第二十五回 · 太乙散仙 A Scattered Immortal of Great Unity — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

太乙散仙 A Scattered Immortal of Great Unity

眾zhòng仙xiān道dào：「那nà和hé尚shàng打dǎ你nǐ來lái？」明míng月yuè道dào：「不bù曾céng打dǎ，只zhǐ是shì把bǎ我wǒ們men人rén參shēn樹shù打dǎ倒dǎo了le。」大dà仙xiān聞wén言yán，更gèng不bù惱nǎo怒nù，道dào：「莫mò哭kū，莫mò哭kū。你nǐ不bù知zhī那nà姓xìng孫sūn的de也yě是shì個gè太tài乙yǐ散sǎn仙xiān，也yě曾céng大dà鬧nào天tiān宮gōng，神shén通tōng廣guǎng大dà。既jì然rán打dǎ倒dǎo了le寶bǎo樹shù，你nǐ可kě認rèn得de那nà些xiē和hé尚shàng？」清qīng風fēng道dào：「都dōu認rèn得de。」大dà仙xiān道dào：「既jì認rèn得de，都dōu跟gēn我wǒ來lái。──眾zhòng徒tú弟dì們men，都dōu收shōu拾shí下xià刑xíng具jù，等děng我wǒ回huí來lái打dǎ他tā。」眾zhòng仙xiān領lǐng命mìng。众zhòng仙xiān道dào：「那nà和hé尚shàng打dǎ你nǐ来lái？」明míng月yuè道dào：「不bù曾céng打dǎ，只zhǐ是shì把bǎ我wǒ们men人rén参shēn树shù打dǎ倒dǎo了le。」大dà仙xiān闻wén言yán，更gèng不bù恼nǎo怒nù，道dào：「莫mò哭kū，莫mò哭kū。你nǐ不bù知zhī那nà姓xìng孙sūn的de也yě是shì个gè太tài乙yǐ散sǎn仙xiān，也yě曾céng大dà闹nào天tiān宫gōng，神shén通tōng广guǎng大dà。既jì然rán打dǎ倒dǎo了le宝bǎo树shù，你nǐ可kě认rèn得de那nà些xiē和hé尚shàng？」清qīng风fēng道dào：「都dōu认rèn得de。」大dà仙xiān道dào：「既jì认rèn得de，都dōu跟gēn我wǒ来lái。──众zhòng徒tú弟dì们men，都dōu收shōu拾shí下xià刑xíng具jù，等děng我wǒ回huí来lái打dǎ他tā。」众zhòng仙xiān领lǐng命mìng。

逐句解 Line by line

眾zhòng仙xiān道dào：「那nà和hé尚shàng打dǎ你nǐ來lái？」众zhòng仙xiān道dào：「那nà和hé尚shàng打dǎ你nǐ来lái？」

The immortals asked, "Did the monk beat you?"

那和尚打你來 (nà héshàng dǎ nǐ lái) "did that monk strike you?"—the company still imagines a beating, not the felling of the tree.

明míng月yuè道dào：「不bù曾céng打dǎ，只zhǐ是shì把bǎ我wǒ們men人rén參shēn樹shù打dǎ倒dǎo了le。」明míng月yuè道dào：「不bù曾céng打dǎ，只zhǐ是shì把bǎ我wǒ们men人rén参shēn树shù打dǎ倒dǎo了le。」

Bright Moon said, "There was no beating—only, he knocked our ginseng-fruit tree down."

人參樹 (rénshēn shù) "the ginseng[-fruit] tree," 參 (shēn). 打倒了 (dǎ dǎo le) "knocked it down," 倒 (dǎo) "to topple, fall."

大dà仙xiān聞wén言yán，更gèng不bù惱nǎo怒nù，道dào：「莫mò哭kū，莫mò哭kū。大dà仙xiān闻wén言yán，更gèng不bù恼nǎo怒nù，道dào：「莫mò哭kū，莫mò哭kū。

The Great Immortal, hearing it, grew no angrier, but said, "Do not weep, do not weep.

