第三十回 · 小龍中傷 The Dragon Wounded — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

小龍中傷 The Dragon Wounded

他tā兩liǎng個gè在zài雲yún端duān裡lǐ戰zhàn夠gòu八bā九jiǔ回huí合hé，小xiǎo龍lóng的de手shǒu軟ruǎn觔jīn麻má，老lǎo魔mó的de身shēn強qiáng力lì壯zhuàng。小xiǎo龍lóng抵dǐ敵dí不bú住zhù，飛fēi起qǐ刀dāo去qù，砍kǎn那nà妖yāo怪guài。妖yāo怪guài有yǒu接jiē刀dāo之zhī法fǎ，一yì隻zhī手shǒu接jiē了le寶bǎo刀dāo，一yì隻zhī手shǒu拋pāo下xià滿mǎn堂táng紅hóng便biàn打dǎ。小xiǎo龍lóng措cuò手shǒu不bù及jí，被bèi他tā把bǎ後hòu腿tuǐ上shàng著zháo了le一yí下xià。急jí慌huāng慌huāng按àn落luò雲yún頭tóu，多duō虧kuī了le御yù水shuǐ河hé救jiù了le性xìng命mìng，小xiǎo龍lóng一yì頭tóu鑽zuān下xià水shuǐ去qù。那nà妖yāo魔mó趕gǎn來lái尋xún他tā不bú見jiàn，執zhí了le寶bǎo刀dāo，拿ná了le滿mǎn堂táng紅hóng，回huí上shàng銀yín安ān殿diàn，照zhào舊jiù吃chī酒jiǔ睡shuì覺jiào不bù題tí。他tā两liǎng个gè在zài云yún端duān里lǐ战zhàn够gòu八bā九jiǔ回huí合hé，小xiǎo龙lóng的de手shǒu软ruǎn觔jīn麻má，老lǎo魔mó的de身shēn强qiáng力lì壮zhuàng。小xiǎo龙lóng抵dǐ敌dí不bú住zhù，飞fēi起qǐ刀dāo去qù，砍kǎn那nà妖yāo怪guài。妖yāo怪guài有yǒu接jiē刀dāo之zhī法fǎ，一yì只zhī手shǒu接jiē了le宝bǎo刀dāo，一yì只zhī手shǒu抛pāo下xià满mǎn堂táng红hóng便biàn打dǎ。小xiǎo龙lóng措cuò手shǒu不bù及jí，被bèi他tā把bǎ后hòu腿tuǐ上shàng着zháo了le一yí下xià。急jí慌huāng慌huāng按àn落luò云yún头tóu，多duō亏kuī了le御yù水shuǐ河hé救jiù了le性xìng命mìng，小xiǎo龙lóng一yì头tóu钻zuān下xià水shuǐ去qù。那nà妖yāo魔mó赶gǎn来lái寻xún他tā不bú见jiàn，执zhí了le宝bǎo刀dāo，拿ná了le满mǎn堂táng红hóng，回huí上shàng银yín安ān殿diàn，照zhào旧jiù吃chī酒jiǔ睡shuì觉jiào不bù题tí。

逐句解 Line by line

他tā兩liǎng個gè在zài雲yún端duān裡lǐ戰zhàn夠gòu八bā九jiǔ回huí合hé，小xiǎo龍lóng的de手shǒu軟ruǎn觔jīn麻má，老lǎo魔mó的de身shēn強qiáng力lì壯zhuàng。他tā两liǎng个gè在zài云yún端duān里lǐ战zhàn够gòu八bā九jiǔ回huí合hé，小xiǎo龙lóng的de手shǒu软ruǎn觔jīn麻má，老lǎo魔mó的de身shēn强qiáng力lì壮zhuàng。

The two fought a full eight or nine rounds up among the clouds; but the little dragon's hands went weak and his sinews numb, while the old demon's frame was strong and his force unspent.

回合 is a round or bout of combat; 觔麻, a writing of 筋麻, is sinews gone numb; 身強, strong of frame, takes 強 as qiáng. The reason he tires first is physical and specific: he is a water-creature fighting a long engagement in the air, a long way from anything he can draw on.

