第二十五回 · 裹漆留臉 Lacquered Head to Foot — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

裹漆留臉 Lacquered Head to Foot

行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「好hǎo，好hǎo，好hǎo，夾jiā活huó兒er就jiù大dà殮liàn了le。」須xū臾yú，纏chán裹guǒ已yǐ畢bì。又yòu教jiào拿ná出chū漆qī來lái。眾zhòng仙xiān即jí忙máng取qǔ了le些xiē自zì收shōu自zì晒shài的de生shēng熟shú漆qī，把bǎ他tā三sān個gè渾hún身shēn布bù裹guǒ漆qī了le，渾hún身shēn俱jù裹guǒ漆qī，上shàng留liú著zhe頭tóu臉liǎn在zài外wài。八bā戒jiè道dào：「先xiān生shēng，上shàng頭tóu倒dào不bù打dǎ緊jǐn，只zhǐ是shì下xià面miàn還hái留liú孔kǒng兒er，我wǒ們men好hǎo出chū恭gōng。」行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「好hǎo，好hǎo，好hǎo，夹jiā活huó儿er就jiù大dà殓liàn了le。」须xū臾yú，缠chán裹guǒ已yǐ毕bì。又yòu教jiào拿ná出chū漆qī来lái。众zhòng仙xiān即jí忙máng取qǔ了le些xiē自zì收shōu自zì晒shài的de生shēng熟shú漆qī，把bǎ他tā三sān个gè浑hún身shēn布bù裹guǒ漆qī了le，浑hún身shēn俱jù裹guǒ漆qī，上shàng留liú著zhe头tóu脸liǎn在zài外wài。八bā戒jiè道dào：「先xiān生shēng，上shàng头tóu倒dào不bù打dǎ紧jǐn，只zhǐ是shì下xià面miàn还hái留liú孔kǒng儿er，我wǒ们men好hǎo出chū恭gōng。」

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「好hǎo，好hǎo，好hǎo，夾jiā活huó兒er就jiù大dà殮liàn了le。」行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「好hǎo，好hǎo，好hǎo，夹jiā活huó儿er就jiù大dà殓liàn了le。」

The Pilgrim laughed: "Good, good, good—coffined alive, and all!"

夾活兒就大殮了 (jiā huó'r jiù dàliàn le) "given a laying-out while still alive," 大殮 (dàliàn) "the coffining of the dead," suffix 兒 (er)—Wukong's gallows jest.

須xū臾yú，纏chán裹guǒ已yǐ畢bì。须xū臾yú，缠chán裹guǒ已yǐ毕bì。

In a moment the wrapping was finished.

纏裹已畢 (chán guǒ yǐ bì) "the swathing done." 須臾 (xūyú) "in a moment."

又yòu教jiào拿ná出chū漆qī來lái。又yòu教jiào拿ná出chū漆qī来lái。

He then ordered lacquer to be brought.

拿出漆來 (ná chū qī lái) "bring out the lacquer"—the next stage of the binding.

眾zhòng仙xiān即jí忙máng取qǔ了le些xiē自zì收shōu自zì晒shài的de生shēng熟shú漆qī，把bǎ他tā三sān個gè渾hún身shēn布bù裹guǒ漆qī了le，渾hún身shēn俱jù裹guǒ漆qī，上shàng留liú著zhe頭tóu臉liǎn在zài外wài。众zhòng仙xiān即jí忙máng取qǔ了le些xiē自zì收shōu自zì晒shài的de生shēng熟shú漆qī，把bǎ他tā三sān个gè浑hún身shēn布bù裹guǒ漆qī了le，浑hún身shēn俱jù裹guǒ漆qī，上shàng留liú著zhe头tóu脸liǎn在zài外wài。

The immortals hastily fetched some of the raw and boiled lacquer they had gathered and dried themselves, coated the three of them all over the cloth-wrapping with it, coated them from head to foot, and left only their heads and faces exposed.

自收自晒 (zì shōu zì shài) "gathered and sun-dried by themselves," 晒 (shài). 生熟漆 (shēng shú qī) "raw and boiled lacquer." 上留著頭臉在外 (shàng liú zhe tóu liǎn zài wài) "leaving the head and face out," durative 著 (zhe).

八bā戒jiè道dào：「先xiān生shēng，上shàng頭tóu倒dào不bù打dǎ緊jǐn，只zhǐ是shì下xià面miàn還hái留liú孔kǒng兒er，我wǒ們men好hǎo出chū恭gōng。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「先xiān生shēng，上shàng头tóu倒dào不bù打dǎ紧jǐn，只zhǐ是shì下xià面miàn还hái留liú孔kǒng儿er，我wǒ们men好hǎo出chū恭gōng。」

Bajie said, "Sir, up top it doesn't much matter, but do leave a hole down below so we can relieve ourselves."

上頭倒不打緊 (shàngtou dào bù dǎjǐn) "up top it hardly matters," 倒 (dào) "rather, as for." 還留孔兒 (hái liú kǒng'r) "still leave a hole," suffix 兒 (er). 出恭 (chūgōng) "to relieve oneself."

總評 Commentary

The lacquering completes the pilgrims' immobilisation—wrapped in cloth and sealed head to foot in lacquer, only their faces showing—yet the horror is once more deflected into farce by the disciples' jokes: Wukong's "coffined alive," Bajie's earthy request for a hole "so we can relieve ourselves." The comedy is the chapter's steady mode: no matter how dire the predicament, the invulnerable monkey and the greedy pig turn it to a jest.