第二十五回 · 袖裡乾坤 The Sleeve of Heaven and Earth — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

袖裡乾坤 The Sleeve of Heaven and Earth

那nà行xíng者zhě沒méi高gāo沒méi低dī的de，棍gùn子zi亂luàn打dǎ。大dà仙xiān把bǎ玉yù麈zhǔ左zuǒ遮zhē右yòu擋dǎng，奈nài了le他tā兩liǎng三sān回huí合hé。使shǐ一yí個gè「袖xiù裡lǐ乾qián坤kūn」的de手shǒu段duàn，在zài雲yún端duān裡lǐ把bǎ袍páo袖xiù迎yíng風fēng輕qīng輕qīng的de一yì展zhǎn，刷shuā地dì前qián來lái，把bǎ四sì僧sēng連lián馬mǎ一yí袖xiù子zi籠lóng住zhù。那nà行xíng者zhě没méi高gāo没méi低dī的de，棍gùn子zi乱luàn打dǎ。大dà仙xiān把bǎ玉yù麈zhǔ左zuǒ遮zhē右yòu挡dǎng，奈nài了le他tā两liǎng三sān回huí合hé。使shǐ一yí个gè「袖xiù里lǐ干qián坤kūn」的de手shǒu段duàn，在zài云yún端duān里lǐ把bǎ袍páo袖xiù迎yíng风fēng轻qīng轻qīng的de一yì展zhǎn，刷shuā地dì前qián来lái，把bǎ四sì僧sēng连lián马mǎ一yí袖xiù子zi笼lóng住zhù。

逐句解 Line by line

那nà行xíng者zhě沒méi高gāo沒méi低dī的de，棍gùn子zi亂luàn打dǎ。那nà行xíng者zhě没méi高gāo没méi低dī的de，棍gùn子zi乱luàn打dǎ。

That Pilgrim, striking high and low without pattern, flailed away with his cudgel.

沒高沒低 (méi gāo méi dī) "high and low, without measure"—wild, undisciplined blows. 棍子亂打 (gùnzi luàn dǎ) "flailing with the staff."

大dà仙xiān把bǎ玉yù麈zhǔ左zuǒ遮zhē右yòu擋dǎng，奈nài了le他tā兩liǎng三sān回huí合hé。大dà仙xiān把bǎ玉yù麈zhǔ左zuǒ遮zhē右yòu挡dǎng，奈nài了le他tā两liǎng三sān回huí合hé。

The Great Immortal, warding left and fending right with his jade whisk, held him off through two or three bouts,

左遮右擋 (zuǒ zhē yòu dǎng) "warding left and fending right." 奈了他兩三回合 (nàile tā liǎng sān huíhé) "held him off two or three bouts"—a whisk against a cudgel, and never pressed.

使shǐ一yí個gè「袖xiù裡lǐ乾qián坤kūn」的de手shǒu段duàn，在zài雲yún端duān裡lǐ把bǎ袍páo袖xiù迎yíng風fēng輕qīng輕qīng的de一yì展zhǎn，刷shuā地dì前qián來lái，把bǎ四sì僧sēng連lián馬mǎ一yí袖xiù子zi籠lóng住zhù。使shǐ一yí个gè「袖xiù里lǐ干qián坤kūn」的de手shǒu段duàn，在zài云yún端duān里lǐ把bǎ袍páo袖xiù迎yíng风fēng轻qīng轻qīng的de一yì展zhǎn，刷shuā地dì前qián来lái，把bǎ四sì僧sēng连lián马mǎ一yí袖xiù子zi笼lóng住zhù。

then worked a trick called "Heaven-and-Earth in a Sleeve": up in the clouds he lifted his gown-sleeve to the wind and lightly gave it a spread, swept forward, and gathered all four monks and the horse into the one sleeve.

袖裡乾坤 (xiù lǐ qiánkūn) "heaven-and-earth within a sleeve," 乾 (qián) the heaven-trigram (not 乾 (gān) "dry")—a magic that folds the cosmos into a garment. 一袖子籠住 (yí xiùzi lǒng zhù) "bagged them in the one sleeve."

總評 Commentary

The duel is over almost before it begins: the Great Immortal, using only his whisk, holds off Wukong's flailing cudgel through a few bouts, then ends the fight with a single gesture—the famous 袖裡乾坤, "Heaven-and-Earth in a Sleeve," which sweeps up all four pilgrims and the horse into a fold of his gown. The image is one of the novel's most celebrated feats: a whole party swallowed by a garment, the cosmos itself made small enough to carry in a sleeve.