第三十七回 · 毫毛變匣 A Hair Becomes a Casket — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

毫毛變匣 A Hair Becomes a Casket

好hǎo大dà聖shèng，拔bá了le一yì根gēn毫háo毛máo，吹chuī口kǒu仙xiān氣qì，叫jiào聲shēng：「變biàn！」變biàn做zuò一yí個gè紅hóng金jīn漆qī匣xiá兒er，把bǎ白bái玉yù珪guī放fàng在zài內nèi盛shèng著zhe，道dào：「師shī父fù，你nǐ將jiāng此cǐ物wù捧pěng在zài手shǒu中zhōng，到dào天tiān曉xiǎo時shí，穿chuān上shàng錦jǐn襴lán袈jiā裟shā，去qù在zài正zhèng殿diàn坐zuò著zhe念niàn經jīng，等děng我wǒ去qù看kàn看kàn他tā那nà城chéng池chí。端duān的de是shì個gè妖yāo怪guài，就jiù打dǎ殺shā他tā，也yě在zài此cǐ間jiān立lì個gè功gōng績jī；假jiǎ若ruò不bú是shì，且qiě休xiū撞zhuàng禍huò。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「正zhèng是shì，正zhèng是shì。」好hǎo大dà圣shèng，拔bá了le一yì根gēn毫háo毛máo，吹chuī口kǒu仙xiān气qì，叫jiào声shēng：「变biàn！」变biàn做zuò一yí个gè红hóng金jīn漆qī匣xiá儿er，把bǎ白bái玉yù珪guī放fàng在zài内nèi盛shèng著zhe，道dào：「师shī父fù，你nǐ将jiāng此cǐ物wù捧pěng在zài手shǒu中zhōng，到dào天tiān晓xiǎo时shí，穿chuān上shàng锦jǐn襕lán袈jiā裟shā，去qù在zài正zhèng殿diàn坐zuò著zhe念niàn经jīng，等děng我wǒ去qù看kàn看kàn他tā那nà城chéng池chí。端duān的de是shì个gè妖yāo怪guài，就jiù打dǎ杀shā他tā，也yě在zài此cǐ间jiān立lì个gè功gōng绩jī；假jiǎ若ruò不bú是shì，且qiě休xiū撞zhuàng祸huò。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「正zhèng是shì，正zhèng是shì。」

逐句解 Line by line

好hǎo大dà聖shèng，拔bá了le一yì根gēn毫háo毛máo，吹chuī口kǒu仙xiān氣qì，叫jiào聲shēng：「變biàn！」好hǎo大dà圣shèng，拔bá了le一yì根gēn毫háo毛máo，吹chuī口kǒu仙xiān气qì，叫jiào声shēng：「变biàn！」

The fine Great Sage plucked a hair, blew on it a breath of immortal air, and cried, “Change!”

拔了一根 (bá le yì gēn) "plucked a," yì by sandhi; 仙氣 (xiān qì) "immortal breath."

變biàn做zuò一yí個gè紅hóng金jīn漆qī匣xiá兒er，把bǎ白bái玉yù珪guī放fàng在zài內nèi盛shèng著zhe，道dào：「師shī父fù，你nǐ將jiāng此cǐ物wù捧pěng在zài手shǒu中zhōng，到dào天tiān曉xiǎo時shí，穿chuān上shàng錦jǐn襴lán袈jiā裟shā，去qù在zài正zhèng殿diàn坐zuò著zhe念niàn經jīng，等děng我wǒ去qù看kàn看kàn他tā那nà城chéng池chí。变biàn做zuò一yí个gè红hóng金jīn漆qī匣xiá儿er，把bǎ白bái玉yù珪guī放fàng在zài内nèi盛shèng著zhe，道dào：「师shī父fù，你nǐ将jiāng此cǐ物wù捧pěng在zài手shǒu中zhōng，到dào天tiān晓xiǎo时shí，穿chuān上shàng锦jǐn襕lán袈jiā裟shā，去qù在zài正zhèng殿diàn坐zuò著zhe念niàn经jīng，等děng我wǒ去qù看kàn看kàn他tā那nà城chéng池chí。

It became a box of red-gold lacquer, and setting the white-jade tablet inside it, he said, “Master, take this thing and cradle it in your hands; when day breaks, put on the brocade cassock, go and sit in the main hall to chant the sutras, and let me go take a look at that city of his.

匣兒 (xiá er) "little box," suffix er; 盛著 (chéng zhe) / 坐著 (zuò zhe) durative 著 = zhe; 將此物 (jiāng cǐ wù) coverb 將 = jiāng; 手中 (shǒu zhōng); 那城池 (nà chéng chí) deictic nà.

端duān的de是shì個gè妖yāo怪guài，就jiù打dǎ殺shā他tā，也yě在zài此cǐ間jiān立lì個gè功gōng績jī；端duān的de是shì个gè妖yāo怪guài，就jiù打dǎ杀shā他tā，也yě在zài此cǐ间jiān立lì个gè功gōng绩jī；

If he is truly a fiend, then to strike him dead would be to set up a merit here;

此間 (cǐ jiān) "here"; 功績 (gōng jì) "meritorious deed."

假jiǎ若ruò不bú是shì，且qiě休xiū撞zhuàng禍huò。」假jiǎ若ruò不bú是shì，且qiě休xiū撞zhuàng祸huò。」

but if he is not, do not go courting disaster.”

不是 (bú shì), bú by sandhi; 撞禍 (zhuàng huò) "to court calamity."

三sān藏zàng道dào：「正zhèng是shì，正zhèng是shì。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「正zhèng是shì，正zhèng是shì。」

Tripitaka said, “Just so, just so.”

正是 (zhèng shì) "precisely so."

總評 Commentary

Wukong’s scheme opens with a piece of quick transformation-magic — a plucked hair made into a lacquer casket to hold the jade tablet — and, unusually, with a moral precaution: strike the “king” dead only if he proves a fiend, and otherwise avoid courting disaster. The caution registers a rare prudence, the Great Sage insisting on verification before violence.

The device is set in place: the tablet hidden in the casket, Tripitaka posted to chant in the main hall as ordinary pilgrim while Wukong flies off to reconnoitre the city. From this small apparatus the whole confrontation with the false king will unfold.