第三十二回 · 日裡鬼 A Ghost in Broad Daylight — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

日裡鬼 A Ghost in Broad Daylight

好hǎo大dà聖shèng，全quán然rán無wú懼jù，一yì心xīn只zhǐ是shì要yào保bǎo唐táng僧sēng。捽zuó脫tuō樵qiáo夫fū，拽yè步bù而ér轉zhuǎn，徑jìng至zhì山shān坡pō馬mǎ頭tóu前qián道dào：「師shī父fù，沒méi甚shén大dà事shì。有yǒu便biàn有yǒu個gè把bǎ妖yāo精jīng兒er，只zhǐ是shì這zhè裡lǐ人rén膽dǎn小xiǎo，放fàng他tā在zài心xīn上shàng。有yǒu我wǒ哩li，怕pà他tā怎zěn的de？走zǒu路lù，走zǒu路lù。」長zhǎng老lǎo見jiàn說shuō，只zhǐ得dé放fàng懷huái隨suí行xíng。正zhèng行xíng處chù，早zǎo不bú見jiàn了le那nà樵qiáo夫fū。長zhǎng老lǎo道dào：「那nà報bào信xìn的de樵qiáo子zi如rú何hé就jiù不bú見jiàn了le？」八bā戒jiè道dào：「我wǒ們men造zào化huà低dī，撞zhuàng見jiàn日rì裡lǐ鬼guǐ了le。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「想xiǎng是shì他tā鑽zuān進jìn林lín子zi裡lǐ尋xún柴chái去qù了le。等děng我wǒ看kàn看kàn來lái。」好hǎo大dà圣shèng，全quán然rán无wú惧jù，一yì心xīn只zhǐ是shì要yào保bǎo唐táng僧sēng。捽zuó脱tuō樵qiáo夫fū，拽yè步bù而ér转zhuǎn，径jìng至zhì山shān坡pō马mǎ头tóu前qián道dào：「师shī父fù，没méi甚shén大dà事shì。有yǒu便biàn有yǒu个gè把bǎ妖yāo精jīng儿er，只zhǐ是shì这zhè里lǐ人rén胆dǎn小xiǎo，放fàng他tā在zài心xīn上shàng。有yǒu我wǒ哩li，怕pà他tā怎zěn的de？走zǒu路lù，走zǒu路lù。」长zhǎng老lǎo见jiàn说shuō，只zhǐ得dé放fàng怀huái随suí行xíng。正zhèng行xíng处chù，早zǎo不bú见jiàn了le那nà樵qiáo夫fū。长zhǎng老lǎo道dào：「那nà报bào信xìn的de樵qiáo子zi如rú何hé就jiù不bú见jiàn了le？」八bā戒jiè道dào：「我wǒ们men造zào化huà低dī，撞zhuàng见jiàn日rì里lǐ鬼guǐ了le。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「想xiǎng是shì他tā钻zuān进jìn林lín子zi里lǐ寻xún柴chái去qù了le。等děng我wǒ看kàn看kàn来lái。」

逐句解 Line by line

好hǎo大dà聖shèng，全quán然rán無wú懼jù，一yì心xīn只zhǐ是shì要yào保bǎo唐táng僧sēng。好hǎo大dà圣shèng，全quán然rán无wú惧jù，一yì心xīn只zhǐ是shì要yào保bǎo唐táng僧sēng。

The great Sage, wholly without fear, was single-mindedly bent on nothing but guarding the Tang Monk.

全然無懼, quán rán wú jù, "not a trace of fear in him." 一 in 一心 is yì.

捽zuó脫tuō樵qiáo夫fū，拽yè步bù而ér轉zhuǎn，徑jìng至zhì山shān坡pō馬mǎ頭tóu前qián道dào：「師shī父fù，沒méi甚shén大dà事shì。有yǒu便biàn有yǒu個gè把bǎ妖yāo精jīng兒er，只zhǐ是shì這zhè裡lǐ人rén膽dǎn小xiǎo，放fàng他tā在zài心xīn上shàng。有yǒu我wǒ哩li，怕pà他tā怎zěn的de？走zǒu路lù，走zǒu路lù。」捽zuó脱tuō樵qiáo夫fū，拽yè步bù而ér转zhuǎn，径jìng至zhì山shān坡pō马mǎ头tóu前qián道dào：「师shī父fù，没méi甚shén大dà事shì。有yǒu便biàn有yǒu个gè把bǎ妖yāo精jīng儿er，只zhǐ是shì这zhè里lǐ人rén胆dǎn小xiǎo，放fàng他tā在zài心xīn上shàng。有yǒu我wǒ哩li，怕pà他tā怎zěn的de？走zǒu路lù，走zǒu路lù。」

