二魔請戰 The Second Fiend Demands Battle
諕得個老魔頭魂飛魄散，眾群精噬指搖頭。老魔道：「兄弟，把唐僧與沙僧、八戒、白馬、行李都送還那孫行者，閉了是非之門罷。」二魔道：「哥哥，你說那裡話？我不知費了多少辛勤，施這計策，將那和尚都攝將來。如今似你這等怕懼孫行者的詭譎，就俱送去還他，真所謂畏刀避劍之人，豈大丈夫之所為也？你且請坐勿懼。我聞你說孫行者神通廣大，我雖與他相會一場，卻不曾與他比試。取披掛來，等我尋他交戰三合。假若他三戰勝我不過，唐僧還是我們之食；如三戰我不能勝他，那時再送唐僧與他未遲。」老魔道：「賢弟說得是。」教取披掛。諕得个老魔头魂飞魄散，众群精噬指摇头。老魔道：「兄弟，把唐僧与沙僧、八戒、白马、行李都送还那孙行者，闭了是非之门罢。」二魔道：「哥哥，你说那里话？我不知费了多少辛勤，施这计策，将那和尚都摄将来。如今似你这等怕惧孙行者的诡谲，就俱送去还他，真所谓畏刀避剑之人，岂大丈夫之所为也？你且请坐勿惧。我闻你说孙行者神通广大，我虽与他相会一场，却不曾与他比试。取披挂来，等我寻他交战三合。假若他三战胜我不过，唐僧还是我们之食；如三战我不能胜他，那时再送唐僧与他未迟。」老魔道：「贤弟说得是。」教取披挂。
逐句解 Line by line
It so frightened the old demon lord that his soul flew off and his spirit scattered, and the whole host of goblins bit their fingers and shook their heads. The old fiend said: “Brother, let's send the Tang Monk, Sha Monk, Bajie, the white horse, and the baggage all back to that Sun the Pilgrim, and shut the door on this whole business.”
諕得 xià de, frightened to the point that — 諕 read xià, to terrify, and the 得 is the de that hooks the fright to its effect. 都送還那孫行者 dōu sòng huán nà sūn xíng zhě, send it all back to Sun the Pilgrim, with 還 read huán, to return a thing, and the pointing nà. 閉了是非之門罷 bì le shì fēi zhī mén ba, let's shut the door of right-and-wrong — 罷 as the coaxing ba, and the door of trouble is a phrase for staying out of other people's business, which is not the usual advice from a man-eater.
The second fiend said: “Brother, what a thing to say! I know not how much toil I spent contriving this stratagem, spiriting all those monks here. Now, if in this fashion you fear the wiles of Sun the Pilgrim and send them all back to him, we'd be, as the saying goes, men who dread the blade and shun the sword — how is that the conduct of a great man?”
你說那裡話 nǐ shuō nǎ lǐ huà, what sort of talk is that — a rhetorical nǎ — whereas 將那和尚都攝將來 jiāng nà hé shàng dōu shè jiāng lái, spirited all those monks here, both points with 那 and handles the monks with 將. The insult he fears is 畏刀避劍之人, men who dread the blade and dodge the sword, set against 豈大丈夫之所為 qǐ dà zhàng fu zhī suǒ wéi, the conduct of a great man — 為 as the verb wéi, to do. Chinese still calls a man of standing a 大丈夫, and the demon is invoking exactly that code.
“Sit down now and don't be afraid. I've heard you say Sun the Pilgrim's magic is vast; though I met him once, I've never yet matched myself against him. Fetch my armor, and let me go seek him out for three bouts. If in three fights he can't beat me, the Tang Monk is still ours to eat; and if in three fights I can't beat him, then it won't be too late to send the Tang Monk back.”
相會一場 xiāng huì yì chǎng, met him the once, with 相 read xiāng, mutually, and 場 read cháng — the reading it takes when counting an occasion rather than naming a place. 唐僧還是我們之食 táng sēng hái shì wǒ men zhī shí, the Tang Monk is still ours to eat, 還 as hái; 那時再送 nà shí zài sòng, send him back then, pointing. Three bouts, with a man's life as the stake and a sporting concession written into the terms.
The old fiend said: “What my worthy brother says is right,” and ordered the armor fetched.
賢弟說得是 xián dì shuō de shì, my worthy brother speaks rightly — the how-well de. 教取披掛 jiào qǔ pī guà, ordered the armour fetched, 教 read jiào, to bid. Three characters, and the chapter turns from stratagem to open war.
The brothers divide along the fault-line of nerve. The elder, unmanned by a string of losses, counsels total surrender: hand back captives and baggage and shut the door on the whole affair — the counsel of a demon who has had enough. The younger answers with the warrior's code, that to yield now would brand them 畏刀避劍之人, men who dread the blade, a shame no 大丈夫 could carry.
The proposal is both prudent and proud: three bouts, with the Tang Monk as the stake, staking the enterprise on single combat rather than abandoning it in fear. His reasoning — that he has met Sun the Pilgrim but never fought him, and must test himself before conceding anything — sets the terms for the battle that fills the chapter's close. The elder's assent and the call for armour turn the demons from flight to fight, and the arming-scene follows at once.