第二十五回 · 佯賠陪話 The Lads Feign an Apology — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

佯賠陪話 The Lads Feign an Apology

他tā兩liǎng個gè強qiáng打dǎ精jīng神shén，勉miǎn生shēng歡huān喜xǐ，從cóng後hòu園yuán中zhōng徑jìng來lái殿diàn上shàng，對duì唐táng僧sēng控kòng背bèi躬gōng身shēn道dào：「師shī父fù，適shì間jiān言yán語yǔ粗cū俗sú，多duō有yǒu衝chōng撞zhuàng，莫mò怪guài，莫mò怪guài。」三sān藏zàng問wèn道dào：「怎zěn麼me說shuō？」清qīng風fēng道dào：「果guǒ子zi不bù少shǎo，只zhǐ因yīn樹shù葉yè高gāo密mì，不bù曾céng看kàn得de明míng白bái。才cái然rán又yòu去qù查zhā查zhā，還hái是shì原yuán數shù。」那nà八bā戒jiè就jiù趁chèn腳jiǎo兒er蹺qiāo道dào：「你nǐ這zhè個gè童tóng兒ér，年nián幼yòu不bù知zhī事shì體tǐ，就jiù來lái亂luàn罵mà，白bái口kǒu咀zǔ咒zhòu，枉wǎng賴lài了le我wǒ們men也yě，不bú當dàng人rén子zǐ。」行xíng者zhě心xīn上shàng明míng白bái，口kǒu裡lǐ不bù言yán，心xīn中zhōng暗àn想xiǎng道dào：「是shì謊huǎng，是shì謊huǎng。果guǒ子zi已yǐ是shì了liǎo了liǎo帳zhàng，怎zěn的de說shuō這zhè般bān話huà？想xiǎng必bì有yǒu起qǐ死sǐ回huí生shēng之zhī法fǎ。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「既jì如rú此cǐ，盛shèng將jiāng飯fàn來lái，我wǒ們men吃chī了le去qù罷bà。」他tā两liǎng个gè强qiáng打dǎ精jīng神shén，勉miǎn生shēng欢huān喜xǐ，从cóng后hòu园yuán中zhōng径jìng来lái殿diàn上shàng，对duì唐táng僧sēng控kòng背bèi躬gōng身shēn道dào：「师shī父fù，适shì间jiān言yán语yǔ粗cū俗sú，多duō有yǒu冲chōng撞zhuàng，莫mò怪guài，莫mò怪guài。」三sān藏zàng问wèn道dào：「怎zěn么me说shuō？」清qīng风fēng道dào：「果guǒ子zi不bù少shǎo，只zhǐ因yīn树shù叶yè高gāo密mì，不bù曾céng看kàn得de明míng白bái。才cái然rán又yòu去qù查zhā查zhā，还hái是shì原yuán数shù。」那nà八bā戒jiè就jiù趁chèn脚jiǎo儿er跷qiāo道dào：「你nǐ这zhè个gè童tóng儿ér，年nián幼yòu不bù知zhī事shì体tǐ，就jiù来lái乱luàn骂mà，白bái口kǒu咀zǔ咒zhòu，枉wǎng赖lài了le我wǒ们men也yě，不bú当dàng人rén子zǐ。」行xíng者zhě心xīn上shàng明míng白bái，口kǒu里lǐ不bù言yán，心xīn中zhōng暗àn想xiǎng道dào：「是shì谎huǎng，是shì谎huǎng。果guǒ子zi已yǐ是shì了liǎo了liǎo帐zhàng，怎zěn的de说shuō这zhè般bān话huà？想xiǎng必bì有yǒu起qǐ死sǐ回huí生shēng之zhī法fǎ。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「既jì如rú此cǐ，盛shèng将jiāng饭fàn来lái，我wǒ们men吃chī了le去qù罢bà。」

逐句解 Line by line

他tā兩liǎng個gè強qiáng打dǎ精jīng神shén，勉miǎn生shēng歡huān喜xǐ，從cóng後hòu園yuán中zhōng徑jìng來lái殿diàn上shàng，對duì唐táng僧sēng控kòng背bèi躬gōng身shēn道dào：「師shī父fù，適shì間jiān言yán語yǔ粗cū俗sú，多duō有yǒu衝chōng撞zhuàng，莫mò怪guài，莫mò怪guài。」他tā两liǎng个gè强qiáng打dǎ精jīng神shén，勉miǎn生shēng欢huān喜xǐ，从cóng后hòu园yuán中zhōng径jìng来lái殿diàn上shàng，对duì唐táng僧sēng控kòng背bèi躬gōng身shēn道dào：「师shī父fù，适shì间jiān言yán语yǔ粗cū俗sú，多duō有yǒu冲chōng撞zhuàng，莫mò怪guài，莫mò怪guài。」

The two of them forced up their spirits, worked up a show of cheer, and came from the back garden to the hall, where they bowed low before the Tang Monk and said, "Master, just now our words were coarse and gave much offence—forgive us, forgive us."

強打精神 (qiǎng dǎ jīngshén) "to force up one's spirits." 控背躬身 (kòng bèi gōng shēn) "to bend the back and bow the body." 適間 (shìjiān) "just now, a moment ago," with 間 (jiān) "an interval," distinct from 間 (jiàn) "next-door."

三sān藏zàng問wèn道dào：「怎zěn麼me說shuō？」三sān藏zàng问wèn道dào：「怎zěn么me说shuō？」

Sanzang asked, "How do you mean?"

