第三十七回 · 單騎回城 Riding Back Alone — Journey to the West

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

單騎回城 Riding Back Alone

那nà太tài子zǐ回huí心xīn道dào：「正zhèng是shì。且qiě待dài我wǒ問wèn我wǒ母mǔ親qīn去qù來lái。」他tā跳tiào起qǐ身shēn，籠lóng了le白bái玉yù珪guī就jiù走zǒu。行xíng者zhě扯chě住zhù道dào：「你nǐ這zhè些xiē人rén馬mǎ都dōu回huí，卻què不bù走zǒu漏lòu消xiāo息xī，我wǒ難nán成chéng功gōng？但dàn要yào你nǐ單dān人rén獨dú馬mǎ進jìn城chéng，不bù可kě揚yáng名míng賣mài弄nòng。莫mò入rù正zhèng陽yáng門mén，須xū從cóng後hòu宰zǎi門mén進jìn去qù。到dào宮gōng中zhōng見jiàn你nǐ母mǔ親qīn，切qiè休xiū高gāo聲shēng大dà氣qì，須xū是shì悄qiāo語yǔ低dī言yán。恐kǒng那nà怪guài神shén通tōng廣guǎng大dà，一yì時shí走zǒu了le消xiāo息xī，你nǐ娘niáng兒er們men性xìng命mìng俱jù難nán保bǎo也yě。」太tài子zǐ謹jǐn遵zūn教jiào命mìng。出chū山shān門mén吩fēn咐fù將jiàng官guān：「穩wěn在zài此cǐ扎zhā營yíng，不bù得dé移yí動dòng。我wǒ有yǒu一yí事shì，待dài我wǒ去qù了le就jiù來lái，一yì同tóng進jìn城chéng。」看kàn他tā：那nà太tài子zǐ回huí心xīn道dào：「正zhèng是shì。且qiě待dài我wǒ问wèn我wǒ母mǔ亲qīn去qù来lái。」他tā跳tiào起qǐ身shēn，笼lóng了le白bái玉yù珪guī就jiù走zǒu。行xíng者zhě扯chě住zhù道dào：「你nǐ这zhè些xiē人rén马mǎ都dōu回huí，却què不bù走zǒu漏lòu消xiāo息xī，我wǒ难nán成chéng功gōng？但dàn要yào你nǐ单dān人rén独dú马mǎ进jìn城chéng，不bù可kě扬yáng名míng卖mài弄nòng。莫mò入rù正zhèng阳yáng门mén，须xū从cóng后hòu宰zǎi门mén进jìn去qù。到dào宫gōng中zhōng见jiàn你nǐ母mǔ亲qīn，切qiè休xiū高gāo声shēng大dà气qì，须xū是shì悄qiāo语yǔ低dī言yán。恐kǒng那nà怪guài神shén通tōng广guǎng大dà，一yì时shí走zǒu了le消xiāo息xī，你nǐ娘niáng儿er们men性xìng命mìng俱jù难nán保bǎo也yě。」太tài子zǐ谨jǐn遵zūn教jiào命mìng。出chū山shān门mén吩fēn咐fù将jiàng官guān：「稳wěn在zài此cǐ扎zhā营yíng，不bù得dé移yí动dòng。我wǒ有yǒu一yí事shì，待dài我wǒ去qù了le就jiù来lái，一yì同tóng进jìn城chéng。」看kàn他tā：

指zhǐ揮huī號hào令lìng屯tún軍jūn士shì，上shàng馬mǎ如rú飛fēi即jí轉zhuǎn城chéng。指zhǐ挥huī号hào令lìng屯tún军jūn士shì，上shàng马mǎ如rú飞fēi即jí转zhuǎn城chéng。

逐句解 Line by line

那nà太tài子zǐ回huí心xīn道dào：「正zhèng是shì。那nà太tài子zǐ回huí心xīn道dào：「正zhèng是shì。

That prince, his heart turning, said, “Just so.

那太子 (nà tài zǐ) deictic nà, 子 = zǐ; 回心 (huí xīn) "to change one’s mind."

且qiě待dài我wǒ問wèn我wǒ母mǔ親qīn去qù來lái。」且qiě待dài我wǒ问wèn我wǒ母mǔ亲qīn去qù来lái。」

Let me first go and ask my mother.”

去來 (qù lái) "to go [and come]," a colloquial verb tag.

他tā跳tiào起qǐ身shēn，籠lóng了le白bái玉yù珪guī就jiù走zǒu。他tā跳tiào起qǐ身shēn，笼lóng了le白bái玉yù珪guī就jiù走zǒu。

He sprang up, tucked away the white-jade tablet in his sleeve, and made to go.

籠了 (lǒng le) "gathered up, tucked into the sleeve," le.

