第三十二回 · 石頭山洞 Stone Mountain, Stone Cave — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

石頭山洞 Stone Mountain, Stone Cave

原yuán來lái那nà獃dāi子zi把bǎ石shí頭tóu當dàng著zhe唐táng僧sēng、沙shā僧sēng、行xíng者zhě三sān人rén，朝cháo著zhe他tā演yǎn習xí哩li。他tā道dào：「我wǒ這zhè回huí去qù，見jiàn了le師shī父fù，若ruò問wèn有yǒu妖yāo怪guài，就jiù說shuō有yǒu妖yāo怪guài。他tā問wèn甚shén麼me山shān，我wǒ若ruò說shuō是shì泥ní捏niē的de、土tǔ做zuò的de、錫xī打dǎ的de、銅tóng鑄zhù的de、麵miàn蒸zhēng的de、紙zhǐ糊hú的de、筆bǐ畫huà的de，他tā們men見jiàn說shuō我wǒ獃dāi哩li，若ruò講jiǎng這zhè話huà，一yì發fā說shuō獃dāi了le。我wǒ只zhǐ說shuō是shì石shí頭tóu山shān。他tā問wèn甚shén麼me洞dòng，也yě只zhǐ說shuō是shì石shí頭tóu洞dòng。他tā問wèn甚shén麼me門mén，卻què說shuō是shì釘dīng釘dīng的de鐵tiě葉yè門mén。他tā問wèn裡lǐ邊biān有yǒu多duō遠yuǎn，只zhǐ說shuō入rù內nèi有yǒu三sān層céng。十shí分fēn再zài搜sōu尋xún，問wèn門mén上shàng釘dīng子zi多duō少shǎo，只zhǐ說shuō老lǎo豬zhū心xīn忙máng記jì不bù真zhēn。此cǐ間jiān編biān造zào停tíng當dàng，哄hǒng那nà弼bì馬mǎ溫wēn去qù。」那nà獃dāi子zi捏niē合hé了le，拖tuō著zhe鈀pá，徑jìng回huí本běn路lù。原yuán来lái那nà呆dāi子zi把bǎ石shí头tóu当dàng着zhe唐táng僧sēng、沙shā僧sēng、行xíng者zhě三sān人rén，朝cháo着zhe他tā演yǎn习xí哩li。他tā道dào：「我wǒ这zhè回huí去qù，见jiàn了le师shī父fù，若ruò问wèn有yǒu妖yāo怪guài，就jiù说shuō有yǒu妖yāo怪guài。他tā问wèn甚shén么me山shān，我wǒ若ruò说shuō是shì泥ní捏niē的de、土tǔ做zuò的de、锡xī打dǎ的de、铜tóng铸zhù的de、面miàn蒸zhēng的de、纸zhǐ糊hú的de、笔bǐ画huà的de，他tā们men见jiàn说shuō我wǒ呆dāi哩li，若ruò讲jiǎng这zhè话huà，一yì发fā说shuō呆dāi了le。我wǒ只zhǐ说shuō是shì石shí头tóu山shān。他tā问wèn甚shén么me洞dòng，也yě只zhǐ说shuō是shì石shí头tóu洞dòng。他tā问wèn甚shén么me门mén，却què说shuō是shì钉dīng钉dīng的de铁tiě叶yè门mén。他tā问wèn里lǐ边biān有yǒu多duō远yuǎn，只zhǐ说shuō入rù内nèi有yǒu三sān层céng。十shí分fēn再zài搜sōu寻xún，问wèn门mén上shàng钉dīng子zi多duō少shǎo，只zhǐ说shuō老lǎo猪zhū心xīn忙máng记jì不bù真zhēn。此cǐ间jiān编biān造zào停tíng当dàng，哄hǒng那nà弼bì马mǎ温wēn去qù。」那nà呆dāi子zi捏niē合hé了le，拖tuō着zhe钯pá，径jìng回huí本běn路lù。

