第二十七回 · 賊心不死 The Fiend Persists — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

賊心不死 The Fiend Persists

卻què說shuō那nà妖yāo精jīng原yuán來lái行xíng者zhě第dì二èr棍gùn也yě不bù曾céng打dǎ殺shā他tā。那nà怪guài物wù在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng誇kuā獎jiǎng不bú盡jìn道dào：「好hǎo個gè猴hóu王wáng，著zhuó然rán有yǒu眼yǎn，我wǒ那nà般bān變biàn了le去qù，他tā也yě還hái認rèn得de我wǒ。這zhè些xiē和hé尚shàng他tā去qù得de快kuài，若ruò過guò此cǐ山shān，西xī下xià四sì十shí里lǐ，就jiù不bù伏fú我wǒ所suǒ管guǎn了le。若ruò是shì被bèi別bié處chù妖yāo魔mó撈lāo了le去qù，好hǎo道dào就jiù笑xiào破pò他tā人rén口kǒu，使shǐ碎suì自zì家jiā心xīn。我wǒ還hái下xià去qù戲xì他tā一yí戲xì。」却què说shuō那nà妖yāo精jīng原yuán来lái行xíng者zhě第dì二èr棍gùn也yě不bù曾céng打dǎ杀shā他tā。那nà怪guài物wù在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng夸kuā奖jiǎng不bú尽jìn道dào：「好hǎo个gè猴hóu王wáng，著zhuó然rán有yǒu眼yǎn，我wǒ那nà般bān变biàn了le去qù，他tā也yě还hái认rèn得de我wǒ。这zhè些xiē和hé尚shàng他tā去qù得de快kuài，若ruò过guò此cǐ山shān，西xī下xià四sì十shí里lǐ，就jiù不bù伏fú我wǒ所suǒ管guǎn了le。若ruò是shì被bèi别bié处chù妖yāo魔mó捞lāo了le去qù，好hǎo道dào就jiù笑xiào破pò他tā人rén口kǒu，使shǐ碎suì自zì家jiā心xīn。我wǒ还hái下xià去qù戏xì他tā一yí戏xì。」

逐句解 Line by line

卻què說shuō那nà妖yāo精jīng原yuán來lái行xíng者zhě第dì二èr棍gùn也yě不bù曾céng打dǎ殺shā他tā。却què说shuō那nà妖yāo精jīng原yuán来lái行xíng者zhě第dì二èr棍gùn也yě不bù曾céng打dǎ杀shā他tā。

Now the story tells how, this second blow of Pilgrim's having again failed to kill it,

那妖精 (nà yāo jīng) "that fiend," 那 (nà); 行 (xíng) (行者). The narrator confirms once more, from the demon's side, that the mourned killing was illusory — the second decoy corpse, like the first, no true death.

那nà怪guài物wù在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng誇kuā獎jiǎng不bú盡jìn道dào：「好hǎo個gè猴hóu王wáng，著zhuó然rán有yǒu眼yǎn，我wǒ那nà般bān變biàn了le去qù，他tā也yě還hái認rèn得de我wǒ。那nà怪guài物wù在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng夸kuā奖jiǎng不bú尽jìn道dào：「好hǎo个gè猴hóu王wáng，著zhuó然rán有yǒu眼yǎn，我wǒ那nà般bān变biàn了le去qù，他tā也yě还hái认rèn得de我wǒ。

the monster, up in mid-air, praised him without end: "What a fine Monkey King — truly he has eyes in his head! However I changed myself, he knew me still.

那怪物 (nà guài wù) "that monster," 那 (nà); 誇獎不盡 (kuā jiǎng bú jìn) "praised without end," the 不盡 forcing 不 (bú) by sandhi (盡 (jìn)). 著然有眼 (zhuó rán yǒu yǎn) "truly has eyes," 著 (zhuó) (as in 著實). 我那般 (wǒ nà bān) "in that way I changed," 那 (nà); 還認得我 (hái rèn de wǒ) "still recognized me," 還 (hái), 得 (de). The demon's grudging admiration — a second time — pays reluctant tribute to Wukong's sight.

這zhè些xiē和hé尚shàng他tā去qù得de快kuài，若ruò過guò此cǐ山shān，西xī下xià四sì十shí里lǐ，就jiù不bù伏fú我wǒ所suǒ管guǎn了le。这zhè些xiē和hé尚shàng他tā去qù得de快kuài，若ruò过guò此cǐ山shān，西xī下xià四sì十shí里lǐ，就jiù不bù伏fú我wǒ所suǒ管guǎn了le。

"These monks travel fast: once they cross this mountain and get forty li to the west, they'll be out of my domain.

去得快 (qù de kuài) "go fast," the complement 得 (de). 不伏我所管 (bù fú wǒ suǒ guǎn) "not under my jurisdiction." The demon reckons its window is closing — beyond this mountain the monk passes out of its reach, and it must strike now.

若ruò是shì被bèi別bié處chù妖yāo魔mó撈lāo了le去qù，好hǎo道dào就jiù笑xiào破pò他tā人rén口kǒu，使shǐ碎suì自zì家jiā心xīn。若ruò是shì被bèi别bié处chù妖yāo魔mó捞lāo了le去qù，好hǎo道dào就jiù笑xiào破pò他tā人rén口kǒu，使shǐ碎suì自zì家jiā心xīn。

"And if some fiend of another quarter were to snatch him off, wouldn't that split my sides with vexation and break my heart to bits?

撈了去 (lāo le qù) "snatched away." 笑破他人口，使碎自家心 "[it would] split others' mouths [with laughter] and shatter one's own heart" — a vernacular figure for unbearable chagrin. The demon's fear of a rival stealing its prize sharpens its resolve.

我wǒ還hái下xià去qù戲xì他tā一yí戲xì。」我wǒ还hái下xià去qù戏xì他tā一yí戏xì。」

"I'll go down and have yet another game with him."

我還下去 (wǒ hái xià qù) "I'll go down again," 還 (hái). 戲他一戲 (xì tā yī xì) "have another go at him" — the third and last of the 三戲, launching the disguise that will end in the demon's real death.

總評 Commentary

The narrator's return to the demon's vantage serves, a second time, to keep the reader ahead of the pilgrims: the mourned killing was again an illusion, and the fiend lives to try once more. Its renewed, grudging praise of Wukong — 著然有眼, "truly he has eyes" — is the monster's own testimony to the sight that the master persists in doubting.

The demon's calculation adds urgency to the third assault. Its power reaches only to this mountain; beyond it the monk escapes for good, or worse, some rival fiend might seize the prize first. The White-Bone Demon is nothing if not persistent — undeterred by two failures, it resolves on a third disguise, and the reader knows this cycle must resolve, one way or another.

With 戲他一戲, "have another game," the chapter enters its final movement. Twice the demon has tried and escaped; the third attempt, and Wukong's answer to it, will bring both the demon's true death and the rupture between master and disciple to their climax.