第二十五回 · 舊話兒經 The 'Old-Talk Sutra' — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

舊話兒經 The 'Old-Talk Sutra'

唐táng僧sēng道dào：「他tā若ruò干gān出chū這zhè個gè勾gōu當dàng，不bù同tóng你nǐ我wǒ出chū去qù啊a，我wǒ就jiù念niàn起qǐ舊jiù話huà經jīng兒er，他tā卻què怎zěn生shēng消xiāo受shòu？」八bā戒jiè聞wén言yán，又yòu愁chóu又yòu笑xiào道dào：「師shī父fù，你nǐ說shuō的de那nǎ裡lǐ話huà？我wǒ只zhǐ聽tīng得de佛fó教jiào中zhōng有yǒu卷juǎn《楞léng嚴yán經jīng》、《法fǎ華huá經jīng》、《孔kǒng雀què經jīng》、《觀guān音yīn經jīng》、《金jīn剛gāng經jīng》，不bù曾céng聽tīng見jiàn個gè甚shèn那nà『舊jiù話huà兒er經jīng』啊a。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「兄xiōng弟dì，你nǐ不bù知zhī道dào。唐táng僧sēng道dào：「他tā若ruò干gān出chū这zhè个gè勾gōu当dàng，不bù同tóng你nǐ我wǒ出chū去qù啊a，我wǒ就jiù念niàn起qǐ旧jiù话huà经jīng儿er，他tā却què怎zěn生shēng消xiāo受shòu？」八bā戒jiè闻wén言yán，又yòu愁chóu又yòu笑xiào道dào：「师shī父fù，你nǐ说shuō的de那nǎ里lǐ话huà？我wǒ只zhǐ听tīng得de佛fó教jiào中zhōng有yǒu卷juǎn《楞léng严yán经jīng》、《法fǎ华huá经jīng》、《孔kǒng雀què经jīng》、《观guān音yīn经jīng》、《金jīn刚gāng经jīng》，不bù曾céng听tīng见jiàn个gè甚shèn那nà『旧jiù话huà儿er经jīng』啊a。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「兄xiōng弟dì，你nǐ不bù知zhī道dào。

逐句解 Line by line

唐táng僧sēng道dào：「他tā若ruò干gān出chū這zhè個gè勾gōu當dàng，不bù同tóng你nǐ我wǒ出chū去qù啊a，我wǒ就jiù念niàn起qǐ舊jiù話huà經jīng兒er，他tā卻què怎zěn生shēng消xiāo受shòu？」唐táng僧sēng道dào：「他tā若ruò干gān出chū这zhè个gè勾gōu当dàng，不bù同tóng你nǐ我wǒ出chū去qù啊a，我wǒ就jiù念niàn起qǐ旧jiù话huà经jīng儿er，他tā却què怎zěn生shēng消xiāo受shòu？」

The Tang Monk said, "If he pulls off such a doing and does not take you and me out with him, I shall recite that old bit of talk—how then would he bear it?"

勾當 (gòudàng) "a doing, a piece of business," with 當 (dàng) "to deem, count as." 舊話經兒 (jiù huà jīng'r) "the old-talk scripture"—Sanzang's coy name for the band-tightening spell. 消受 (xiāoshòu) "to bear, endure."

八bā戒jiè聞wén言yán，又yòu愁chóu又yòu笑xiào道dào：「師shī父fù，你nǐ說shuō的de那nǎ裡lǐ話huà？八bā戒jiè闻wén言yán，又yòu愁chóu又yòu笑xiào道dào：「师shī父fù，你nǐ说shuō的de那nǎ里lǐ话huà？

Bajie, hearing this, half in worry and half in laughter, said, "Master, what a thing to say!

那裡話 (nǎlǐ huà) "what a thing to say!"—an idiom of protest, with the interrogative 那 (nǎ) (= 哪).

我wǒ只zhǐ聽tīng得de佛fó教jiào中zhōng有yǒu卷juǎn《楞léng嚴yán經jīng》、《法fǎ華huá經jīng》、《孔kǒng雀què經jīng》、《觀guān音yīn經jīng》、《金jīn剛gāng經jīng》，不bù曾céng聽tīng見jiàn個gè甚shèn那nà『舊jiù話huà兒er經jīng』啊a。」我wǒ只zhǐ听tīng得de佛fó教jiào中zhōng有yǒu卷juǎn《楞léng严yán经jīng》、《法fǎ华huá经jīng》、《孔kǒng雀què经jīng》、《观guān音yīn经jīng》、《金jīn刚gāng经jīng》，不bù曾céng听tīng见jiàn个gè甚shèn那nà『旧jiù话huà儿er经jīng』啊a。」

"I have only ever heard that in the Buddha's teaching there are the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the Lotus Sūtra, the Peacock Sūtra, the Avalokiteśvara Sūtra, the Diamond Sūtra—but I never heard of any such 'Old-Talk Sutra'!"

佛教 (Fójiào) "the Buddha's teaching, Buddhism," with 教 (jiào). 觀音經 (Guānyīn Jīng) — the Avalokiteśvara Sūtra: here 觀 (guān) is the Bodhisattva's name 觀音 (the "perceiver of sounds"), distinct from the abbey word 觀 (guàn). 甚那 (shèn nà) "any such," bare 甚 (shèn).

行xíng者zhě道dào：「兄xiōng弟dì，你nǐ不bù知zhī道dào。行xíng者zhě道dào：「兄xiōng弟dì，你nǐ不bù知zhī道dào。

The Pilgrim said, "Brother, there is much you do not know.

兄弟 (xiōngdì) "younger brother"—Wukong addressing Bajie. 你不知道 (nǐ bù zhīdào) "there is what you do not know," a lead-in to his explanation.

總評 Commentary

Sanzang wields the band-tightening spell as a threat, calling it by the euphemism 舊話兒經 ("Old-Talk Sutra") so as not to name it outright—part of the running comedy of the golden band that binds Wukong to obedience.

Bajie's literal-minded catalogue of real sūtras (Śūraṅgama, Lotus, Peacock, Avalokiteśvara, Diamond) sets up the joke: he has never heard of any "Old-Talk Sutra," because it is not a scripture at all. His confusion lets Wukong explain the band—and its hold over him—to comic and expository effect.