逐句解 Line by line

原yuán來lái那nà獃dāi子zi把bǎ石shí頭tóu當dàng著zhe唐táng僧sēng、沙shā僧sēng、行xíng者zhě三sān人rén，朝cháo著zhe他tā演yǎn習xí哩li。原yuán来lái那nà呆dāi子zi把bǎ石shí头tóu当dàng着zhe唐táng僧sēng、沙shā僧sēng、行xíng者zhě三sān人rén，朝cháo着zhe他tā演yǎn习xí哩li。

Now the blockhead was taking the rocks for the three — the Tang Monk, Sha Monk, and Pilgrim — and rehearsing his part before them.

And now we find out. 把石頭當著, bǎ shí tou dàng zhe, "taking the rocks for" — 當 read dàng, to treat as, and 著 the ongoing zhe; 朝著 likewise zhe; 那 is nà. 演習 is "to rehearse, to drill" — the modern word for a fire drill or a military exercise. He has cast the three rocks as the master, Sha Monk and Pilgrim, and is running the scene.

他tā道dào：「我wǒ這zhè回huí去qù，見jiàn了le師shī父fù，若ruò問wèn有yǒu妖yāo怪guài，就jiù說shuō有yǒu妖yāo怪guài。他tā道dào：「我wǒ这zhè回huí去qù，见jiàn了le师shī父fù，若ruò问wèn有yǒu妖yāo怪guài，就jiù说shuō有yǒu妖yāo怪guài。

Said he: "When I go back and see the Master, if he asks whether there are fiends, I'll say there are fiends.

Rehearsal, line one. 見了師父, jiàn le shī fu, "once I've seen the Master"; 若問, "if he asks." Note that he begins with the truth. Monsters there certainly are.

他tā問wèn甚shén麼me山shān，我wǒ若ruò說shuō是shì泥ní捏niē的de、土tǔ做zuò的de、錫xī打dǎ的de、銅tóng鑄zhù的de、麵miàn蒸zhēng的de、紙zhǐ糊hú的de、筆bǐ畫huà的de，他tā們men見jiàn說shuō我wǒ獃dāi哩li，若ruò講jiǎng這zhè話huà，一yì發fā說shuō獃dāi了le。他tā问wèn甚shén么me山shān，我wǒ若ruò说shuō是shì泥ní捏niē的de、土tǔ做zuò的de、锡xī打dǎ的de、铜tóng铸zhù的de、面miàn蒸zhēng的de、纸zhǐ糊hú的de、笔bǐ画huà的de，他tā们men见jiàn说shuō我wǒ呆dāi哩li，若ruò讲jiǎng这zhè话huà，一yì发fā说shuō呆dāi了le。

If he asks what mountain it is, and I say it's clay-pinched, earth-made, tin-beaten, copper-cast, dough-steamed, paper-pasted, or brush-painted — they'll only think me a dolt; talk like that would prove me a dolt outright.

Then he thinks about the follow-up question, and this is where the passage becomes something better than a lazy-pig joke. 泥捏 / 紙糊 / 筆畫, ní niē / zhǐ hú / bǐ huà, "pinched out of clay / pasted from paper / painted with a brush" — seven materials in a row, and he rejects the lot. Say any of that, he reasons, and they will know I am a fool. 甚麼山 takes 甚 as shén.

我wǒ只zhǐ說shuō是shì石shí頭tóu山shān。我wǒ只zhǐ说shuō是shì石shí头tóu山shān。

I'll just say it's Stone Mountain.

石頭山, shí tou shān, "Stone Mountain." The choice is deliberate: it is the dullest answer available, which is exactly why it will pass.

他tā問wèn甚shén麼me洞dòng，也yě只zhǐ說shuō是shì石shí頭tóu洞dòng。他tā问wèn甚shén么me洞dòng，也yě只zhǐ说shuō是shì石shí头tóu洞dòng。

If he asks what cave, I'll just say Stone Cave.

