第二十九回 · 萬全之策 Grief, and the Officials' Counsel — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

萬全之策 Grief, and the Officials' Counsel

那nà學xué士shì讀dú罷bà家jiā書shū，國guó王wáng大dà哭kū，三sān宮gōng滴dī淚lèi，文wén武wǔ傷shāng情qíng，前qián前qián後hòu後hòu，無wú不bù哀āi念niàn。國guó王wáng哭kū之zhī許xǔ久jiǔ，便biàn問wèn兩liǎng班bān文wén武wǔ：「那nǎ個gè敢gǎn興xīng兵bīng領lǐng將jiàng，與yǔ寡guǎ人rén捉zhuō獲huò妖yāo魔mó，救jiù我wǒ百bǎi花huā公gōng主zhǔ？」連lián問wèn數shù聲shēng，更gèng無wú一yì人rén敢gǎn答dá。真zhēn是shì木mù雕diāo成chéng的de武wǔ將jiàng，泥ní塑sù就jiù的de文wén官guān。那nà國guó王wáng心xīn生shēng煩fán惱nǎo，淚lèi若ruò湧yǒng泉quán。只zhǐ見jiàn那nà多duō官guān齊qí俯fǔ伏fú奏zòu道dào：「陛bì下xià且qiě休xiū煩fán惱nǎo。公gōng主zhǔ已yǐ失shī，至zhì今jīn一yì十shí三sān載zǎi無wú音yīn，偶ǒu遇yù唐táng朝cháo聖shèng僧sēng，寄jì書shū來lái此cǐ，未wèi知zhī的de否fǒu。況kuàng臣chén等děng俱jù是shì凡fán人rén凡fán馬mǎ，習xí學xué兵bīng書shū武wǔ略lüè，止zhǐ可kě佈bù陣zhèn安ān營yíng，保bǎo國guó家jiā無wú侵qīn陵líng之zhī患huàn。那nà妖yāo精jīng乃nǎi雲yún來lái霧wù去qù之zhī輩bèi，不bù得dé與yǔ他tā覿dí面miàn相xiāng見jiàn，何hé以yǐ征zhēng救jiù？想xiǎng東dōng土tǔ取qǔ經jīng者zhě，乃nǎi上shàng邦bāng聖shèng僧sēng。這zhè和hé尚shàng道dào高gāo龍lóng虎hǔ伏fú，德dé重zhòng鬼guǐ神shén欽qīn，必bì有yǒu降xiáng妖yāo之zhī術shù。自zì古gǔ道dào：『來lái說shuō是shì非fēi者zhě，就jiù是shì是shì非fēi人rén。』可kě就jiù請qǐng這zhè長zhǎng老lǎo降xiáng妖yāo邪xié，救jiù公gōng主zhǔ，庶shù為wéi萬wàn全quán之zhī策cè。」那nà学xué士shì读dú罢bà家jiā书shū，国guó王wáng大dà哭kū，三sān宫gōng滴dī泪lèi，文wén武wǔ伤shāng情qíng，前qián前qián后hòu后hòu，无wú不bù哀āi念niàn。国guó王wáng哭kū之zhī许xǔ久jiǔ，便biàn问wèn两liǎng班bān文wén武wǔ：「那nǎ个gè敢gǎn兴xīng兵bīng领lǐng将jiàng，与yǔ寡guǎ人rén捉zhuō获huò妖yāo魔mó，救jiù我wǒ百bǎi花huā公gōng主zhǔ？」连lián问wèn数shù声shēng，更gèng无wú一yì人rén敢gǎn答dá。真zhēn是shì木mù雕diāo成chéng的de武wǔ将jiàng，泥ní塑sù就jiù的de文wén官guān。那nà国guó王wáng心xīn生shēng烦fán恼nǎo，泪lèi若ruò涌yǒng泉quán。只zhǐ见jiàn那nà多duō官guān齐qí俯fǔ伏fú奏zòu道dào：「陛bì下xià且qiě休xiū烦fán恼nǎo。公gōng主zhǔ已yǐ失shī，至zhì今jīn一yì十shí三sān载zǎi无wú音yīn，偶ǒu遇yù唐táng朝cháo圣shèng僧sēng，寄jì书shū来lái此cǐ，未wèi知zhī的de否fǒu。况kuàng臣chén等děng俱jù是shì凡fán人rén凡fán马mǎ，习xí学xué兵bīng书shū武wǔ略lüè，止zhǐ可kě布bù阵zhèn安ān营yíng，保bǎo国guó家jiā无wú侵qīn陵líng之zhī患huàn。那nà妖yāo精jīng乃nǎi云yún来lái雾wù去qù之zhī辈bèi，不bù得dé与yǔ他tā觌dí面miàn相xiāng见jiàn，何hé以yǐ征zhēng救jiù？想xiǎng东dōng土tǔ取qǔ经jīng者zhě，乃nǎi上shàng邦bāng圣shèng僧sēng。这zhè和hé尚shàng道dào高gāo龙lóng虎hǔ伏fú，德dé重zhòng鬼guǐ神shén钦qīn，必bì有yǒu降xiáng妖yāo之zhī术shù。自zì古gǔ道dào：『来lái说shuō是shì非fēi者zhě，就jiù是shì是shì非fēi人rén。』可kě就jiù请qǐng这zhè长zhǎng老lǎo降xiáng妖yāo邪xié，救jiù公gōng主zhǔ，庶shù为wéi万wàn全quán之zhī策cè。」

