第二十五回 · 脫索夜遁 Slipping the Ropes by Night — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

脫索夜遁 Slipping the Ropes by Night

正zhèng話huà處chù，早zǎo已yǐ萬wàn籟lài無wú聲shēng，正zhèng是shì天tiān街jiē人rén靜jìng。好hǎo行xíng者zhě，把bǎ身shēn子zi小xiǎo一yì小xiǎo，脫tuō下xià索suǒ來lái道dào：「師shī父fù去qù啞yā。」沙shā僧sēng慌huāng了le道dào：「哥gē哥gē，也yě救jiù我wǒ們men一yí救jiù。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「悄qiāo言yán，悄qiāo言yán。」他tā卻què解jiě了le三sān藏zàng，放fàng下xià八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng，整zhěng束shù了le褊biǎn衫shān，扣kòu背bèi了le馬mǎ匹pǐ，廊láng下xià拿ná了le行xíng李lǐ，一yì齊qí出chū了le觀guàn門mén。正zhèng话huà处chù，早zǎo已yǐ万wàn籁lài无wú声shēng，正zhèng是shì天tiān街jiē人rén静jìng。好hǎo行xíng者zhě，把bǎ身shēn子zi小xiǎo一yì小xiǎo，脱tuō下xià索suǒ来lái道dào：「师shī父fù去qù哑yā。」沙shā僧sēng慌huāng了le道dào：「哥gē哥gē，也yě救jiù我wǒ们men一yí救jiù。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「悄qiāo言yán，悄qiāo言yán。」他tā却què解jiě了le三sān藏zàng，放fàng下xià八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng，整zhěng束shù了le褊biǎn衫shān，扣kòu背bèi了le马mǎ匹pǐ，廊láng下xià拿ná了le行xíng李lǐ，一yì齐qí出chū了le观guàn门mén。

逐句解 Line by line

正zhèng話huà處chù，早zǎo已yǐ萬wàn籟lài無wú聲shēng，正zhèng是shì天tiān街jiē人rén靜jìng。正zhèng话huà处chù，早zǎo已yǐ万wàn籁lài无wú声shēng，正zhèng是shì天tiān街jiē人rén静jìng。

Just as they were talking, every sound had long since fallen still, and it was the hour when the streets of heaven lie quiet.

萬籟無聲 (wànlài wúshēng) "the myriad sounds silent," 籟 (lài) "sound of nature." 天街人靜 (tiānjiē rén jìng) "the streets of heaven, all hushed"—deep, still night.

好hǎo行xíng者zhě，把bǎ身shēn子zi小xiǎo一yì小xiǎo，脫tuō下xià索suǒ來lái道dào：「師shī父fù去qù啞yā。」好hǎo行xíng者zhě，把bǎ身shēn子zi小xiǎo一yì小xiǎo，脱tuō下xià索suǒ来lái道dào：「师shī父fù去qù哑yā。」

Good Pilgrim! He made his body small, small, slipped down out of the ropes, and said, "Master, let's be off."

把身子小一小 (bǎ shēnzi xiǎo yì xiǎo) "shrank his body small"—Wukong's size-changing to escape the bonds. 去啞 (qù yā) "let's go," 啞 (yā) here a sentence-final particle (= 呀).

沙shā僧sēng慌huāng了le道dào：「哥gē哥gē，也yě救jiù我wǒ們men一yí救jiù。」沙shā僧sēng慌huāng了le道dào：「哥gē哥gē，也yě救jiù我wǒ们men一yí救jiù。」

Wujing said in alarm, "Brother, save us too!"

也救我們一救 (yě jiù wǒmen yí jiù) "save us as well"—the reduplicated 一救 urging haste.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「悄qiāo言yán，悄qiāo言yán。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「悄qiāo言yán，悄qiāo言yán。」

The Pilgrim said, "Softly, softly."

悄言 (qiāo yán) "speak softly, hush"—lest they wake the immortals.

他tā卻què解jiě了le三sān藏zàng，放fàng下xià八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng，整zhěng束shù了le褊biǎn衫shān，扣kòu背bèi了le馬mǎ匹pǐ，廊láng下xià拿ná了le行xíng李lǐ，一yì齊qí出chū了le觀guàn門mén。他tā却què解jiě了le三sān藏zàng，放fàng下xià八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng，整zhěng束shù了le褊biǎn衫shān，扣kòu背bèi了le马mǎ匹pǐ，廊láng下xià拿ná了le行xíng李lǐ，一yì齐qí出chū了le观guàn门mén。

He then loosed Sanzang, let down Bajie and Wujing, tucked up his cassock, slung the saddle on the horse, took the luggage from the corridor, and all together went out the abbey gate.

整束了褊衫 (zhěng shù le biǎn shān) "tucked up the cassock," 褊 (biǎn) a narrow robe. 行李 (xíngli) "the luggage," 行 (xíng). 觀門 (guàn mén) "the abbey gate," 觀 (guàn).

總評 Commentary

The second night escape opens as the first did—Wukong shrinking to slip his bonds—but the setting is bleaker: the pilgrims, twice bound and once flogged, steal out of the abbey in the dead of night. The storyteller's phrase 天街人靜 ("the streets of heaven lie quiet") lends the furtive flight a hush of cosmic stillness.