第三十回 · 誣僧為虎 Tripitaka Named the Tiger — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

誣僧為虎 Tripitaka Named the Tiger

臣chén因yīn此cǐ言yán，故gù將jiāng虎hǔ解jiě了le索suǒ子zi，饒ráo了le他tā性xìng命mìng。那nà虎hǔ帶dài著zhe箭jiàn傷shāng，跑pǎo蹄tí剪jiǎn尾wěi而ér去qù。不bù知zhī他tā得dé了le性xìng命mìng，在zài那nà山shān中zhōng，修xiū了le這zhè幾jǐ年nián，煉liàn體tǐ成chéng精jīng，專zhuān一yì迷mí人rén害hài人rén。臣chén聞wén得de昔xī年nián也yě有yǒu幾jǐ次cì取qǔ經jīng的de，都dōu說shuō是shì大dà唐táng來lái的de唐táng僧sēng。想xiǎng是shì這zhè虎hǔ害hài了le唐táng僧sēng，得dé了le他tā文wén引yǐn，變biàn作zuò那nà取qǔ經jīng的de模mó樣yàng，今jīn在zài朝cháo中zhōng哄hǒng騙piàn主zhǔ公gōng。主zhǔ公gōng啊a，那nà繡xiù墩dūn上shàng坐zuò的de，正zhèng是shì那nà十shí三sān年nián前qián馱tuó公gōng主zhǔ的de猛měng虎hǔ，不bú是shì真zhēn正zhèng取qǔ經jīng之zhī人rén。」臣chén因yīn此cǐ言yán，故gù将jiāng虎hǔ解jiě了le索suǒ子zi，饶ráo了le他tā性xìng命mìng。那nà虎hǔ带dài著zhe箭jiàn伤shāng，跑pǎo蹄tí剪jiǎn尾wěi而ér去qù。不bù知zhī他tā得dé了le性xìng命mìng，在zài那nà山shān中zhōng，修xiū了le这zhè几jǐ年nián，炼liàn体tǐ成chéng精jīng，专zhuān一yì迷mí人rén害hài人rén。臣chén闻wén得de昔xī年nián也yě有yǒu几jǐ次cì取qǔ经jīng的de，都dōu说shuō是shì大dà唐táng来lái的de唐táng僧sēng。想xiǎng是shì这zhè虎hǔ害hài了le唐táng僧sēng，得dé了le他tā文wén引yǐn，变biàn作zuò那nà取qǔ经jīng的de模mó样yàng，今jīn在zài朝cháo中zhōng哄hǒng骗piàn主zhǔ公gōng。主zhǔ公gōng啊a，那nà绣xiù墩dūn上shàng坐zuò的de，正zhèng是shì那nà十shí三sān年nián前qián驮tuó公gōng主zhǔ的de猛měng虎hǔ，不bú是shì真zhēn正zhèng取qǔ经jīng之zhī人rén。」

逐句解 Line by line

臣chén因yīn此cǐ言yán，故gù將jiāng虎hǔ解jiě了le索suǒ子zi，饒ráo了le他tā性xìng命mìng。臣chén因yīn此cǐ言yán，故gù将jiāng虎hǔ解jiě了le索suǒ子zi，饶ráo了le他tā性xìng命mìng。

At these words your servant untied the tiger’s rope and spared its life.

In 故將虎解了 the coverb 將 is jiāng; 索子 ("rope, cord") takes the suffixal 子 as zi. The demon completes the frame that will let him graft the beast onto the pilgrim.

那nà虎hǔ帶dài著zhe箭jiàn傷shāng，跑pǎo蹄tí剪jiǎn尾wěi而ér去qù。那nà虎hǔ带dài著zhe箭jiàn伤shāng，跑pǎo蹄tí剪jiǎn尾wěi而ér去qù。

The tiger, bearing its arrow-wound, went off at a gallop, its tail switching behind.

In 帶著 ("bearing, carrying") the durative 著 is zhe; 跑蹄剪尾 ("hooves pounding, tail cutting the air") pictures its flight. 那 is deictic nà.

