第三十一回 · 噴水退術 The Spell Undone — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

噴水退術 The Spell Undone

行xíng者zhě用yòng手shǒu挽wǎn起qǐ道dào：「我wǒ豈qǐ有yǒu安ān心xīn不bú救jiù之zhī理lǐ？快kuài取qǔ水shuǐ來lái。」那nà八bā戒jiè飛fēi星xīng去qù驛yì中zhōng，取qǔ了le行xíng李lǐ、馬mǎ匹pǐ，將jiāng紫zǐ金jīn缽bō盂yú取qǔ出chū，盛chéng水shuǐ半bàn盂yú，遞dì與yǔ行xíng者zhě。行xíng者zhě接jiē水shuǐ在zài手shǒu，念niàn動dòng真zhēn言yán，望wàng那nà虎hǔ劈pī頭tóu一yì口kǒu噴pēn上shàng，退tuì了le妖yāo術shù，解jiě了le虎hǔ氣qì。行xíng者zhě用yòng手shǒu挽wǎn起qǐ道dào：「我wǒ岂qǐ有yǒu安ān心xīn不bú救jiù之zhī理lǐ？快kuài取qǔ水shuǐ来lái。」那nà八bā戒jiè飞fēi星xīng去qù驿yì中zhōng，取qǔ了le行xíng李lǐ、马mǎ匹pǐ，将jiāng紫zǐ金jīn钵bō盂yú取qǔ出chū，盛chéng水shuǐ半bàn盂yú，递dì与yǔ行xíng者zhě。行xíng者zhě接jiē水shuǐ在zài手shǒu，念niàn动dòng真zhēn言yán，望wàng那nà虎hǔ劈pī头tóu一yì口kǒu喷pēn上shàng，退tuì了le妖yāo术shù，解jiě了le虎hǔ气qì。

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng者zhě用yòng手shǒu挽wǎn起qǐ道dào：「我wǒ豈qǐ有yǒu安ān心xīn不bú救jiù之zhī理lǐ？行xíng者zhě用yòng手shǒu挽wǎn起qǐ道dào：「我wǒ岂qǐ有yǒu安ān心xīn不bú救jiù之zhī理lǐ？

Pilgrim raised him up by the hand and said, "How should I have any mind not to save him?

He raises Sha Seng up before he answers, which is the answer. 挽起, wǎn qǐ, to lift somebody by the arm; 安心不救, ān xīn bù jiù, to intend deliberately not to rescue. The denial is indignant, and it is also the end of the quarrel.

快kuài取qǔ水shuǐ來lái。」快kuài取qǔ水shuǐ来lái。」

Fetch water, quickly."

Three words, and the chapter changes gear. 取水, qǔ shuǐ: fetch water.

那nà八bā戒jiè飛fēi星xīng去qù驛yì中zhōng，取qǔ了le行xíng李lǐ、馬mǎ匹pǐ，將jiāng紫zǐ金jīn缽bō盂yú取qǔ出chū，盛chéng水shuǐ半bàn盂yú，遞dì與yǔ行xíng者zhě。那nà八bā戒jiè飞fēi星xīng去qù驿yì中zhōng，取qǔ了le行xíng李lǐ、马mǎ匹pǐ，将jiāng紫zǐ金jīn钵bō盂yú取qǔ出chū，盛chéng水shuǐ半bàn盂yú，递dì与yǔ行xíng者zhě。

Bajie flew like a shooting star to the post-station, fetched the baggage and the horse, took out the purple-gold alms-bowl, filled it half with water, and handed it to Pilgrim.

Bajie moves fast when there is nothing to argue about. 驛中, yì zhōng, at the post-station, the official hostel where travellers were lodged. The 紫金缽盂, zǐ jīn bō yú, purple-gold alms-bowl, is the begging bowl the Tang emperor gave Tripitaka at his departure — the same bowl that will be handed over at Vulture Peak, at the very end of the journey, to pay for the scriptures. 盛水, chéng shuǐ, to fill with water, with 盛 read chéng.

行xíng者zhě接jiē水shuǐ在zài手shǒu，念niàn動dòng真zhēn言yán，望wàng那nà虎hǔ劈pī頭tóu一yì口kǒu噴pēn上shàng，退tuì了le妖yāo術shù，解jiě了le虎hǔ氣qì。行xíng者zhě接jiē水shuǐ在zài手shǒu，念niàn动dòng真zhēn言yán，望wàng那nà虎hǔ劈pī头tóu一yì口kǒu喷pēn上shàng，退tuì了le妖yāo术shù，解jiě了le虎hǔ气qì。

Pilgrim took the water in hand, recited the true words, and spat a mouthful full upon the tiger's head — driving off the fiend's enchantment and dissolving the tiger-nature.

念動真言, niàn dòng zhēn yán, to set the true words going — 真言 renders the Sanskrit mantra, "true speech." Then 劈頭, pī tóu, straight at the head: he says the mantra and spits. After the parley, the celestial audit and the duel, the undoing takes one mouthful of water.

總評 Commentary

Wukong relents immediately and without reservation once his honour has been satisfied by the asking. He denies ever having meant to withhold the rescue, and calls at once for water. The efficient bustle that follows, Bajie flying off for the baggage and the alms-bowl, restores the practical rhythm of the pilgrimage after the long detour through Heaven and court.

The counter-spell is dispatched in a stroke: a mouthful of water, the true words, and the enchantment is gone. The economy of it — no struggle, no ceremony, only the Great Sage's casual competence — quietly restates the gap between his powers and the ordeal that had baffled his companions for two chapters, and readies the master's return to human form.