. He knows the name. He knows it is the 草還丹, the Grass-Return Elixir, and that eating one greatly lengthens life. He has never laid eyes on one and assumes none survive.

So the temptation is built from Pilgrim's own vanity rather than his appetite. Bājiè wants the fruit; Pilgrim wants to have seen the fruit. That distinction holds for the rest of the chapter and explains why one of them stops at a single portion and the other does not.