不bù知zhī他tā得dé了le性xìng命mìng，在zài那nà山shān中zhōng，修xiū了le這zhè幾jǐ年nián，煉liàn體tǐ成chéng精jīng，專zhuān一yì迷mí人rén害hài人rén。不bù知zhī他tā得dé了le性xìng命mìng，在zài那nà山shān中zhōng，修xiū了le这zhè几jǐ年nián，炼liàn体tǐ成chéng精jīng，专zhuān一yì迷mí人rén害hài人rén。

Little did I know that, having got away with its life, it stayed in those mountains and, cultivating itself these several years, refined its body into a spirit — bent solely on beguiling and harming men.

得了性命 takes 得 as dé ("got, kept"); 那山中 takes 那 as deictic nà and 中 as zhōng. 煉體成精 — "to refine the body into a spirit" — is the Daoist-tinged language of a beast’s self-cultivation into a demon.

臣chén聞wén得de昔xī年nián也yě有yǒu幾jǐ次cì取qǔ經jīng的de，都dōu說shuō是shì大dà唐táng來lái的de唐táng僧sēng。臣chén闻wén得de昔xī年nián也yě有yǒu几jǐ次cì取qǔ经jīng的de，都dōu说shuō是shì大dà唐táng来lái的de唐táng僧sēng。

Your servant has heard that in years past there came several scripture-seekers, all said to be a Tang monk out of Great Tang.

聞得 takes the structural 得 as de; 都說 takes 都 as dōu ("all say"). The demon builds toward his accusation on genuine rumor of the pilgrimage.

想xiǎng是shì這zhè虎hǔ害hài了le唐táng僧sēng，得dé了le他tā文wén引yǐn，變biàn作zuò那nà取qǔ經jīng的de模mó樣yàng，今jīn在zài朝cháo中zhōng哄hǒng騙piàn主zhǔ公gōng。想xiǎng是shì这zhè虎hǔ害hài了le唐táng僧sēng，得dé了le他tā文wén引yǐn，变biàn作zuò那nà取qǔ经jīng的de模mó样yàng，今jīn在zài朝cháo中zhōng哄hǒng骗piàn主zhǔ公gōng。

I surmise this tiger did the Tang monk to death, got hold of his travel-warrant, took on the very likeness of the pilgrim, and now, here at court, deceives my sovereign.

得了他文引 takes 得 as dé; 那取經的 takes 那 as deictic nà; 朝中 takes 中 as zhōng. 文引 is a travel-warrant or passport. The accusation is the exact inversion of the truth: the demon names the true pilgrim as the beast in disguise.

主zhǔ公gōng啊a，那nà繡xiù墩dūn上shàng坐zuò的de，正zhèng是shì那nà十shí三sān年nián前qián馱tuó公gōng主zhǔ的de猛měng虎hǔ，不bú是shì真zhēn正zhèng取qǔ經jīng之zhī人rén。」主zhǔ公gōng啊a，那nà绣xiù墩dūn上shàng坐zuò的de，正zhèng是shì那nà十shí三sān年nián前qián驮tuó公gōng主zhǔ的de猛měng虎hǔ，不bú是shì真zhēn正zhèng取qǔ经jīng之zhī人rén。」

My sovereign — the one seated there upon the embroidered stool is none other than that fierce tiger which, thirteen years ago, bore the princess on its back; he is no true scripture-seeker at all."

繡墩 is an embroidered drum-shaped stool; both instances of 那 are deictic nà. The demon points directly at Tripitaka, sealing the frame — the innocent pilgrim is now, before the throne, the accused monster.

總評 Commentary

The accusation completes a perfect inversion: the demon, having narrated a tiger into being, now identifies that tiger with the seated pilgrim, so that Tripitaka — powerless, unrecognized, and about to be transformed — stands accused of being the very kind of creature the demon is. The liar assigns his own nature to his victim.

The language of 煉體成精 (a beast refining itself into a spirit) is drawn from the novel’s serious cosmology of self-cultivation, here bent to slander; and 文引, the pilgrim’s travel-warrant, is invoked as stolen goods. The demon’s fiction is dense with the authentic furniture of the pilgrimage, which is what makes it dangerous.

The pointing finger — 那繡墩上坐的, "the one seated on the embroidered stool" — is the hinge of the chapter: from it follows the king’s demand that the "tiger" be exposed, and thence the transformation of Tripitaka. The frame is now set for the disaster to come.