第二十六回 · 八戒戲星 Bajie and the Three Stars — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

八戒戲星 Bajie and the Three Stars

那nà仙xiān童tóng看kàn見jiàn，即jí忙máng報bào道dào：「師shī父fù，海hǎi上shàng三sān星xīng來lái了le。」鎮zhèn元yuán子zǐ正zhèng與yǔ唐táng僧sēng師shī弟dì閑xián敘xù，聞wén報bào，即jí降jiàng階jiē奉fèng迎yíng。那nà八bā戒jiè見jiàn了le壽shòu星xīng，近jìn前qián扯chě住zhù，笑xiào道dào：「你nǐ這zhè肉ròu頭tóu老lǎo兒er，許xǔ久jiǔ不bú見jiàn，還hái是shì這zhè般bān脫tuō灑sǎ，帽mào兒er也yě不bú帶dài個gè來lái。」遂suì把bǎ自zì家jiā一yí個gè僧sēng帽mào，撲pū的de套tào在zài他tā頭tóu上shàng，撲pū著zhe手shǒu呵hē呵hē大dà笑xiào道dào：「好hǎo，好hǎo，好hǎo，真zhēn是shì『加jiā冠guān進jìn祿lù』也yě。」那nà壽shòu星xīng將jiāng帽mào子zi摜guàn了le，罵mà道dào：「你nǐ這zhè個gè夯hāng貨huò，老lǎo大dà不bù知zhī高gāo低dī。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「我wǒ不bú是shì夯hāng貨huò，你nǐ等děng真zhēn是shì奴nú才cái。」福fú星xīng道dào：「你nǐ倒dào是shì個gè夯hāng貨huò，反fǎn敢gǎn罵mà人rén是shì奴nú才cái？」八bā戒jiè又yòu笑xiào道dào：「既jì不bú是shì人rén家jiā奴nú才cái，好hǎo道dào叫jiào做zuò『添tiān壽shòu』、『添tiān福fú』、『添tiān祿lù』？」那nà三sān藏zàng喝hè退tuì了le八bā戒jiè，急jí整zhěng衣yī拜bài了le三sān星xīng。那nà仙xiān童tóng看kàn见jiàn，即jí忙máng报bào道dào：「师shī父fù，海hǎi上shàng三sān星xīng来lái了le。」镇zhèn元yuán子zǐ正zhèng与yǔ唐táng僧sēng师shī弟dì闲xián叙xù，闻wén报bào，即jí降jiàng阶jiē奉fèng迎yíng。那nà八bā戒jiè见jiàn了le寿shòu星xīng，近jìn前qián扯chě住zhù，笑xiào道dào：「你nǐ这zhè肉ròu头tóu老lǎo儿er，许xǔ久jiǔ不bú见jiàn，还hái是shì这zhè般bān脱tuō洒sǎ，帽mào儿er也yě不bú带dài个gè来lái。」遂suì把bǎ自zì家jiā一yí个gè僧sēng帽mào，扑pū的de套tào在zài他tā头tóu上shàng，扑pū着zhe手shǒu呵hē呵hē大dà笑xiào道dào：「好hǎo，好hǎo，好hǎo，真zhēn是shì『加jiā冠guān进jìn禄lù』也yě。」那nà寿shòu星xīng将jiāng帽mào子zi掼guàn了le，骂mà道dào：「你nǐ这zhè个gè夯hāng货huò，老lǎo大dà不bù知zhī高gāo低dī。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「我wǒ不bú是shì夯hāng货huò，你nǐ等děng真zhēn是shì奴nú才cái。」福fú星xīng道dào：「你nǐ倒dào是shì个gè夯hāng货huò，反fǎn敢gǎn骂mà人rén是shì奴nú才cái？」八bā戒jiè又yòu笑xiào道dào：「既jì不bú是shì人rén家jiā奴nú才cái，好hǎo道dào叫jiào做zuò『添tiān寿shòu』、『添tiān福fú』、『添tiān禄lù』？」那nà三sān藏zàng喝hè退tuì了le八bā戒jiè，急jí整zhěng衣yī拜bài了le三sān星xīng。

逐句解 Line by line

那nà仙xiān童tóng看kàn見jiàn，即jí忙máng報bào道dào：「師shī父fù，海hǎi上shàng三sān星xīng來lái了le。」那nà仙xiān童tóng看kàn见jiàn，即jí忙máng报bào道dào：「师shī父fù，海hǎi上shàng三sān星xīng来lái了le。」

The immortal boy caught sight of them and hastened to report: "Master, the three Stars from over the sea have come!"

