菩薩臨莊 Guanyin Comes to the Abbey
卻說那觀裡大仙與三老正然清話，忽見孫大聖按落雲頭，叫道：「菩薩來了，快接，快接。」慌得那三星與鎮元子共三藏師徒，一齊迎出寶殿。菩薩才住了祥雲，先與鎮元子陪了話，後與三星作禮，禮畢上坐。那階前，行者引唐僧、八戒、沙僧都拜了。那觀中諸仙也來拜見。行者道：「大仙不必遲疑，趁早兒陳設香案，請菩薩替你治那甚麼果樹去。」大仙躬身謝菩薩道：「小可的勾當，怎麼敢勞菩薩下降？」菩薩道：「唐僧乃我之弟子，孫悟空衝撞了先生，理當賠償寶樹。」三老道：「既如此，不須謙講了，請菩薩都到園中去看看。」却说那观里大仙与三老正然清话，忽见孙大圣按落云头，叫道：「菩萨来了，快接，快接。」慌得那三星与镇元子共三藏师徒，一齐迎出宝殿。菩萨才住了祥云，先与镇元子陪了话，后与三星作礼，礼毕上坐。那阶前，行者引唐僧、八戒、沙僧都拜了。那观中诸仙也来拜见。行者道：「大仙不必迟疑，趁早儿陈设香案，请菩萨替你治那甚么果树去。」大仙躬身谢菩萨道：「小可的勾当，怎么敢劳菩萨下降？」菩萨道：「唐僧乃我之弟子，孙悟空冲撞了先生，理当赔偿宝树。」三老道：「既如此，不须谦讲了，请菩萨都到园中去看看。」
逐句解 Line by line
Now the Great Immortal of the abbey was chatting quietly with the three elders when he suddenly saw the Great Sage Sun bring down his cloud, calling, “The Bodhisattva has come — quick, go and receive her, quick!”
觀裡 ("in the abbey," 觀 = guàn); 三老, the three star-immortals still lodging at Zhenyuan’s abbey. Wukong flies ahead to announce Guanyin’s coming.
In a flurry the three Stars, Master Zhenyuan, and the Tang Monk with his disciples all came out together from the treasure-hall to meet her.
慌得 ("flustered into," 得 the complement de); 鎮元子 ("Master Zhenyuan," 子 the honorific zǐ); 三藏 (Tripitaka). The whole company hastens to receive the Bodhisattva with due honor.
The Bodhisattva had scarcely halted her auspicious cloud when she exchanged courtesies first with Master Zhenyuan and then greeted the three Stars; and when the greetings were done, she took her seat.
住了祥雲 ("stayed her auspicious cloud," alighting); 陪話 ("to exchange civilities"); 作禮, "to make salutation." Even the Bodhisattva observes the proprieties of arrival.
There before the steps, the pilgrim led the Tang Monk, Bajie, and Sha Monk, and all made their bows.
階前 ("before the steps"); 都拜了 ("all bowed," 都 = dōu). The pilgrims pay their homage to Guanyin.
The various immortals of the abbey came too, to pay their respects.
觀中 ("within the abbey," 觀 = guàn); 拜見, "to call upon [a superior]." Guanyin’s presence draws the reverence of all.
The pilgrim said, “Great Immortal, no need to dither — set out the incense table straightaway, and let the Bodhisattva go and mend that fruit-tree of yours.”
趁早兒 ("at the earliest, right away," 兒 the suffix er); 甚麼果樹 ("that fruit-tree," 甚麼 = shénme). Wukong, eager to see the cure worked, hurries the formalities along.
The Great Immortal bowed and thanked the Bodhisattva: “So trifling a matter — how could I presume to trouble your descent?”
小可的勾當 ("a trivial affair," 勾當 = gòu dàng, a piece of business, 當 = dàng); 敢勞…下降 ("to presume to trouble [you] to descend"). Zhenyuan’s courteous self-deprecation before the Bodhisattva.
The Bodhisattva said, “The Tang Monk is my disciple, and Sun Wukong has given you offense; by rights I ought to make good your precious tree.”
弟子 ("disciple," 子 = zǐ); 理當賠償 ("by rights ought to compensate," 當 = dāng, "ought"). Guanyin frames the cure as her own obligation — restitution for her disciple’s wrong.
The three elders said, “If so, then no more of these modest words — let the Bodhisattva come to the garden and see for herself.”
謙講 ("modest talk, polite demurral"); 園中 ("in the garden," 中 = zhōng). The elders move the company toward the ruined tree at last.
The narrative reassembles its full cast for the climax: Guanyin descending on her cloud, met by Zhenyuan and the three star-immortals, the Tang Monk and his disciples, and the whole company of the abbey. The scene is a study in the elaborate courtesies that govern the novel’s society — the mutual greetings, the taking of seats, the ranked bows — with only Wukong, impatient to see the cure worked, urging everyone to skip the formalities and get on with it.
Guanyin’s brief speech reframes the whole affair. She takes the wrong upon herself — "the Tang Monk is my disciple… by rights I ought to make good your tree" — casting the miracle to come not as a favor to Wukong but as her own act of restitution. It is characteristic of the Bodhisattva’s role in the novel: the compassionate power that steps in to mend what her charges have broken, and to reconcile the parties their folly has set at odds.