第三十三回 · 拋葫裝天 Tossing the Gourd to Bottle the Sky — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

拋葫裝天 Tossing the Gourd to Bottle the Sky

早zǎo有yǒu遊yóu神shén急jí降jiàng大dà聖shèng耳ěr邊biān道dào：「哪né吒zhā太tài子zi來lái助zhù功gōng了le。」行xíng者zhě仰yǎng面miàn觀guān之zhī，只zhǐ見jiàn祥xiáng雲yún繚liáo繞rào，果guǒ是shì有yǒu神shén。卻què回huí頭tóu對duì小xiǎo妖yāo道dào：「裝zhuāng天tiān罷ba。」小xiǎo妖yāo道dào：「要yào裝zhuāng就jiù裝zhuāng，只zhǐ管guǎn阿ā綿mián花huā屎shǐ怎zěn的de？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ方fāng才cái運yùn神shén念niàn咒zhòu來lái。」那nà小xiǎo妖yāo都dōu睜zhēng著zhe眼yǎn，看kàn他tā怎zěn麼me樣yàng裝zhuāng天tiān。這zhè行xíng者zhě將jiāng一yí個gè假jiǎ葫hú蘆lú兒er拋pāo將jiāng上shàng去qù。早zǎo有yǒu游yóu神shén急jí降jiàng大dà圣shèng耳ěr边biān道dào：「哪né咤zhā太tài子zi来lái助zhù功gōng了le。」行xíng者zhě仰yǎng面miàn观guān之zhī，只zhǐ见jiàn祥xiáng云yún缭liáo绕rào，果guǒ是shì有yǒu神shén。却què回huí头tóu对duì小xiǎo妖yāo道dào：「装zhuāng天tiān罢ba。」小xiǎo妖yāo道dào：「要yào装zhuāng就jiù装zhuāng，只zhǐ管guǎn阿ā绵mián花huā屎shǐ怎zěn的de？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ方fāng才cái运yùn神shén念niàn咒zhòu来lái。」那nà小xiǎo妖yāo都dōu睁zhēng著zhe眼yǎn，看kàn他tā怎zěn么me样yàng装zhuāng天tiān。这zhè行xíng者zhě将jiāng一yí个gè假jiǎ葫hú芦lú儿er抛pāo将jiāng上shàng去qù。

逐句解 Line by line

早zǎo有yǒu遊yóu神shén急jí降jiàng大dà聖shèng耳ěr邊biān道dào：「哪né吒zhā太tài子zi來lái助zhù功gōng了le。」早zǎo有yǒu游yóu神shén急jí降jiàng大dà圣shèng耳ěr边biān道dào：「哪né咤zhā太tài子zi来lái助zhù功gōng了le。」

At once a roaming spirit descended swiftly to the Great Sage's ear and said: “Prince Nezha has come to lend his aid.”

急降 (jí jiàng), “descended swiftly,” 降 read jiàng, “to descend” — distinct from xiáng, “to subdue.” 來助功 (lái zhù gōng), “came to help with the deed.”

行xíng者zhě仰yǎng面miàn觀guān之zhī，只zhǐ見jiàn祥xiáng雲yún繚liáo繞rào，果guǒ是shì有yǒu神shén。行xíng者zhě仰yǎng面miàn观guān之zhī，只zhǐ见jiàn祥xiáng云yún缭liáo绕rào，果guǒ是shì有yǒu神shén。

Pilgrim looked up and saw auspicious clouds coiling about — sure enough, the god was there.

仰面觀之 (yǎng miàn guān zhī), “raised his face and observed it,” 觀 read guān. 祥雲繚繞 (xiáng yún liáo rào), “auspicious clouds wreathing round.”

卻què回huí頭tóu對duì小xiǎo妖yāo道dào：「裝zhuāng天tiān罷ba。」小xiǎo妖yāo道dào：「要yào裝zhuāng就jiù裝zhuāng，只zhǐ管guǎn阿ā綿mián花huā屎shǐ怎zěn的de？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ方fāng才cái運yùn神shén念niàn咒zhòu來lái。」却què回huí头tóu对duì小xiǎo妖yāo道dào：「装zhuāng天tiān罢ba。」小xiǎo妖yāo道dào：「要yào装zhuāng就jiù装zhuāng，只zhǐ管guǎn阿ā绵mián花huā屎shǐ怎zěn的de？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ方fāng才cái运yùn神shén念niàn咒zhòu来lái。」

He turned back to the imps: “Let's bottle the sky, then.” The imps said: “If you're going to, do it — why keep dithering about?” Pilgrim said: “I was just now mustering my spirit and reciting the spell.”

阿綿花屎 (ā mián huā shǐ), a coarse idiom, “to dawdle, dither, drag one's feet.” 運神念咒 (yùn shén niàn zhòu), “to gather one's spirit-power and chant the incantation.”

那nà小xiǎo妖yāo都dōu睜zhēng著zhe眼yǎn，看kàn他tā怎zěn麼me樣yàng裝zhuāng天tiān。那nà小xiǎo妖yāo都dōu睁zhēng著zhe眼yǎn，看kàn他tā怎zěn么me样yàng装zhuāng天tiān。

The imps kept their eyes wide open, watching how he would bottle the sky.

睜著眼 (zhēng zhe yǎn), “with eyes held wide,” the durative 著 (zhe). The imps watch closely — and so are the more easily fooled.

這zhè行xíng者zhě將jiāng一yí個gè假jiǎ葫hú蘆lú兒er拋pāo將jiāng上shàng去qù。这zhè行xíng者zhě将jiāng一yí个gè假jiǎ葫hú芦lú儿er抛pāo将jiāng上shàng去qù。

Pilgrim tossed the false gourd up into the air.

假葫蘆兒 (jiǎ hú lu er), “the fake gourd,” with the suffix 兒 (er). 拋將上去 (pāo jiāng shàng qù), “flung it up,” the two 將 both particles of the coverb and motion.

總評 Commentary

Heaven's machinery falls into place just as Pilgrim needs it: a roaming spirit whispers that Nezha has arrived, and the auspicious clouds confirm it. The timing is the con man's luck made literal — the celestial confederate takes his place exactly on cue. Pilgrim, seeing his cover set, turns to the business at hand with unhurried showmanship.

The imps' impatience — “why keep dithering?” — and their wide-eyed watching are the marks of the perfectly gulled audience, straining to catch the trick and thereby missing it entirely. Pilgrim tosses up a gourd that is only a hair in disguise, weightless, and the stage is set for Nezha's banner to do the rest. The whole apparatus of the swindle — decoy, confederate, and captive audience — is now in motion.