第二十六回 · 結為兄弟 Sworn Brothers and a Feast — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition 含詞賦 With rhapsody

結為兄弟 Sworn Brothers and a Feast

此cǐ時shí菩pú薩sà與yǔ三sān老lǎo各gè吃chī了le一yí個gè，唐táng僧sēng始shǐ知zhī是shì仙xiān家jiā寶bǎo貝bèi，也yě吃chī了le一yí個gè，悟wù空kōng三sān人rén亦yì各gè吃chī一yí個gè，鎮zhèn元yuán子zǐ陪péi了le一yí個gè，本běn觀guàn仙xiān眾zhòng分fēn吃chī了le一yí個gè。行xíng者zhě才cái謝xiè了le菩pú薩sà回huí上shàng普pǔ陀tuó巖yán，送sòng三sān星xīng徑jìng轉zhuǎn蓬péng萊lái島dǎo。鎮zhèn元yuán子zǐ卻què又yòu安ān排pái蔬shū酒jiǔ，與yǔ行xíng者zhě結jié為wéi兄xiōng弟dì。這zhè才cái是shì不bù打dǎ不bù成chéng相xiāng識shí，兩liǎng家jiā合hé了le一yì家jiā。師shī徒tú四sì眾zhòng，喜xǐ喜xǐ歡huān歡huān，天tiān晚wǎn歇xiē了le。那nà長zhǎng老lǎo才cái是shì：此cǐ时shí菩pú萨sà与yǔ三sān老lǎo各gè吃chī了le一yí个gè，唐táng僧sēng始shǐ知zhī是shì仙xiān家jiā宝bǎo贝bèi，也yě吃chī了le一yí个gè，悟wù空kōng三sān人rén亦yì各gè吃chī一yí个gè，镇zhèn元yuán子zǐ陪péi了le一yí个gè，本běn观guàn仙xiān众zhòng分fēn吃chī了le一yí个gè。行xíng者zhě才cái谢xiè了le菩pú萨sà回huí上shàng普pǔ陀tuó岩yán，送sòng三sān星xīng径jìng转zhuǎn蓬péng莱lái岛dǎo。镇zhèn元yuán子zǐ却què又yòu安ān排pái蔬shū酒jiǔ，与yǔ行xíng者zhě结jié为wéi兄xiōng弟dì。这zhè才cái是shì不bù打dǎ不bù成chéng相xiāng识shí，两liǎng家jiā合hé了le一yì家jiā。师shī徒tú四sì众zhòng，喜xǐ喜xǐ欢huān欢huān，天tiān晚wǎn歇xiē了le。那nà长zhǎng老lǎo才cái是shì：

有yǒu緣yuán吃chī得de草cǎo還huán丹dān，長cháng壽shòu苦kǔ捱ái妖yāo怪guài難nàn。有yǒu缘yuán吃chī得de草cǎo还huán丹dān，长cháng寿shòu苦kǔ挨ái妖yāo怪guài难nàn。

逐句解 Line by line

此cǐ時shí菩pú薩sà與yǔ三sān老lǎo各gè吃chī了le一yí個gè，唐táng僧sēng始shǐ知zhī是shì仙xiān家jiā寶bǎo貝bèi，也yě吃chī了le一yí個gè，悟wù空kōng三sān人rén亦yì各gè吃chī一yí個gè，鎮zhèn元yuán子zǐ陪péi了le一yí個gè，本běn觀guàn仙xiān眾zhòng分fēn吃chī了le一yí個gè。此cǐ时shí菩pú萨sà与yǔ三sān老lǎo各gè吃chī了le一yí个gè，唐táng僧sēng始shǐ知zhī是shì仙xiān家jiā宝bǎo贝bèi，也yě吃chī了le一yí个gè，悟wù空kōng三sān人rén亦yì各gè吃chī一yí个gè，镇zhèn元yuán子zǐ陪péi了le一yí个gè，本běn观guàn仙xiān众zhòng分fēn吃chī了le一yí个gè。

Now the Bodhisattva and the three elders each ate a fruit; the Tang Monk, realizing at last that it was a treasure of the immortals, ate one too; Wukong and his two brothers each ate one; Master Zhenyuan kept them company with one; and the immortals of the abbey shared one among them.

