第二十五回 · 龍皮七星鞭 The Dragon-Hide Whip — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

龍皮七星鞭 The Dragon-Hide Whip

眾zhòng仙xiān即jí忙máng取qǔ出chū一yì條tiáo鞭biān，──不bú是shì甚shén麼me牛niú皮pí、羊yáng皮pí、麂jǐ皮pí、犢dú皮pí的de，原yuán來lái是shì龍lóng皮pí做zuò的de七qī星xīng鞭biān，著zhuó水shuǐ浸jìn在zài那nà裡lǐ。令lìng一yí個gè有yǒu力lì量liàng的de小xiǎo仙xiān，把bǎ鞭biān執zhí定dìng道dào：「師shī父fù，先xiān打dǎ那nǎ個gè？」大dà仙xiān道dào：「唐táng三sān藏zàng做zuò大dà不bù尊zūn，先xiān打dǎ他tā。」众zhòng仙xiān即jí忙máng取qǔ出chū一yì条tiáo鞭biān，──不bú是shì甚shén么me牛niú皮pí、羊yáng皮pí、麂jǐ皮pí、犊dú皮pí的de，原yuán来lái是shì龙lóng皮pí做zuò的de七qī星xīng鞭biān，著zhuó水shuǐ浸jìn在zài那nà里lǐ。令lìng一yí个gè有yǒu力lì量liàng的de小xiǎo仙xiān，把bǎ鞭biān执zhí定dìng道dào：「师shī父fù，先xiān打dǎ那nǎ个gè？」大dà仙xiān道dào：「唐táng三sān藏zàng做zuò大dà不bù尊zūn，先xiān打dǎ他tā。」

逐句解 Line by line

眾zhòng仙xiān即jí忙máng取qǔ出chū一yì條tiáo鞭biān，──不bú是shì甚shén麼me牛niú皮pí、羊yáng皮pí、麂jǐ皮pí、犢dú皮pí的de，原yuán來lái是shì龍lóng皮pí做zuò的de七qī星xīng鞭biān，著zhuó水shuǐ浸jìn在zài那nà裡lǐ。众zhòng仙xiān即jí忙máng取qǔ出chū一yì条tiáo鞭biān，──不bú是shì甚shén么me牛niú皮pí、羊yáng皮pí、麂jǐ皮pí、犊dú皮pí的de，原yuán来lái是shì龙lóng皮pí做zuò的de七qī星xīng鞭biān，著zhuó水shuǐ浸jìn在zài那nà里lǐ。

The immortals hastily fetched out a whip—not of ox-hide, sheep-hide, roe-deer-hide, or calf-hide, but, as it turned out, a Seven-Stars whip made of dragon-hide, kept steeping there in water.

麂皮、犢皮 (jǐ pí, dú pí) "roe-deer hide, calf hide," 麂 (jǐ), 犢 (dú). 龍皮做的七星鞭 (lóng pí zuò de qīxīng biān) "a Seven-Stars whip of dragon-hide." 著水浸 (zhuó shuǐ jìn) "steeped in water," 著 (zhuó) "to apply, put."

令lìng一yí個gè有yǒu力lì量liàng的de小xiǎo仙xiān，把bǎ鞭biān執zhí定dìng道dào：「師shī父fù，先xiān打dǎ那nǎ個gè？」令lìng一yí个gè有yǒu力lì量liàng的de小xiǎo仙xiān，把bǎ鞭biān执zhí定dìng道dào：「师shī父fù，先xiān打dǎ那nǎ个gè？」

He ordered one strong little immortal to take a firm hold of the whip: "Master, which shall we beat first?"

有力量的小仙 (yǒu lìliang de xiǎoxiān) "a strong lesser immortal." 先打那個 (xiān dǎ nǎ gè) "which shall be beaten first?", interrogative 那 (nǎ) (= 哪).

大dà仙xiān道dào：「唐táng三sān藏zàng做zuò大dà不bù尊zūn，先xiān打dǎ他tā。」大dà仙xiān道dào：「唐táng三sān藏zàng做zuò大dà不bù尊zūn，先xiān打dǎ他tā。」

The Great Immortal said, "Tang Sanzang, for setting himself up so grandly, shall be beaten first."

做大不尊 (zuò dà bù zūn) "puts on airs and lacks humility"—the ostensible ground for beating the master first. 三藏 (Sānzàng) with 藏 (zàng).

總評 Commentary

The detail of the whip is characteristic of the novel's delight in exotic specificity: not common ox- or calf-hide, but a Seven-Stars whip of dragon-hide, kept steeping in water to keep it supple and cruel. The Great Immortal's choice to beat Sanzang first—for "putting on airs"—sets up the chapter's next turn, in which Wukong, unwilling to see his master suffer for his own crime, will step forward to take the beating himself.