第三十七回 · 假君奪位 The False Sovereign Usurps the Throne — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

假君奪位 The False Sovereign Usurps the Throne

唐táng僧sēng見jiàn說shuō是shì鬼guǐ，諕xià得de觔jīn力lì酥sū軟ruǎn，毛máo骨gǔ聳sǒng然rán。沒méi奈nài何hé，只zhǐ得dé將jiāng言yán又yòu問wèn他tā道dào：「陛bì下xià，你nǐ說shuō的de這zhè話huà，全quán不bú在zài理lǐ。既jì死sǐ三sān年nián，那nà文wén武wǔ多duō官guān、三sān宮gōng皇huáng后hòu，遇yù三sān朝cháo見jiàn駕jià殿diàn上shàng，怎zěn麼me就jiù不bù尋xún你nǐ？」那nà人rén道dào：「師shī父fù啊a，說shuō起qǐ他tā的de本běn事shì，果guǒ然rán世shì間jiān罕hǎn有yǒu。自zì從cóng害hài了le朕zhèn，他tā當dāng時shí在zài花huā園yuán內nèi搖yáo身shēn一yí變biàn，就jiù變biàn做zuò朕zhèn的de模mó樣yàng，更gèng無wú差chā別bié。現xiàn今jīn占zhàn了le我wǒ的de江jiāng山shān，暗àn侵qīn了le我wǒ的de國guó土tǔ。他tā把bǎ我wǒ兩liǎng班bān文wén武wǔ、四sì百bǎi朝cháo官guān、三sān宮gōng皇huáng后hòu、六liù院yuàn嬪pín妃fēi，盡jìn屬shǔ了le他tā矣yǐ。」唐táng僧sēng见jiàn说shuō是shì鬼guǐ，諕xià得de觔jīn力lì酥sū软ruǎn，毛máo骨gǔ耸sǒng然rán。没méi奈nài何hé，只zhǐ得dé将jiāng言yán又yòu问wèn他tā道dào：「陛bì下xià，你nǐ说shuō的de这zhè话huà，全quán不bú在zài理lǐ。既jì死sǐ三sān年nián，那nà文wén武wǔ多duō官guān、三sān宫gōng皇huáng后hòu，遇yù三sān朝cháo见jiàn驾jià殿diàn上shàng，怎zěn么me就jiù不bù寻xún你nǐ？」那nà人rén道dào：「师shī父fù啊a，说shuō起qǐ他tā的de本běn事shì，果guǒ然rán世shì间jiān罕hǎn有yǒu。自zì从cóng害hài了le朕zhèn，他tā当dāng时shí在zài花huā园yuán内nèi摇yáo身shēn一yí变biàn，就jiù变biàn做zuò朕zhèn的de模mó样yàng，更gèng无wú差chā别bié。现xiàn今jīn占zhàn了le我wǒ的de江jiāng山shān，暗àn侵qīn了le我wǒ的de国guó土tǔ。他tā把bǎ我wǒ两liǎng班bān文wén武wǔ、四sì百bǎi朝cháo官guān、三sān宫gōng皇huáng后hòu、六liù院yuàn嫔pín妃fēi，尽jìn属shǔ了le他tā矣yǐ。」

逐句解 Line by line

唐táng僧sēng見jiàn說shuō是shì鬼guǐ，諕xià得de觔jīn力lì酥sū軟ruǎn，毛máo骨gǔ聳sǒng然rán。唐táng僧sēng见jiàn说shuō是shì鬼guǐ，諕xià得de觔jīn力lì酥sū软ruǎn，毛máo骨gǔ耸sǒng然rán。

When the Tang Monk heard he was a ghost, he was so startled his sinews went limp and his hair stood on end.

諕得 (xià de) "so startled that," 諕 = xià (=嚇), not háo; 觔力 (jīn lì) = 筋力 "sinew-strength"; 毛骨聳然 (máo gǔ sǒng rán) "hair and flesh bristling."

沒méi奈nài何hé，只zhǐ得dé將jiāng言yán又yòu問wèn他tā道dào：「陛bì下xià，你nǐ說shuō的de這zhè話huà，全quán不bú在zài理lǐ。没méi奈nài何hé，只zhǐ得dé将jiāng言yán又yòu问wèn他tā道dào：「陛bì下xià，你nǐ说shuō的de这zhè话huà，全quán不bú在zài理lǐ。

There was no help for it; he could only put words to it and question him once more: “Your Majesty, what you say is altogether against reason.

