第三十七回 · 匣中小僧 The Little Monk in the Casket — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

匣中小僧 The Little Monk in the Casket

行xíng者zhě道dào：「那nà太tài子zǐ不bù出chū城chéng便biàn罷bà，若ruò真zhēn個gè應yìng夢mèng出chū城chéng來lái，我wǒ定dìng引yǐn他tā來lái見jiàn你nǐ。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「見jiàn了le我wǒ如rú何hé迎yíng答dá？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「來lái到dào時shí，我wǒ先xiān報bào知zhī。你nǐ把bǎ那nà匣xiá蓋gài兒er扯chě開kāi些xiē，等děng我wǒ變biàn作zuò二èr寸cùn長cháng的de一yí個gè小xiǎo和hé尚shàng，放fàng在zài匣xiá兒er裡lǐ，你nǐ連lián我wǒ捧pěng在zài手shǒu中zhōng。那nà太tài子zǐ進jìn了le寺sì來lái，必bì然rán拜bài佛fó。你nǐ盡jǐn他tā怎zěn的de下xià拜bài，只zhǐ是shì不bù睬cǎi他tā。他tā見jiàn你nǐ不bú動dòng身shēn，一yí定dìng教jiào拿ná你nǐ。你nǐ憑píng他tā拿ná下xià去qù，打dǎ也yě由yóu他tā，綁bǎng也yě由yóu他tā，殺shā也yě由yóu他tā。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「那nà太tài子zǐ不bù出chū城chéng便biàn罢bà，若ruò真zhēn个gè应yìng梦mèng出chū城chéng来lái，我wǒ定dìng引yǐn他tā来lái见jiàn你nǐ。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「见jiàn了le我wǒ如rú何hé迎yíng答dá？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「来lái到dào时shí，我wǒ先xiān报bào知zhī。你nǐ把bǎ那nà匣xiá盖gài儿er扯chě开kāi些xiē，等děng我wǒ变biàn作zuò二èr寸cùn长cháng的de一yí个gè小xiǎo和hé尚shàng，放fàng在zài匣xiá儿er里lǐ，你nǐ连lián我wǒ捧pěng在zài手shǒu中zhōng。那nà太tài子zǐ进jìn了le寺sì来lái，必bì然rán拜bài佛fó。你nǐ尽jǐn他tā怎zěn的de下xià拜bài，只zhǐ是shì不bù睬cǎi他tā。他tā见jiàn你nǐ不bú动dòng身shēn，一yí定dìng教jiào拿ná你nǐ。你nǐ凭píng他tā拿ná下xià去qù，打dǎ也yě由yóu他tā，绑bǎng也yě由yóu他tā，杀shā也yě由yóu他tā。」

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng者zhě道dào：「那nà太tài子zǐ不bù出chū城chéng便biàn罷bà，若ruò真zhēn個gè應yìng夢mèng出chū城chéng來lái，我wǒ定dìng引yǐn他tā來lái見jiàn你nǐ。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「那nà太tài子zǐ不bù出chū城chéng便biàn罢bà，若ruò真zhēn个gè应yìng梦mèng出chū城chéng来lái，我wǒ定dìng引yǐn他tā来lái见jiàn你nǐ。」

Pilgrim said, “If that crown prince does not come out of the city, let it rest; but if indeed, answering the dream, he does come out, I will surely bring him to see you.”

那太子 (nà tài zǐ) deictic nà, 子 = zǐ; 應夢 (yìng mèng) "in fulfilment of the dream," 應 = yìng (accord with).

三sān藏zàng道dào：「見jiàn了le我wǒ如rú何hé迎yíng答dá？」三sān藏zàng道dào：「见jiàn了le我wǒ如rú何hé迎yíng答dá？」

Tripitaka said, “When he has seen me, how am I to receive him?”

迎答 (yíng dá) "to receive and answer."