仙童 is an immortal lad, one of Zhenyuan's acolytes. 海上三星, the three Stars from over the sea, is how the household knows them.

鎮zhèn元yuán子zǐ正zhèng與yǔ唐táng僧sēng師shī弟dì閑xián敘xù，聞wén報bào，即jí降jiàng階jiē奉fèng迎yíng。镇zhèn元yuán子zǐ正zhèng与yǔ唐táng僧sēng师shī弟dì闲xián叙xù，闻wén报bào，即jí降jiàng阶jiē奉fèng迎yíng。

Zhenyuan, who was just then chatting idly with the Tang Monk and his disciples, heard the report and came down the steps at once to welcome them.

鎮元子 is Master Zhenyuan, with 子 the honorific zǐ -- the same respectful tag on the end of Zhuangzi and Laozi. 降階奉迎, to come down the steps to receive a guest, 降 = jiàng, is the courtesy owed to a visitor of rank; you meet an equal at the door and a superior at the bottom of the stairs.

那nà八bā戒jiè見jiàn了le壽shòu星xīng，近jìn前qián扯chě住zhù，笑xiào道dào：「你nǐ這zhè肉ròu頭tóu老lǎo兒er，許xǔ久jiǔ不bú見jiàn，還hái是shì這zhè般bān脫tuō灑sǎ，帽mào兒er也yě不bú帶dài個gè來lái。」那nà八bā戒jiè见jiàn了le寿shòu星xīng，近jìn前qián扯chě住zhù，笑xiào道dào：「你nǐ这zhè肉ròu头tóu老lǎo儿er，许xǔ久jiǔ不bú见jiàn，还hái是shì这zhè般bān脱tuō洒sǎ，帽mào儿er也yě不bú带dài个gè来lái。」

When Bajie saw the Star of Longevity, he pressed up and caught hold of him, laughing: "You fat-headed old fellow — haven't seen you in ages, and still as dapper as ever! But you've not brought so much as a cap to wear."

The Star of Longevity is conventionally painted with a vast bald dome of a forehead, which is the entire basis of Bajie's joke about the missing cap. 肉頭 is meat-head, an insult delivered fondly. 脫灑 is free and easy, unencumbered -- said of a god Bajie has just grabbed hold of. 老兒 is old fellow, 兒 the suffix er.

遂suì把bǎ自zì家jiā一yí個gè僧sēng帽mào，撲pū的de套tào在zài他tā頭tóu上shàng，撲pū著zhe手shǒu呵hē呵hē大dà笑xiào道dào：「好hǎo，好hǎo，好hǎo，真zhēn是shì『加jiā冠guān進jìn祿lù』也yě。」遂suì把bǎ自zì家jiā一yí个gè僧sēng帽mào，扑pū的de套tào在zài他tā头tóu上shàng，扑pū着zhe手shǒu呵hē呵hē大dà笑xiào道dào：「好hǎo，好hǎo，好hǎo，真zhēn是shì『加jiā冠guān进jìn禄lù』也yě。」

With that he clapped one of his own monk's caps down on the Star's head, and slapping his hands, guffawed: "Good, good, good — now it's truly a case of 'cap and promotion'!"

Here is the first of the puns, and it is a good one. 加冠進祿, adding a cap and advancing in emolument, is one character away from 加官進祿, promotion in office and a rise in pay -- a stock New Year greeting. 冠 (cap) and 官 (office) are both guān, so by jamming a monk's hat onto a god's head Bajie has technically delivered a blessing. 撲的套在 is plumped it down onto; 撲著手 is clapping the hands, 著 the durative zhe.

