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繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
敕建寶林寺
Baolin Temple, Built by Decree
這長老放開馬，一直前來，徑到了山門之外。行者道：「師父，這一座是甚麼寺？」三藏道：「我的馬蹄才然停住，腳尖還未出鐙，就問我是甚麼寺，好沒分曉。」行者道：「你老人家自幼為僧，須曾講過儒書，方才去演經法，文理皆通，然後受唐王的恩宥。門上有那般大字，如何不認得？」長老罵道：「潑猢猻！說話無知。我才面西催馬，被那太陽影射，奈何門雖有字，又被塵垢朦朧，所以未曾看見。」行者聞言，把腰兒躬一躬，長了二丈餘高，用手展去灰塵，道：「師父，請看。」上有五個大字，乃是「敕建寶林寺」。行者收了法身，道：「師父，這寺裡誰進去借宿？」三藏道：「我進去。你們的嘴臉醜陋，言語粗疏，性剛氣傲，倘或衝撞了本處僧人，不容借宿，反為不美。」行者道：「既如此，請師父進去，不必多言。」这长老放开马，一直前来，径到了山门之外。行者道：「师父，这一座是甚么寺？」三藏道：「我的马蹄才然停住，脚尖还未出镫，就问我是甚么寺，好没分晓。」行者道：「你老人家自幼为僧，须曾讲过儒书，方才去演经法，文理皆通，然后受唐王的恩宥。门上有那般大字，如何不认得？」长老骂道：「泼猢狲！说话无知。我才面西催马，被那太阳影射，奈何门虽有字，又被尘垢朦胧，所以未曾看见。」行者闻言，把腰儿躬一躬，长了二丈余高，用手展去灰尘，道：「师父，请看。」上有五个大字，乃是「敕建宝林寺」。行者收了法身，道：「师父，这寺里谁进去借宿？」三藏道：「我进去。你们的嘴脸丑陋，言语粗疏，性刚气傲，倘或冲撞了本处僧人，不容借宿，反为不美。」行者道：「既如此，请师父进去，不必多言。」
逐句解 Line by line
這長老放開馬，一直前來，徑到了山門之外。
这长老放开马，一直前来，径到了山门之外。
The elder gave the horse its head, came straight on, and arrived right before the temple gate.
放開馬 "to let the horse go at speed"; 徑 (jìng) "directly, straightaway." 長 read zhǎng ("elder").
行者道：「師父，這一座是甚麼寺？」
行者道：「师父，这一座是甚么寺？」
The Pilgrim said: “Master, what temple is this one?”
甚麼 (shén me) "what," 甚 read shén.
三藏道：「我的馬蹄才然停住，腳尖還未出鐙，就問我是甚麼寺，好沒分曉。」
三藏道：「我的马蹄才然停住，脚尖还未出镫，就问我是甚么寺，好没分晓。」
Tripitaka said: “My horse's hooves have only just halted, the tips of my feet aren't even out of the stirrups, and already you ask me what temple it is — what a want of sense!”
才然 (cái rán) "only just now"; 鐙 (dèng) stirrup. 好沒分曉 "how utterly senseless," 沒 read méi, 分曉 (fēn xiǎo) "sense, discernment"; 還 read hái.
行者道：「你老人家自幼為僧，須曾講過儒書，方才去演經法，文理皆通，然後受唐王的恩宥。
行者道：「你老人家自幼为僧，须曾讲过儒书，方才去演经法，文理皆通，然后受唐王的恩宥。
The Pilgrim said: “You, sir, have been a monk from childhood; you must have lectured on the Confucian books before you went on to expound the scriptures — well-versed in letters and sense alike — and only then received King Tang's gracious favour.”
自幼為僧 "a monk since youth," 為 read wéi ("to be, act as"). 儒書 the Confucian classics; 恩宥 (ēn yòu) "gracious pardon, favour." The joke: a man of such learning surely can read a signboard.
門上有那般大字，如何不認得？」
门上有那般大字，如何不认得？」
“There are such big characters over the gate — how can you not know them?”
那般 "such, that sort of," 那 read nà; 認得 "to recognize," 得 read de.
