第三十二回 · 蟭蟟蟲 The Jiaoliao Insect — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition 含詞賦 With rhapsody

蟭蟟蟲 The Jiaoliao Insect

行xíng者zhě應yìng諾nuò了le，徑jìng直zhí趕gǎn上shàng山shān坡pō，搖yáo身shēn一yí變biàn，變biàn作zuò個gè蟭jiāo蟟liáo蟲chóng兒er。其qí實shí變biàn得de輕qīng巧qiǎo，但dàn見jiàn他tā：行xíng者zhě应yìng诺nuò了le，径jìng直zhí赶gǎn上shàng山shān坡pō，摇yáo身shēn一yí变biàn，变biàn作zuò个gè蟭jiāo蟟liáo虫chóng儿er。其qí实shí变biàn得de轻qīng巧qiǎo，但dàn见jiàn他tā：

翅chì薄báo舞wǔ風fēng不bú用yòng力lì，腰yāo尖jiān細xì小xiǎo如rú針zhēn。翅chì薄báo舞wǔ风fēng不bú用yòng力lì，腰yāo尖jiān细xì小xiǎo如rú针zhēn。

穿chuān蒲pú抹mǒ草cǎo過guò花huā陰yīn，疾jí似sì流liú星xīng還hái甚shèn。穿chuān蒲pú抹mǒ草cǎo过guò花huā阴yīn，疾jí似sì流liú星xīng还hái甚shèn。

眼yǎn睛jīng明míng映yìng映yìng，聲shēng氣qì渺miǎo瘖yīn瘖yīn。眼yǎn睛jīng明míng映yìng映yìng，声shēng气qì渺miǎo瘖yīn瘖yīn。

昆kūn蟲chóng之zhī類lèi惟wéi他tā小xiǎo，亭tíng亭tíng款kuǎn款kuǎn機jī深shēn。昆kūn虫chóng之zhī类lèi惟wéi他tā小xiǎo，亭tíng亭tíng款kuǎn款kuǎn机jī深shēn。

幾jǐ番fān閑xián日rì歇xiē幽yōu林lín，一yì身shēn渾hún不bú見jiàn，千qiān眼yǎn莫mò能néng尋xún。几jǐ番fān闲xián日rì歇xiē幽yōu林lín，一yì身shēn浑hún不bú见jiàn，千qiān眼yǎn莫mò能néng寻xún。

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng者zhě應yìng諾nuò了le，徑jìng直zhí趕gǎn上shàng山shān坡pō，搖yáo身shēn一yí變biàn，變biàn作zuò個gè蟭jiāo蟟liáo蟲chóng兒er。行xíng者zhě应yìng诺nuò了le，径jìng直zhí赶gǎn上shàng山shān坡pō，摇yáo身shēn一yí变biàn，变biàn作zuò个gè蟭jiāo蟟liáo虫chóng儿er。

Pilgrim assented, and, going straight up the mountain slope, gave his body a shake and changed into a little jiaoliao insect.

應諾 (yìng nuò), "to assent" — 應 read yìng. 蟭蟟蟲 (jiāoliáo chóng), a tiny gnat-like insect; 蟲兒 — 兒 er.

其qí實shí變biàn得de輕qīng巧qiǎo，但dàn見jiàn他tā：其qí实shí变biàn得de轻qīng巧qiǎo，但dàn见jiàn他tā：

Truly he had transformed nimbly — behold him now:

輕巧 (qīng qiǎo), "nimble, deft." 變得 — 得 de.

翅chì薄báo舞wǔ風fēng不bú用yòng力lì，腰yāo尖jiān細xì小xiǎo如rú針zhēn。翅chì薄báo舞wǔ风fēng不bú用yòng力lì，腰yāo尖jiān细xì小xiǎo如rú针zhēn。

Wings so thin they dance on the wind with no effort at all; a waist tapered fine and small as a needle.

翅薄 (chì báo), "thin-winged." 腰尖細小, "waist tapered fine."

穿chuān蒲pú抹mǒ草cǎo過guò花huā陰yīn，疾jí似sì流liú星xīng還hái甚shèn。穿chuān蒲pú抹mǒ草cǎo过guò花huā阴yīn，疾jí似sì流liú星xīng还hái甚shèn。

Threading the rushes, skimming the grass, passing through the flowers’ shade; swift as a shooting star, and swifter yet.

穿蒲抹草 (chuān pú mǒ cǎo), "threading rushes, skimming grass." 似 sì; 還甚 — 還 hái, 甚 here shèn ("exceedingly, more so").

眼yǎn睛jīng明míng映yìng映yìng，聲shēng氣qì渺miǎo瘖yīn瘖yīn。眼yǎn睛jīng明míng映yìng映yìng，声shēng气qì渺miǎo瘖yīn瘖yīn。

Its eyes bright and glinting; its voice faint and all but mute.

映映 (yìng yìng), "glinting"; 瘖瘖 (yīn yīn), "mute, soundless."

Of all the insect kind he alone is smallest; slender and unhurried, yet deep in cunning.

亭亭款款 (tíng tíng kuǎn kuǎn), "slender and unhurried." 機深, "deep in cunning."

Many an idle day he rests in the secluded wood; his whole body quite invisible, a thousand eyes could not find him.

幽林 (yōu lín), "secluded wood." 渾不見, "wholly invisible."

總評 Commentary

To carry out the surveillance, Pilgrim performs one of his signature transformations, shrinking into a tiny “jiaoliao” insect — a form the narrator praises for its nimbleness before rendering it in a set-piece 賦. The rhapsody dwells on the creature’s minuteness and near-invisibility: gossamer wings, a needle-fine waist, a body no eye can find.

The verse’s closing conceit — “his whole body quite invisible, a thousand eyes could not find him” — is functionally apt, for invisibility is precisely what the spying requires; but it also plays on the paradox of the mighty Sage reduced to the smallest of insects. The transformation-賦 is a conventional feature of the novel’s magic combats and disguises, here turned to the comic purpose of catching Eight Rules in his laziness.