Watch Tripitaka. He once refused this fruit in horror, convinced he was being offered a newborn child; now that he understands what it is, he eats one like everybody else. 仙家寶貝 is a treasure of the immortals. 鎮元子, 子 = zǐ; 本觀, this abbey, 觀 = guàn.

行xíng者zhě才cái謝xiè了le菩pú薩sà回huí上shàng普pǔ陀tuó巖yán，送sòng三sān星xīng徑jìng轉zhuǎn蓬péng萊lái島dǎo。行xíng者zhě才cái谢xiè了le菩pú萨sà回huí上shàng普pǔ陀tuó岩yán，送sòng三sān星xīng径jìng转zhuǎn蓬péng莱lái岛dǎo。

The pilgrim then thanked the Bodhisattva, who returned to the Putuo Cliff, and saw the three Stars off, straight back to their island of Penglai.

普陀巖 is the Putuo Cliff, Guanyin's seat; 蓬萊島 is the island of Penglai. The guests disperse to the addresses the chapter has spent its length visiting.

鎮zhèn元yuán子zǐ卻què又yòu安ān排pái蔬shū酒jiǔ，與yǔ行xíng者zhě結jié為wéi兄xiōng弟dì。镇zhèn元yuán子zǐ却què又yòu安ān排pái蔬shū酒jiǔ，与yǔ行xíng者zhě结jié为wéi兄xiōng弟dì。

Master Zhenyuan then laid out a vegetarian feast with wine, and became sworn brothers with the pilgrim.

And the pledge from the chapter's first page is honoured. 蔬酒 is vegetable dishes and wine, a temperate feast suited to a religious house. 結為兄弟 is to become sworn brothers, 為 = wéi, to become.

這zhè才cái是shì不bù打dǎ不bù成chéng相xiāng識shí，兩liǎng家jiā合hé了le一yì家jiā。这zhè才cái是shì不bù打dǎ不bù成chéng相xiāng识shí，两liǎng家jiā合hé了le一yì家jiā。

This, indeed, was a case of 'no blows, no friendship' — the two households now made one.

不打不成相識, without a fight there is no acquaintance, 相 = xiāng, is a proverb still in daily use -- the Chinese for two people who became friends by first coming to blows. It is the perfect motto for this chapter, and the narrator knows it. 兩家合了一家 is two households made one.

師shī徒tú四sì眾zhòng，喜xǐ喜xǐ歡huān歡huān，天tiān晚wǎn歇xiē了le。师shī徒tú四sì众zhòng，喜xǐ喜xǐ欢huān欢huān，天tiān晚wǎn歇xiē了le。

Master and disciples, all four, were merry and glad, and as evening fell they took their rest.

喜喜歡歡 is joyful and content, the doubling making it warmer; 天晚歇了 is night came and they rested.

那nà長zhǎng老lǎo才cái是shì：那nà长zhǎng老lǎo才cái是shì：

As for the elder, his case was just this:

那長老 is the elder, 長 = zhǎng, meaning Tripitaka. The storyteller cues one last couplet, and it is about the master rather than the monkey.

By fated chance he ate the herb-wrought reverted elixir; yet, long-lived, he must still bitterly endure the demons' ordeals.

A sly closing joke. 吃得草還丹 is got to eat the herb reverted-elixir, 得 the toneless de, 還 = huán; 長壽 is long life, 長 = cháng; 妖怪難 is the ordeals of demons, 難 = nàn, calamity. Tripitaka has just won immortality -- which means only that there is now more of him available for monsters to torment.

總評 Commentary

The chapter ends in reconciliation and feasting. Everybody eats the once-forbidden fruit, Tripitaka included, his earlier horror forgotten now that he knows what he was being offered; the immortal guests depart; and Zhenyuan, honouring the pledge he made while the tree still lay in ruins, becomes Wukong's sworn brother over a temperate meal. The narrator sets a proverb to it -- without a fight there is no acquaintance -- and what began in theft, destruction and a pitched battle resolves into kinship, two households made one.

The closing couplet strikes the note of gentle irony that so often ends a chapter here. Tripitaka has eaten the reverted elixir and won its gift of long life -- and the poem turns at once to the bill: long-lived, he must still bitterly endure the demons' ordeals. Immortality, in the logic of this pilgrimage, is not release but continuance. More road, more trials, more monsters to survive. The reward is also the burden, and the journey goes on.