第三十七回 · 山門疑箭 The Arrow at the Gate — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

山門疑箭 The Arrow at the Gate

卻què說shuō那nà太tài子zǐ趕gǎn到dào山shān門mén前qián，不bú見jiàn了le玉yù兔tù，只zhǐ見jiàn門mén檻kǎn上shàng插chā著zhe一yì枝zhī雕diāo翎líng箭jiàn。太tài子zǐ大dà驚jīng失shī色sè道dào：「怪guài哉zāi！怪guài哉zāi！分fēn明míng我wǒ箭jiàn中zhòng了le玉yù兔tù，玉yù兔tù怎zěn麼me不bú見jiàn，只zhǐ見jiàn箭jiàn在zài此cǐ間jiān？想xiǎng是shì年nián多duō日rì久jiǔ，成chéng了le精jīng魅mèi也yě。」拔bá了le箭jiàn，擡tái頭tóu看kàn處chù，山shān門mén上shàng有yǒu五wǔ個gè大dà字zì，寫xiě著zhe「敕chì建jiàn寶bǎo林lín寺sì」。太tài子zǐ道dào：「我wǒ知zhī之zhī矣yǐ。向xiàng年nián間jiān曾céng記jì得dé我wǒ父fù王wáng在zài金jīn鑾luán殿diàn上shàng，差chāi官guān賫jī些xiē金jīn帛bó，與yǔ這zhè和hé尚shàng修xiū理lǐ佛fó殿diàn佛fó象xiàng，不bù期qī今jīn日rì到dào此cǐ。正zhèng是shì：因yīn過guò道dào院yuàn逢féng僧sēng話huà，又yòu得dé浮fú生shēng半bàn日rì閑xián。我wǒ且qiě進jìn去qù走zǒu走zǒu。」却què说shuō那nà太tài子zǐ赶gǎn到dào山shān门mén前qián，不bú见jiàn了le玉yù兔tù，只zhǐ见jiàn门mén槛kǎn上shàng插chā著zhe一yì枝zhī雕diāo翎líng箭jiàn。太tài子zǐ大dà惊jīng失shī色sè道dào：「怪guài哉zāi！怪guài哉zāi！分fēn明míng我wǒ箭jiàn中zhòng了le玉yù兔tù，玉yù兔tù怎zěn么me不bú见jiàn，只zhǐ见jiàn箭jiàn在zài此cǐ间jiān？想xiǎng是shì年nián多duō日rì久jiǔ，成chéng了le精jīng魅mèi也yě。」拔bá了le箭jiàn，擡tái头tóu看kàn处chù，山shān门mén上shàng有yǒu五wǔ个gè大dà字zì，写xiě著zhe「敕chì建jiàn宝bǎo林lín寺sì」。太tài子zǐ道dào：「我wǒ知zhī之zhī矣yǐ。向xiàng年nián间jiān曾céng记jì得dé我wǒ父fù王wáng在zài金jīn銮luán殿diàn上shàng，差chāi官guān赍jī些xiē金jīn帛bó，与yǔ这zhè和hé尚shàng修xiū理lǐ佛fó殿diàn佛fó象xiàng，不bù期qī今jīn日rì到dào此cǐ。正zhèng是shì：因yīn过guò道dào院yuàn逢féng僧sēng话huà，又yòu得dé浮fú生shēng半bàn日rì闲xián。我wǒ且qiě进jìn去qù走zǒu走zǒu。」

逐句解 Line by line

卻què說shuō那nà太tài子zǐ趕gǎn到dào山shān門mén前qián，不bú見jiàn了le玉yù兔tù，只zhǐ見jiàn門mén檻kǎn上shàng插chā著zhe一yì枝zhī雕diāo翎líng箭jiàn。却què说shuō那nà太tài子zǐ赶gǎn到dào山shān门mén前qián，不bú见jiàn了le玉yù兔tù，只zhǐ见jiàn门mén槛kǎn上shàng插chā著zhe一yì枝zhī雕diāo翎líng箭jiàn。

Now that prince, having ridden up to the mountain gate, saw no jade rabbit, only an arrow stuck upright in the gate-threshold.

那太子 (nà tài zǐ) deictic nà, 子 = zǐ; 插著 (chā zhe) "stuck [there]," durative 著 = zhe.

太tài子zǐ大dà驚jīng失shī色sè道dào：「怪guài哉zāi！太tài子zǐ大dà惊jīng失shī色sè道dào：「怪guài哉zāi！

The prince, greatly startled and losing colour, said, “How strange!

太子 (tài zǐ), 子 = zǐ; 怪哉 (guài zāi) "how strange!"

怪guài哉zāi！怪guài哉zāi！

How strange!

怪哉 (guài zāi), repeated for emphasis.