更不惱怒 (gèng bù nǎonù) "grew no angrier"—his equanimity marks him off from the shrill boys. 莫哭 (mò kū) "do not cry."

你nǐ不bù知zhī那nà姓xìng孫sūn的de也yě是shì個gè太tài乙yǐ散sǎn仙xiān，也yě曾céng大dà鬧nào天tiān宮gōng，神shén通tōng廣guǎng大dà。你nǐ不bù知zhī那nà姓xìng孙sūn的de也yě是shì个gè太tài乙yǐ散sǎn仙xiān，也yě曾céng大dà闹nào天tiān宫gōng，神shén通tōng广guǎng大dà。

"You do not know that this fellow surnamed Sun is himself a Scattered Immortal of the Great Unity—he once made great havoc in the Palace of Heaven, and his powers are vast and far-reaching.

太乙散仙 (Tàiyǐ sǎnxiān) "a Scattered Immortal of Great Unity"—an unranked, freely wandering immortal, 散 (sǎn) "loose, unattached" (not the verb 散 (sàn) "to disperse"). 大鬧天宮 (dà nào tiāngōng) recalls Wukong's rebellion against Heaven. 神通廣大 (shéntōng guǎngdà) "vast supernatural powers."

既jì然rán打dǎ倒dǎo了le寶bǎo樹shù，你nǐ可kě認rèn得de那nà些xiē和hé尚shàng？」既jì然rán打dǎ倒dǎo了le宝bǎo树shù，你nǐ可kě认rèn得de那nà些xiē和hé尚shàng？」

"Since he has felled the treasure-tree, can you recognise those monks?"

既然打倒了寶樹 (jìrán dǎ dǎo le bǎo shù) "since [he] has toppled the treasure-tree," 倒 (dǎo). 認得 (rèn de) "to recognise," toneless 得 (de).

清qīng風fēng道dào：「都dōu認rèn得de。」清qīng风fēng道dào：「都dōu认rèn得de。」

Clear Wind said, "We know them all."

都認得 (dōu rèn de) "recognise all of them," 都 (dōu) "all."

大dà仙xiān道dào：「既jì認rèn得de，都dōu跟gēn我wǒ來lái。大dà仙xiān道dào：「既jì认rèn得de，都dōu跟gēn我wǒ来lái。

The Great Immortal said, "Since you know them, come with me, all of you.

既認得，都跟我來 (jì rèn de, dōu gēn wǒ lái) "since you know them, all follow me"—the master takes command of the pursuit.

──眾zhòng徒tú弟dì們men，都dōu收shōu拾shí下xià刑xíng具jù，等děng我wǒ回huí來lái打dǎ他tā。」 ──众zhòng徒tú弟dì们men，都dōu收shōu拾shí下xià刑xíng具jù，等děng我wǒ回huí来lái打dǎ他tā。」

"—And you disciples, all of you make ready the instruments of punishment, and wait for me to come back and beat him."

刑具 (xíngjù) "instruments of punishment." 等我回來打他 (děng wǒ huílái dǎ tā) "wait till I return to beat him"—the sentence set, calmly, in advance.

眾zhòng仙xiān領lǐng命mìng。众zhòng仙xiān领lǐng命mìng。

The immortals received the command.

領命 (lǐng mìng) "to receive an order"—the assembly bends to the master's will.

總評 Commentary

The Great Immortal's response is the chapter's great tonal pivot. Where the boys shrieked of robbers, he grows "no angrier," and instead of raging he identifies his adversary with connoisseur's coolness: a 太乙散仙 ("Scattered Immortal of the Great Unity") who once shook Heaven itself. His unhurried command—recognise them, ready the punishment, wait for my return—establishes him as a power of a wholly different order from the two frightened lads.