第三十五回 · 群妖圍攻 The Host Closes In — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

群妖圍攻 The Host Closes In

那nà怪guài物wù側cè身shēn躲duǒ過guò，使shǐ方fāng天tiān戟jǐ劈pī面miàn相xiāng迎yíng。兩liǎng個gè在zài山shān頭tóu上shàng一yì來lái一yì往wǎng，戰zhàn經jīng三sān四sì回huí合hé，那nà怪guài力lì軟ruǎn。敗bài陣zhèn回huí走zǒu。行xíng者zhě趕gǎn來lái，卻què被bèi老lǎo魔mó接jiē住zhù。又yòu鬥dòu了le三sān合hé，只zhǐ見jiàn那nà狐hú阿ā七qī復fù轉zhuǎn來lái攻gōng。這zhè壁bì廂xiāng八bā戒jiè見jiàn了le，急jí掣chè九jiǔ齒chǐ鈀pá擋dǎng住zhù。一yí個gè抵dǐ一yí個gè，戰zhàn經jīng多duō時shí，不bù分fēn勝shèng敗bài，那nà老lǎo魔mó喝hè了le一yì聲shēng，眾zhòng妖yāo兵bīng一yì齊qí圍wéi上shàng。那nà怪guài物wù侧cè身shēn躲duǒ过guò，使shǐ方fāng天tiān戟jǐ劈pī面miàn相xiāng迎yíng。两liǎng个gè在zài山shān头tóu上shàng一yì来lái一yì往wǎng，战zhàn经jīng三sān四sì回huí合hé，那nà怪guài力lì软ruǎn。败bài阵zhèn回huí走zǒu。行xíng者zhě赶gǎn来lái，却què被bèi老lǎo魔mó接jiē住zhù。又yòu斗dòu了le三sān合hé，只zhǐ见jiàn那nà狐hú阿ā七qī复fù转zhuǎn来lái攻gōng。这zhè壁bì厢xiāng八bā戒jiè见jiàn了le，急jí掣chè九jiǔ齿chǐ钯pá挡dǎng住zhù。一yí个gè抵dǐ一yí个gè，战zhàn经jīng多duō时shí，不bù分fēn胜shèng败bài，那nà老lǎo魔mó喝hè了le一yì声shēng，众zhòng妖yāo兵bīng一yì齐qí围wéi上shàng。

逐句解 Line by line

那nà怪guài物wù側cè身shēn躲duǒ過guò，使shǐ方fāng天tiān戟jǐ劈pī面miàn相xiāng迎yíng。那nà怪guài物wù侧cè身shēn躲duǒ过guò，使shǐ方fāng天tiān戟jǐ劈pī面miàn相xiāng迎yíng。

The monster dodged aside, and with his square-heaven halberd met [the blow] full in the face.

劈面相迎 — "met it straight in the face," 相 read xiāng.

兩liǎng個gè在zài山shān頭tóu上shàng一yì來lái一yì往wǎng，戰zhàn經jīng三sān四sì回huí合hé，那nà怪guài力lì軟ruǎn。两liǎng个gè在zài山shān头tóu上shàng一yì来lái一yì往wǎng，战zhàn经jīng三sān四sì回huí合hé，那nà怪guài力lì软ruǎn。

The two of them went back and forth on the mountain-top, and when they had fought some three or four bouts, the monster's strength went soft.

一來一往 is "back and forth"; 力軟 is "strength going soft." Three or four passes is not many, and the gap between the portrait and the performance is the joke.

敗bài陣zhèn回huí走zǒu。败bài阵zhèn回huí走zǒu。

Beaten, he turned and fled.

敗陣回走 — "broke and ran back."

行xíng者zhě趕gǎn來lái，卻què被bèi老lǎo魔mó接jiē住zhù。行xíng者zhě赶gǎn来lái，却què被bèi老lǎo魔mó接jiē住zhù。

Pilgrim gave chase, but was met and held off by the old fiend.

卻被老魔接住 — "was met and held by the old fiend," who covers his uncle's retreat. Whatever else he is, the elder brother is loyal to his family.

又yòu鬥dòu了le三sān合hé，只zhǐ見jiàn那nà狐hú阿ā七qī復fù轉zhuǎn來lái攻gōng。又yòu斗dòu了le三sān合hé，只zhǐ见jiàn那nà狐hú阿ā七qī复fù转zhuǎn来lái攻gōng。

They had fought another three bouts when Fox Ah-Seven wheeled back to the attack.

復轉來攻 — "turned back to attack again." The two fiends now press Wukong together.

這zhè壁bì廂xiāng八bā戒jiè見jiàn了le，急jí掣chè九jiǔ齒chǐ鈀pá擋dǎng住zhù。这zhè壁bì厢xiāng八bā戒jiè见jiàn了le，急jí掣chè九jiǔ齿chǐ钯pá挡dǎng住zhù。

On this side Bajie, seeing it, quickly drew his nine-tooth rake and blocked him.

這壁廂 (zhè bì xiāng) is "on this side," a stage-direction sort of phrase common in drama and fiction. Bajie steps in and the fight becomes two against two.

一yí個gè抵dǐ一yí個gè，戰zhàn經jīng多duō時shí，不bù分fēn勝shèng敗bài，那nà老lǎo魔mó喝hè了le一yì聲shēng，眾zhòng妖yāo兵bīng一yì齊qí圍wéi上shàng。一yí个gè抵dǐ一yí个gè，战zhàn经jīng多duō时shí，不bù分fēn胜shèng败bài，那nà老lǎo魔mó喝hè了le一yì声shēng，众zhòng妖yāo兵bīng一yì齐qí围wéi上shàng。

One held off one, and when they had fought a good while with neither side prevailing, the old fiend gave a shout, and the whole company of demon-soldiers closed in together.

不分勝敗 — "no telling win from loss," 分 read fēn; 喝了一聲 is "gave a shout," 喝 read hè. Deadlocked again, the fiend does what he did last time and calls up numbers.

總評 Commentary

The battle plays as a brisk, well-choreographed melee. Ah-Seven, for all his fearsome portrait, weakens in three or four passes and runs, only for the old fiend to cover him and hold Wukong off; the uncle wheels back, Bajie comes in with his rake, and the thing settles into two against two on the mountain-top.

The choreography builds toward a reversal the reader has seen before. Unable to win the individual combats, the old fiend falls back on weight of numbers — one shout, and the whole company closes in. It is the same tactic that once smothered Wukong under three hundred imps, and it sets up the entrance of Sha Monk and the felling of the fox-uncle.