長老罵道：「潑猢猻！
长老骂道：「泼猢狲！
The elder scolded: “You reckless ape!”
潑 (pō) "unruly, rascally," a common term of abuse; 猢猻 (hú sūn) "macaque," Tripitaka's habitual epithet for Wukong. 長 read zhǎng.
說話無知。
说话无知。
“You talk without sense.”
無知 (wú zhī) "ignorant." Tripitaka bristles, teased about his eyesight.
我才面西催馬，被那太陽影射，奈何門雖有字，又被塵垢朦朧，所以未曾看見。」
我才面西催马，被那太阳影射，奈何门虽有字，又被尘垢朦胧，所以未曾看见。」
“I was just now urging the horse westward, dazzled by the sun's glare; and though the gate has characters, they are blurred over with dust and grime, so I hadn't yet made them out.”
影射 here "to dazzle, strike with light"; 塵垢 (chén gòu) "dust and dirt." 那 read nà; 未曾 "not yet," 曾 read céng.
行者聞言，把腰兒躬一躬，長了二丈餘高，用手展去灰塵，道：「師父，請看。」
行者闻言，把腰儿躬一躬，长了二丈余高，用手展去灰尘，道：「师父，请看。」
Hearing this, the Pilgrim bent his waist, stretched up more than two zhàng tall, wiped away the dust with his hand, and said: “Master, please look.”
腰兒 (yāo'er) "waist," 兒 the diminutive suffix er. 長了 "grew," 長 read zhǎng. 二丈餘 "more than two zhàng" — the measure 丈 (about ten Chinese feet) is left untranslated.
上有五個大字，乃是「敕建寶林寺」。
上有五个大字，乃是「敕建宝林寺」。
Above were five great characters: “Baolin Temple, Built by Imperial Decree.”
敕建 (chì jiàn) "erected by imperial command." 寶林寺 the Baolin ("Treasure-Grove") Temple; 個 read gè.
行者收了法身，道：「師父，這寺裡誰進去借宿？」
行者收了法身，道：「师父，这寺里谁进去借宿？」
The Pilgrim drew in his magic body and said: “Master, who is to go into this temple to ask for lodging?”
法身 (fǎ shēn) here the enlarged "transformed body" Wukong had assumed. A practical question setting up the next exchange.
三藏道：「我進去。
三藏道：「我进去。
Tripitaka said: “I shall go in.”
藏 read zàng. Tripitaka insists on entering alone — a decision the passage will render ironic.
你們的嘴臉醜陋，言語粗疏，性剛氣傲，倘或衝撞了本處僧人，不容借宿，反為不美。」
你们的嘴脸丑陋，言语粗疏，性刚气傲，倘或冲撞了本处僧人，不容借宿，反为不美。」
“Your faces are ugly, your speech coarse, your tempers hard and your manner haughty; should you offend the monks of this place and they refuse us lodging, that would turn out badly.”
嘴臉 (zuǐ liǎn) "features, mug"; 粗疏 "coarse and careless." 本處 "this place," 處 read chù; 反為不美 "would on the contrary be unseemly," 為 read wéi.
行者道：「既如此，請師父進去，不必多言。」
行者道：「既如此，请师父进去，不必多言。」
The Pilgrim said: “If that's so, then please go in, Master — no need for more words.”
既如此 "since it is thus." 不必 "no need," 不 in sandhi form bú before 必.
總評 Commentary
A sustained comic exchange at the temple gate. Wukong needles his master — a monk of such learning surely can read a signboard — and Tripitaka, stung, protests that the sun's glare and a coating of grime, not any failing of his own, kept him from reading it. Wukong settles the matter by growing more than two zhàng tall to wipe the sign clean, revealing the name of the establishment: Baolin (‘Treasure-Grove’) Temple, built by imperial decree.
The passage does two kinds of work. It is light domestic comedy — the fussy master and the irrepressible disciple — and it is exposition, planting the temple's name and imperial pedigree. Tripitaka's closing worry is pointedly ironic: he insists on going in alone lest his rough-looking disciples give offence and lose them their lodging — yet the discourtesy to come will be entirely the resident abbot's, and it is these same disciples who will end up securing the night's rest.