第三十七回 · 空中望城 Surveying the City from the Air — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition 含詞賦 With rhapsody

空中望城 Surveying the City from the Air

不bù多duō時shí，東dōng方fāng發fā白bái。行xíng者zhě又yòu吩fēn咐fù了le八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng，教jiào他tā兩liǎng個gè：「不bù可kě攪jiǎo擾rǎo僧sēng人rén，出chū來lái亂luàn走zǒu。待dài我wǒ成chéng功gōng之zhī後hòu，共gòng汝rǔ等děng同tóng行xíng。」才cái別bié了le，唿hū哨shào，一yì觔jīn斗dǒu，跳tiào在zài空kōng中zhōng。睜zhēng火huǒ眼yǎn平píng西xī看kàn處chù，果guǒ見jiàn有yǒu一yí座zuò城chéng池chí。你nǐ道dào怎zěn麼me就jiù看kàn見jiàn了le？當dāng時shí說shuō那nà城chéng池chí離lí寺sì只zhǐ有yǒu四sì十shí里lǐ，故gù此cǐ憑píng高gāo就jiù望wàng見jiàn了le。行xíng者zhě近jìn前qián仔zǐ細xì看kàn處chù，又yòu見jiàn那nà怪guài霧wù愁chóu雲yún漠mò漠mò，妖yāo風fēng怨yuàn氣qì紛fēn紛fēn。行xíng者zhě在zài空kōng中zhōng讚zàn嘆tàn道dào：不bù多duō时shí，东dōng方fāng发fā白bái。行xíng者zhě又yòu吩fēn咐fù了le八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng，教jiào他tā两liǎng个gè：「不bù可kě搅jiǎo扰rǎo僧sēng人rén，出chū来lái乱luàn走zǒu。待dài我wǒ成chéng功gōng之zhī后hòu，共gòng汝rǔ等děng同tóng行xíng。」才cái别bié了le，唿hū哨shào，一yì觔jīn斗dǒu，跳tiào在zài空kōng中zhōng。睁zhēng火huǒ眼yǎn平píng西xī看kàn处chù，果guǒ见jiàn有yǒu一yí座zuò城chéng池chí。你nǐ道dào怎zěn么me就jiù看kàn见jiàn了le？当dāng时shí说shuō那nà城chéng池chí离lí寺sì只zhǐ有yǒu四sì十shí里lǐ，故gù此cǐ凭píng高gāo就jiù望wàng见jiàn了le。行xíng者zhě近jìn前qián仔zǐ细xì看kàn处chù，又yòu见jiàn那nà怪guài雾wù愁chóu云yún漠mò漠mò，妖yāo风fēng怨yuàn气qì纷fēn纷fēn。行xíng者zhě在zài空kōng中zhōng赞zàn叹tàn道dào：

「若ruò是shì真zhēn王wáng登dēng寶bǎo座zuò，自zì有yǒu祥xiáng光guāng五wǔ色sè雲yún。「若ruò是shì真zhēn王wáng登dēng宝bǎo座zuò，自zì有yǒu祥xiáng光guāng五wǔ色sè云yún。

只zhǐ因yīn妖yāo怪guài侵qīn龍lóng位wèi，騰téng騰téng黑hēi氣qì鎖suǒ金jīn門mén。」只zhǐ因yīn妖yāo怪guài侵qīn龙lóng位wèi，腾téng腾téng黑hēi气qì锁suǒ金jīn门mén。」

逐句解 Line by line

不bù多duō時shí，東dōng方fāng發fā白bái。不bù多duō时shí，东dōng方fāng发fā白bái。

In a little while, the east grew white.

東方發白 (dōng fāng fā bái) "the east grew light," i.e. dawn.

行xíng者zhě又yòu吩fēn咐fù了le八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng，教jiào他tā兩liǎng個gè：「不bù可kě攪jiǎo擾rǎo僧sēng人rén，出chū來lái亂luàn走zǒu。行xíng者zhě又yòu吩fēn咐fù了le八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng，教jiào他tā两liǎng个gè：「不bù可kě搅jiǎo扰rǎo僧sēng人rén，出chū来lái乱luàn走zǒu。

Pilgrim once more charged Bajie and Sha Seng, bidding the two of them: “Do not disturb the monks, nor go running about outside.

吩咐了 (fēn fù le) "gave charge," le; 教他兩個 (jiào tā liǎng gè) "bade the two of them," causative 教 = jiào; 攪擾 (jiǎo rǎo) "to disturb."