Shaking off the woodcutter, he strode back and came straight to the horse's head at the foot of the slope, and said: "Master, there is nothing much to it. There may be a sprite or two, that is all; it is only that the folk hereabouts are timid and take it to heart. With me here, what is there to fear? On with the road, on with the road."

Back to the master, with the truth carefully withheld. 捽脫, zuó tuō, "to shake off"; 拽步, yè bù, "striding," the same drawn-open stride as at the start of the interrogation. 沒甚, méi shén, "nothing much," with 甚 read shén; the 兒 of 妖精兒 is the light er. "A sprite or two" is a considerable understatement of six hundred lǐ of monsters.

長zhǎng老lǎo見jiàn說shuō，只zhǐ得dé放fàng懷huái隨suí行xíng。长zhǎng老lǎo见jiàn说shuō，只zhǐ得dé放fàng怀huái随suí行xíng。

Hearing this, the Elder could only set his mind at ease and ride on with him.

放懷, fàng huái, "to let the chest go slack" — to stop worrying. 只得 takes 得 as dé; 長 is zhǎng.

正zhèng行xíng處chù，早zǎo不bú見jiàn了le那nà樵qiáo夫fū。正zhèng行xíng处chù，早zǎo不bú见jiàn了le那nà樵qiáo夫fū。

As they went along, the woodcutter had already vanished from sight.

正行處, zhèng xíng chù, "just as they were going along." 那 is nà. The woodcutter has evaporated.

長zhǎng老lǎo道dào：「那nà報bào信xìn的de樵qiáo子zi如rú何hé就jiù不bú見jiàn了le？」长zhǎng老lǎo道dào：「那nà报bào信xìn的de樵qiáo子zi如rú何hé就jiù不bú见jiàn了le？」

Said the Elder: "How is it that woodcutter who brought the warning is gone so suddenly?"

報信, bào xìn, "to bring word, to tip off." 長 zhǎng; 那 nà.

八bā戒jiè道dào：「我wǒ們men造zào化huà低dī，撞zhuàng見jiàn日rì裡lǐ鬼guǐ了le。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「我wǒ们men造zào化huà低dī，撞zhuàng见jiàn日rì里lǐ鬼guǐ了le。」

Said Eight Rules: "Our luck is low — we have met a ghost in broad daylight."

Eight Rules supplies the folk explanation. 日裡鬼, rì lǐ guǐ, "a daytime ghost" — a ghost seen in broad daylight, which in popular belief is far worse than one seen at night. 造化低, "our luck is down."

行xíng者zhě道dào：「想xiǎng是shì他tā鑽zuān進jìn林lín子zi裡lǐ尋xún柴chái去qù了le。等děng我wǒ看kàn看kàn來lái。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「想xiǎng是shì他tā钻zuān进jìn林lín子zi里lǐ寻xún柴chái去qù了le。等děng我wǒ看kàn看kàn来lái。」

Said Pilgrim: "He has likely slipped into the wood to gather firewood. Let me go and take a look."

鑽進, zuān jìn, "to burrow into"; 尋柴, "to look for firewood." Pilgrim offers the mundane explanation and goes to check anyway.

總評 Commentary

Pilgrim shakes the officer off and comes back to the horse with a masterpiece of underselling: nothing much, maybe a sprite or two, the local people are just nervous. He has just been told about six hundred li of monsters, two demon-kings and five magical weapons, and he passes on none of it. Keeping the master upright is more important than keeping him informed, and the Elder, having no way to check, rides on.

The woodcutter's disappearance is then registered by each disciple exactly in character: the Elder puzzled, Eight Rules instantly certain they have met a ghost in daylight, Pilgrim already suspecting the truth and heading up for a look. It is a small beat, but it does two jobs — it confirms the man was not a man, and it sets up the recognition scene that follows.