第二十七回 · 四面圍拜 The Fourfold Farewell Bow — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

四面圍拜 The Fourfold Farewell Bow

他tā將jiāng書shū摺zhé了le，留liú在zài袖xiù內nèi，卻què又yòu軟ruǎn款kuǎn唐táng僧sēng道dào：「師shī父fù，我wǒ也yě是shì跟gēn你nǐ一yì場chǎng，又yòu蒙méng菩pú薩sà指zhǐ教jiào，今jīn日rì半bàn塗tú而ér廢fèi，不bù曾céng成chéng得de功gōng果guǒ，你nǐ請qǐng坐zuò，受shòu我wǒ一yí拜bài，我wǒ也yě去qù得de放fàng心xīn。」唐táng僧sēng轉zhuǎn回huí身shēn不bù睬cǎi，口kǒu裡lǐ唧jī唧jī噥nóng噥nóng的de道dào：「我wǒ是shì個gè好hǎo和hé尚shàng，不bú受shòu你nǐ歹dǎi人rén的de禮lǐ。」大dà聖shèng見jiàn他tā不bù睬cǎi，又yòu使shǐ個gè身shēn外wài法fǎ，把bǎ腦nǎo後hòu毫háo毛máo拔bá了le三sān根gēn，吹chuī口kǒu仙xiān氣qì，叫jiào：「變biàn！」即jí變biàn了le三sān個gè行xíng者zhě，連lián本běn身shēn四sì個gè，四sì面miàn圍wéi住zhù師shī父fù下xià拜bài。那nà長zhǎng老lǎo左zuǒ右yòu躲duǒ不bù脫tuō，好hǎo道dào也yě受shòu了le一yí拜bài。他tā将jiāng书shū折zhé了le，留liú在zài袖xiù内nèi，却què又yòu软ruǎn款kuǎn唐táng僧sēng道dào：「师shī父fù，我wǒ也yě是shì跟gēn你nǐ一yì场chǎng，又yòu蒙méng菩pú萨sà指zhǐ教jiào，今jīn日rì半bàn涂tú而ér废fèi，不bù曾céng成chéng得de功gōng果guǒ，你nǐ请qǐng坐zuò，受shòu我wǒ一yí拜bài，我wǒ也yě去qù得de放fàng心xīn。」唐táng僧sēng转zhuǎn回huí身shēn不bù睬cǎi，口kǒu里lǐ唧jī唧jī哝nóng哝nóng的de道dào：「我wǒ是shì个gè好hǎo和hé尚shàng，不bú受shòu你nǐ歹dǎi人rén的de礼lǐ。」大dà圣shèng见jiàn他tā不bù睬cǎi，又yòu使shǐ个gè身shēn外wài法fǎ，把bǎ脑nǎo后hòu毫háo毛máo拔bá了le三sān根gēn，吹chuī口kǒu仙xiān气qì，叫jiào：「变biàn！」即jí变biàn了le三sān个gè行xíng者zhě，连lián本běn身shēn四sì个gè，四sì面miàn围wéi住zhù师shī父fù下xià拜bài。那nà长zhǎng老lǎo左zuǒ右yòu躲duǒ不bù脱tuō，好hǎo道dào也yě受shòu了le一yí拜bài。

逐句解 Line by line

He folded the letter, tucked it into his sleeve, and then, softening his words to the Tang Monk, said: "Master, I have kept you company all this while, and had besides the Bodhisattva's instruction; to give it all up half-done today, with no merit-fruit achieved — I beg you, sit, and receive a bow from me, and I'll go the more content."

將書摺了 (jiāng shū zhé le) "folded the letter," 將 (jiāng). 軟款 (ruǎn kuǎn) "to soften [one's words], speak gently." 半塗而廢 (bàn tú ér fèi) "to give up halfway" (a variant of 半途而廢). 不曾成得功果 (bù céng chéng de gōng guǒ) "achieved no merit-fruit," the complement 得 (de); 去得放心 (qù de fàng xīn) "go with mind at ease," again 得 (de). Wukong's request for a farewell bow is deeply moving — he asks not to be spared but only to part with the proper form of respect between master and disciple.

唐táng僧sēng轉zhuǎn回huí身shēn不bù睬cǎi，口kǒu裡lǐ唧jī唧jī噥nóng噥nóng的de道dào：「我wǒ是shì個gè好hǎo和hé尚shàng，不bú受shòu你nǐ歹dǎi人rén的de禮lǐ。」唐táng僧sēng转zhuǎn回huí身shēn不bù睬cǎi，口kǒu里lǐ唧jī唧jī哝nóng哝nóng的de道dào：「我wǒ是shì个gè好hǎo和hé尚shàng，不bú受shòu你nǐ歹dǎi人rén的de礼lǐ。」

The Tang Monk turned his body away and would not face him, muttering under his breath: "I am a good monk — I'll not take the bow of a wicked man like you."