石頭洞, shí tou dòng, "Stone Cave." 甚麼洞 takes 甚 as shén. Same principle, applied again.

他tā問wèn甚shén麼me門mén，卻què說shuō是shì釘dīng釘dīng的de鐵tiě葉yè門mén。他tā问wèn甚shén么me门mén，却què说shuō是shì钉dīng钉dīng的de铁tiě叶yè门mén。

If he asks what gate, I'll say an iron-plated gate studded with nails.

釘釘的鐵葉門, dīng dīng de tiě yè mén, "an iron-sheeted gate studded with nails" — the first 釘 is the verb, the second the noun. A real enough sort of gate, and a detail vivid enough to sound like testimony. 甚麼門 takes 甚 as shén.

他tā問wèn裡lǐ邊biān有yǒu多duō遠yuǎn，只zhǐ說shuō入rù內nèi有yǒu三sān層céng。他tā问wèn里lǐ边biān有yǒu多duō远yuǎn，只zhǐ说shuō入rù内nèi有yǒu三sān层céng。

If he asks how far it runs inside, I'll just say there are three chambers within.

三層, sān céng, "three tiers, three chambers deep." Not two, not ten. He is calibrating for plausibility.

十shí分fēn再zài搜sōu尋xún，問wèn門mén上shàng釘dīng子zi多duō少shǎo，只zhǐ說shuō老lǎo豬zhū心xīn忙máng記jì不bù真zhēn。十shí分fēn再zài搜sōu寻xún，问wèn门mén上shàng钉dīng子zi多duō少shǎo，只zhǐ说shuō老lǎo猪zhū心xīn忙máng记jì不bù真zhēn。

And if he presses harder still and asks how many nails are in the gate, I'll just say Old Hog was too flustered to count them right.

And the masterstroke: he pre-builds an alibi for the question he cannot answer. 十分再搜尋, shí fēn zài sōu xún, "if he digs into it harder still"; 記不真, "couldn't recall exactly." Old Hog was too rattled to count the nails. Anyone who has ever invented an excuse will recognise the move — the detail you refuse is what makes the rest sound true.

此cǐ間jiān編biān造zào停tíng當dàng，哄hǒng那nà弼bì馬mǎ溫wēn去qù。」此cǐ间jiān编biān造zào停tíng当dàng，哄hǒng那nà弼bì马mǎ温wēn去qù。」

With the tale here got up in good order, I'll go fool that Bimawen."

編造停當, biān zào tíng dàng, "the story got up properly" — 當 read dàng, in good order. 那 is nà. He signs off by naming his intended victim.

那nà獃dāi子zi捏niē合hé了le，拖tuō著zhe鈀pá，徑jìng回huí本běn路lù。那nà呆dāi子zi捏niē合hé了le，拖tuō着zhe钯pá，径jìng回huí本běn路lù。

The blockhead, having patched it all together, dragged his rake and went straight back the way he had come.

捏合, niē hé, "to pinch together" — the same 捏 as in the clay mountain he rejected a moment ago, now applied to the lie itself. 那 is nà; 拖著 takes 著 as zhe.

總評 Commentary

The rehearsal is the best thing in the chapter, and what makes it good is that Eight Rules is not stupid here. He is thinking hard, and thinking about the right problem: not what to say, but what will be believed. He knows that if he answers "what mountain?" with something fanciful — a mountain of clay, of tin, of steamed dough, of pasted paper, of brushwork — they already think him a fool and this would settle it. So he goes the other way and chooses the dullest answers available. Stone Mountain. Stone Cave. An iron gate with nails in it. Three chambers deep.

And then the detail that shows he has genuinely modelled his interrogator: he prepares an answer for the question he cannot fake. Asked how many nails were in the gate, Old Hog was too rattled to count them properly. Anyone who has ever built an alibi knows the move — the fact you decline to supply is what makes the rest sound like memory rather than invention. He has patched together a lie that would very likely hold, and he sets off to deliver it to the one person in the party who has been listening from inside his ear the whole time.