分fēn明míng我wǒ箭jiàn中zhòng了le玉yù兔tù，玉yù兔tù怎zěn麼me不bú見jiàn，只zhǐ見jiàn箭jiàn在zài此cǐ間jiān？分fēn明míng我wǒ箭jiàn中zhòng了le玉yù兔tù，玉yù兔tù怎zěn么me不bú见jiàn，只zhǐ见jiàn箭jiàn在zài此cǐ间jiān？

Plainly my arrow struck the jade rabbit — how is it the rabbit is nowhere seen, and only the arrow is here?

分明 (fēn míng) "plainly," fēn; 箭中了 (jiàn zhòng le) "the arrow struck," 中 = zhòng; 此間 (cǐ jiān) "here."

想xiǎng是shì年nián多duō日rì久jiǔ，成chéng了le精jīng魅mèi也yě。」想xiǎng是shì年nián多duō日rì久jiǔ，成chéng了le精jīng魅mèi也yě。」

It must be that, with the length of years, it has become a sprite.”

年多日久 (nián duō rì jiǔ) "long years and days"; 精魅 (jīng mèi) "a sprite, a goblin."

拔bá了le箭jiàn，擡tái頭tóu看kàn處chù，山shān門mén上shàng有yǒu五wǔ個gè大dà字zì，寫xiě著zhe「敕chì建jiàn寶bǎo林lín寺sì」。拔bá了le箭jiàn，擡tái头tóu看kàn处chù，山shān门mén上shàng有yǒu五wǔ个gè大dà字zì，写xiě著zhe「敕chì建jiàn宝bǎo林lín寺sì」。

He pulled out the arrow, raised his head to look, and on the mountain gate were five great characters, written: “Baolin Monastery, Built by Imperial Decree.”

看處 (kàn chù) "as he looked," chù; 寫著 (xiě zhe) "written," durative 著 = zhe; 敕建 (chì jiàn) "built by imperial decree."

太tài子zǐ道dào：「我wǒ知zhī之zhī矣yǐ。太tài子zǐ道dào：「我wǒ知zhī之zhī矣yǐ。

The prince said, “I know it now.

太子 (tài zǐ), 子 = zǐ; 知之矣 (zhī zhī yǐ) "I understand it."

向xiàng年nián間jiān曾céng記jì得dé我wǒ父fù王wáng在zài金jīn鑾luán殿diàn上shàng，差chāi官guān賫jī些xiē金jīn帛bó，與yǔ這zhè和hé尚shàng修xiū理lǐ佛fó殿diàn佛fó象xiàng，不bù期qī今jīn日rì到dào此cǐ。向xiàng年nián间jiān曾céng记jì得dé我wǒ父fù王wáng在zài金jīn銮luán殿diàn上shàng，差chāi官guān赍jī些xiē金jīn帛bó，与yǔ这zhè和hé尚shàng修xiū理lǐ佛fó殿diàn佛fó象xiàng，不bù期qī今jīn日rì到dào此cǐ。

In a former year I recall my father the king, in the Hall of Golden Bells, sent officers to bring gifts of gold and silk to these monks for the repair of the Buddha-hall and Buddha-images — little thought I to come here this day.

向年間 (xiàng nián jiān) "in a former year," jiān; 記得 (jì dé) "recall," dé; 差官 (chāi guān) "to dispatch officers," 差 = chāi (to send); 賫 (jī) "to bring, present"; 佛 (fó) invariant.

正zhèng是shì：因yīn過guò道dào院yuàn逢féng僧sēng話huà，又yòu得dé浮fú生shēng半bàn日rì閑xián。正zhèng是shì：因yīn过guò道dào院yuàn逢féng僧sēng话huà，又yòu得dé浮fú生shēng半bàn日rì闲xián。

Truly it is said: passing the cloister he met the monk and talked, and gained again a half-day’s leisure of this floating life.

A quoted couplet from Li She (李涉), 《題鶴林寺僧舍》. The received text reads 因過竹院逢僧話 — 鶴林寺 was anciently 古竹院, so 竹院 denotes the temple itself; 世德堂本 here writes 道院, encoded per source. Circulating variants also give 偷得 for 又得. 又得 (yòu dé), 得 = dé (to gain).

我wǒ且qiě進jìn去qù走zǒu走zǒu。」我wǒ且qiě进jìn去qù走zǒu走zǒu。」

Let me just go in and take a look about.”

走走 (zǒu zǒu) "to walk about a little."

總評 Commentary

The prince reaches the gate to find the rabbit vanished and only his arrow left, and reasons, as a mortal would, that the creature must be a sprite of many years — the natural, wrong explanation that nonetheless leads him exactly where Wukong wants him.

Reading the imperial signboard, he recalls his father’s patronage of this very monastery — a memory that draws him inside willingly. The scene closes on a quoted couplet of monastic leisure (after Li She’s well-known lines, here with 道院 for the usual 竹院), the fated “half-day’s leisure” that will become the hinge of the whole reunion.