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 is carefree merriment, 樂 = lè. 老兒, old fellows, 兒 the suffix er. Enjoy the calm; it lasts one more line.

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 is to call out sharply and loud. After eight lines of hushed paradise, Wukong announces himself by shouting across it. 耍耍兒 is to play a bit, 兒 the suffix er.

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 is to quicken the pace -- in classical etiquette, hurrying toward a guest is itself a mark of respect. 相迎 is to go to meet, 相 = xiāng. Even so abrupt an arrival gets the full 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.

詩shī曰yuē：诗shī曰yuē：

The poem says:

詩曰, the poem says, heads the verse.

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

靈根折, the spirit-root snapped; 妙訣 is a marvellous formula, a secret method. Two clauses, and the whole errand of the chapter is summed up. 參 in 人參果 is shēn.

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 is coiling cinnabar mists; 九老 are the Nine Elders of Yingzhou; 來相接 is came to receive him, 相 = xiāng.

總評 Commentary

Wukong's entrance is characteristically brash -- a shout across the garden and a demand to join the party -- and the Nine Elders receive him with unruffled courtesy, hurrying forward to greet a Great Sage whose reputation precedes him. The short verse that follows boils the situation down to its bones: a broken spirit-root, a hero begging a cure, the immortals coming out to meet him. It is a pause before the third refusal, and by now the reader, like Wukong, can feel that the pattern has to break somewhere.