第三回 · 勾入幽冥 Summoned to the Land of Darkness — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

勾入幽冥 Summoned to the Land of Darkness

一yí日rì，在zài本běn洞dòng吩fēn咐fù四sì健jiàn將jiàng安ān排pái筵yán宴yàn，請qǐng六liù王wáng赴fù飲yǐn，殺shā牛niú宰zǎi馬mǎ，祭jì天tiān享xiǎng地dì，著zhuó眾zhòng怪guài跳tiào舞wǔ歡huān歌gē，俱jù吃chī得de酩mǐng酊dǐng大dà醉zuì。送sòng六liù王wáng出chū去qù，卻què又yòu賞shǎng𤛮láo大dà小xiǎo頭tóu目mù。攲qī在zài鐵tiě板bǎn橋qiáo邊biān松sōng陰yīn之zhī下xià，霎shà時shí間jiān睡shuì著zháo。四sì健jiàn將jiàng領lǐng眾zhòng圍wéi護hù，不bù敢gǎn高gāo聲shēng。只zhǐ見jiàn那nà美měi猴hóu王wáng睡shuì裡lǐ，見jiàn兩liǎng人rén拿ná一yì張zhāng批pī文wén，上shàng有yǒu「孫sūn悟wù空kōng」三sān字zì，走zǒu近jìn身shēn，不bù容róng分fēn說shuō，套tào上shàng繩shéng，就jiù把bǎ美měi猴hóu王wáng的de魂hún靈líng兒er索suǒ了le去qù，踉liàng踉liàng蹌qiàng蹌qiàng，直zhí帶dài到dào一yí座zuò城chéng邊biān。猴hóu王wáng漸jiàn覺jué酒jiǔ醒xǐng，忽hū擡tái頭tóu觀guān看kàn，那nà城chéng上shàng有yǒu一yì鐵tiě牌pái，牌pái上shàng有yǒu三sān個gè大dà字zì，乃nǎi「幽yōu冥míng界jiè」。美měi猴hóu王wáng頓dùn然rán醒xǐng悟wù道dào：「幽yōu冥míng界jiè乃nǎi閻yán王wáng所suǒ居jū，何hé為wèi到dào此cǐ？」那nà兩liǎng人rén道dào：「你nǐ今jīn陽yáng壽shòu該gāi終zhōng，我wǒ兩liǎng人rén領lǐng批pī，勾gōu你nǐ來lái也yě。」猴hóu王wáng聽tīng說shuō，道dào：「我wǒ老lǎo孫sūn超chāo出chū三sān界jiè外wài，不bú在zài五wǔ行xíng中zhōng，已yǐ不bù伏fú他tā管guǎn轄xiá，怎zěn麼me朦méng朧lóng，又yòu敢gǎn來lái勾gōu我wǒ？」那nà兩liǎng個gè勾gōu死sǐ人rén，只zhǐ管guǎn扯chě扯chě拉lā拉lā，定dìng要yào拖tuō他tā進jìn去qù。這zhè猴hóu王wáng惱nǎo起qǐ性xìng來lái，耳ěr朵duǒ中zhōng掣chè出chū寶bǎo貝bèi，幌huǎng一yì幌huǎng，碗wǎn來lái粗cū細xì。略lüè舉jǔ手shǒu，把bǎ兩liǎng個gè勾gōu死sǐ人rén打dǎ為wéi肉ròu醬jiàng。自zì解jiě其qí索suǒ，丟diū開kāi手shǒu，輪lún著zhe棒bàng，打dǎ入rù城chéng中zhōng。諕xià得de那nà牛niú頭tóu鬼guǐ東dōng躲duǒ西xī藏cáng，馬mǎ面miàn鬼guǐ南nán奔bēn北běi跑pǎo。眾zhòng鬼guǐ卒zú奔bēn上shàng森sēn羅luó殿diàn，報bào著zhe：「大dà王wáng，禍huò事shì！