第三十一回 · 請將不如激將 Better to Goad than to Beg — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

請將不如激將 Better to Goad than to Beg

行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ這zhè個gè獃dāi子zi，我wǒ臨lín別bié之zhī時shí，曾céng叮dīng嚀níng又yòu叮dīng嚀níng，說shuō道dào：『若ruò有yǒu妖yāo魔mó捉zhuō住zhù師shī父fù，你nǐ就jiù說shuō老lǎo孫sūn是shì他tā大dà徒tú弟dì。』怎zěn麼me卻què不bù說shuō我wǒ？」八bā戒jiè又yòu思sī量liáng道dào：「請qǐng將jiàng不bù如rú激jī將jiàng，等děng我wǒ激jī他tā一yì激jī。」道dào：「哥gē啊a，不bù說shuō你nǐ還hái好hǎo哩li，只zhǐ為wèi說shuō你nǐ，他tā一yì發fā無wú狀zhuàng。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「怎zěn麼me說shuō？」八bā戒jiè道dào：「我wǒ說shuō：『妖yāo精jīng，你nǐ不bú要yào無wú禮lǐ，莫mò害hài我wǒ師shī父fù。我wǒ還hái有yǒu個gè大dà師shī兄xiōng，叫jiào做zuò孫sūn行xíng者zhě，他tā神shén通tōng廣guǎng大dà，善shàn能néng降xiáng妖yāo，他tā來lái時shí教jiào你nǐ死sǐ無wú葬zàng身shēn之zhī地dì。』那nà怪guài聞wén言yán，越yuè加jiā忿fèn怒nù，罵mà道dào：『是shì個gè甚shén麼me孫sūn行xíng者zhě，我wǒ可kě怕pà他tā？他tā若ruò來lái，我wǒ剝bō了le他tā皮pí，抽chōu了le他tā觔jīn，啃kěn了le他tā骨gǔ，吃chī了le他tā心xīn。饒ráo他tā猴hóu子zi瘦shòu，我wǒ也yě把bǎ他tā剁duò鮓zhǎ著zhuó油yóu烹pēng。』」行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ这zhè个gè呆dāi子zi，我wǒ临lín别bié之zhī时shí，曾céng叮dīng咛níng又yòu叮dīng咛níng，说shuō道dào：『若ruò有yǒu妖yāo魔mó捉zhuō住zhù师shī父fù，你nǐ就jiù说shuō老lǎo孙sūn是shì他tā大dà徒tú弟dì。』怎zěn么me却què不bù说shuō我wǒ？」八bā戒jiè又yòu思sī量liáng道dào：「请qǐng将jiàng不bù如rú激jī将jiàng，等děng我wǒ激jī他tā一yì激jī。」道dào：「哥gē啊a，不bù说shuō你nǐ还hái好hǎo哩li，只zhǐ为wèi说shuō你nǐ，他tā一yì发fā无wú状zhuàng。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「怎zěn么me说shuō？」八bā戒jiè道dào：「我wǒ说shuō：『妖yāo精jīng，你nǐ不bú要yào无wú礼lǐ，莫mò害hài我wǒ师shī父fù。我wǒ还hái有yǒu个gè大dà师shī兄xiōng，叫jiào做zuò孙sūn行xíng者zhě，他tā神shén通tōng广guǎng大dà，善shàn能néng降xiáng妖yāo，他tā来lái时shí教jiào你nǐ死sǐ无wú葬zàng身shēn之zhī地dì。』那nà怪guài闻wén言yán，越yuè加jiā忿fèn怒nù，骂mà道dào：『是shì个gè甚shén么me孙sūn行xíng者zhě，我wǒ可kě怕pà他tā？他tā若ruò来lái，我wǒ剥bō了le他tā皮pí，抽chōu了le他tā觔jīn，啃kěn了le他tā骨gǔ，吃chī了le他tā心xīn。饶ráo他tā猴hóu子zi瘦shòu，我wǒ也yě把bǎ他tā剁duò鲊zhǎ着zhuó油yóu烹pēng。』」

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ這zhè個gè獃dāi子zi，我wǒ臨lín別bié之zhī時shí，曾céng叮dīng嚀níng又yòu叮dīng嚀níng，說shuō道dào：『若ruò有yǒu妖yāo魔mó捉zhuō住zhù師shī父fù，你nǐ就jiù說shuō老lǎo孫sūn是shì他tā大dà徒tú弟dì。』行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ这zhè个gè呆dāi子zi，我wǒ临lín别bié之zhī时shí，曾céng叮dīng咛níng又yòu叮dīng咛níng，说shuō道dào：『若ruò有yǒu妖yāo魔mó捉zhuō住zhù师shī父fù，你nǐ就jiù说shuō老lǎo孙sūn是shì他tā大dà徒tú弟dì。』

Pilgrim said, "You blockhead — when we parted I charged you again and yet again: should any fiend seize the master, you were to say that I, old Sun, am his chief disciple.

Wukong has spotted the hole in the story. 獃子, dāi zi, "blockhead," is his habitual name for Bajie; 叮嚀, dīng níng, to enjoin over and over — and the text doubles the word to show he really did say it twice.

怎zěn麼me卻què不bù說shuō我wǒ？」怎zěn么me却què不bù说shuō我wǒ？」

Why then did you not speak of me?"

卻, què, "yet, after all." The whole reproach hangs on that one particle: his name went unspoken.

八bā戒jiè又yòu思sī量liáng道dào：「請qǐng將jiàng不bù如rú激jī將jiàng，等děng我wǒ激jī他tā一yì激jī。」八bā戒jiè又yòu思sī量liáng道dào：「请qǐng将jiàng不bù如rú激jī将jiàng，等děng我wǒ激jī他tā一yì激jī。」

Bajie thought again to himself: "To invite a general serves less well than to provoke one — let me stir him up a little."