待dài我wǒ成chéng功gōng之zhī後hòu，共gòng汝rǔ等děng同tóng行xíng。」待dài我wǒ成chéng功gōng之zhī后hòu，共gòng汝rǔ等děng同tóng行xíng。」

Wait till I have succeeded, and I will go on together with you all.”

同行 (tóng xíng) "to travel together," 行 = xíng.

才cái別bié了le，唿hū哨shào，一yì觔jīn斗dǒu，跳tiào在zài空kōng中zhōng。才cái别bié了le，唿hū哨shào，一yì觔jīn斗dǒu，跳tiào在zài空kōng中zhōng。

Just then he took his leave, gave a whistle, and with one somersault sprang into the air.

一觔斗 (yì jīn dǒu) "one somersault," 斗 = dǒu; 空中 (kōng zhōng) "in the air," zhōng; 唿哨 (hū shào) "a whistle."

睜zhēng火huǒ眼yǎn平píng西xī看kàn處chù，果guǒ見jiàn有yǒu一yí座zuò城chéng池chí。睁zhēng火huǒ眼yǎn平píng西xī看kàn处chù，果guǒ见jiàn有yǒu一yí座zuò城chéng池chí。

Opening his fiery eyes and looking level toward the west, he did indeed see a walled city.

睜火眼 (zhēng huǒ yǎn) "opening the fiery eyes" (Wukong’s fire-eyes golden-pupils); 一座 (yí zuò) "one," by sandhi.

你nǐ道dào怎zěn麼me就jiù看kàn見jiàn了le？你nǐ道dào怎zěn么me就jiù看kàn见jiàn了le？

You ask how he could see it just so?

怎麼就 (zěn me jiù) "how, just then."

當dāng時shí說shuō那nà城chéng池chí離lí寺sì只zhǐ有yǒu四sì十shí里lǐ，故gù此cǐ憑píng高gāo就jiù望wàng見jiàn了le。当dāng时shí说shuō那nà城chéng池chí离lí寺sì只zhǐ有yǒu四sì十shí里lǐ，故gù此cǐ凭píng高gāo就jiù望wàng见jiàn了le。

In those days it was said the city lay but forty li from the temple, and so, from his height, he glimpsed it at once.

當時 (dāng shí) "at that time," 當 = dāng; 那城池 (nà chéng chí) deictic nà; 四十里 (sì shí lǐ), li a Chinese unit of distance.

行xíng者zhě近jìn前qián仔zǐ細xì看kàn處chù，又yòu見jiàn那nà怪guài霧wù愁chóu雲yún漠mò漠mò，妖yāo風fēng怨yuàn氣qì紛fēn紛fēn。行xíng者zhě近jìn前qián仔zǐ细xì看kàn处chù，又yòu见jiàn那nà怪guài雾wù愁chóu云yún漠mò漠mò，妖yāo风fēng怨yuàn气qì纷fēn纷fēn。

Pilgrim drew near and looked carefully, and again he saw that fiendish mist and mournful cloud lay thick, that a demon wind and rancorous vapor swirled.

仔細 (zǐ xì) "carefully," 仔 = zǐ; 那怪霧 (nà guài wù) deictic nà; 漠漠 (mò mò) "spreading thick."

行xíng者zhě在zài空kōng中zhōng讚zàn嘆tàn道dào：行xíng者zhě在zài空kōng中zhōng赞zàn叹tàn道dào：

Pilgrim, up in the air, gave voice to praise:

空中 (kōng zhōng) "in the air," zhōng; 讚嘆 (zàn tàn) "to sigh in praise," the lead-in to the embedded verse.

If a true king mounts the throne of treasure, of itself there is auspicious light and five-colored cloud;

寶座 (bǎo zuò) "the throne"; 祥光 (xiáng guāng) "auspicious radiance"; 五色雲 (wǔ sè yún) "five-colored clouds," an omen of rightful rule.

only because a fiend has usurped the dragon-seat, roiling black vapors lock the golden gate.

龍位 (lóng wèi) "the dragon-throne"; 騰騰 (téng téng) "rising, roiling"; 鎖金門 (suǒ jīn mén) "lock the golden gate."

總評 Commentary

The scene shifts to Wukong’s aerial reconnaissance, with the fine fantastic detail of his fire-eyes golden-pupils catching the city forty li off from his height. What he sees is not a capital at peace but one shrouded in fiend-mist and demon-wind — the visible corruption of a usurped throne.

The ominous aura, rendered first in prose, is then crystallized in a quatrain that states the chapter’s cosmological premise outright: a true king draws auspicious light and five-colored cloud, while a usurping fiend brings roiling black vapors that “lock the golden gate.” The sky itself reads out the throne’s illegitimacy, and Wukong reads the sky.