禍huò事shì！外wài面miàn有yǒu一yí個gè毛máo臉liǎn雷léi公gōng打dǎ將jiāng來lái了le。」一yí日rì，在zài本běn洞dòng吩fēn咐fù四sì健jiàn将jiàng安ān排pái筵yán宴yàn，请qǐng六liù王wáng赴fù饮yǐn，杀shā牛niú宰zǎi马mǎ，祭jì天tiān享xiǎng地dì，著zhuó众zhòng怪guài跳tiào舞wǔ欢huān歌gē，俱jù吃chī得de酩mǐng酊dǐng大dà醉zuì。送sòng六liù王wáng出chū去qù，却què又yòu赏shǎng𤙯láo大dà小xiǎo头tóu目mù。攲qī在zài铁tiě板bǎn桥qiáo边biān松sōng阴yīn之zhī下xià，霎shà时shí间jiān睡shuì著zháo。四sì健jiàn将jiàng领lǐng众zhòng围wéi护hù，不bù敢gǎn高gāo声shēng。只zhǐ见jiàn那nà美měi猴hóu王wáng睡shuì里lǐ，见jiàn两liǎng人rén拿ná一yì张zhāng批pī文wén，上shàng有yǒu「孙sūn悟wù空kōng」三sān字zì，走zǒu近jìn身shēn，不bù容róng分fēn说shuō，套tào上shàng绳shéng，就jiù把bǎ美měi猴hóu王wáng的de魂hún灵líng儿er索suǒ了le去qù，踉liàng踉liàng跄qiàng跄qiàng，直zhí带dài到dào一yí座zuò城chéng边biān。猴hóu王wáng渐jiàn觉jué酒jiǔ醒xǐng，忽hū擡tái头tóu观guān看kàn，那nà城chéng上shàng有yǒu一yì铁tiě牌pái，牌pái上shàng有yǒu三sān个gè大dà字zì，乃nǎi「幽yōu冥míng界jiè」。美měi猴hóu王wáng顿dùn然rán醒xǐng悟wù道dào：「幽yōu冥míng界jiè乃nǎi阎yán王wáng所suǒ居jū，何hé为wèi到dào此cǐ？」那nà两liǎng人rén道dào：「你nǐ今jīn阳yáng寿shòu该gāi终zhōng，我wǒ两liǎng人rén领lǐng批pī，勾gōu你nǐ来lái也yě。」猴hóu王wáng听tīng说shuō，道dào：「我wǒ老lǎo孙sūn超chāo出chū三sān界jiè外wài，不bú在zài五wǔ行xíng中zhōng，已yǐ不bù伏fú他tā管guǎn辖xiá，怎zěn么me朦méng胧lóng，又yòu敢gǎn来lái勾gōu我wǒ？」那nà两liǎng个gè勾gōu死sǐ人rén，只zhǐ管guǎn扯chě扯chě拉lā拉lā，定dìng要yào拖tuō他tā进jìn去qù。这zhè猴hóu王wáng恼nǎo起qǐ性xìng来lái，耳ěr朵duǒ中zhōng掣chè出chū宝bǎo贝bèi，幌huǎng一yì幌huǎng，碗wǎn来lái粗cū细xì。略lüè举jǔ手shǒu，把bǎ两liǎng个gè勾gōu死sǐ人rén打dǎ为wéi肉ròu酱jiàng。自zì解jiě其qí索suǒ，丢diū开kāi手shǒu，轮lún著zhe棒bàng，打dǎ入rù城chéng中zhōng。諕xià得de那nà牛niú头tóu鬼guǐ东dōng躲duǒ西xī藏cáng，马mǎ面miàn鬼guǐ南nán奔bēn北běi跑pǎo。众zhòng鬼guǐ卒zú奔bēn上shàng森sēn罗luó殿diàn，报bào著zhe：「大dà王wáng，祸huò事shì！祸huò事shì！外wài面miàn有yǒu一yí个gè毛máo脸liǎn雷léi公gōng打dǎ将jiāng来lái了le。」

