第三十七回 · 階前得珪 The Tablet on the Step — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

階前得珪 The Tablet on the Step

行xíng者zhě果guǒ然rán開kāi門mén，一yì齊qí看kàn處chù，只zhǐ見jiàn星xīng月yuè光guāng中zhōng，階jiē簷yán上shàng，真zhēn個gè放fàng著zhe一yì柄bǐng金jīn廂xiāng白bái玉yù珪guī。八bā戒jiè近jìn前qián拿ná起qǐ道dào：「哥gē哥gē，這zhè是shì甚shén麼me東dōng西xī？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「這zhè是shì國guó王wáng手shǒu中zhōng執zhí的de寶bǎo貝bèi，名míng喚huàn玉yù珪guī。師shī父fù啊a，既jì有yǒu此cǐ物wù，想xiǎng此cǐ事shì是shì真zhēn。明míng日rì拿ná妖yāo，全quán都dōu在zài老lǎo孫sūn身shēn上shàng。只zhǐ是shì要yào你nǐ三sān樁zhuāng兒er造zào化huà低dī哩lī。」行xíng者zhě果guǒ然rán开kāi门mén，一yì齐qí看kàn处chù，只zhǐ见jiàn星xīng月yuè光guāng中zhōng，阶jiē簷yán上shàng，真zhēn个gè放fàng著zhe一yì柄bǐng金jīn厢xiāng白bái玉yù珪guī。八bā戒jiè近jìn前qián拿ná起qǐ道dào：「哥gē哥gē，这zhè是shì甚shén么me东dōng西xī？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「这zhè是shì国guó王wáng手shǒu中zhōng执zhí的de宝bǎo贝bèi，名míng唤huàn玉yù珪guī。师shī父fù啊a，既jì有yǒu此cǐ物wù，想xiǎng此cǐ事shì是shì真zhēn。明míng日rì拿ná妖yāo，全quán都dōu在zài老lǎo孙sūn身shēn上shàng。只zhǐ是shì要yào你nǐ三sān桩zhuāng儿er造zào化huà低dī哩lī。」

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng者zhě果guǒ然rán開kāi門mén，一yì齊qí看kàn處chù，只zhǐ見jiàn星xīng月yuè光guāng中zhōng，階jiē簷yán上shàng，真zhēn個gè放fàng著zhe一yì柄bǐng金jīn廂xiāng白bái玉yù珪guī。行xíng者zhě果guǒ然rán开kāi门mén，一yì齐qí看kàn处chù，只zhǐ见jiàn星xīng月yuè光guāng中zhōng，阶jiē簷yán上shàng，真zhēn个gè放fàng著zhe一yì柄bǐng金jīn厢xiāng白bái玉yù珪guī。

Pilgrim did indeed open the door, and as they looked together, there in the light of stars and moon, upon the step beneath the eaves, truly there lay a gold-mounted white-jade tablet.

看處 (kàn chù) "as they looked," chù; 星月光中 (xīng yuè guāng zhōng) "amid the starlight and moonlight," zhōng; 放著 (fàng zhe) "lay placed," durative 著 = zhe.

八bā戒jiè近jìn前qián拿ná起qǐ道dào：「哥gē哥gē，這zhè是shì甚shén麼me東dōng西xī？」八bā戒jiè近jìn前qián拿ná起qǐ道dào：「哥gē哥gē，这zhè是shì甚shén么me东dōng西xī？」

Bajie stepped up and took it, saying, “Elder brother, what thing is this?”

甚麼 (shén me) "what," 甚 = shén.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「這zhè是shì國guó王wáng手shǒu中zhōng執zhí的de寶bǎo貝bèi，名míng喚huàn玉yù珪guī。行xíng者zhě道dào：「这zhè是shì国guó王wáng手shǒu中zhōng执zhí的de宝bǎo贝bèi，名míng唤huàn玉yù珪guī。

Pilgrim said, “This is the treasure the king held in his hand, called the jade tablet.

手中 (shǒu zhōng) "in the hand," zhōng; 玉珪 (yù guī) "the jade tablet."

師shī父fù啊a，既jì有yǒu此cǐ物wù，想xiǎng此cǐ事shì是shì真zhēn。师shī父fù啊a，既jì有yǒu此cǐ物wù，想xiǎng此cǐ事shì是shì真zhēn。

Master, since we have this object, I think the matter must be true.

此物 (cǐ wù) "this object"; 是真 (shì zhēn) "is true."

明míng日rì拿ná妖yāo，全quán都dōu在zài老lǎo孫sūn身shēn上shàng。明míng日rì拿ná妖yāo，全quán都dōu在zài老lǎo孙sūn身shēn上shàng。

Tomorrow’s catching of the fiend rests wholly upon old Sun.

全都 (quán dōu) "wholly," 都 = dōu; 拿妖 (ná yāo) "to seize the fiend."

只zhǐ是shì要yào你nǐ三sān樁zhuāng兒er造zào化huà低dī哩lī。」只zhǐ是shì要yào你nǐ三sān桩zhuāng儿er造zào化huà低dī哩lī。」

Only, it will call for three turns of low luck on your part.”

三樁兒 (sān zhuāng er) "three items," 兒 suffix er; 造化低 (zào huà dī) "low fortune."

總評 Commentary

The dream is confirmed by waking evidence: the jade tablet lies on the step in the starlight, the proof-object crossing from vision into the material world, and even the skeptics can no longer wave the matter away. Recognition-tokens in this romance work precisely so — the thing appears, and the truth becomes undeniable.

Wukong takes the whole task upon himself — “rests wholly upon old Sun” — the recurring pattern of the Great Sage shouldering the central labour. His teasing warning of “three turns of low luck” for Bajie plants the comic byplay the next passage will unfold, deflating the solemnity once more.