小xiǎo龍lóng抵dǐ敵dí不bú住zhù，飛fēi起qǐ刀dāo去qù，砍kǎn那nà妖yāo怪guài。小xiǎo龙lóng抵dǐ敌dí不bú住zhù，飞fēi起qǐ刀dāo去qù，砍kǎn那nà妖yāo怪guài。

Unable to hold his ground, the little dragon flung his sword flying at the demon.

抵敵不住, could not withstand; 那 is pointing nà. Losing, he throws away the one advantage he had spent the whole evening acquiring.

妖yāo怪guài有yǒu接jiē刀dāo之zhī法fǎ，一yì隻zhī手shǒu接jiē了le寶bǎo刀dāo，一yì隻zhī手shǒu拋pāo下xià滿mǎn堂táng紅hóng便biàn打dǎ。妖yāo怪guài有yǒu接jiē刀dāo之zhī法fǎ，一yì只zhī手shǒu接jiē了le宝bǎo刀dāo，一yì只zhī手shǒu抛pāo下xià满mǎn堂táng红hóng便biàn打dǎ。

But the demon had a trick for catching blades: with one hand he caught the treasured sword, and with the other flung down the "hall-filler" to strike.

接刀之法, a method for catching a thrown blade — the demon has a counter for precisely this, and uses it and the lamp-stand in the same instant.

小xiǎo龍lóng措cuò手shǒu不bù及jí，被bèi他tā把bǎ後hòu腿tuǐ上shàng著zháo了le一yí下xià。小xiǎo龙lóng措cuò手shǒu不bù及jí，被bèi他tā把bǎ后hòu腿tuǐ上shàng着zháo了le一yí下xià。

The little dragon, caught off guard, took a blow upon his hind leg.

措手不及 is to be caught unprepared, no time to get your hands up. In 著了一下 the character 著 is zháo, the reading for a blow landing on its mark — quite distinct from the zhe that marks an action held in place.

急jí慌huāng慌huāng按àn落luò雲yún頭tóu，多duō虧kuī了le御yù水shuǐ河hé救jiù了le性xìng命mìng，小xiǎo龍lóng一yì頭tóu鑽zuān下xià水shuǐ去qù。急jí慌huāng慌huāng按àn落luò云yún头tóu，多duō亏kuī了le御yù水shuǐ河hé救jiù了le性xìng命mìng，小xiǎo龙lóng一yì头tóu钻zuān下xià水shuǐ去qù。

In frantic haste he brought his cloud down, and — thanks to the Imperial Moat — saved his life, plunging headlong into the water.

御水河 is the Imperial Water-River, the palace moat. A dragon driven out of the sky drops into water, and water is the one thing that can save him.

那nà妖yāo魔mó趕gǎn來lái尋xún他tā不bú見jiàn，執zhí了le寶bǎo刀dāo，拿ná了le滿mǎn堂táng紅hóng，回huí上shàng銀yín安ān殿diàn，照zhào舊jiù吃chī酒jiǔ睡shuì覺jiào不bù題tí。那nà妖yāo魔mó赶gǎn来lái寻xún他tā不bú见jiàn，执zhí了le宝bǎo刀dāo，拿ná了le满mǎn堂táng红hóng，回huí上shàng银yín安ān殿diàn，照zhào旧jiù吃chī酒jiǔ睡shuì觉jiào不bù题tí。

The demon gave chase but could not find him; so, gripping the treasured sword and taking up the "hall-filler," he returned to the Silver-Peace Hall and, as before, drank and slept — but of that no more.

照舊, "as before"; 睡覺, to sleep, takes 覺 as jiào; 那 is pointing nà. He picks up the sword, picks up the lamp-stand, goes back inside and carries on where he left off. Nothing has changed for him at all.

總評 Commentary

The dragon's defeat restores the chapter's grim balance. The first counter-stroke since the master's capture fails, and the last free and capable disciple is driven into hiding, wounded. The cause is pointedly physical rather than moral: the water-dragon, fighting a sustained battle in the air, tires as the earthbound demon does not. Even a true dragon cannot win alone and out of his element.

His escape into the 御水河 is fitting — water is his proper realm, and only by returning to it does he survive. The image quietly makes the chapter's argument: this crisis cannot be solved by the pilgrims' own scattered strength, but only by recalling the one who is missing.