逐句解 Line by line

一yí日rì，在zài本běn洞dòng吩fēn咐fù四sì健jiàn將jiàng安ān排pái筵yán宴yàn，請qǐng六liù王wáng赴fù飲yǐn，殺shā牛niú宰zǎi馬mǎ，祭jì天tiān享xiǎng地dì，著zhuó眾zhòng怪guài跳tiào舞wǔ歡huān歌gē，俱jù吃chī得de酩mǐng酊dǐng大dà醉zuì。一yí日rì，在zài本běn洞dòng吩fēn咐fù四sì健jiàn将jiàng安ān排pái筵yán宴yàn，请qǐng六liù王wáng赴fù饮yǐn，杀shā牛niú宰zǎi马mǎ，祭jì天tiān享xiǎng地dì，著zhuó众zhòng怪guài跳tiào舞wǔ欢huān歌gē，俱jù吃chī得de酩mǐng酊dǐng大dà醉zuì。

One day, in his own cave, he charged the four Stalwart Generals to lay out a banquet and invited the six kings to drink; they slaughtered oxen and horses, made offerings to Heaven and Earth, had the monsters dance and sing, and all drank themselves dead drunk.

一日 takes yí. 吩咐 — "to instruct, charge." 四健將 — 將 jiàng. 六王 — the six demon-kings (his sworn brothers). 著眾怪跳舞 — 著 the causative zhuó ("had the monsters…"). 吃得酩酊大醉 — "drank themselves blind drunk"; 得 the resultative de, 酩酊 (mǐng-dǐng) "dead drunk."

送sòng六liù王wáng出chū去qù，卻què又yòu賞shǎng𤛮láo大dà小xiǎo頭tóu目mù。攲qī在zài鐵tiě板bǎn橋qiáo邊biān松sōng陰yīn之zhī下xià，霎shà時shí間jiān睡shuì著zháo。送sòng六liù王wáng出chū去qù，却què又yòu赏shǎng𤙯láo大dà小xiǎo头tóu目mù。攲qī在zài铁tiě板bǎn桥qiáo边biān松sōng阴yīn之zhī下xià，霎shà时shí间jiān睡shuì著zháo。

When the six kings had been seen off, he rewarded his headmen, great and small, with a feast as well; then, leaning in the pine-shade by the iron-plank bridge, in a moment he fell asleep.

賞𤛮 — "to reward and feast"; 𤛮 (U+246EE) is an astral-plane graph with the 牛 component, read láo (Unihan kMandarin), here in the sense of 賞勞 / 犒賞 — "to reward one's followers with a feast." 頭目 — "headmen, chiefs." 攲 — "to lean," qī. 松陰 — "pine-shade." 睡著 — "fell asleep"; 著 the resultative zháo.

四sì健jiàn將jiàng領lǐng眾zhòng圍wéi護hù，不bù敢gǎn高gāo聲shēng。四sì健jiàn将jiàng领lǐng众zhòng围wéi护hù，不bù敢gǎn高gāo声shēng。

The four Stalwart Generals led the others to guard around him, and dared not raise their voices.

四健將 — 將 jiàng. 圍護 — "to guard around." 不敢 — 不 bù.

只zhǐ見jiàn那nà美měi猴hóu王wáng睡shuì裡lǐ，見jiàn兩liǎng人rén拿ná一yì張zhāng批pī文wén，上shàng有yǒu「孫sūn悟wù空kōng」三sān字zì，走zǒu近jìn身shēn，不bù容róng分fēn說shuō，套tào上shàng繩shéng，就jiù把bǎ美měi猴hóu王wáng的de魂hún靈líng兒er索suǒ了le去qù，踉liàng踉liàng蹌qiàng蹌qiàng，直zhí帶dài到dào一yí座zuò城chéng邊biān。只zhǐ见jiàn那nà美měi猴hóu王wáng睡shuì里lǐ，见jiàn两liǎng人rén拿ná一yì张zhāng批pī文wén，上shàng有yǒu「孙sūn悟wù空kōng」三sān字zì，走zǒu近jìn身shēn，不bù容róng分fēn说shuō，套tào上shàng绳shéng，就jiù把bǎ美měi猴hóu王wáng的de魂hún灵líng儿er索suǒ了le去qù，踉liàng踉liàng跄qiàng跄qiàng，直zhí带dài到dào一yí座zuò城chéng边biān。

Then, in his sleep, the Handsome Monkey King saw two men come up holding a warrant on which were the three characters 'Sun Wukong'; without a word of explanation they slipped a rope over him, lassoed the Monkey King's soul away, and dragged him staggering to the edge of a city.

睡裡 — "in his sleep," 裡 lǐ. 一張 takes yì. 批文 — "a warrant, summons." 不容分說 — "without allowing a word of explanation"; 不 bù, 分 fēn. 魂靈兒 — "soul," 兒 the er-suffix. 踉踉蹌蹌 — "staggering, reeling"; 踉 liàng, 蹌 qiàng. 一座 takes yí.

猴hóu王wáng漸jiàn覺jué酒jiǔ醒xǐng，忽hū擡tái頭tóu觀guān看kàn，那nà城chéng上shàng有yǒu一yì鐵tiě牌pái，牌pái上shàng有yǒu三sān個gè大dà字zì，乃nǎi「幽yōu冥míng界jiè」。猴hóu王wáng渐jiàn觉jué酒jiǔ醒xǐng，忽hū擡tái头tóu观guān看kàn，那nà城chéng上shàng有yǒu一yì铁tiě牌pái，牌pái上shàng有yǒu三sān个gè大dà字zì，乃nǎi「幽yōu冥míng界jiè」。

The Monkey King gradually felt himself sobering, and when he raised his head and looked, there was an iron placard on the city wall bearing three great characters: 'Land of Darkness.'