只得 (zhǐ dé) "could only," 得 = dé (must); 將言 (jiāng yán) "to take up words," coverb 將 = jiāng.

既jì死sǐ三sān年nián，那nà文wén武wǔ多duō官guān、三sān宮gōng皇huáng后hòu，遇yù三sān朝cháo見jiàn駕jià殿diàn上shàng，怎zěn麼me就jiù不bù尋xún你nǐ？」既jì死sǐ三sān年nián，那nà文wén武wǔ多duō官guān、三sān宫gōng皇huáng后hòu，遇yù三sān朝cháo见jiàn驾jià殿diàn上shàng，怎zěn么me就jiù不bù寻xún你nǐ？」

Having been dead three years, would not your many civil and military officers, your three palaces of empresses, at the court audiences before the throne, then seek after you?”

那 (nà) deictic; 遇三朝見駕 (yù sān cháo jiàn jià) "at the court audiences attending the sovereign," 朝 = cháo (court/levee).

那nà人rén道dào：「師shī父fù啊a，說shuō起qǐ他tā的de本běn事shì，果guǒ然rán世shì間jiān罕hǎn有yǒu。那nà人rén道dào：「师shī父fù啊a，说shuō起qǐ他tā的de本běn事shì，果guǒ然rán世shì间jiān罕hǎn有yǒu。

The man said, “Master, when it comes to that one’s arts, they are rare indeed in this world.

那 (nà); 世間 (shì jiān) "in the world"; 罕有 (hǎn yǒu) "seldom found."

自zì從cóng害hài了le朕zhèn，他tā當dāng時shí在zài花huā園yuán內nèi搖yáo身shēn一yí變biàn，就jiù變biàn做zuò朕zhèn的de模mó樣yàng，更gèng無wú差chā別bié。自zì从cóng害hài了le朕zhèn，他tā当dāng时shí在zài花huā园yuán内nèi摇yáo身shēn一yí变biàn，就jiù变biàn做zuò朕zhèn的de模mó样yàng，更gèng无wú差chā别bié。

Ever since he did me to death, he then and there in the garden shook himself and transformed, and became my very likeness, without the least difference.

當時 (dāng shí) "then and there," 當 = dāng; 搖身一變 (yáo shēn yí biàn) "shook the body and transformed at once"; 更無差別 (gèng wú chā bié) "with no difference at all," 差 = chā (differ).

現xiàn今jīn占zhàn了le我wǒ的de江jiāng山shān，暗àn侵qīn了le我wǒ的de國guó土tǔ。现xiàn今jīn占zhàn了le我wǒ的de江jiāng山shān，暗àn侵qīn了le我wǒ的de国guó土tǔ。

Now he holds my rivers and hills, and secretly usurps my land.

占 (zhàn) "to seize, occupy"; 江山 (jiāng shān) "rivers and mountains," i.e. the realm.

他tā把bǎ我wǒ兩liǎng班bān文wén武wǔ、四sì百bǎi朝cháo官guān、三sān宮gōng皇huáng后hòu、六liù院yuàn嬪pín妃fēi，盡jìn屬shǔ了le他tā矣yǐ。」他tā把bǎ我wǒ两liǎng班bān文wén武wǔ、四sì百bǎi朝cháo官guān、三sān宫gōng皇huáng后hòu、六liù院yuàn嫔pín妃fēi，尽jìn属shǔ了le他tā矣yǐ。」

My two ranks of civil and military officers, my four hundred court officials, my three palaces of empresses, my six courts of consorts — all are become his.”

四百朝官 (sì bǎi cháo guān) "four hundred court officials," 朝 = cháo; 盡屬 (jìn shǔ) "wholly belong to."

總評 Commentary

The word “ghost” at last breaks Tripitaka’s composure — the physical shock (limp sinews, bristling hair) marking the moment the dream turns to true horror. His rational objection is sound — surely a court would notice a dead king — and it is exactly this that the ghost answers by disclosing the impostor.

Here the chapter names its central terror: the fiend’s flawless impersonation, “without the least difference,” a doubling that anticipates the later confrontations of true and false throughout the pilgrimage. The usurpation is total, catalogued rank by rank — officers, empresses, consorts all “become his” — so that the crime is not merely a murder but the seamless theft of an entire identity and realm.