原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
眾僧叩接
The Monks Kneel in Welcome
行者聞言暗笑，押著眾僧，出山門外跪下。那僧官磕頭高叫道：「唐老爺，請方丈裡坐。」八戒看見道：「師父老大不濟事，你進去時，淚汪汪，嘴上掛得油瓶。師兄怎麼就有此獐智，教他們磕頭來接？」三藏道：「你這個獃子，好不曉禮。常言道：『鬼也怕惡人哩。』」唐僧見他們磕頭禮拜，甚是不過意，上前叫：「列位請起。」眾僧叩頭道：「老爺若和你徒弟說聲方便，不動杠子，就跪一個月也罷。」唐僧叫：「悟空，莫要打他。」行者道：「不曾打；若打，這會已打斷了根矣。」那些和尚卻才起身，牽馬的牽馬，挑擔的挑擔，擡著唐僧，馱著八戒，挽著沙僧，一齊都進山門裡去，卻到後面方丈中，依敘坐下。行者闻言暗笑，押著众僧，出山门外跪下。那僧官磕头高叫道：「唐老爷，请方丈里坐。」八戒看见道：「师父老大不济事，你进去时，泪汪汪，嘴上挂得油瓶。师兄怎么就有此獐智，教他们磕头来接？」三藏道：「你这个呆子，好不晓礼。常言道：『鬼也怕恶人哩。』」唐僧见他们磕头礼拜，甚是不过意，上前叫：「列位请起。」众僧叩头道：「老爷若和你徒弟说声方便，不动杠子，就跪一个月也罢。」唐僧叫：「悟空，莫要打他。」行者道：「不曾打；若打，这会已打断了根矣。」那些和尚却才起身，牵马的牵马，挑担的挑担，抬著唐僧，驮著八戒，挽著沙僧，一齐都进山门里去，却到后面方丈中，依叙坐下。
逐句解 Line by line
行者聞言暗笑，押著眾僧，出山門外跪下。
行者闻言暗笑，押著众僧，出山门外跪下。
The Pilgrim, hearing this, laughed to himself, herded the monks out the temple gate, and had them kneel.
暗笑 "to laugh inwardly"; 押著 "to escort, drive along," 著 read zhe.
那僧官磕頭高叫道：「唐老爺，請方丈裡坐。」
那僧官磕头高叫道：「唐老爷，请方丈里坐。」
The abbot, knocking his head on the ground, called out: “Venerable Tang, please come and sit in the abbot's quarters.”
磕頭 "to kowtow"; 那 read nà. The abbot now grovels to the man he turned away.
八戒看見道：「師父老大不濟事，你進去時，淚汪汪，嘴上掛得油瓶。
八戒看见道：「师父老大不济事，你进去时，泪汪汪，嘴上挂得油瓶。
Bajie, seeing this, said: “Master, you're really no good at all: when you went in, you were all tears, your lip drooping fit to hang an oil bottle on.”
老大 "greatly, exceedingly"; 不濟事 "useless"; 嘴上掛得油瓶 a comic image of a downturned, pouting mouth — 得 read de. Bajie needles his master mercilessly.
師兄怎麼就有此獐智，教他們磕頭來接？」
师兄怎么就有此獐智，教他们磕头来接？」
“How is it Elder Brother has such cunning, to make them kowtow and come out to receive us?”
獐智 (zhāng zhì) "quick wits, cleverness" (with a hint of low cunning); 教 "to make, cause." Bajie's grudging admiration.
三藏道：「你這個獃子，好不曉禮。
三藏道：「你这个呆子，好不晓礼。
Tripitaka said: “You blockhead, how ill-versed in manners you are.”
獃子 "fool, dolt," Tripitaka's usual epithet for Bajie; 藏 read zàng.
常言道：『鬼也怕惡人哩。』」
常言道：『鬼也怕恶人哩。』」
“As the saying goes: ‘Even ghosts fear a fierce man.’”
A proverb: force commands even what kindness cannot. Tripitaka half-excuses Wukong's methods.
唐僧見他們磕頭禮拜，甚是不過意，上前叫：「列位請起。」
唐僧见他们磕头礼拜，甚是不过意，上前叫：「列位请起。」
Tripitaka, seeing them kowtow and bow, felt quite unable to bear it, and stepped forward calling: “Gentlemen, please rise.”
甚是 "very much," 甚 read shén; 不過意 "to feel bad about, be unable to accept." His compassion recoils at the forced obeisance.
眾僧叩頭道：「老爺若和你徒弟說聲方便，不動杠子，就跪一個月也罷。」
众僧叩头道：「老爷若和你徒弟说声方便，不动杠子，就跪一个月也罢。」
The monks knocked their heads and said: “My lord, if you'd but say a kind word to your disciple not to wield the pole, we'd kneel a whole month and gladly.”
和你徒弟 "to your disciple," 和 here hé ("with"); 不動杠子 "not to use the cudgel," 杠 read gàng; 也罷 "and be content," 罷 read bà.
唐僧叫：「悟空，莫要打他。」
唐僧叫：「悟空，莫要打他。」
Tripitaka called: “Wukong, don't beat them.”
悟空 Wukong, the Pilgrim's dharma-name.
行者道：「不曾打；
行者道：「不曾打；
The Pilgrim said: “I haven't beaten them;”
行 read xíng.
若打，這會已打斷了根矣。」
若打，这会已打断了根矣。」
“if I had, by now their stock would be snapped off at the root.”
這會 "by this time, now"; 打斷了根 "broken off at the root," i.e. wiped out. Wukong's grim hyperbole.
那些和尚卻才起身，牽馬的牽馬，挑擔的挑擔，擡著唐僧，馱著八戒，挽著沙僧，一齊都進山門裡去，卻到後面方丈中，依敘坐下。
那些和尚却才起身，牵马的牵马，挑担的挑担，抬著唐僧，驮著八戒，挽著沙僧，一齐都进山门里去，却到后面方丈中，依叙坐下。
Only then did the monks rise: some leading the horse, some shouldering the loads, they bore Tripitaka along, carried Bajie, led Sha Monk, and all together went in through the temple gate to the abbot's quarters at the back, where they sat down in order of rank.
挑擔 "to shoulder the loads," 擔 read dàn (the load); 擡著／馱著／挽著 "carrying / bearing on the back / leading by the arm," 著 read zhe throughout; 都 read dōu; 方丈中 中 read zhōng; 依敘 "in due order."
總評 Commentary
The obeisance is now abject and total: the abbot kowtows and begs the pilgrim into his own quarters, and the whole community kneels at the gate. The comedy is carried by Bajie, who cannot resist ribbing his master for the tears and pouting with which he had gone in defeated, while marvelling — half in envy — at the "cunning" by which Wukong reversed the situation. Tripitaka rebukes him and, characteristically, is himself made uncomfortable by the forced kneeling, stepping forward to raise the monks up.
The passage balances its two registers finely. Tripitaka's discomfort at the coerced homage — he cannot bear to see men grovel — quietly preserves his moral character even as he benefits from Wukong's intimidation, and his proverb ("even ghosts fear a fierce man") is as much rueful acknowledgment as excuse. Wukong's deadpan reassurance that he "hasn't" beaten anyone keeps the menace comic. The elaborate procession that bears the pilgrims inward turns the earlier refusal of a night's floor-space into a ceremonious reception.