第二十六回 · 厲聲高叫 Wukong Hails the Elders — Journey to the West

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

厲聲高叫 Wukong Hails the Elders

那nà些xiē老lǎo兒er正zhèng然rán灑sǎ樂lè。這zhè行xíng者zhě厲lì聲shēng高gāo叫jiào道dào：「帶dài我wǒ耍shuǎ耍shuǎ兒er便biàn怎zěn的de？」眾zhòng仙xiān見jiàn了le，急jí忙máng趨qū步bù相xiāng迎yíng。有yǒu詩shī為wéi證zhèng。詩shī曰yuē：那nà些xiē老lǎo儿er正zhèng然rán洒sǎ乐lè。这zhè行xíng者zhě厉lì声shēng高gāo叫jiào道dào：「带dài我wǒ耍shuǎ耍shuǎ儿er便biàn怎zěn的de？」众zhòng仙xiān见jiàn了le，急jí忙máng趋qū步bù相xiāng迎yíng。有yǒu诗shī为wéi证zhèng。诗shī曰yuē：

人rén參shēn果guǒ樹shù靈líng根gēn折zhé，大dà聖shèng訪fǎng仙xiān求qiú妙miào訣jué。人rén参shēn果guǒ树shù灵líng根gēn折zhé，大dà圣shèng访fǎng仙xiān求qiú妙miào诀jué。

繚liáo繞rào丹dān霞xiá出chū寶bǎo林lín，瀛yíng洲zhōu九jiǔ老lǎo來lái相xiāng接jiē。缭liáo绕rào丹dān霞xiá出chū宝bǎo林lín，瀛yíng洲zhōu九jiǔ老lǎo来lái相xiāng接jiē。

逐句解 Line by line

那nà些xiē老lǎo兒er正zhèng然rán灑sǎ樂lè。那nà些xiē老lǎo儿er正zhèng然rán洒sǎ乐lè。

The old fellows were just then making merry at their ease.

灑樂 ("carefree merriment," 樂 = lè); 老兒 ("old fellows," 兒 the suffix er). The elders’ revelry is about to be broken in upon.

這zhè行xíng者zhě厲lì聲shēng高gāo叫jiào道dào：「帶dài我wǒ耍shuǎ耍shuǎ兒er便biàn怎zěn的de？」这zhè行xíng者zhě厉lì声shēng高gāo叫jiào道dào：「带dài我wǒ耍shuǎ耍shuǎ儿er便biàn怎zěn的de？」

The pilgrim called out in a loud voice, “And what if you let me join the fun for a while?”

厲聲高叫 ("to call out sharply and loud"); 耍耍兒 ("to play a bit," 兒 the suffix er). Wukong announces himself, as ever, without ceremony.

眾zhòng仙xiān見jiàn了le，急jí忙máng趨qū步bù相xiāng迎yíng。众zhòng仙xiān见jiàn了le，急jí忙máng趋qū步bù相xiāng迎yíng。

Seeing him, the assembled immortals hastened forward to greet him.

趨步 ("to quicken one’s pace"); 相迎 ("to go to meet," 相 = xiāng). Even so abrupt an arrival is met with the immortals’ courtesy.

有yǒu詩shī為wéi證zhèng。有yǒu诗shī为wéi证zhèng。

There is a poem to prove it:

有詩為證 ("there is a poem in witness"), the storyteller’s formula.

詩shī曰yuē：诗shī曰yuē：

The poem says:

詩曰 ("the poem says"), heading the verse.

The ginseng-fruit tree, its numinous root snapped; the Great Sage, seeking immortals, begs a wondrous cure.

靈根折 ("the numinous root broken"); 妙訣 ("a marvelous formula, secret method"). 人參果 — 參 read shēn. The couplet sums up the whole errand in a line.

Through coiling cinnabar mists he came forth from the treasure-grove; the Nine Elders of Yingzhou came out to receive him.

繚繞丹霞 ("winding cinnabar clouds"); 九老 ("the Nine Elders"), the immortal sages of Yingzhou; 來相接 ("came to receive [him]," 相 = xiāng).

總評 Commentary

Wukong’s entrance is characteristically brash — a loud shout, and a demand to join the elders’ revels — yet the Nine Elders receive him with unruffled courtesy, hastening forward to greet a Great Sage whose fame precedes him. The short verse that follows distills the situation to its essence: a broken numinous root, a hero begging a cure, the immortals coming out to meet him. It is a moment of pause — the third and last of the isles — before the inevitable disappointment, and the reader, like Wukong, senses that the pattern of refusal must soon break.