行xíng者zhě道dào：「來lái到dào時shí，我wǒ先xiān報bào知zhī。行xíng者zhě道dào：「来lái到dào时shí，我wǒ先xiān报bào知zhī。

Pilgrim said, “When he comes, I will report to you first.

報知 (bào zhī) "to give word."

你nǐ把bǎ那nà匣xiá蓋gài兒er扯chě開kāi些xiē，等děng我wǒ變biàn作zuò二èr寸cùn長cháng的de一yí個gè小xiǎo和hé尚shàng，放fàng在zài匣xiá兒er裡lǐ，你nǐ連lián我wǒ捧pěng在zài手shǒu中zhōng。你nǐ把bǎ那nà匣xiá盖gài儿er扯chě开kāi些xiē，等děng我wǒ变biàn作zuò二èr寸cùn长cháng的de一yí个gè小xiǎo和hé尚shàng，放fàng在zài匣xiá儿er里lǐ，你nǐ连lián我wǒ捧pěng在zài手shǒu中zhōng。

You pull open the lid of that casket a little, and let me change into a little monk two cùn tall, set inside the casket, and you cradle me together with it in your hands.

那匣蓋兒 (nà xiá gài er) deictic nà, suffix er; 二寸長 (èr cùn cháng) "two cùn in length," 長 = cháng (cùn is a Chinese unit of length); 匣兒 (xiá er); 手中 (shǒu zhōng).

那nà太tài子zǐ進jìn了le寺sì來lái，必bì然rán拜bài佛fó。那nà太tài子zǐ进jìn了le寺sì来lái，必bì然rán拜bài佛fó。

When that crown prince enters the temple, he will surely bow to the Buddha.

那太子 (nà tài zǐ), 子 = zǐ; 佛 (fó) invariant.

你nǐ盡jǐn他tā怎zěn的de下xià拜bài，只zhǐ是shì不bù睬cǎi他tā。你nǐ尽jǐn他tā怎zěn的de下xià拜bài，只zhǐ是shì不bù睬cǎi他tā。

Let him bow however he will — only, take no notice of him.

盡他怎的 (jǐn tā zěn de) "let him do as he will" — the concessive/儘 sense ("let, to the utmost, no-matter-how"), read jǐn. 世德堂本 writes 盡, not the later-differentiated 儘: in Ming printing 盡 served both jìn "exhaust" and jǐn "utmost." 不睬 (bù cǎi) "to take no notice."

他tā見jiàn你nǐ不bú動dòng身shēn，一yí定dìng教jiào拿ná你nǐ。他tā见jiàn你nǐ不bú动dòng身shēn，一yí定dìng教jiào拿ná你nǐ。

Seeing you will not stir, he is certain to have you seized.

不動身 (bú dòng shēn), bú by sandhi; 一定教 (yí dìng jiào) "certain to have," causative 教 = jiào.

你nǐ憑píng他tā拿ná下xià去qù，打dǎ也yě由yóu他tā，綁bǎng也yě由yóu他tā，殺shā也yě由yóu他tā。」你nǐ凭píng他tā拿ná下xià去qù，打dǎ也yě由yóu他tā，绑bǎng也yě由yóu他tā，杀shā也yě由yóu他tā。」

Let him seize you as he pleases: beat you if he will, bind you if he will, kill you if he will.”

憑他 (píng tā) "as he pleases"; 綁 (bǎng) "to bind."

總評 Commentary

The stratagem for reaching the prince is laid out in full: Wukong hidden as a two-cùn monk within the casket that Tripitaka carries, and the master to ignore the prince’s obeisance to the Buddha so as to provoke his seizure. The plan’s audacity is that it makes Tripitaka the bait, to be arrested and worse.

Wukong’s cool willingness to have his master beaten, bound, even threatened with death sets up both the comedy of Tripitaka’s coming alarm and the confidence of a disciple who knows he can retrieve any situation. The concessive “let him bow however he will” (see the note on 盡) turns the master’s deliberate rudeness into the hinge of the trap.