轉回身不睬 (zhuǎn huí shēn bù cǎi) "turned away and ignored [him]." 唧唧噥噥 (jī jī nóng nóng) "muttering, grumbling." 歹人 (dǎi rén) "a wicked person." The elder's refusal even of the farewell bow — turning his back, calling Wukong a "wicked man" — is the chapter's coldest moment, a rejection of the last courtesy between them.

大dà聖shèng見jiàn他tā不bù睬cǎi，又yòu使shǐ個gè身shēn外wài法fǎ，把bǎ腦nǎo後hòu毫háo毛máo拔bá了le三sān根gēn，吹chuī口kǒu仙xiān氣qì，叫jiào：「變biàn！」大dà圣shèng见jiàn他tā不bù睬cǎi，又yòu使shǐ个gè身shēn外wài法fǎ，把bǎ脑nǎo后hòu毫háo毛máo拔bá了le三sān根gēn，吹chuī口kǒu仙xiān气qì，叫jiào：「变biàn！」

The Great Sage, seeing he would not turn, worked an out-of-body art: he plucked three hairs from the back of his skull, blew on them a breath of immortal air, and cried, "Change!"

身外法 (shēn wài fǎ) "the out-of-body method," the magic of self-multiplication. 腦後毫毛 (nǎo hòu háo máo) "the fine hairs at the back of the head" — Wukong's transformable body-hairs. 吹口仙氣 (chuī kǒu xiān qì) "blew a breath of immortal air." Denied a bow, Wukong contrives by magic to receive one anyway — a poignant insistence on parting rightly.

即jí變biàn了le三sān個gè行xíng者zhě，連lián本běn身shēn四sì個gè，四sì面miàn圍wéi住zhù師shī父fù下xià拜bài。即jí变biàn了le三sān个gè行xíng者zhě，连lián本běn身shēn四sì个gè，四sì面miàn围wéi住zhù师shī父fù下xià拜bài。

At once they changed into three more Pilgrims; with his own body, four in all, they surrounded the master on four sides and bowed down.

三個行者 (sān ge xíng zhě) "three Pilgrims," 行 (xíng). 四面圍住 (sì miàn wéi zhù) "surrounded on four sides." The image is at once comic and touching — the Great Sage multiplied fourfold, hemming the master in so that, whichever way he turns, he must face a bowing disciple.

那nà長zhǎng老lǎo左zuǒ右yòu躲duǒ不bù脫tuō，好hǎo道dào也yě受shòu了le一yí拜bài。那nà长zhǎng老lǎo左zuǒ右yòu躲duǒ不bù脱tuō，好hǎo道dào也yě受shòu了le一yí拜bài。

The elder, unable to dodge to left or right, could not but receive one bow after all.

那長老 (nà zhǎng lǎo) "the elder," 那 (nà), 長 (zhǎng). 左右躲不脫 (zuǒ yòu duǒ bù tuō) "could not dodge either way." 好道也受了一拜 (hǎo dào yě shòu le yí bài) "had, after all, to receive a bow." Wukong at last gets the farewell courtesy he asked for — extracted by magic from a master who would not grant it freely, a small victory shot through with sorrow.

總評 Commentary

This is one of the most affecting passages in the whole novel. Faced with expulsion, Wukong asks for nothing but a farewell bow — the proper courtesy between master and disciple — so that he may "go the more content." It is a request for form, for dignity in parting, from a being who has just been called a murderer and cast out on a slanderer's word. That he asks so humbly is the measure of his loyalty.

The elder's refusal is the chapter's coldest stroke. He turns his back and mutters that he will not take "the bow of a wicked man" — denying Wukong even the last small ritual of respect. Against this, Wukong's response is characteristic: rather than force or fury, he works the 身外法, plucking three hairs to make three doubles, and surrounds the master four-sided so that, dodge as he may, he must face a bowing disciple.

The image of the fourfold bow is where comedy and pathos meet, as so often in this novel. There is something absurd in the Great Sage multiplying himself to trap a farewell bow out of an unwilling master — and something deeply moving, too, in his refusal to leave without one. He extracts by magic the dignity the elder denies him freely, and the small victory is drenched in grief: it is the last courtesy of a bond about to be broken.