Canonical Classics ← 第三十一回
第三十一回
zhūjièhóuwáng
sūnxíngzhězhìxiángyāoguài

Zhu Bajie, Roused by Duty, Provokes the Monkey King · Sun the Pilgrim, by Wit, Subdues the Fiend

前緣姻眷
模式 Mode Read Study
拼音 Pinyin Off
字體 Script
原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

前緣姻眷 A Match of Former Karma

xíngzhědào:「xiàdeshìshàngjièdekuíxīnglìngàinǎishìxiāngdeyīnfánjiàngluòrénjiānfēixiǎodōuyīnqiánshìqiányuángāiyǒuzhèxiēyīnjuànguàibèilǎosūnshàngtiāngōngzòuchádemǎodàoxiàjièshísānjiùshìshísānniánle。──gàitiānshàngxiàjiènián。──suíchāiběnxīng宿xiùshōushàngjièbiǎnzàidōushuàigōnggōnglǎosūnquèjiùdelìngàilái。」guówángxièlexíngzhědeēn便biànjiào:「kànshīlái。」xíngzhědào:「xiàdeshìshàngjièdekuíxīnglìngàinǎishìxiāngdeyīnfánjiàngluòrénjiānfēixiǎodōuyīnqiánshìqiányuángāiyǒuzhèxiēyīnjuànguàibèilǎosūnshàngtiāngōngzòuchádemǎodàoxiàjièshísānjiùshìshísānniánle。──gàitiānshàngxiàjiènián。──suíchāiběnxīng宿xiùshōushàngjièbiǎnzàidōushuàigōnggōnglǎosūnquèjiùdelìngàilái。」guówángxièlexíngzhědeēn便biànjiào:「kànshīlái。」


逐句解 Line by line

xíngzhědào:「xiàdeshìshàngjièdekuíxīnglìngàinǎishìxiāngdeyīnfánjiàngluòrénjiān xíngzhědào:「xiàdeshìshàngjièdekuíxīnglìngàinǎishìxiāngdeyīnfánjiàngluòrénjiān

Pilgrim said, “Your Majesty’s son-in-law was the Kui star of the upper realm, and your daughter the incense-tending jade-maiden, who for yearning of the mortal world came down among men.

駙馬 (fùmǎ), the emperor’s son-in-law. 令愛 (lìng’ài), a courteous “your daughter.” 思凡降落 (sī fán jiàng luò), to descend for longing of the mortal world; here “to descend,” read jiàng.

fēixiǎodōuyīnqiánshìqiányuángāiyǒuzhèxiēyīnjuàn fēixiǎodōuyīnqiánshìqiányuángāiyǒuzhèxiēyīnjuàn

It was no small matter, but all owing to the karma of a former life, that they should be joined in this marriage-bond.

前世前緣 (qián shì qián yuán), the karmic affinity of a former existence. 姻眷 (yīn juàn), marriage-ties, wedded kin. read dōu.

guàibèilǎosūnshàngtiāngōngzòuchádemǎodàoxiàjièshísānjiùshìshísānniánle guàibèilǎosūnshàngtiāngōngzòuchádemǎodàoxiàjièshísānjiùshìshísānniánle

The fiend, upon old Sun’s going up to the Heavenly Palace and reporting to the Jade Emperor, was found by inquiry to have missed four musters — thirteen days below, which is thirteen years.

四卯不到 (sì mǎo bù dào), absent from four roll-calls. 查得 with as de; read .

──gàitiānshàngxiàjiènián ──gàitiānshàngxiàjiènián

— for a day in Heaven is a year in the world below.

天上一日,下界一年, the celestial-mortal time ratio, stated as an aside.

──suíchāiběnxīng宿xiùshōushàngjièbiǎnzàidōushuàigōnggōng ──suíchāiběnxīng宿xiùshōushàngjièbiǎnzàidōushuàigōnggōng

— whereupon his own bureau was sent to fetch him back to Heaven, and he was demoted to earn merit in the Tushita Palace.

本部星宿 (běn bù xīng xiù), the star-officers of his own bureau; 宿 read xiù. 隨差, thereupon dispatched; read chāi. 去訖 (qù qì), has gone, and there an end.

lǎosūnquèjiùdelìngàilái。」 lǎosūnquèjiùdelìngàilái。」

And so old Sun has rescued your daughter and brought her home.”

救得 (jiù de), to have rescued; read de.

guówángxièlexíngzhědeēn便biànjiào:「kànshīlái。」 guówángxièlexíngzhědeēn便biànjiào:「kànshīlái。」

The king thanked Pilgrim for his kindness, and said, “Go now and see to your master.”

恩德 (ēndé), kindness, benefaction. read .


總評 Commentary

Wukong’s public account renders the celestial disclosures into a form the mortal court can grasp, and in doing so restates the chapter’s governing idea: the whole affair, demon and princess alike, was the earthly unfolding of a karmic bond contracted among the stars. The aside on the time-ratio, thirteen heavenly days as thirteen earthly years, supplies the mechanism by which so brief a truancy above wrought so long a captivity below.

The passage completes the transfer of understanding from Heaven to earth that the reunion required, and the king’s simple thanks and his bidding to “see to your master” turn the narrative from explanation to the last unfinished task — the restoration of the tiger-transformed Tripitaka. With the cosmic account settled, the chapter’s remaining business is the freeing of the pilgrim and the mending of the band.