漸覺酒醒 — "gradually felt himself sobering"; 覺 reads jué ("to perceive, feel"), not jiào ("sleep"). 一鐵牌 — 一 yì (before third-tone 鐵). 幽冥界 — "the Land of Darkness," the underworld.

美měi猴hóu王wáng頓dùn然rán醒xǐng悟wù道dào：「幽yōu冥míng界jiè乃nǎi閻yán王wáng所suǒ居jū，何hé為wèi到dào此cǐ？」美měi猴hóu王wáng顿dùn然rán醒xǐng悟wù道dào：「幽yōu冥míng界jiè乃nǎi阎yán王wáng所suǒ居jū，何hé为wèi到dào此cǐ？」

All at once the Handsome Monkey King understood: 'The Land of Darkness is where King Yama dwells — why have I come here?'

頓然醒悟 — "all at once understood." 閻王 — King Yama (閻羅王), lord of the dead; 閻 yán. 何為到此 — "why have I come here?"; 為 reads wèi (the causal "for what reason").

那nà兩liǎng人rén道dào：「你nǐ今jīn陽yáng壽shòu該gāi終zhōng，我wǒ兩liǎng人rén領lǐng批pī，勾gōu你nǐ來lái也yě。」那nà两liǎng人rén道dào：「你nǐ今jīn阳yáng寿shòu该gāi终zhōng，我wǒ两liǎng人rén领lǐng批pī，勾gōu你nǐ来lái也yě。」

The two men said, 'Your earthly span is due to end today, and we two, holding the warrant, have come to summon you.'

陽壽 — "earthly lifespan" (the span of life in the world of yang/light); 該終 — "due to end." 領批 — "holding the warrant." 勾你來 — "to summon you"; 勾 gōu ("to hook in, summon").

猴hóu王wáng聽tīng說shuō，道dào：「我wǒ老lǎo孫sūn超chāo出chū三sān界jiè外wài，不bú在zài五wǔ行xíng中zhōng，已yǐ不bù伏fú他tā管guǎn轄xiá，怎zěn麼me朦méng朧lóng，又yòu敢gǎn來lái勾gōu我wǒ？」猴hóu王wáng听tīng说shuō，道dào：「我wǒ老lǎo孙sūn超chāo出chū三sān界jiè外wài，不bú在zài五wǔ行xíng中zhōng，已yǐ不bù伏fú他tā管guǎn辖xiá，怎zěn么me朦méng胧lóng，又yòu敢gǎn来lái勾gōu我wǒ？」

Hearing this, the Monkey King said, 'Old Sun has leapt clear of the Three Realms and stands outside the Five Phases — I am no longer under his jurisdiction. How dare you, in your blindness, come to summon me?'

超出三界外，不在五行中 — "leapt beyond the Three Realms, stands outside the Five Phases"; 五行 (wǔ-xíng), 行 reading xíng, not háng. 不在 takes bú (before fourth-tone 在); 不伏 takes bù, 伏 fú. 朦朧 — "muddled, in confusion." 勾我 — 勾 gōu. The boast recapitulates 其五's claim of having transcended the cosmic order — the very ground of his quarrel with the underworld.

那nà兩liǎng個gè勾gōu死sǐ人rén，只zhǐ管guǎn扯chě扯chě拉lā拉lā，定dìng要yào拖tuō他tā進jìn去qù。那nà两liǎng个gè勾gōu死sǐ人rén，只zhǐ管guǎn扯chě扯chě拉lā拉lā，定dìng要yào拖tuō他tā进jìn去qù。

But the two death-fetchers only kept tugging and pulling, set on dragging him in.

勾死人 — "the death-fetchers," the soul-summoning runners; 勾 gōu. 只管 — "kept right on." 扯扯拉拉 — "tugging and hauling," 扯 chě, 拉 lā.

這zhè猴hóu王wáng惱nǎo起qǐ性xìng來lái，耳ěr朵duǒ中zhōng掣chè出chū寶bǎo貝bèi，幌huǎng一yì幌huǎng，碗wǎn來lái粗cū細xì。这zhè猴hóu王wáng恼nǎo起qǐ性xìng来lái，耳ěr朵duǒ中zhōng掣chè出chū宝bǎo贝bèi，幌huǎng一yì幌huǎng，碗wǎn来lái粗cū细xì。

At this the Monkey King's temper flared; he drew the treasure from his ear, gave it a shake until it was thick as a bowl,

惱起性來 — "his temper flared." 掣出寶貝 — "drew out the treasure," 掣 chè. 幌一幌 — "gave it a shake"; 一 yì (before third-tone 幌). 碗來粗細 — "thick as a bowl."

