第三十五回 · 老舅興兵 The Maternal Uncle Raises Troops — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

老舅興兵 The Maternal Uncle Raises Troops

說shuō不bù了liǎo，有yǒu門mén外wài小xiǎo妖yāo報bào道dào：「大dà王wáng，山shān後hòu老lǎo舅jiù爺yé帥shuài領lǐng若ruò干gān兵bīng卒zú來lái也yě。」老lǎo魔mó聞wén言yán，急jí換huàn了le縞gǎo素sù孝xiào服fú，躬gōng身shēn迎yíng接jiē。原yuán來lái那nà老lǎo舅jiù爺yé是shì他tā母mǔ親qīn之zhī弟dì，名míng喚huàn狐hú阿ā七qī大dà王wáng。因yīn聞wén得de哨shào山shān的de妖yāo兵bīng報bào道dào，他tā姐jiě姐jiě被bèi孫sūn行xíng者zhě打dǎ死sǐ，假jiǎ變biàn姐jiě形xíng，盜dào了le外wài甥shēng寶bǎo貝bèi，連lián日rì在zài平píng頂dǐng山shān拒jù敵dí，他tā即jí帥shuài本běn洞dòng妖yāo兵bīng二èr百bǎi餘yú名míng，特tè來lái助zhù陣zhèn，故gù此cǐ先xiān攏lǒng姐jiě家jiā問wèn信xìn。才cái進jìn門mén，見jiàn老lǎo魔mó掛guà了le孝xiào服fú，二èr人rén大dà哭kū。哭kū久jiǔ，老lǎo魔mó拜bài下xià，備bèi言yán前qián事shì。那nà阿ā七qī大dà怒nù，即jí命mìng老lǎo魔mó換huàn了le孝xiào服fú，提tí了le寶bǎo劍jiàn，盡jìn點diǎn女nǚ妖yāo，合hé同tóng一yí處chù，縱zòng風fēng雲yún，徑jìng投tóu東dōng北běi而ér來lái。说shuō不bù了liǎo，有yǒu门mén外wài小xiǎo妖yāo报bào道dào：「大dà王wáng，山shān后hòu老lǎo舅jiù爷yé帅shuài领lǐng若ruò干gān兵bīng卒zú来lái也yě。」老lǎo魔mó闻wén言yán，急jí换huàn了le缟gǎo素sù孝xiào服fú，躬gōng身shēn迎yíng接jiē。原yuán来lái那nà老lǎo舅jiù爷yé是shì他tā母mǔ亲qīn之zhī弟dì，名míng唤huàn狐hú阿ā七qī大dà王wáng。因yīn闻wén得de哨shào山shān的de妖yāo兵bīng报bào道dào，他tā姐jiě姐jiě被bèi孙sūn行xíng者zhě打dǎ死sǐ，假jiǎ变biàn姐jiě形xíng，盗dào了le外wài甥shēng宝bǎo贝bèi，连lián日rì在zài平píng顶dǐng山shān拒jù敌dí，他tā即jí帅shuài本běn洞dòng妖yāo兵bīng二èr百bǎi余yú名míng，特tè来lái助zhù阵zhèn，故gù此cǐ先xiān拢lǒng姐jiě家jiā问wèn信xìn。才cái进jìn门mén，见jiàn老lǎo魔mó挂guà了le孝xiào服fú，二èr人rén大dà哭kū。哭kū久jiǔ，老lǎo魔mó拜bài下xià，备bèi言yán前qián事shì。那nà阿ā七qī大dà怒nù，即jí命mìng老lǎo魔mó换huàn了le孝xiào服fú，提tí了le宝bǎo剑jiàn，尽jìn点diǎn女nǚ妖yāo，合hé同tóng一yí处chù，纵zòng风fēng云yún，径jìng投tóu东dōng北běi而ér来lái。

逐句解 Line by line

說shuō不bù了liǎo，有yǒu門mén外wài小xiǎo妖yāo報bào道dào：「大dà王wáng，山shān後hòu老lǎo舅jiù爺yé帥shuài領lǐng若ruò干gān兵bīng卒zú來lái也yě。」说shuō不bù了liǎo，有yǒu门mén外wài小xiǎo妖yāo报bào道dào：「大dà王wáng，山shān后hòu老lǎo舅jiù爷yé帅shuài领lǐng若ruò干gān兵bīng卒zú来lái也yě。」

Before he had finished speaking, an imp outside the gate reported: “Great King, the old uncle-lord from behind the mountain is leading a host of soldiers this way.”

說不了 (shuō bu liǎo) — "could not finish speaking," 了 read liǎo (finish, attain). 老舅爺, "the old maternal-uncle lord"; 帥領, "led [troops]."

老lǎo魔mó聞wén言yán，急jí換huàn了le縞gǎo素sù孝xiào服fú，躬gōng身shēn迎yíng接jiē。老lǎo魔mó闻wén言yán，急jí换huàn了le缟gǎo素sù孝xiào服fú，躬gōng身shēn迎yíng接jiē。

The old fiend, hearing this, hurriedly changed into plain white mourning-dress and bowed low to receive him.