行xíng者zhě扯chě住zhù道dào：「你nǐ這zhè些xiē人rén馬mǎ都dōu回huí，卻què不bù走zǒu漏lòu消xiāo息xī，我wǒ難nán成chéng功gōng？行xíng者zhě扯chě住zhù道dào：「你nǐ这zhè些xiē人rén马mǎ都dōu回huí，却què不bù走zǒu漏lòu消xiāo息xī，我wǒ难nán成chéng功gōng？

Pilgrim held him back and said, “If all these horse and men of yours return, will the secret not leak, and my work be hard to accomplish?

都回 (dōu huí) "all return," dōu; 難成功 (nán chéng gōng) "hard to accomplish."

但dàn要yào你nǐ單dān人rén獨dú馬mǎ進jìn城chéng，不bù可kě揚yáng名míng賣mài弄nòng。但dàn要yào你nǐ单dān人rén独dú马mǎ进jìn城chéng，不bù可kě扬yáng名míng卖mài弄nòng。

You must enter the city single, one man on one horse; you must not make your name known or show off.

單人獨馬 (dān rén dú mǎ) "one man, one horse, alone"; 賣弄 (mài nòng) "to show off."

莫mò入rù正zhèng陽yáng門mén，須xū從cóng後hòu宰zǎi門mén進jìn去qù。莫mò入rù正zhèng阳yáng门mén，须xū从cóng后hòu宰zǎi门mén进jìn去qù。

Enter not by the Zhengyang Gate; you must go in by the Houzai Gate.

後宰門 (hòu zǎi mén) the Houzai Gate, 宰 = zǎi.

到dào宮gōng中zhōng見jiàn你nǐ母mǔ親qīn，切qiè休xiū高gāo聲shēng大dà氣qì，須xū是shì悄qiāo語yǔ低dī言yán。到dào宫gōng中zhōng见jiàn你nǐ母mǔ亲qīn，切qiè休xiū高gāo声shēng大dà气qì，须xū是shì悄qiāo语yǔ低dī言yán。

When you come into the palace to see your mother, take care not to speak loud or high — you must whisper low and soft.

宮中 (gōng zhōng) "in the palace," zhōng; 悄語低言 (qiǎo yǔ dī yán) "whisper low."

恐kǒng那nà怪guài神shén通tōng廣guǎng大dà，一yì時shí走zǒu了le消xiāo息xī，你nǐ娘niáng兒er們men性xìng命mìng俱jù難nán保bǎo也yě。」恐kǒng那nà怪guài神shén通tōng广guǎng大dà，一yì时shí走zǒu了le消xiāo息xī，你nǐ娘niáng儿er们men性xìng命mìng俱jù难nán保bǎo也yě。」

For fear that fiend’s powers are vast, and the secret should of a sudden leak, when neither you nor your mother’s lives could be saved.”

那怪 (nà guài) deictic nà; 娘兒們 (niáng er men) "you and your mother," suffix er.

太tài子zǐ謹jǐn遵zūn教jiào命mìng。太tài子zǐ谨jǐn遵zūn教jiào命mìng。

The prince respectfully obeyed the command.

謹遵教命 (jǐn zūn jiào mìng) "respectfully obeyed the instruction," 教 = jiào.

出chū山shān門mén吩fēn咐fù將jiàng官guān：「穩wěn在zài此cǐ扎zhā營yíng，不bù得dé移yí動dòng。出chū山shān门mén吩fēn咐fù将jiàng官guān：「稳wěn在zài此cǐ扎zhā营yíng，不bù得dé移yí动dòng。

Going out the mountain gate, he charged his officers: “Camp firmly here, and do not stir.

將官 (jiàng guān) "the officers," standalone 將 = jiàng; 不得移動 (bù dé yí dòng) "may not move," 得 = dé.

我wǒ有yǒu一yí事shì，待dài我wǒ去qù了le就jiù來lái，一yì同tóng進jìn城chéng。」我wǒ有yǒu一yí事shì，待dài我wǒ去qù了le就jiù来lái，一yì同tóng进jìn城chéng。」

I have a matter; wait until I have gone and returned, and we will enter the city together.”

一同 (yì tóng) "together," by sandhi.

看kàn他tā：看kàn他tā：

See him:

看他 (kàn tā) "behold him," the lead-in to the embedded couplet.

He gave command and order to station the soldiers, then, mounting as if in flight, turned at once for the city.

號令 (hào lìng) "command and order," 號 = hào; 屯軍士 (tún jūn shì) "to station the soldiers," 屯 = tún (to garrison — distinct from 災屯 zhūn).

總評 Commentary

Resolved at last, the prince sleeves the tablet and prepares to go question his mother, and Wukong lays down the careful conditions — enter alone by the back gate, speak only in whispers — a piece of tradecraft that mirrors the whole chapter’s play of concealment against a watchful fiend.

The marching couplet sends the prince flying back toward the capital, and the movement itself closes the scene: the action now passes from the temple to the palace, from the son to the mother whose single answer will prove all.