第三十二回 · 寡不敵眾 The Few Against the Many — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

寡不敵眾 The Few Against the Many

行xíng者zhě道dào：「師shī父fù啊a，剛gāng才cái那nà個gè報bào信xìn的de是shì日rì值zhí功gōng曹cáo，他tā說shuō妖yāo精jīng兇xiōng狠hěn，此cǐ處chù難nán行xíng，果guǒ然rán的de山shān高gāo路lù峻jùn，不bù能néng前qián進jìn，改gǎi日rì再zài去qù罷bà。」長zhǎng老lǎo聞wén言yán，恐kǒng惶huáng悚sǒng懼jù，扯chě住zhù他tā虎hǔ皮pí裙qún子zi道dào：「徒tú弟dì呀ya，我wǒ們men三sān停tíng路lù已yǐ走zǒu了le停tíng半bàn，因yīn何hé說shuō退tuì悔huǐ之zhī言yán？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ沒méi個gè不bú盡jìn心xīn的de，但dàn只zhǐ恐kǒng魔mó多duō力lì弱ruò，行xíng勢shì孤gū單dān。『縱zòng然rán是shì塊kuài鐵tiě，下xià爐lú能néng打dǎ得de幾jǐ根gēn釘dīng？』」長zhǎng老lǎo道dào：「徒tú弟dì啊a，你nǐ也yě說shuō得de是shì，果guǒ然rán一yí個gè人rén也yě難nán。兵bīng書shū云yún：『寡guǎ不bù可kě敵dí眾zhòng。』我wǒ這zhè裡lǐ還hái有yǒu八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng，都dōu是shì徒tú弟dì，憑píng你nǐ調diào度dù使shǐ用yòng，或huò為wéi護hù將jiàng幫bāng手shǒu，協xié力lì同tóng心xīn，掃sǎo清qīng山shān徑jìng，領lǐng我wǒ過guò山shān，卻què不bù都dōu還huán了le正zhèng果guǒ？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「师shī父fù啊a，刚gāng才cái那nà个gè报bào信xìn的de是shì日rì值zhí功gōng曹cáo，他tā说shuō妖yāo精jīng凶xiōng狠hěn，此cǐ处chù难nán行xíng，果guǒ然rán的de山shān高gāo路lù峻jùn，不bù能néng前qián进jìn，改gǎi日rì再zài去qù罢bà。」长zhǎng老lǎo闻wén言yán，恐kǒng惶huáng悚sǒng惧jù，扯chě住zhù他tā虎hǔ皮pí裙qún子zi道dào：「徒tú弟dì呀ya，我wǒ们men三sān停tíng路lù已yǐ走zǒu了le停tíng半bàn，因yīn何hé说shuō退tuì悔huǐ之zhī言yán？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ没méi个gè不bú尽jìn心xīn的de，但dàn只zhǐ恐kǒng魔mó多duō力lì弱ruò，行xíng势shì孤gū单dān。『纵zòng然rán是shì块kuài铁tiě，下xià炉lú能néng打dǎ得de几jǐ根gēn钉dīng？』」长zhǎng老lǎo道dào：「徒tú弟dì啊a，你nǐ也yě说shuō得de是shì，果guǒ然rán一yí个gè人rén也yě难nán。兵bīng书shū云yún：『寡guǎ不bù可kě敌dí众zhòng。』我wǒ这zhè里lǐ还hái有yǒu八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng，都dōu是shì徒tú弟dì，凭píng你nǐ调diào度dù使shǐ用yòng，或huò为wéi护hù将jiàng帮bāng手shǒu，协xié力lì同tóng心xīn，扫sǎo清qīng山shān径jìng，领lǐng我wǒ过guò山shān，却què不bù都dōu还huán了le正zhèng果guǒ？」

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng者zhě道dào：「師shī父fù啊a，剛gāng才cái那nà個gè報bào信xìn的de是shì日rì值zhí功gōng曹cáo，他tā說shuō妖yāo精jīng兇xiōng狠hěn，此cǐ處chù難nán行xíng，果guǒ然rán的de山shān高gāo路lù峻jùn，不bù能néng前qián進jìn，改gǎi日rì再zài去qù罷bà。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「师shī父fù啊a，刚gāng才cái那nà个gè报bào信xìn的de是shì日rì值zhí功gōng曹cáo，他tā说shuō妖yāo精jīng凶xiōng狠hěn，此cǐ处chù难nán行xíng，果guǒ然rán的de山shān高gāo路lù峻jùn，不bù能néng前qián进jìn，改gǎi日rì再zài去qù罢bà。」

Said Pilgrim: “Master, the one just now who brought the warning was the Merit-Officer on duty for the day. He says the fiends are fierce and the way here hard to travel; and indeed the mountains are high and the roads sheer, so that we cannot go forward. Let us go another day.”

改日 (gǎi rì), "another day." 那個 — 那 read nà; 此處, 處 chù.