那nà壽shòu星xīng將jiāng帽mào子zi摜guàn了le，罵mà道dào：「你nǐ這zhè個gè夯hāng貨huò，老lǎo大dà不bù知zhī高gāo低dī。」那nà寿shòu星xīng将jiāng帽mào子zi掼guàn了le，骂mà道dào：「你nǐ这zhè个gè夯hāng货huò，老lǎo大dà不bù知zhī高gāo低dī。」

The Star of Longevity flung the cap down and scolded: "You clumsy oaf — great grown thing that you are, and no sense of high or low!"

摜 is to hurl something down. 夯貨 (hāng huò) is a lump of a thing, a blockhead -- from the rammer used to pound earth, so roughly a great thick tool. It is the standard epithet for Bajie. 老大 here is for all your size.

八bā戒jiè道dào：「我wǒ不bú是shì夯hāng貨huò，你nǐ等děng真zhēn是shì奴nú才cái。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「我wǒ不bú是shì夯hāng货huò，你nǐ等děng真zhēn是shì奴nú才cái。」

Bajie said, "I'm no blockhead — it's you lot who are the real lackeys."

奴才, lackey, is a genuinely coarse insult, the word for a bondservant. Bajie has just called three of the highest gods in the Daoist pantheon the hired help.

福fú星xīng道dào：「你nǐ倒dào是shì個gè夯hāng貨huò，反fǎn敢gǎn罵mà人rén是shì奴nú才cái？」福fú星xīng道dào：「你nǐ倒dào是shì个gè夯hāng货huò，反fǎn敢gǎn骂mà人rén是shì奴nú才cái？」

Said the Star of Fortune, "Why, you're the blockhead — and yet you dare call others lackeys?"

倒是 is on the contrary, actually, 倒 = dào -- the Star flipping the charge back. 反敢 is and yet dare. The whole exchange is knockabout, and both sides are enjoying it.

八bā戒jiè又yòu笑xiào道dào：「既jì不bú是shì人rén家jiā奴nú才cái，好hǎo道dào叫jiào做zuò『添tiān壽shòu』、『添tiān福fú』、『添tiān祿lù』？」八bā戒jiè又yòu笑xiào道dào：「既jì不bú是shì人rén家jiā奴nú才cái，好hǎo道dào叫jiào做zuò『添tiān寿shòu』、『添tiān福fú』、『添tiān禄lù』？」

Bajie laughed again: "Well, if you're nobody's lackeys, then I suppose you're to be called 'Longevity-added,' 'Fortune-added,' and 'Rank-added'?"

And Bajie converts the insult into a blessing again. The three 添 phrases -- longevity-added, fortune-added, rank-added -- are built on the Stars' own names, 壽, 福 and 祿. He has just called them servants and is now offering the rudeness back as an auspicious formula. 好道 is I suppose, no doubt.

那nà三sān藏zàng喝hè退tuì了le八bā戒jiè，急jí整zhěng衣yī拜bài了le三sān星xīng。那nà三sān藏zàng喝hè退tuì了le八bā戒jiè，急jí整zhěng衣yī拜bài了le三sān星xīng。

Tripitaka shouted Bajie back, hastily straightened his robe, and made his bows to the three Stars.

喝退 is to drive someone back with a shout; 整衣 is to straighten one's robe before a formal greeting. Tripitaka spends much of this chapter apologising for his disciples, and he does it here without saying a word.

總評 Commentary

The Stars' arrival lets the novel open its broadest comic register, and Bajie is the instrument. His assault on the dignified Star of Longevity -- seizing him, mocking the famous bald dome of his head, clapping a monk's cap on it -- is exactly the irreverence that has endeared the pig-disciple to readers for four centuries. The humour runs on puns: 加冠進祿 for 加官進祿, and the mock-honorifics longevity-added, fortune-added, rank-added that twist the Stars' own names into a backhanded benediction.

The scene rests on the contrast of temperaments that structures much of the pilgrimage: Bajie's coarse, quick-tongued mischief against Tripitaka's anxious propriety, with three good-humoured gods caught between them. That figures of such cosmic dignity should be swapping schoolyard insults with a pig-spirit -- blockhead, lackey -- is the novel's cheerful levelling at work. In the world of the journey nobody is too exalted to be teased.