第三十二回 · 辛苦 Such a Hard Time — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

辛苦 Such a Hard Time

說shuō畢bì，不bù多duō時shí，那nà獃dāi子zi走zǒu將jiāng來lái。又yòu怕pà忘wàng了le那nà謊huǎng，低dī著zhe頭tóu，口kǒu裡lǐ溫wēn習xí。被bèi行xíng者zhě喝hè了le一yì聲shēng道dào：「獃dāi子zi，念niàn甚shén麼me哩lī？」八bā戒jiè掀xiān起qǐ耳ěr朵duǒ來lái看kàn看kàn道dào：「我wǒ到dào了le地dì頭tóu了le？」那nà獃dāi子zi上shàng前qián跪guì倒dǎo。長zhǎng老lǎo攙chān起qǐ道dào：「徒tú弟dì，辛xīn苦kǔ啊a。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「正zhèng是shì。走zǒu路lù的de人rén，爬pá山shān的de人rén，第dì一yì辛xīn苦kǔ了le。」说shuō毕bì，不bù多duō时shí，那nà呆dāi子zi走zǒu将jiāng来lái。又yòu怕pà忘wàng了le那nà谎huǎng，低dī著zhe头tóu，口kǒu里lǐ温wēn习xí。被bèi行xíng者zhě喝hè了le一yì声shēng道dào：「呆dāi子zi，念niàn甚shén么me哩lī？」八bā戒jiè掀xiān起qǐ耳ěr朵duǒ来lái看kàn看kàn道dào：「我wǒ到dào了le地dì头tóu了le？」那nà呆dāi子zi上shàng前qián跪guì倒dǎo。长zhǎng老lǎo搀chān起qǐ道dào：「徒tú弟dì，辛xīn苦kǔ啊a。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「正zhèng是shì。走zǒu路lù的de人rén，爬pá山shān的de人rén，第dì一yì辛xīn苦kǔ了le。」

逐句解 Line by line

說shuō畢bì，不bù多duō時shí，那nà獃dāi子zi走zǒu將jiāng來lái。说shuō毕bì，不bù多duō时shí，那nà呆dāi子zi走zǒu将jiāng来lái。

When he had done speaking, before long the blockhead came walking up.

說畢 (shuō bì), "when [he] had done speaking." 那 nà; 走將來 — 將 jiāng.

又yòu怕pà忘wàng了le那nà謊huǎng，低dī著zhe頭tóu，口kǒu裡lǐ溫wēn習xí。又yòu怕pà忘wàng了le那nà谎huǎng，低dī著zhe头tóu，口kǒu里lǐ温wēn习xí。

Afraid he might forget his lie, he kept his head down, rehearsing it under his breath.

溫習 (wēn xí), "to review, rehearse." 那謊 — 那 nà; 低著頭 — 著 zhe.

被bèi行xíng者zhě喝hè了le一yì聲shēng道dào：「獃dāi子zi，念niàn甚shén麼me哩lī？」被bèi行xíng者zhě喝hè了le一yì声shēng道dào：「呆dāi子zi，念niàn甚shén么me哩lī？」

Pilgrim gave him a shout: “Blockhead — what are you muttering?”

喝了一聲 (hè le yì shēng), "gave a shout" — 喝 here hè (to shout). 甚麼 — 甚 shén.

八bā戒jiè掀xiān起qǐ耳ěr朵duǒ來lái看kàn看kàn道dào：「我wǒ到dào了le地dì頭tóu了le？」八bā戒jiè掀xiān起qǐ耳ěr朵duǒ来lái看kàn看kàn道dào：「我wǒ到dào了le地dì头tóu了le？」

Eight Rules lifted his ears to look, and said: “Have I reached the place already?”

掀起耳朵 (xiān qǐ ěr duo), "to lift the ears." 地頭, "the destination."

那nà獃dāi子zi上shàng前qián跪guì倒dǎo。那nà呆dāi子zi上shàng前qián跪guì倒dǎo。

The blockhead went forward and knelt down.

跪倒 (guì dǎo), "to kneel down" — 倒 dǎo. 那 nà.

長zhǎng老lǎo攙chān起qǐ道dào：「徒tú弟dì，辛xīn苦kǔ啊a。」长zhǎng老lǎo搀chān起qǐ道dào：「徒tú弟dì，辛xīn苦kǔ啊a。」

The Elder raised him up: “Disciple, you’ve had a hard time of it.”

攙起 (chān qǐ), "to raise by the arm." 長 zhǎng.

八bā戒jiè道dào：「正zhèng是shì。走zǒu路lù的de人rén，爬pá山shān的de人rén，第dì一yì辛xīn苦kǔ了le。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「正zhèng是shì。走zǒu路lù的de人rén，爬pá山shān的de人rén，第dì一yì辛xīn苦kǔ了le。」

Said Eight Rules: “Just so. Of all men, the road-walker and the mountain-climber have the hardest time.”

第一辛苦 (dì-yī xīnkǔ), "the hardest of all." 爬山, "to climb a mountain."

總評 Commentary

The comic machinery of the trap now springs. Eight Rules arrives still muttering his rehearsed lie under his breath, and Pilgrim — who has heard every word of it — greets him with a feigned-innocent “what are you muttering?” The pig’s dull “have I reached the place already?” confirms how little he suspects.

Kneeling before the master, Eight Rules opens not with his report but with self-pitying complaint — that road-walkers and mountain-climbers suffer worst of all men. The grievance is characteristic, and its placement heightens the irony: the “hardship” he pleads was in fact spent napping in a grass hollow, as the whole party (save the master) already knows.