第三十三回 · 皂旗之計 The Stratagem of the Black-Eagle Banner — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

皂旗之計 The Stratagem of the Black-Eagle Banner

玉yù帝dì道dào：「卿qīng有yǒu何hé助zhù？」哪né吒zhā道dào：「請qǐng降jiàng旨zhǐ意yì，往wǎng北běi天tiān門mén問wèn真zhēn武wǔ借jiè皂zào雕diāo旗qí，在zài南nán天tiān門mén上shàng一yì展zhǎn，把bǎ那nà日rì月yuè星xīng辰chén閉bì了le。對duì面miàn不bú見jiàn人rén，捉zhuō白bái不bú見jiàn黑hēi，哄hǒng那nà怪guài道dào，只zhǐ說shuō裝zhuāng了le天tiān，以yǐ助zhù行xíng者zhě成chéng功gōng。」玉yù帝dì聞wén言yán：「依yī卿qīng所suǒ奏zòu。」那nà太tài子zi奉fèng旨zhǐ，前qián來lái北běi天tiān門mén，見jiàn真zhēn武wǔ，備bèi言yán前qián事shì。那nà祖zǔ師shī隨suí將jiāng旗qí付fù太tài子zi。玉yù帝dì道dào：「卿qīng有yǒu何hé助zhù？」哪né咤zhā道dào：「请qǐng降jiàng旨zhǐ意yì，往wǎng北běi天tiān门mén问wèn真zhēn武wǔ借jiè皂zào雕diāo旗qí，在zài南nán天tiān门mén上shàng一yì展zhǎn，把bǎ那nà日rì月yuè星xīng辰chén闭bì了le。对duì面miàn不bú见jiàn人rén，捉zhuō白bái不bú见jiàn黑hēi，哄hǒng那nà怪guài道dào，只zhǐ说shuō装zhuāng了le天tiān，以yǐ助zhù行xíng者zhě成chéng功gōng。」玉yù帝dì闻wén言yán：「依yī卿qīng所suǒ奏zòu。」那nà太tài子zi奉fèng旨zhǐ，前qián来lái北běi天tiān门mén，见jiàn真zhēn武wǔ，备bèi言yán前qián事shì。那nà祖zǔ师shī随suí将jiāng旗qí付fù太tài子zi。

逐句解 Line by line

玉yù帝dì道dào：「卿qīng有yǒu何hé助zhù？」哪né吒zhā道dào：「請qǐng降jiàng旨zhǐ意yì，往wǎng北běi天tiān門mén問wèn真zhēn武wǔ借jiè皂zào雕diāo旗qí，在zài南nán天tiān門mén上shàng一yì展zhǎn，把bǎ那nà日rì月yuè星xīng辰chén閉bì了le。玉yù帝dì道dào：「卿qīng有yǒu何hé助zhù？」哪né咤zhā道dào：「请qǐng降jiàng旨zhǐ意yì，往wǎng北běi天tiān门mén问wèn真zhēn武wǔ借jiè皂zào雕diāo旗qí，在zài南nán天tiān门mén上shàng一yì展zhǎn，把bǎ那nà日rì月yuè星xīng辰chén闭bì了le。

The Jade Emperor said: “What help do you propose?” Nezha said: “Issue a decree, if you please, to go to the Northern Gate and borrow from Zhenwu his black-eagle banner; unfurl it once above the Southern Gate, and it will shut away the sun, moon, and stars.

請降旨意 (qǐng jiàng zhǐ yì), “please issue a decree,” 降 here jiàng, “to hand down, issue” — distinct from xiáng, “to subdue.” 皂雕旗 (zào diāo qí), “the black-eagle banner.” 真武 (zhēn wǔ), Zhenwu, the Dark Warrior god of the north.

對duì面miàn不bú見jiàn人rén，捉zhuō白bái不bú見jiàn黑hēi，哄hǒng那nà怪guài道dào，只zhǐ說shuō裝zhuāng了le天tiān，以yǐ助zhù行xíng者zhě成chéng功gōng。」对duì面miàn不bú见jiàn人rén，捉zhuō白bái不bú见jiàn黑hēi，哄hǒng那nà怪guài道dào，只zhǐ说shuō装zhuāng了le天tiān，以yǐ助zhù行xíng者zhě成chéng功gōng。」

“Face to face, none will see the other; grasping at white, they'll not make out black — and so we'll fool the fiends into thinking the sky is bottled, and help Pilgrim succeed.”

對面不見人 (duì miàn bù jiàn rén), “unable to see a person right before one.” 哄那怪 (hǒng nà guài), “to fool those fiends.” The darkness will counterfeit the bottling.

玉yù帝dì聞wén言yán：「依yī卿qīng所suǒ奏zòu。」那nà太tài子zi奉fèng旨zhǐ，前qián來lái北běi天tiān門mén，見jiàn真zhēn武wǔ，備bèi言yán前qián事shì。玉yù帝dì闻wén言yán：「依yī卿qīng所suǒ奏zòu。」那nà太tài子zi奉fèng旨zhǐ，前qián来lái北běi天tiān门mén，见jiàn真zhēn武wǔ，备bèi言yán前qián事shì。

The Jade Emperor, hearing this, said: “Let it be as you propose.” The Prince, taking the decree, came to the Northern Gate, met Zhenwu, and laid out the whole matter.

依卿所奏 (yī qīng suǒ zòu), “as you have memorialized, so be it.” 奉旨 (fèng zhǐ), “to receive the imperial command.”

那nà祖zǔ師shī隨suí將jiāng旗qí付fù太tài子zi。那nà祖zǔ师shī随suí将jiāng旗qí付fù太tài子zi。

The Patriarch thereupon handed the banner to the Prince.

祖師 (zǔ shī), “the Patriarch” — Zhenwu. 隨將旗付 (suí jiāng qí fù), “thereupon handed over the banner,” 將 the disposal coverb.

總評 Commentary

Nezha's plan is elegant: not to bottle the sky — which cannot be done — but to counterfeit its bottling with darkness. Zhenwu's black-eagle banner, unfurled above the Southern Gate, will blot out sun, moon, and stars, so that “face to face, none will see the other.” The imps, plunged into blackness the instant Pilgrim “bottles” the sky, will take the illusion for the deed.

The passage completes Heaven's collusion in Pilgrim's con. The Jade Emperor assents, the decree is issued, and Zhenwu hands over the banner without demur — the whole celestial apparatus mobilized to help Monkey cheat two demon-imps out of their master's treasures. The comedy lies in the disproportion: gods and emperors marshalled for a roadside swindle. Yet it also affirms the cosmic stakes of the scripture-pilgrimage, for which even the sky may be feigned to fall.