縞素孝服 — "unbleached white mourning garb"; 躬身迎接, "bent low to receive [him]." The demon receives his uncle in mourning for the slain kin.

原yuán來lái那nà老lǎo舅jiù爺yé是shì他tā母mǔ親qīn之zhī弟dì，名míng喚huàn狐hú阿ā七qī大dà王wáng。原yuán来lái那nà老lǎo舅jiù爷yé是shì他tā母mǔ亲qīn之zhī弟dì，名míng唤huàn狐hú阿ā七qī大dà王wáng。

This old uncle-lord, it turned out, was his mother’s younger brother, named Fox Ah-Seven, a Great King.

狐阿七大王 — "Fox Ah-Seven, Great King," the maternal uncle — a fox-spirit, as his end will reveal.

因yīn聞wén得de哨shào山shān的de妖yāo兵bīng報bào道dào，他tā姐jiě姐jiě被bèi孫sūn行xíng者zhě打dǎ死sǐ，假jiǎ變biàn姐jiě形xíng，盜dào了le外wài甥shēng寶bǎo貝bèi，連lián日rì在zài平píng頂dǐng山shān拒jù敵dí，他tā即jí帥shuài本běn洞dòng妖yāo兵bīng二èr百bǎi餘yú名míng，特tè來lái助zhù陣zhèn，故gù此cǐ先xiān攏lǒng姐jiě家jiā問wèn信xìn。因yīn闻wén得de哨shào山shān的de妖yāo兵bīng报bào道dào，他tā姐jiě姐jiě被bèi孙sūn行xíng者zhě打dǎ死sǐ，假jiǎ变biàn姐jiě形xíng，盗dào了le外wài甥shēng宝bǎo贝bèi，连lián日rì在zài平píng顶dǐng山shān拒jù敌dí，他tā即jí帅shuài本běn洞dòng妖yāo兵bīng二èr百bǎi余yú名míng，特tè来lái助zhù阵zhèn，故gù此cǐ先xiān拢lǒng姐jiě家jiā问wèn信xìn。

Because he had heard from the mountain-scout imps’ report that his elder sister had been killed by Sun Xingzhe — who then took her shape, stole his nephews’ treasures, and had for days been holding off the foe at Level-Top Mountain — he had at once led two hundred and more of his own cave’s imps, come specially to lend aid, and so had first called at his sister’s house for news.

哨山 — "to patrol the mountain." 外甥, "sister’s sons, nephews"; 平頂山, Level-Top Mountain, the arc’s setting. 聞得, "heard," 得 the complement de.

才cái進jìn門mén，見jiàn老lǎo魔mó掛guà了le孝xiào服fú，二èr人rén大dà哭kū。才cái进jìn门mén，见jiàn老lǎo魔mó挂guà了le孝xiào服fú，二èr人rén大dà哭kū。

No sooner was he in the door than he saw the old fiend in mourning-dress, and the two of them fell to weeping.

掛了孝服 — "wearing mourning garb"; the sight of the mourning confirms the deaths and sets both to grief.

哭kū久jiǔ，老lǎo魔mó拜bài下xià，備bèi言yán前qián事shì。哭kū久jiǔ，老lǎo魔mó拜bài下xià，备bèi言yán前qián事shì。

When they had wept a good while, the old fiend bowed down and told the whole story of what had passed.

備言前事 — "told in full the matter before"; the elder lays the losses before his uncle.

那nà阿ā七qī大dà怒nù，即jí命mìng老lǎo魔mó換huàn了le孝xiào服fú，提tí了le寶bǎo劍jiàn，盡jìn點diǎn女nǚ妖yāo，合hé同tóng一yí處chù，縱zòng風fēng雲yún，徑jìng投tóu東dōng北běi而ér來lái。那nà阿ā七qī大dà怒nù，即jí命mìng老lǎo魔mó换huàn了le孝xiào服fú，提tí了le宝bǎo剑jiàn，尽jìn点diǎn女nǚ妖yāo，合hé同tóng一yí处chù，纵zòng风fēng云yún，径jìng投tóu东dōng北běi而ér来lái。

Ah-Seven flew into a great rage, and at once bade the old fiend change out of his mourning-dress, take up his treasure-sword, muster all the she-demons, and join forces in one place; and loosing wind and cloud, they made straight for the north-east.

盡點女妖 — "mustered every she-demon," 盡 read jìn; 合同一處, "joined in one place," 處 read chù; 提了寶劍, "took up the sword," 提 read tí.

總評 Commentary

The clan war takes shape with the arrival of the maternal uncle, Fox Ah-Seven, who — the narrator pauses to explain — had already heard of his sister’s death and Wukong’s imposture, and come with two hundred of his own imps. The demon receives him in white mourning, and the two weep together over the slain kin: a scene of grief that gives the villains, once more, a family and a loss.

But grief is quickly organized. Ah-Seven’s rage turns at once to command — change out of mourning, take up the sword, muster every she-demon, join forces — and the whole host looses wind and cloud toward the north-east and Level-Top Mountain. The passage is the hinge from mourning to renewed assault, and it quietly seeds Ah-Seven’s own undoing: a fox-spirit riding to avenge a family of fox-spirits.