逐句解 Line by line

那nà學xué士shì讀dú罷bà家jiā書shū，國guó王wáng大dà哭kū，三sān宮gōng滴dī淚lèi，文wén武wǔ傷shāng情qíng，前qián前qián後hòu後hòu，無wú不bù哀āi念niàn。那nà学xué士shì读dú罢bà家jiā书shū，国guó王wáng大dà哭kū，三sān宫gōng滴dī泪lèi，文wén武wǔ伤shāng情qíng，前qián前qián后hòu后hòu，无wú不bù哀āi念niàn。

When the academician had finished reading the letter, the king wept aloud, the three chambers shed tears, and the officials, civil and military, were grieved to the heart; before the hall and behind, there was none but mourned.

三宮, "the three chambers," means the consorts; 前前後後 is "in front of the hall and behind it," which is where everybody was standing a moment ago to listen. The grief is total and it is public, which is what the staging of the previous scene was for.

國guó王wáng哭kū之zhī許xǔ久jiǔ，便biàn問wèn兩liǎng班bān文wén武wǔ：「那nǎ個gè敢gǎn興xīng兵bīng領lǐng將jiàng，與yǔ寡guǎ人rén捉zhuō獲huò妖yāo魔mó，救jiù我wǒ百bǎi花huā公gōng主zhǔ？」連lián問wèn數shù聲shēng，更gèng無wú一yì人rén敢gǎn答dá。真zhēn是shì木mù雕diāo成chéng的de武wǔ將jiàng，泥ní塑sù就jiù的de文wén官guān。那nà國guó王wáng心xīn生shēng煩fán惱nǎo，淚lèi若ruò湧yǒng泉quán。国guó王wáng哭kū之zhī许xǔ久jiǔ，便biàn问wèn两liǎng班bān文wén武wǔ：「那nǎ个gè敢gǎn兴xīng兵bīng领lǐng将jiàng，与yǔ寡guǎ人rén捉zhuō获huò妖yāo魔mó，救jiù我wǒ百bǎi花huā公gōng主zhǔ？」连lián问wèn数shù声shēng，更gèng无wú一yì人rén敢gǎn答dá。真zhēn是shì木mù雕diāo成chéng的de武wǔ将jiàng，泥ní塑sù就jiù的de文wén官guān。那nà国guó王wáng心xīn生shēng烦fán恼nǎo，泪lèi若ruò涌yǒng泉quán。

The king wept a long while, then asked the two files of officials, civil and military, 'Who dares to raise troops and lead generals, to take the demon for me and rescue my Hundred-Flowers Princess?' He asked several times over, and not one man dared answer — the military officers truly as if carved of wood, the civil officials as if molded of clay. The king's heart grew vexed, and his tears fell like a welling spring.

And then the king asks for a volunteer, and gets the silence every reader has sat through in some meeting or other. 那個 is the interrogative nǎ, "who?"; 興兵 (興 = xīng) is to raise troops and 領將 (將 = jiàng) to command generals; 連問數聲 (數 = shù) is "asked several times running." The image the narrator lands on is a famous one — 木雕...泥塑, carved of wood and moulded of clay, which survives in modern Chinese as 木雕泥塑 for anyone struck useless and expressionless. The generals are the statues here, which is the point.

只zhǐ見jiàn那nà多duō官guān齊qí俯fǔ伏fú奏zòu道dào：「陛bì下xià且qiě休xiū煩fán惱nǎo。公gōng主zhǔ已yǐ失shī，至zhì今jīn一yì十shí三sān載zǎi無wú音yīn，偶ǒu遇yù唐táng朝cháo聖shèng僧sēng，寄jì書shū來lái此cǐ，未wèi知zhī的de否fǒu。況kuàng臣chén等děng俱jù是shì凡fán人rén凡fán馬mǎ，習xí學xué兵bīng書shū武wǔ略lüè，止zhǐ可kě佈bù陣zhèn安ān營yíng，保bǎo國guó家jiā無wú侵qīn陵líng之zhī患huàn。只zhǐ见jiàn那nà多duō官guān齐qí俯fǔ伏fú奏zòu道dào：「陛bì下xià且qiě休xiū烦fán恼nǎo。公gōng主zhǔ已yǐ失shī，至zhì今jīn一yì十shí三sān载zǎi无wú音yīn，偶ǒu遇yù唐táng朝cháo圣shèng僧sēng，寄jì书shū来lái此cǐ，未wèi知zhī的de否fǒu。况kuàng臣chén等děng俱jù是shì凡fán人rén凡fán马mǎ，习xí学xué兵bīng书shū武wǔ略lüè，止zhǐ可kě布bù阵zhèn安ān营yíng，保bǎo国guó家jiā无wú侵qīn陵líng之zhī患huàn。

Then the assembled officials prostrated themselves as one and reported: 'Let Your Majesty not be vexed. The princess was lost, and for thirteen years to this day there has been no word; that a holy monk of Tang should chance to meet her and bring a letter here — we do not yet know if it be true. Moreover, we your servants are but common men on common horses, versed in the books of war and the arts of strategy, fit only to array battle-lines and pitch camps, to guard the state against the peril of invasion.