三藏 (Sānzàng) asks in mild puzzlement, the 藏 (zàng) reading of his name.

清qīng風fēng道dào：「果guǒ子zi不bù少shǎo，只zhǐ因yīn樹shù葉yè高gāo密mì，不bù曾céng看kàn得de明míng白bái。清qīng风fēng道dào：「果guǒ子zi不bù少shǎo，只zhǐ因yīn树shù叶yè高gāo密mì，不bù曾céng看kàn得de明míng白bái。

Clear Wind said, "The fruits are not short. It was only that the leaves grew tall and dense, so that we did not see clearly.

果子不少 (guǒzi bù shǎo) "the fruits are not few/short," 子 (zi) the suffix. 看得明白 (kàn de míngbai) "to see clearly," with the toneless 得 (de).

才cái然rán又yòu去qù查zhā查zhā，還hái是shì原yuán數shù。」才cái然rán又yòu去qù查zhā查zhā，还hái是shì原yuán数shù。」

"Just now we went and looked again—it is the original number after all."

原數 (yuán shù) "the original number," with 數 (shù) the noun "a count, number" (here, not the verb 數 (shǔ) "to tally"). 才然 (cái rán) "just now."

那nà八bā戒jiè就jiù趁chèn腳jiǎo兒er蹺qiāo道dào：「你nǐ這zhè個gè童tóng兒ér，年nián幼yòu不bù知zhī事shì體tǐ，就jiù來lái亂luàn罵mà，白bái口kǒu咀zǔ咒zhòu，枉wǎng賴lài了le我wǒ們men也yě，不bú當dàng人rén子zǐ。」那nà八bā戒jiè就jiù趁chèn脚jiǎo儿er跷qiāo道dào：「你nǐ这zhè个gè童tóng儿ér，年nián幼yòu不bù知zhī事shì体tǐ，就jiù来lái乱luàn骂mà，白bái口kǒu咀zǔ咒zhòu，枉wǎng赖lài了le我wǒ们men也yě，不bú当dàng人rén子zǐ。」

At this Bajie seized the moment and chimed in: "You child, so young and knowing nothing of decency—coming to rail at us for no cause, cursing with an empty mouth, wrongly slandering us—you are no proper son of man."

趁腳兒蹺 (chèn jiǎo'r qiāo) "to seize the chance to step in, chime in." 咀咒 (zǔzhòu) is a loan-writing of 詛咒 "to curse," read 咀 (zǔ) (not 咀 (jǔ) "to chew"). 不當人子 (bù dàng rén zǐ) "unfit to be counted a human being's child," a curse; 當 (dàng) "to deem, count as" raises the following tone, so 不 reads bú, and 子 (zǐ) takes the nominal reading of 人子.

行xíng者zhě心xīn上shàng明míng白bái，口kǒu裡lǐ不bù言yán，心xīn中zhōng暗àn想xiǎng道dào：「是shì謊huǎng，是shì謊huǎng。行xíng者zhě心xīn上shàng明míng白bái，口kǒu里lǐ不bù言yán，心xīn中zhōng暗àn想xiǎng道dào：「是shì谎huǎng，是shì谎huǎng。

The Pilgrim, clear in his own mind, said nothing aloud but thought within: "It's a lie, it's a lie.

心上明白 (xīnshàng míngbai) "clear in one's own mind." 口裡不言 (kǒu lǐ bù yán) "saying nothing aloud"—Wukong sees through the boys' turnabout at once.

果guǒ子zi已yǐ是shì了liǎo了liǎo帳zhàng，怎zěn的de說shuō這zhè般bān話huà？果guǒ子zi已yǐ是shì了liǎo了liǎo帐zhàng，怎zěn的de说shuō这zhè般bān话huà？

"The fruits are long since settled and done for—why do they talk like this? There must be some art of raising the dead and restoring life."

了了帳 (liǎoliǎo zhàng) "the account is closed and finished." 起死回生之法 (qǐsǐ huíshēng zhī fǎ) "an art of raising the dead and restoring life"—Wukong rightly infers the boys expect the tree to be revived.

想xiǎng必bì有yǒu起qǐ死sǐ回huí生shēng之zhī法fǎ。」想xiǎng必bì有yǒu起qǐ死sǐ回huí生shēng之zhī法fǎ。」

"There must be some art of raising the dead and restoring life."

想必 (xiǎngbì) "there must surely be"—Wukong's shrewd surmise, which the following chapter will confirm.

三sān藏zàng道dào：「既jì如rú此cǐ，盛shèng將jiāng飯fàn來lái，我wǒ們men吃chī了le去qù罷bà。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「既jì如rú此cǐ，盛shèng将jiāng饭fàn来lái，我wǒ们men吃chī了le去qù罢bà。」

Sanzang said, "If that is so, bring in the rice and let us eat and be on our way."

盛將飯來 (chéng jiāng fàn lái) "dish up the rice and bring it," with the directional particle 將 (jiāng). 吃了去罷 (chīle qù bà) "eat and then be off."

總評 Commentary

The boys' apology is a study in transparent flattery, and Bajie—true to form—cannot resist rubbing salt in even as they retreat, calling the lad "no proper son of man." The comedy lies in the reversal: the guilty pilgrims now graciously accept an apology from the very boys they have wronged.

Wukong alone is not deceived. His silent 是謊，是謊 ("it's a lie, it's a lie") and his inference of an "art of raising the dead" show the trickster reading the trap for what it is—and reading, too, the secret that will drive the next chapter: the manfruit tree can be brought back to life.