原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
換寶找絕
The Trade Clinched
好行者,見他認了真實,又念咒語,驚動太子,把旗捲起,卻早見日光正午。小妖笑道:「妙啊!妙啊!這樣好寶貝,若不換啊,誠為不是養家的兒子。」那精細鬼交了葫蘆,伶俐蟲拿出淨瓶,一齊兒遞與行者。行者卻將假葫蘆兒遞與小妖換了。既換了寶貝,卻又幹事找絕:臍下拔一根毫毛,吹口仙氣,變作一個銅錢。叫道:「小童,你拿這個錢去買張紙來。」好行者,见他认了真实,又念咒语,惊动太子,把旗卷起,却早见日光正午。小妖笑道:「妙啊!妙啊!这样好宝贝,若不换啊,诚为不是养家的儿子。」那精细鬼交了葫芦,伶俐虫拿出净瓶,一齐儿递与行者。行者却将假葫芦儿递与小妖换了。既换了宝贝,却又干事找绝:脐下拔一根毫毛,吹口仙气,变作一个铜钱。叫道:「小童,你拿这个钱去买张纸来。」
逐句解 Line by line
好行者,見他認了真實,又念咒語,驚動太子,把旗捲起,卻早見日光正午。
好行者,见他认了真实,又念咒语,惊动太子,把旗卷起,却早见日光正午。
Fine Pilgrim! Seeing that they took it for true, he chanted the spell again to alert the Prince, who rolled up the banner — and at once the sunlight of high noon returned.
認了真實 (rèn le zhēn shí), “took it for genuine.” 把旗捲起 (bǎ qí juǎn qǐ), “rolled the banner up.” Noon returns the instant the banner furls.
小妖笑道:「妙啊!妙啊!這樣好寶貝,若不換啊,誠為不是養家的兒子。」
小妖笑道:「妙啊!妙啊!这样好宝贝,若不换啊,诚为不是养家的儿子。」
The imps laughed: “Marvelous! Marvelous! With a treasure this fine, not to trade for it would make one no proper son of the house.”
誠為不是養家的兒子 (chéng wéi bú shì yǎng jiā de ér zi), “would truly be no family-keeping son,” 為 read wéi, “to be”; 兒子, “son,” 兒 the noun ér.
那精細鬼交了葫蘆,伶俐蟲拿出淨瓶,一齊兒遞與行者。
那精细鬼交了葫芦,伶俐虫拿出净瓶,一齐儿递与行者。
Fine-and-Keen handed over the gourd, Clever-Bug produced the jade vase, and together they passed them to Pilgrim.
交了葫蘆 (jiāo le hú lu), “surrendered the gourd.” 一齊兒 (yì qí er), “both together, all at once,” with the suffix 兒 (er).
行者卻將假葫蘆兒遞與小妖換了。
行者却将假葫芦儿递与小妖换了。
Pilgrim in turn handed the false gourd to the imps, and the trade was done.
將假葫蘆兒 (jiāng jiǎ hú lu er), “took the fake gourd,” 將 the disposal coverb; 兒 the suffix er. Two true treasures for one worthless hair.
既換了寶貝,卻又幹事找絕:臍下拔一根毫毛,吹口仙氣,變作一個銅錢。
既换了宝贝,却又干事找绝:脐下拔一根毫毛,吹口仙气,变作一个铜钱。
Having made the exchange, he pushed the business to its limit: he plucked a hair from below his navel, blew on it a breath of immortal air, and turned it into a copper coin.
幹事找絕 (gàn shì zhǎo jué), “to carry a thing to its utmost, leave no loose end.” 吹口仙氣 (chuī kǒu xiān qì), “blew a breath of transcendent vapor.”
叫道:「小童,你拿這個錢去買張紙來。」
叫道:「小童,你拿这个钱去买张纸来。」
He called: “Young one, take this coin and go buy a sheet of paper.”
買張紙 (mǎi zhāng zhǐ), “buy a sheet of paper” — for the mock contract Pilgrim now proposes, gilding the swindle with legal form.
總評 Commentary
The moment the imps are convinced, Pilgrim signals Nezha, the banner furls, and noon floods back — the “release” of the bottled sky, as persuasive as its capture. Delighted, the imps trade at once, reasoning that only a fool would let such a treasure go; and so two genuine, deadly vessels pass to Pilgrim in exchange for a hair. The swindle is complete, and cleanly, without a blow struck.
Yet Pilgrim cannot resist “pushing the business to its limit.” Not content with the treasures, he conjures a coin and sends an imp to buy paper for a written contract — an absurd flourish of legal propriety atop an outright fraud. The impulse is pure character: the Great Sage delights not merely in winning but in winning with style, dressing his theft in the forms of a fair and documented bargain. The comedy of the mock contract carries into the oath-swearing to come.