長zhǎng老lǎo聞wén言yán，恐kǒng惶huáng悚sǒng懼jù，扯chě住zhù他tā虎hǔ皮pí裙qún子zi道dào：「徒tú弟dì呀ya，我wǒ們men三sān停tíng路lù已yǐ走zǒu了le停tíng半bàn，因yīn何hé說shuō退tuì悔huǐ之zhī言yán？」长zhǎng老lǎo闻wén言yán，恐kǒng惶huáng悚sǒng惧jù，扯chě住zhù他tā虎hǔ皮pí裙qún子zi道dào：「徒tú弟dì呀ya，我wǒ们men三sān停tíng路lù已yǐ走zǒu了le停tíng半bàn，因yīn何hé说shuō退tuì悔huǐ之zhī言yán？」

Hearing this, the Elder was seized with dread and, clutching at his tiger-skin kilt, said: “Disciple — of the three stages of our road we have already come a stage and a half. Why do you speak words of retreat and regret?”

三停 (sān tíng), "three stages" (of the journey); 停半, "a stage and a half." 退悔, "retreat and regret." 長 read zhǎng.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ沒méi個gè不bú盡jìn心xīn的de，但dàn只zhǐ恐kǒng魔mó多duō力lì弱ruò，行xíng勢shì孤gū單dān。『縱zòng然rán是shì塊kuài鐵tiě，下xià爐lú能néng打dǎ得de幾jǐ根gēn釘dīng？』」行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ没méi个gè不bú尽jìn心xīn的de，但dàn只zhǐ恐kǒng魔mó多duō力lì弱ruò，行xíng势shì孤gū单dān。『纵zòng然rán是shì块kuài铁tiě，下xià炉lú能néng打dǎ得de几jǐ根gēn钉dīng？』」

Said Pilgrim: “It is not that I am anything but wholehearted; I only fear that the fiends are many and our strength slight, our marching-force too solitary. ‘Even were one a lump of iron, how many nails could it forge in a single furnace?’”

不盡心 (bù jìn xīn), "not wholehearted" — 盡 jìn, so 不 raised to bú. 打得幾根釘 — 得 potential de.

長zhǎng老lǎo道dào：「徒tú弟dì啊a，你nǐ也yě說shuō得de是shì，果guǒ然rán一yí個gè人rén也yě難nán。兵bīng書shū云yún：『寡guǎ不bù可kě敵dí眾zhòng。』我wǒ這zhè裡lǐ還hái有yǒu八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng，都dōu是shì徒tú弟dì，憑píng你nǐ調diào度dù使shǐ用yòng，或huò為wéi護hù將jiàng幫bāng手shǒu，協xié力lì同tóng心xīn，掃sǎo清qīng山shān徑jìng，領lǐng我wǒ過guò山shān，卻què不bù都dōu還huán了le正zhèng果guǒ？」长zhǎng老lǎo道dào：「徒tú弟dì啊a，你nǐ也yě说shuō得de是shì，果guǒ然rán一yí个gè人rén也yě难nán。兵bīng书shū云yún：『寡guǎ不bù可kě敌dí众zhòng。』我wǒ这zhè里lǐ还hái有yǒu八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng，都dōu是shì徒tú弟dì，凭píng你nǐ调diào度dù使shǐ用yòng，或huò为wéi护hù将jiàng帮bāng手shǒu，协xié力lì同tóng心xīn，扫sǎo清qīng山shān径jìng，领lǐng我wǒ过guò山shān，却què不bù都dōu还huán了le正zhèng果guǒ？」

Said the Elder: “Disciple, you speak rightly — one man alone would indeed find it hard. The book of war says, ‘The few cannot withstand the many.’ Here I have Eight Rules and Sha Monk, both disciples; deploy and dispose of them as you will. Let them serve as guardian-generals and helping hands, and, joining strength and heart as one, sweep clean the mountain-paths and lead me over the mountain — would we not then all attain the right fruit?”

寡不敵眾 (guǎ bù dí zhòng), "the few cannot withstand the many." 調度 (diào dù), "to deploy" — 調 here diào. 護將 (hù jiàng), "guardian-general" — 將 jiàng. 或為 — 為 wéi; 還了正果 — 還 here huán (attain); but 還有 hái.

總評 Commentary

Pilgrim springs the trap, attributing the warning to the Merit-Officer and proposing, in mock discouragement, that they turn back and “go another day.” The feigned defeatism is precisely calculated to rouse the master’s resolve, and it works: the Elder, clutching the tiger-skin kilt in alarm, protests that they have come too far to speak of retreat.

Pilgrim then baits the hook with a proverb — “even a lump of iron could forge but few nails in one furnace” — pleading the insufficiency of a lone fighter. The Elder takes it exactly as intended, citing the art of war (“the few cannot withstand the many”) and offering Eight Rules and Sha Monk to Pilgrim’s command. The whole elaborate performance has been aimed at this: to have the master himself order Eight Rules into the field, so that the scheme carries the authority of the master’s word.