第三十七回 · 三寸之舌 A Three-Inch Tongue — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

三寸之舌 A Three-Inch Tongue

有yǒu蓍shī作zuò筮shì？憑píng書shū句jù斷duàn人rén禍huò福fú？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ一yì毫háo不bú用yòng，只zhǐ是shì全quán憑píng三sān寸cùn舌shé，萬wàn事shì盡jìn皆jiē知zhī。」太tài子zǐ道dào：「這zhè廝sī又yòu是shì胡hú說shuō。自zì古gǔ以yǐ來lái，《周zhōu易yì》之zhī書shū，極jí其qí玄xuán妙miào，斷duàn盡jìn天tiān下xià吉jí凶xiōng，使shǐ人rén知zhī所suǒ趨qū避bì，故gù龜guī所suǒ以yǐ卜bǔ，蓍shī所suǒ以yǐ筮shì。聽tīng汝rǔ之zhī言yán，憑píng據jù何hé理lǐ？妄wàng言yán禍huò福fú，扇shān惑huò人rén心xīn。」有yǒu蓍shī作zuò筮shì？凭píng书shū句jù断duàn人rén祸huò福fú？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ一yì毫háo不bú用yòng，只zhǐ是shì全quán凭píng三sān寸cùn舌shé，万wàn事shì尽jìn皆jiē知zhī。」太tài子zǐ道dào：「这zhè厮sī又yòu是shì胡hú说shuō。自zì古gǔ以yǐ来lái，《周zhōu易yì》之zhī书shū，极jí其qí玄xuán妙miào，断duàn尽jìn天tiān下xià吉jí凶xiōng，使shǐ人rén知zhī所suǒ趋qū避bì，故gù龟guī所suǒ以yǐ卜bǔ，蓍shī所suǒ以yǐ筮shì。听tīng汝rǔ之zhī言yán，凭píng据jù何hé理lǐ？妄wàng言yán祸huò福fú，扇shān惑huò人rén心xīn。」

逐句解 Line by line

有yǒu蓍shī作zuò筮shì？有yǒu蓍shī作zuò筮shì？

Have you milfoil for your yarrow-casting?

蓍 (shī) "milfoil, yarrow"; 筮 (shì) "to divine by yarrow-stalks."

憑píng書shū句jù斷duàn人rén禍huò福fú？」凭píng书shū句jù断duàn人rén祸huò福fú？」

Do you rely on the words of a book to judge men’s weal and woe?”

斷人禍福 (duàn rén huò fú) "to judge men’s fortune and misfortune."

行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ一yì毫háo不bú用yòng，只zhǐ是shì全quán憑píng三sān寸cùn舌shé，萬wàn事shì盡jìn皆jiē知zhī。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ一yì毫háo不bú用yòng，只zhǐ是shì全quán凭píng三sān寸cùn舌shé，万wàn事shì尽jìn皆jiē知zhī。」

Pilgrim said, “I use not a hair of them; I rely wholly on my three-inch tongue, and all ten thousand matters are entirely known to me.”

一毫不用 (yì háo bú yòng) "use not a hair"; 三寸舌 (sān cùn shé) "a three-cùn tongue," i.e. eloquence; 盡皆知 (jìn jiē zhī) "all entirely known," 盡 = jìn.

太tài子zǐ道dào：「這zhè廝sī又yòu是shì胡hú說shuō。太tài子zǐ道dào：「这zhè厮sī又yòu是shì胡hú说shuō。

The prince said, “This fellow talks nonsense again.

胡說 (hú shuō) "to talk nonsense."

自zì古gǔ以yǐ來lái，《周zhōu易yì》之zhī書shū，極jí其qí玄xuán妙miào，斷duàn盡jìn天tiān下xià吉jí凶xiōng，使shǐ人rén知zhī所suǒ趨qū避bì，故gù龜guī所suǒ以yǐ卜bǔ，蓍shī所suǒ以yǐ筮shì。自zì古gǔ以yǐ来lái，《周zhōu易yì》之zhī书shū，极jí其qí玄xuán妙miào，断duàn尽jìn天tiān下xià吉jí凶xiōng，使shǐ人rén知zhī所suǒ趋qū避bì，故gù龟guī所suǒ以yǐ卜bǔ，蓍shī所suǒ以yǐ筮shì。

From of old, the Book of Changes has been most subtle and profound, judging to the full the fortunes of all under heaven, and letting men know what to seek and what to shun; thus the tortoise-shell is the means of divining, and the milfoil the means of yarrow-casting.

周易 (zhōu yì) the Book of Changes; 斷盡 (duàn jìn) "to judge to the full," 盡 = jìn; 龜所以卜 (guī suǒ yǐ bǔ) "the tortoise is the means of divining," 卜 = bǔ.

聽tīng汝rǔ之zhī言yán，憑píng據jù何hé理lǐ？听tīng汝rǔ之zhī言yán，凭píng据jù何hé理lǐ？

To hear your words — on what principle do they rest?

憑據何理 (píng jù hé lǐ) "on what ground do they rest."

妄wàng言yán禍huò福fú，扇shān惑huò人rén心xīn。」妄wàng言yán祸huò福fú，扇shān惑huò人rén心xīn。」

You speak recklessly of weal and woe, inciting and deluding men’s hearts.”

妄言 (wàng yán) "to speak recklessly"; 扇惑 (shān huò) "to incite and delude," 扇 = shān (to fan up, verb).

總評 Commentary

The prince meets the oracle as a Confucian scholar would, citing the Book of Changes and the canonical instruments of prognostication — tortoise-shell and milfoil — and demanding to know by what method this manikin claims to divine.

Wukong’s answer sets his cosmic knowing against all orthodox apparatus: he needs “not a hair” of shell or stalk, only his “three-inch tongue,” and knows all things entirely. The prince, unmoved, charges him with reckless speech that “incites and deludes” — the learned resistance that Wukong must now break with the one thing the prince cannot dismiss: his own history.