第三十回 · 誘怪授劍 The Demon Yields His Sword — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

誘怪授劍 The Demon Yields His Sword

那nà怪guài物wù伸shēn過guò嘴zuǐ來lái，吃chī了le一yì鍾zhōng；扳bān著zhe死sǐ人rén，吃chī了le一yì口kǒu。道dào：「會huì唱chàng麼me？」小xiǎo龍lóng道dào：「也yě略lüè曉xiǎo得dé些xiē兒er。」依yī腔qiāng韻yùn唱chàng了le一yí個gè小xiǎo曲qǔ，又yòu奉fèng了le一yì鍾zhōng。那nà怪guài道dào：「你nǐ會huì舞wǔ麼me？」小xiǎo龍lóng道dào：「也yě略lüè曉xiǎo得dé些xiē兒er，但dàn只zhǐ是shì素sù手shǒu，舞wǔ得de不bù好hǎo看kàn。」那nà怪guài揭jiē起qǐ衣yī服fú，解jiě下xià腰yāo間jiān所suǒ佩pèi寶bǎo劍jiàn，掣chè出chū鞘qiào來lái，遞dì與yǔ小xiǎo龍lóng。那nà怪guài物wù伸shēn过guò嘴zuǐ来lái，吃chī了le一yì钟zhōng；扳bān着zhe死sǐ人rén，吃chī了le一yì口kǒu。道dào：「会huì唱chàng么me？」小xiǎo龙lóng道dào：「也yě略lüè晓xiǎo得dé些xiē儿er。」依yī腔qiāng韵yùn唱chàng了le一yí个gè小xiǎo曲qǔ，又yòu奉fèng了le一yì钟zhōng。那nà怪guài道dào：「你nǐ会huì舞wǔ么me？」小xiǎo龙lóng道dào：「也yě略lüè晓xiǎo得dé些xiē儿er，但dàn只zhǐ是shì素sù手shǒu，舞wǔ得de不bù好hǎo看kàn。」那nà怪guài揭jiē起qǐ衣yī服fú，解jiě下xià腰yāo间jiān所suǒ佩pèi宝bǎo剑jiàn，掣chè出chū鞘qiào来lái，递dì与yǔ小xiǎo龙lóng。

逐句解 Line by line

那nà怪guài物wù伸shēn過guò嘴zuǐ來lái，吃chī了le一yì鍾zhōng；扳bān著zhe死sǐ人rén，吃chī了le一yì口kǒu。那nà怪guài物wù伸shēn过guò嘴zuǐ来lái，吃chī了le一yì钟zhōng；扳bān着zhe死sǐ人rén，吃chī了le一yì口kǒu。

The monster thrust his mouth over and drank off a cupful; then, pulling the dead woman to him, took a bite.

In 扳著死人 the 著 is zhe; 一鍾 is a cupful, 鍾 being a wine measure. The revel and the cannibalism are proceeding side by side, and the disguised dragon is standing there pouring. 那 is pointing nà.

道dào：「會huì唱chàng麼me？」小xiǎo龍lóng道dào：「也yě略lüè曉xiǎo得dé些xiē兒er。」道dào：「会huì唱chàng么me？」小xiǎo龙lóng道dào：「也yě略lüè晓xiǎo得dé些xiē儿er。」

He said: "Can you sing?" The little dragon said: "I know a little of it."

曉得, to know, to understand, takes 得 as de; 些兒 takes the suffix 兒 as er. "I know a little of it" — the modest reply, played straight.

依yī腔qiāng韻yùn唱chàng了le一yí個gè小xiǎo曲qǔ，又yòu奉fèng了le一yì鍾zhōng。依yī腔qiāng韵yùn唱chàng了le一yí个gè小xiǎo曲qǔ，又yòu奉fèng了le一yì钟zhōng。

Keeping to tune and rhyme, she sang a little air, and offered up another cup.

依腔韻 is to keep to the tune and the rhyme. The performance goes on, and the guard goes further down.

那nà怪guài道dào：「你nǐ會huì舞wǔ麼me？」那nà怪guài道dào：「你nǐ会huì舞wǔ么me？」

The demon said: "Can you dance?"

那 is pointing nà. And there is the question the dragon has been waiting all evening for.

小xiǎo龍lóng道dào：「也yě略lüè曉xiǎo得dé些xiē兒er，但dàn只zhǐ是shì素sù手shǒu，舞wǔ得de不bù好hǎo看kàn。」小xiǎo龙lóng道dào：「也yě略lüè晓xiǎo得dé些xiē儿er，但dàn只zhǐ是shì素sù手shǒu，舞wǔ得de不bù好hǎo看kàn。」

The little dragon said: "I know a little of that too; but with empty hands, the dance would make no fine show."

Both 曉得 and 舞得 take 得 as de; 些兒 takes 兒 as er. 素手 is "bare, empty hands" — the pretext, and a perfectly reasonable one, since a dance is nothing without something to flourish.

那nà怪guài揭jiē起qǐ衣yī服fú，解jiě下xià腰yāo間jiān所suǒ佩pèi寶bǎo劍jiàn，掣chè出chū鞘qiào來lái，遞dì與yǔ小xiǎo龍lóng。那nà怪guài揭jiē起qǐ衣yī服fú，解jiě下xià腰yāo间jiān所suǒ佩pèi宝bǎo剑jiàn，掣chè出chū鞘qiào来lái，递dì与yǔ小xiǎo龙lóng。

The demon lifted his robe, unfastened the treasured sword at his waist, drew it from the scabbard, and handed it to the little dragon.

腰間 takes 間 as jiān; 掣出鞘 is to draw from the scabbard. 那 is pointing nà. He unbuckles his own sword and puts it, unasked, into his enemy's hand.

總評 Commentary

The trap closes with real economy. The maid's plea of 素手 — that empty hands make a poor dance — is the entire point of the disguise, since it induces the demon to surrender his own sword as a stage prop. The weapon passes into the dragon's grip without a blow struck, and the demon's pleasure becomes the instrument of his undoing.

The reversal begun with the dragon's transformation is now complete. The demon, who won his place by deception, has been deceived by a disguise; the predator who ate the maids has just armed one. The counter-attack, prepared through the wine and the song, is about to land.