第三十三回 · 換寶找絕 The Trade Clinched — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

換寶找絕 The Trade Clinched

好hǎo行xíng者zhě，見jiàn他tā認rèn了le真zhēn實shí，又yòu念niàn咒zhòu語yǔ，驚jīng動dòng太tài子zǐ，把bǎ旗qí捲juǎn起qǐ，卻què早zǎo見jiàn日rì光guāng正zhèng午wǔ。小xiǎo妖yāo笑xiào道dào：「妙miào啊a！妙miào啊a！這zhè樣yàng好hǎo寶bǎo貝bèi，若ruò不bú換huàn啊a，誠chéng為wéi不bú是shì養yǎng家jiā的de兒ér子zi。」那nà精jīng細xì鬼guǐ交jiāo了le葫hú蘆lú，伶líng俐lì蟲chóng拿ná出chū淨jìng瓶píng，一yì齊qí兒er遞dì與yǔ行xíng者zhě。行xíng者zhě卻què將jiāng假jiǎ葫hú蘆lú兒er遞dì與yǔ小xiǎo妖yāo換huàn了le。既jì換huàn了le寶bǎo貝bèi，卻què又yòu幹gàn事shì找zhǎo絕jué：臍qí下xià拔bá一yì根gēn毫háo毛máo，吹chuī口kǒu仙xiān氣qì，變biàn作zuò一yí個gè銅tóng錢qián。叫jiào道dào：「小xiǎo童tóng，你nǐ拿ná這zhè個gè錢qián去qù買mǎi張zhāng紙zhǐ來lái。」好hǎo行xíng者zhě，见jiàn他tā认rèn了le真zhēn实shí，又yòu念niàn咒zhòu语yǔ，惊jīng动dòng太tài子zǐ，把bǎ旗qí卷juǎn起qǐ，却què早zǎo见jiàn日rì光guāng正zhèng午wǔ。小xiǎo妖yāo笑xiào道dào：「妙miào啊a！妙miào啊a！这zhè样yàng好hǎo宝bǎo贝bèi，若ruò不bú换huàn啊a，诚chéng为wéi不bú是shì养yǎng家jiā的de儿ér子zi。」那nà精jīng细xì鬼guǐ交jiāo了le葫hú芦lú，伶líng俐lì虫chóng拿ná出chū净jìng瓶píng，一yì齐qí儿er递dì与yǔ行xíng者zhě。行xíng者zhě却què将jiāng假jiǎ葫hú芦lú儿er递dì与yǔ小xiǎo妖yāo换huàn了le。既jì换huàn了le宝bǎo贝bèi，却què又yòu干gàn事shì找zhǎo绝jué：脐qí下xià拔bá一yì根gēn毫háo毛máo，吹chuī口kǒu仙xiān气qì，变biàn作zuò一yí个gè铜tóng钱qián。叫jiào道dào：「小xiǎo童tóng，你nǐ拿ná这zhè个gè钱qián去qù买mǎi张zhāng纸zhǐ来lái。」

逐句解 Line by line

好hǎo行xíng者zhě，見jiàn他tā認rèn了le真zhēn實shí，又yòu念niàn咒zhòu語yǔ，驚jīng動dòng太tài子zǐ，把bǎ旗qí捲juǎn起qǐ，卻què早zǎo見jiàn日rì光guāng正zhèng午wǔ。好hǎo行xíng者zhě，见jiàn他tā认rèn了le真zhēn实shí，又yòu念niàn咒zhòu语yǔ，惊jīng动dòng太tài子zǐ，把bǎ旗qí卷juǎn起qǐ，却què早zǎo见jiàn日rì光guāng正zhèng午wǔ。

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), "had taken it for real." 把旗捲起 (bǎ qí juǎn qǐ), "rolled the banner up." Noon comes back the instant the cloth furls, and the release of the sky is as convincing as its capture.

小xiǎo妖yāo笑xiào道dào：「妙miào啊a！妙miào啊a！這zhè樣yàng好hǎo寶bǎo貝bèi，若ruò不bú換huàn啊a，誠chéng為wéi不bú是shì養yǎng家jiā的de兒ér子zi。」小xiǎo妖yāo笑xiào道dào：「妙miào啊a！妙miào啊a！这zhè样yàng好hǎo宝bǎo贝bèi，若ruò不bú换huàn啊a，诚chéng为wéi不bú是shì养yǎng家jiā的de儿ér子zi。」

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 son who provides for his household" -- 為 read wéi, "to be," and 兒 the full noun ér. In other words: only a wastrel would pass this up. They talk themselves into it using the vocabulary of filial duty.

那nà精jīng細xì鬼guǐ交jiāo了le葫hú蘆lú，伶líng俐lì蟲chóng拿ná出chū淨jìng瓶píng，一yì齊qí兒er遞dì與yǔ行xíng者zhě。那nà精jīng细xì鬼guǐ交jiāo了le葫hú芦lú，伶líng俐lì虫chóng拿ná出chū净jìng瓶píng，一yì齐qí儿er递dì与yǔ行xíng者zhě。

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), "handed the gourd over." 一齊兒 (yì qí er), "both at once," toneless 兒. Two working weapons of mass destruction, surrendered simultaneously and cheerfully.

行xíng者zhě卻què將jiāng假jiǎ葫hú蘆lú兒er遞dì與yǔ小xiǎo妖yāo換huàn了le。行xíng者zhě却què将jiāng假jiǎ葫hú芦lú儿er递dì与yǔ小xiǎo妖yāo换huàn了le。

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) puts 將 back to work for 把: took the fake gourd and handed it across. One hair for two treasures, and not a blow struck.

既jì換huàn了le寶bǎo貝bèi，卻què又yòu幹gàn事shì找zhǎo絕jué：臍qí下xià拔bá一yì根gēn毫háo毛máo，吹chuī口kǒu仙xiān氣qì，變biàn作zuò一yí個gè銅tóng錢qián。既jì换huàn了le宝bǎo贝bèi，却què又yòu干gàn事shì找zhǎo绝jué：脐qí下xià拔bá一yì根gēn毫háo毛máo，吹chuī口kǒu仙xiān气qì，变biàn作zuò一yí个gè铜tóng钱qián。

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) is to push a job all the way to its limit and leave no loose end. 吹口仙氣 (chuī kǒu xiān qì), "breathed a mouthful of immortal air" -- Monkey's standard method for animating a transformed hair.

叫jiào道dào：「小xiǎo童tóng，你nǐ拿ná這zhè個gè錢qián去qù買mǎi張zhāng紙zhǐ來lái。」叫jiào道dào：「小xiǎo童tóng，你nǐ拿ná这zhè个gè钱qián去qù买mǎi张zhāng纸zhǐ来lái。」

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." He has already won, and he is sending a victim out on an errand to fetch the stationery for the paperwork. The gesture is entirely unnecessary and entirely in character.

總評 Commentary

The moment they are convinced, Pilgrim signals, the banner furls, and noon floods back -- the release proving as persuasive as the capture. Delighted, the imps trade at once, reasoning that only a wastrel would let such a thing go, and two genuine and lethal vessels change hands for a single hair. The swindle is complete, and not a blow has been struck.

And then he cannot resist pushing it to the limit. Not content with the treasures, he conjures a coin and sends one of his victims off to buy paper for a written contract -- an absurd flourish of legal propriety laid on top of an outright fraud. The impulse is pure character. The Great Sage does not merely want to win; he wants to win with style, and to dress the theft in the forms of a fair and documented bargain.