第三十一回 · 定計激怪 The Plan Laid to Provoke the Fiend — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

定計激怪 The Plan Laid to Provoke the Fiend

沙shā僧sēng道dào：「哥gē啊a，怎zěn麼me樣yàng激jī他tā？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ兩liǎng個gè駕jià起qǐ雲yún，站zhàn在zài那nà金jīn鑾luán殿diàn上shàng，莫mò分fēn好hǎo歹dǎi，把bǎ那nà孩hái子zi往wǎng那nà白bái玉yù階jiē前qián一yí摜guàn。有yǒu人rén問wèn你nǐ是shì甚shén人rén，你nǐ便biàn說shuō是shì黃huáng袍páo妖yāo精jīng的de兒ér子zi，被bèi我wǒ兩liǎng個gè拿ná將jiāng來lái也yě。那nà怪guài聽tīng見jiàn，管guǎn情qíng回huí來lái，我wǒ卻què不bù須xū進jìn城chéng與yǔ他tā鬥dòu了le。若ruò在zài城chéng上shàng廝sī殺shā，必bì要yào噴pēn雲yún噯ǎi霧wù，播bō土tǔ揚yáng塵chén，驚jīng擾rǎo那nà朝cháo廷tíng與yǔ多duō官guān、黎lí庶shù，俱jù不bù安ān也yě。」沙shā僧sēng道dào：「哥gē啊a，怎zěn么me样yàng激jī他tā？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ两liǎng个gè驾jià起qǐ云yún，站zhàn在zài那nà金jīn銮luán殿diàn上shàng，莫mò分fēn好hǎo歹dǎi，把bǎ那nà孩hái子zi往wǎng那nà白bái玉yù阶jiē前qián一yí掼guàn。有yǒu人rén问wèn你nǐ是shì甚shén人rén，你nǐ便biàn说shuō是shì黄huáng袍páo妖yāo精jīng的de儿ér子zi，被bèi我wǒ两liǎng个gè拿ná将jiāng来lái也yě。那nà怪guài听tīng见jiàn，管guǎn情qíng回huí来lái，我wǒ却què不bù须xū进jìn城chéng与yǔ他tā斗dòu了le。若ruò在zài城chéng上shàng厮sī杀shā，必bì要yào喷pēn云yún嗳ǎi雾wù，播bō土tǔ扬yáng尘chén，惊jīng扰rǎo那nà朝cháo廷tíng与yǔ多duō官guān、黎lí庶shù，俱jù不bù安ān也yě。」

逐句解 Line by line

沙shā僧sēng道dào：「哥gē啊a，怎zěn麼me樣yàng激jī他tā？」沙shā僧sēng道dào：「哥gē啊a，怎zěn么me样yàng激jī他tā？」

Sha Seng said, "Brother, how are we to provoke him?"

怎麼樣, zěn me yàng: in what manner, how.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ兩liǎng個gè駕jià起qǐ雲yún，站zhàn在zài那nà金jīn鑾luán殿diàn上shàng，莫mò分fēn好hǎo歹dǎi，把bǎ那nà孩hái子zi往wǎng那nà白bái玉yù階jiē前qián一yí摜guàn。行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ两liǎng个gè驾jià起qǐ云yún，站zhàn在zài那nà金jīn銮luán殿diàn上shàng，莫mò分fēn好hǎo歹dǎi，把bǎ那nà孩hái子zi往wǎng那nà白bái玉yù阶jiē前qián一yí掼guàn。

Pilgrim said, "The two of you ride up on the clouds and stand above the Hall of Golden Chimes; then, without heed of consequence, dash the children down before the white jade steps.

金鑾殿, Jīnluán Diàn, the Hall of Golden Chimes, is the throne-hall itself; 白玉階, bái yù jiē, the white jade steps before it. 莫分好歹, mò fēn hǎo dǎi, "without weighing good from ill" — that is, without stopping to think about it, which is precisely what Bajie is about to do.

有yǒu人rén問wèn你nǐ是shì甚shén人rén，你nǐ便biàn說shuō是shì黃huáng袍páo妖yāo精jīng的de兒ér子zi，被bèi我wǒ兩liǎng個gè拿ná將jiāng來lái也yě。有yǒu人rén问wèn你nǐ是shì甚shén人rén，你nǐ便biàn说shuō是shì黄huáng袍páo妖yāo精jīng的de儿ér子zi，被bèi我wǒ两liǎng个gè拿ná将jiāng来lái也yě。

Should any ask who you are, say only that these are the Yellow-Robe fiend's sons, seized and brought here by the two of us.

拿將來, ná jiāng lái, brought along here — 將 in its take-and-do sense, jiāng. (甚人 takes shén; 兒子, ér zi, sons.)

那nà怪guài聽tīng見jiàn，管guǎn情qíng回huí來lái，我wǒ卻què不bù須xū進jìn城chéng與yǔ他tā鬥dòu了le。那nà怪guài听tīng见jiàn，管guǎn情qíng回huí来lái，我wǒ却què不bù须xū进jìn城chéng与yǔ他tā斗dòu了le。

The fiend, hearing of it, will surely return, and I shall have no need to enter the city and fight him there.

管情, guǎn qíng, assuredly, without fail — a confident colloquialism. 鬥, dòu, to fight it out.

若ruò在zài城chéng上shàng廝sī殺shā，必bì要yào噴pēn雲yún噯ǎi霧wù，播bō土tǔ揚yáng塵chén，驚jīng擾rǎo那nà朝cháo廷tíng與yǔ多duō官guān、黎lí庶shù，俱jù不bù安ān也yě。」若ruò在zài城chéng上shàng厮sī杀shā，必bì要yào喷pēn云yún嗳ǎi雾wù，播bō土tǔ扬yáng尘chén，惊jīng扰rǎo那nà朝cháo廷tíng与yǔ多duō官guān、黎lí庶shù，俱jù不bù安ān也yě。」

For were we to fight within the city, we should surely spew clouds and belch fog, scatter earth and raise dust, and so alarm the court, its many officers, and the common folk, that none would be at peace."

The reason behind the plan, and it is a considerate one. 噴雲噯霧, pēn yún ài wù, to spew cloud and belch mist; 播土揚塵, bō tǔ yáng chén, to fling up earth and raise dust — the standard wreckage of a magical fight. 黎庶, lí shù, the common people. He will not have the battle in a city because of what a battle does to cities.

總評 Commentary

Wukong's plan is a small masterpiece of prudence: rather than storm the lair or brawl in a crowded capital, he will bait the demon out to open ground by a public provocation — the children hurled down before the throne and claimed aloud as the demon's own. The stratagem turns the hostages taken on the cliff to precise account.

The closing rationale is more than tactics. His care not to alarm the court and the common folk with the storms of magical combat shows the Great Sage, for all his coldness toward the demon's children, mindful of the ordinary order he is sworn to protect — a characteristic touch of the novel's moral bookkeeping, and one that sits uncomfortably beside what he is about to have done.