第二十九回 · 捎書寄信 The Bargain of the Letter — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

捎書寄信 The Bargain of the Letter

唐táng僧sēng道dào：「貧pín僧sēng乃nǎi是shì差chāi往wǎng西xī天tiān取qǔ經jīng者zhě，不bù期qī閑xián步bù，誤wù撞zhuàng在zài此cǐ。如rú今jīn要yào拿ná住zhù我wǒ兩liǎng個gè徒tú弟dì，一yì齊qí蒸zhēng吃chī哩li。」那nà公gōng主zhǔ陪péi笑xiào道dào：「長zhǎng老lǎo寬kuān心xīn，你nǐ既jì是shì取qǔ經jīng的de，我wǒ救jiù得de你nǐ。那nà寶bǎo象xiàng國guó是shì你nǐ西xī方fāng去qù的de大dà路lù，你nǐ與yǔ我wǒ捎shāo一yì封fēng書shū兒er去qù，拜bài上shàng我wǒ那nà父fù母mǔ，我wǒ就jiù教jiào他tā饒ráo了le你nǐ罷bà。」三sān藏zàng點diǎn頭tóu道dào：「女nǚ菩pú薩sà，若ruò還hái救jiù得de貧pín僧sēng命mìng，願yuàn做zuò捎shāo書shū寄jì信xìn人rén。」唐táng僧sēng道dào：「贫pín僧sēng乃nǎi是shì差chāi往wǎng西xī天tiān取qǔ经jīng者zhě，不bù期qī闲xián步bù，误wù撞zhuàng在zài此cǐ。如rú今jīn要yào拿ná住zhù我wǒ两liǎng个gè徒tú弟dì，一yì齐qí蒸zhēng吃chī哩li。」那nà公gōng主zhǔ陪péi笑xiào道dào：「长zhǎng老lǎo宽kuān心xīn，你nǐ既jì是shì取qǔ经jīng的de，我wǒ救jiù得de你nǐ。那nà宝bǎo象xiàng国guó是shì你nǐ西xī方fāng去qù的de大dà路lù，你nǐ与yǔ我wǒ捎shāo一yì封fēng书shū儿er去qù，拜bài上shàng我wǒ那nà父fù母mǔ，我wǒ就jiù教jiào他tā饶ráo了le你nǐ罢bà。」三sān藏zàng点diǎn头tóu道dào：「女nǚ菩pú萨sà，若ruò还hái救jiù得de贫pín僧sēng命mìng，愿yuàn做zuò捎shāo书shū寄jì信xìn人rén。」

逐句解 Line by line

唐táng僧sēng道dào：「貧pín僧sēng乃nǎi是shì差chāi往wǎng西xī天tiān取qǔ經jīng者zhě，不bù期qī閑xián步bù，誤wù撞zhuàng在zài此cǐ。如rú今jīn要yào拿ná住zhù我wǒ兩liǎng個gè徒tú弟dì，一yì齊qí蒸zhēng吃chī哩li。」唐táng僧sēng道dào：「贫pín僧sēng乃nǎi是shì差chāi往wǎng西xī天tiān取qǔ经jīng者zhě，不bù期qī闲xián步bù，误wù撞zhuàng在zài此cǐ。如rú今jīn要yào拿ná住zhù我wǒ两liǎng个gè徒tú弟dì，一yì齐qí蒸zhēng吃chī哩li。」

Tripitaka said, 'This poor monk is one dispatched to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures. Walking idly, I strayed and blundered in here unawares; and now he means to seize my two disciples and steam and devour us all together.'

差往 frames the mission as an imperial commission (差 = chāi, "to be sent on charge"). 貧僧 ("this poor monk") is Tripitaka's self-deprecating first person. The blunt 一齊蒸吃 ("steamed and eaten all together") states the ogre's culinary intent with the tale's characteristic matter-of-factness; sentence-final 哩 is the light particle li.

那nà公gōng主zhǔ陪péi笑xiào道dào：「長zhǎng老lǎo寬kuān心xīn，你nǐ既jì是shì取qǔ經jīng的de，我wǒ救jiù得de你nǐ。那nà寶bǎo象xiàng國guó是shì你nǐ西xī方fāng去qù的de大dà路lù，你nǐ與yǔ我wǒ捎shāo一yì封fēng書shū兒er去qù，拜bài上shàng我wǒ那nà父fù母mǔ，我wǒ就jiù教jiào他tā饒ráo了le你nǐ罷bà。」那nà公gōng主zhǔ陪péi笑xiào道dào：「长zhǎng老lǎo宽kuān心xīn，你nǐ既jì是shì取qǔ经jīng的de，我wǒ救jiù得de你nǐ。那nà宝bǎo象xiàng国guó是shì你nǐ西xī方fāng去qù的de大dà路lù，你nǐ与yǔ我wǒ捎shāo一yì封fēng书shū儿er去qù，拜bài上shàng我wǒ那nà父fù母mǔ，我wǒ就jiù教jiào他tā饶ráo了le你nǐ罢bà。」

The princess said with a coaxing smile, 'Set your heart at ease, elder. Since you are a scripture-seeker, I can save you. That Land of Precious Images lies on your high road westward; carry a letter there for me, pay my respects to my father and mother, and I shall have him spare you.'

陪笑 ("an ingratiating smile") signals the stratagem. 救得你 takes 得 as the potential-complement de ("am able to save you"), distinct from the modal dé of 得會 above. The letter is named 書兒, the diminutive 兒 (suffix er) marking it an intimate note; 就教他饒了你 has 教 as the causative jiào, "I shall make him let you go." This bargain is the chapter's hinge.

三sān藏zàng點diǎn頭tóu道dào：「女nǚ菩pú薩sà，若ruò還hái救jiù得de貧pín僧sēng命mìng，願yuàn做zuò捎shāo書shū寄jì信xìn人rén。」三sān藏zàng点diǎn头tóu道dào：「女nǚ菩pú萨sà，若ruò还hái救jiù得de贫pín僧sēng命mìng，愿yuàn做zuò捎shāo书shū寄jì信xìn人rén。」

Tripitaka nodded and said, 'Bodhisattva-lady, if indeed you would save this poor monk's life, I am willing to be the bearer of your letter and the carrier of your word.'

若還 ("if indeed") takes 還 as hái; 救得 again the potential de. 捎書寄信人 ("carrier-of-the-letter, sender-of-the-word") formalizes Tripitaka's new office in a characteristic vernacular binome (捎書/寄信). His readiness, born of desperation, will shortly oblige him to speak a falsehood (誑語) at court — a scruple he raises in the scene that follows.

總評 Commentary

The bargain of the letter is the structural pivot of the entire chapter. In the space of three speeches the princess converts a doomed captive into a diplomatic instrument: her stratagem (陪笑) trades Tripitaka's life for the delivery of a message to her royal parents, and in doing so launches the embassy to the Land of Precious Images that will draw the two disciples to court, set the king weeping over the letter, and precipitate the renewed assault on the Yellow-Robe ogre.

The exchange is also quietly moral. Tripitaka accepts the commission of 捎書寄信 out of naked necessity, and the reader is meant to feel the pressure of it: to keep his word to her he will, at the Baoxiang court, have to dissemble about the fate of the princess's children, and he flags his own scruple against 誑語 ("false speech") almost as soon as he takes the letter. The intimate diminutive 書兒 keeps the human scale of the transaction in view even as it sets the chapter's larger machinery turning.