略lüè舉jǔ手shǒu，把bǎ兩liǎng個gè勾gōu死sǐ人rén打dǎ為wéi肉ròu醬jiàng。自zì解jiě其qí索suǒ，丟diū開kāi手shǒu，輪lún著zhe棒bàng，打dǎ入rù城chéng中zhōng。略lüè举jǔ手shǒu，把bǎ两liǎng个gè勾gōu死sǐ人rén打dǎ为wéi肉ròu酱jiàng。自zì解jiě其qí索suǒ，丢diū开kāi手shǒu，轮lún著zhe棒bàng，打dǎ入rù城chéng中zhōng。

and with a slight raise of his hand beat the two death-fetchers into a pulp. He freed himself from the rope, flung it aside, brandished the rod, and fought his way into the city.

打為肉醬 — "beat into a pulp"; 為 wéi ("into"). 自解其索 — "freed himself from the rope," 解 jiě. 輪著棒 — "brandishing the rod"; 輪 (= 掄) lún ("to swing, brandish"), 著 the durative zhe.

諕xià得de那nà牛niú頭tóu鬼guǐ東dōng躲duǒ西xī藏cáng，馬mǎ面miàn鬼guǐ南nán奔bēn北běi跑pǎo。諕xià得de那nà牛niú头tóu鬼guǐ东dōng躲duǒ西xī藏cáng，马mǎ面miàn鬼guǐ南nán奔bēn北běi跑pǎo。

He so terrified the Ox-Head ghost that it dodged this way and hid that, and the Horse-Face ghost that it fled south and north.

諕得 — "so terrified that…" (諕 = 嚇, xià). 牛頭鬼 / 馬面鬼 — Ox-Head and Horse-Face, the two standard demon-warders of the underworld. 東躲西藏 — "dodging and hiding," 藏 cáng. 南奔北跑 — "fleeing every way."

眾zhòng鬼guǐ卒zú奔bēn上shàng森sēn羅luó殿diàn，報bào著zhe：「大dà王wáng，禍huò事shì！禍huò事shì！外wài面miàn有yǒu一yí個gè毛máo臉liǎn雷léi公gōng打dǎ將jiāng來lái了le。」众zhòng鬼guǐ卒zú奔bēn上shàng森sēn罗luó殿diàn，报bào著zhe：「大dà王wáng，祸huò事shì！祸huò事shì！外wài面miàn有yǒu一yí个gè毛máo脸liǎn雷léi公gōng打dǎ将jiāng来lái了le。」

The ghost-soldiers rushed up to the Hall of Darkness and reported: 'Your Majesties — disaster! Disaster! Outside there's a hairy-faced Thunder God fighting his way in!'

鬼卒 — "ghost-soldiers," 卒 zú. 森羅殿 — the "Hall of Senluo," the underworld's judgment hall; 羅 luó. 報著 — 著 the durative zhe. 禍事 — "disaster!" 毛臉雷公 — "a hairy-faced Thunder God" (雷公, the thunder-deity, conventionally beak-faced and fierce — the ghosts mistake Wukong for him). 一個 takes yí; 打將來了 — 將 the verbal particle jiāng.

總評 Commentary

The chapter's second great movement begins with a jolt: at the very height of his revels — drunk among his sworn brothers and his ennobled headmen — Wukong's soul is lassoed out of his sleeping body and dragged to the gates of the underworld. The timing is pointed: the summons comes precisely when his earthly contentment is most complete, and the contrast between the banquet and the death-warrant is the chapter's sharpest. The two soul-fetchers' bland officialese ("your earthly span is due to end today") treats the cosmic rebel as one more name on a list — the very bureaucratic complacency he is about to shatter.

Wukong's protest — that he has "leapt clear of the Three Realms and stands outside the Five Phases" (超出三界外，不在五行中) — is the chapter's central theological claim, and the engine of its plot. Having attained the Way and a deathless body in ch.2, he asserts exemption from the whole apparatus of karmic accounting; the underworld's insistence on summoning him anyway is, to his mind, a clerical error. Andrew Plaks reads this as the comic literalization of the Daoist adept's transcendence of the life-and-death cycle: a metaphysical attainment becomes a jurisdictional dispute, settled not by argument but by the rod. The episode's casual violence — the two fetchers beaten to a pulp, Ox-Head and Horse-Face scattering — keeps the tone mock-heroic rather than horrific: the underworld is rendered as just another corrupt yamen to be stormed, its terrors deflated by the monkey's cheerful force, and to its frightened eyes he is already a "hairy-faced Thunder God," a figure of celestial wrath.