第三十七回 · 進退兩難 Caught Between Doubt and Belief — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

進退兩難 Caught Between Doubt and Belief

那nà太tài子zǐ聞wén言yán，心xīn中zhōng慘cǎn慼qī，暗àn自zì傷shāng愁chóu道dào：「若ruò不bú信xìn此cǐ言yán語yǔ，他tā卻què有yǒu三sān分fēn兒er真zhēn實shí；若ruò信xìn了le，怎zěn奈nài殿diàn上shàng見jiàn是shì我wǒ父fù王wáng？」這zhè才cái是shì進jìn退tuì兩liǎng難nán心xīn問wèn口kǒu，三sān思sī忍rěn耐nài口kǒu問wèn心xīn。行xíng者zhě見jiàn他tā疑yí惑huò不bú定dìng，又yòu上shàng前qián道dào：「殿diàn下xià不bú必bì心xīn疑yí，請qǐng殿diàn下xià駕jià回huí本běn國guó，問wèn你nǐ國guó母mǔ娘niáng娘niáng一yì聲shēng，看kàn他tā夫fū妻qī恩ēn愛ài之zhī情qíng，比bǐ三sān年nián前qián如rú何hé。只zhī此cǐ一yí問wèn，便biàn知zhī真zhēn假jiǎ矣yǐ。」那nà太tài子zǐ闻wén言yán，心xīn中zhōng惨cǎn戚qī，暗àn自zì伤shāng愁chóu道dào：「若ruò不bú信xìn此cǐ言yán语yǔ，他tā却què有yǒu三sān分fēn儿er真zhēn实shí；若ruò信xìn了le，怎zěn奈nài殿diàn上shàng见jiàn是shì我wǒ父fù王wáng？」这zhè才cái是shì进jìn退tuì两liǎng难nán心xīn问wèn口kǒu，三sān思sī忍rěn耐nài口kǒu问wèn心xīn。行xíng者zhě见jiàn他tā疑yí惑huò不bú定dìng，又yòu上shàng前qián道dào：「殿diàn下xià不bú必bì心xīn疑yí，请qǐng殿diàn下xià驾jià回huí本běn国guó，问wèn你nǐ国guó母mǔ娘niáng娘niáng一yì声shēng，看kàn他tā夫fū妻qī恩ēn爱ài之zhī情qíng，比bǐ三sān年nián前qián如rú何hé。只zhī此cǐ一yí问wèn，便biàn知zhī真zhēn假jiǎ矣yǐ。」

逐句解 Line by line

那nà太tài子zǐ聞wén言yán，心xīn中zhōng慘cǎn慼qī，暗àn自zì傷shāng愁chóu道dào：「若ruò不bú信xìn此cǐ言yán語yǔ，他tā卻què有yǒu三sān分fēn兒er真zhēn實shí；那nà太tài子zǐ闻wén言yán，心xīn中zhōng惨cǎn戚qī，暗àn自zì伤shāng愁chóu道dào：「若ruò不bú信xìn此cǐ言yán语yǔ，他tā却què有yǒu三sān分fēn儿er真zhēn实shí；

That prince, hearing this, was stricken to the heart, and grieved within himself, saying, “If I believe not these words — yet there are three parts of truth in them;

那太子 (nà tài zǐ) deictic nà, 子 = zǐ; 心中 (xīn zhōng) "in the heart," zhōng; 三分兒 (sān fēn er) "three parts," 分 = fēn, suffix er.

若ruò信xìn了le，怎zěn奈nài殿diàn上shàng見jiàn是shì我wǒ父fù王wáng？」若ruò信xìn了le，怎zěn奈nài殿diàn上shàng见jiàn是shì我wǒ父fù王wáng？」

and if I do believe — how then, when he I see upon the throne is my royal father?”

怎奈 (zěn nài) "yet how, but what can one do."

這zhè才cái是shì進jìn退tuì兩liǎng難nán心xīn問wèn口kǒu，三sān思sī忍rěn耐nài口kǒu問wèn心xīn。这zhè才cái是shì进jìn退tuì两liǎng难nán心xīn问wèn口kǒu，三sān思sī忍rěn耐nài口kǒu问wèn心xīn。

This indeed was the strait of advance-and-retreat: the heart questioning the mouth, and thrice pondering in patience, the mouth questioning the heart.

進退兩難 (jìn tuì liǎng nán) "hard to advance or retreat"; a parallel-prose couplet on the prince’s inner deadlock.

行xíng者zhě見jiàn他tā疑yí惑huò不bú定dìng，又yòu上shàng前qián道dào：「殿diàn下xià不bú必bì心xīn疑yí，請qǐng殿diàn下xià駕jià回huí本běn國guó，問wèn你nǐ國guó母mǔ娘niáng娘niáng一yì聲shēng，看kàn他tā夫fū妻qī恩ēn愛ài之zhī情qíng，比bǐ三sān年nián前qián如rú何hé。行xíng者zhě见jiàn他tā疑yí惑huò不bú定dìng，又yòu上shàng前qián道dào：「殿diàn下xià不bú必bì心xīn疑yí，请qǐng殿diàn下xià驾jià回huí本běn国guó，问wèn你nǐ国guó母mǔ娘niáng娘niáng一yì声shēng，看kàn他tā夫fū妻qī恩ēn爱ài之zhī情qíng，比bǐ三sān年nián前qián如rú何hé。

Pilgrim, seeing him wavering in doubt, came forward again and said, “Your Highness need not doubt in your heart. Let Your Highness drive back to your kingdom and ask the queen your mother a word — see how the love between husband and wife compares with three years ago.

疑惑不定 (yí huò bú dìng) "wavering in doubt"; 國母娘娘 (guó mǔ niáng niang) "the queen-mother."

只zhī此cǐ一yí問wèn，便biàn知zhī真zhēn假jiǎ矣yǐ。」只zhī此cǐ一yí问wèn，便biàn知zhī真zhēn假jiǎ矣yǐ。」

By this one question alone, the true and false will be known.”

真假 (zhēn jiǎ) "the true and the false."

總評 Commentary

The prince’s anguish is real: caught between disbelief and the weight of the evidence — “three parts truth” against the father he sees enthroned — he can neither accept nor reject. The parallel-prose flourish, the heart questioning the mouth and the mouth the heart, renders the deadlock of a son asked to doubt his own father.

Wukong’s answer is characteristically shrewd: not proof by argument, which has failed, but proof by test. Let the prince ask his mother whether the king’s love is as it was three years past — the one private question that a flawless impersonation cannot survive.