This is the line the chapter title is built on. 請將不如激將, qǐng jiàng bù rú jī jiàng, is a proverb of stratagem: better to needle a champion into action than to ask him nicely. 將 is jiàng here, "general, champion." The chapter's own title calls it 義激猴王 — goading the Monkey King. Bajie announces the trick to us, and we watch it work.

道dào：「哥gē啊a，不bù說shuō你nǐ還hái好hǎo哩li，只zhǐ為wèi說shuō你nǐ，他tā一yì發fā無wú狀zhuàng。」道dào：「哥gē啊a，不bù说shuō你nǐ还hái好hǎo哩li，只zhǐ为wèi说shuō你nǐ，他tā一yì发fā无wú状zhuàng。」

Aloud he said, "Brother, had I not spoken of you it would have gone better; it was just because I named you that he grew the more outrageous."

還, hái, "still, the more"; 只為, zhǐ wèi, "only because," with 為 read wèi. 無狀, wú zhuàng, insolent, past all propriety.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「怎zěn麼me說shuō？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「怎zěn么me说shuō？」

Pilgrim said, "How so?"

怎麼說, zěn me shuō: "how so? what do you mean?"

八bā戒jiè道dào：「我wǒ說shuō：『妖yāo精jīng，你nǐ不bú要yào無wú禮lǐ，莫mò害hài我wǒ師shī父fù。八bā戒jiè道dào：「我wǒ说shuō：『妖yāo精jīng，你nǐ不bú要yào无wú礼lǐ，莫mò害hài我wǒ师shī父fù。

Bajie said, "I told him: 'Fiend, be not insolent, and do no harm to my master.

Everything from here to the end of the passage is invented. 無禮, wú lǐ, insolent, without manners; 莫害, mò hài, do no harm to.

我wǒ還hái有yǒu個gè大dà師shī兄xiōng，叫jiào做zuò孫sūn行xíng者zhě，他tā神shén通tōng廣guǎng大dà，善shàn能néng降xiáng妖yāo，他tā來lái時shí教jiào你nǐ死sǐ無wú葬zàng身shēn之zhī地dì。』我wǒ还hái有yǒu个gè大dà师shī兄xiōng，叫jiào做zuò孙sūn行xíng者zhě，他tā神shén通tōng广guǎng大dà，善shàn能néng降xiáng妖yāo，他tā来lái时shí教jiào你nǐ死sǐ无wú葬zàng身shēn之zhī地dì。』

I have besides an elder brother, Sun the Pilgrim by name, of vast magic arts and mighty at subduing fiends; when he comes he will leave you no ground to be buried in.'

善能降妖, shàn néng xiáng yāo, skilled at subduing fiends (降 again xiáng). 死無葬身之地, sǐ wú zàng shēn zhī dì, "to die with no ground to be buried in" — total ruin, and still one of the most common curses in Chinese.

那nà怪guài聞wén言yán，越yuè加jiā忿fèn怒nù，罵mà道dào：『是shì個gè甚shén麼me孫sūn行xíng者zhě，我wǒ可kě怕pà他tā？那nà怪guài闻wén言yán，越yuè加jiā忿fèn怒nù，骂mà道dào：『是shì个gè甚shén么me孙sūn行xíng者zhě，我wǒ可kě怕pà他tā？

Hearing this, the fiend waxed the wrathfuller, and railed: 'And what manner of thing is this Sun the Pilgrim, that I should fear him?

忿怒, fèn nù, indignant fury. (甚麼 takes 甚 as shén.)

他tā若ruò來lái，我wǒ剝bō了le他tā皮pí，抽chōu了le他tā觔jīn，啃kěn了le他tā骨gǔ，吃chī了le他tā心xīn。他tā若ruò来lái，我wǒ剥bō了le他tā皮pí，抽chōu了le他tā觔jīn，啃kěn了le他tā骨gǔ，吃chī了le他tā心xīn。

If he comes, I will flay off his hide, draw out his sinews, gnaw his bones, and eat his heart.

觔, jīn, is a variant way of writing 筋, sinew — the same word, a different printed shape. The character turns up twice more in this chapter, once in a mockery of Wukong's build and once in his somersault.

饒ráo他tā猴hóu子zi瘦shòu，我wǒ也yě把bǎ他tā剁duò鮓zhǎ著zhuó油yóu烹pēng。』」饶ráo他tā猴hóu子zi瘦shòu，我wǒ也yě把bǎ他tā剁duò鲊zhǎ着zhuó油yóu烹pēng。』」

Lean though the monkey be, yet will I mince him to a paste and fry him in oil.'"

The last and worst of the invented threats, and the funniest. 剁鮓, duò zhǎ, is to chop something into a minced paste, as for pickling. 著油烹, zhuó yóu pēng, to fry with oil applied — 著 is the plain verb here, "to apply, to set to," read zhuó. Bajie has thought about this in some detail.

總評 Commentary

Wukong's opening rebuke exposes the gap in Bajie's account — the one instruction he had left, that his name be thrown at any captor, had gone unspoken — and Bajie's answering aside lets the reader in on the ruse before its target: better to provoke a champion than to beg him. Everything that follows is therefore double-voiced, a fabricated insult framed as reported speech, and the comedy turns on our knowing it is invented while Wukong does not.

The escalating catalogue of atrocities — the flaying, the drawing of sinews, the gnawing of bones, the mincing and frying — is calculated by Bajie precisely for its effect, each clause a further turn of the screw on the Great Sage's pride. The passage is a small study in manipulation: Bajie, so often the butt of Wukong's scorn, proves here the abler tactician, wielding his companion's vanity as surely as Wukong wields the iron staff.