Their defence begins reasonably. 一十三載 (載 = zǎi) is thirteen years; 未知的否 is "we do not yet know whether it is so" — a fair objection, since the only evidence is a letter from a stranger. 凡人凡馬, "ordinary men and ordinary horses," pleads their merely human limits, and 佈陣安營, forming up and pitching camp, is an honest description of what an army can actually do.

那nà妖yāo精jīng乃nǎi雲yún來lái霧wù去qù之zhī輩bèi，不bù得dé與yǔ他tā覿dí面miàn相xiāng見jiàn，何hé以yǐ征zhēng救jiù？想xiǎng東dōng土tǔ取qǔ經jīng者zhě，乃nǎi上shàng邦bāng聖shèng僧sēng。這zhè和hé尚shàng道dào高gāo龍lóng虎hǔ伏fú，德dé重zhòng鬼guǐ神shén欽qīn，必bì有yǒu降xiáng妖yāo之zhī術shù。自zì古gǔ道dào：『來lái說shuō是shì非fēi者zhě，就jiù是shì是shì非fēi人rén。』可kě就jiù請qǐng這zhè長zhǎng老lǎo降xiáng妖yāo邪xié，救jiù公gōng主zhǔ，庶shù為wéi萬wàn全quán之zhī策cè。」那nà妖yāo精jīng乃nǎi云yún来lái雾wù去qù之zhī辈bèi，不bù得dé与yǔ他tā觌dí面miàn相xiāng见jiàn，何hé以yǐ征zhēng救jiù？想xiǎng东dōng土tǔ取qǔ经jīng者zhě，乃nǎi上shàng邦bāng圣shèng僧sēng。这zhè和hé尚shàng道dào高gāo龙lóng虎hǔ伏fú，德dé重zhòng鬼guǐ神shén钦qīn，必bì有yǒu降xiáng妖yāo之zhī术shù。自zì古gǔ道dào：『来lái说shuō是shì非fēi者zhě，就jiù是shì是shì非fēi人rén。』可kě就jiù请qǐng这zhè长zhǎng老lǎo降xiáng妖yāo邪xié，救jiù公gōng主zhǔ，庶shù为wéi万wàn全quán之zhī策cè。」

'That demon is of the sort that comes on cloud and goes on mist; we cannot so much as come face to face with him — how then should we campaign and rescue? We think that this scripture-seeker from the Eastern Land is a holy monk of the superior realm: a monk whose Way is so high that dragon and tiger crouch before him, whose virtue is so weighty that ghosts and gods revere him. He must possess the art of subduing demons. As the old saying goes, "He who comes to speak of a trouble is the very man to settle it." Let us then ask this elder to subdue the fiend and rescue the princess — that would surely be the plan of perfect safety.'

Then it stops being reasonable and starts being clever. 雲來霧去, coming on cloud and going on mist, is a genuine problem — you cannot besiege weather. 覿面相見 (相 = xiāng) is to meet face to face. But the flattery that follows is doing work: 道高龍虎伏，德重 (重 = zhòng) 鬼神欽 — his Way so high that dragon and tiger lie down, his virtue so weighty that ghosts and gods defer — is praise with a job to do. 降妖 takes 降 as xiáng, to subdue. And the proverb they close on is the finest piece of self-preservation in the chapter: 來說是非者，就是是非人, "whoever comes reporting the trouble is the person the trouble belongs to." Anyone who has watched a problem get handed straight back to the colleague who raised it will recognise the move exactly. 庶為 (為 = wéi) is "would perhaps be," and what it introduces, 萬全之策, a plan safe in every respect, is still the everyday Chinese for a foolproof scheme. Safe for whom is the question the sentence does not ask.

總評 Commentary

The letter's aftermath is grief first and cowardice immediately after. The whole court dissolves in weeping — king, consorts and officials alike — but when the king puts the practical question, who dares raise troops and fetch the princess back, the answer is a silence the novel freezes into a famous image: the military officers as if carved of wood, the civil officials as if moulded of clay. The satire is pointed and characteristic. The pomp of this court, so admired a few scenes ago for its rites and its bearing, turns out to be hollow the first time anybody asks it for courage.

The officials then extricate themselves with an argument that is half sound and half self-serving. The sound half is real: a demon who comes on cloud and goes on mist is genuinely beyond the reach of an army trained to array camps against human invaders. The self-serving half is the conclusion — that the burden should therefore land on the visiting monk — clinched with a proverb about the bearer of bad news owning it. That manoeuvre, and not any zeal of Tripitaka's, is what drives the rest of the chapter: the fight the king cannot get out of his own men will now be pressed onto his guests, and the way is open for Eight Rules to be summoned and to start boasting.