第三十八回 · 召神討獸 Summoning the Gods for Game — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

召神討獸 Summoning the Gods for Game

好hǎo大dà聖shèng，你nǐ看kàn他tā就jiù在zài太tài子zǐ面miàn前qián，顯xiǎn個gè手shǒu段duàn，將jiāng身shēn一yí縱zòng，跳tiào在zài雲yún端duān裡lǐ。捻niǎn著zhe訣jué，念niàn一yì聲shēng「唵ǎn藍lán淨jìng法fǎ界jiè」的de真zhēn言yán，拘jū得de那nà山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng施shī禮lǐ道dào：「大dà聖shèng，呼hū喚huàn小xiǎo神shén，有yǒu何hé使shǐ令lìng？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「老lǎo孫sūn保bǎo護hù唐táng僧sēng到dào此cǐ，欲yù拿ná邪xié魔mó，奈nài何hé那nà太tài子zǐ打dǎ獵liè無wú物wù，不bù敢gǎn回huí朝cháo。問wèn汝rǔ等děng討tǎo個gè人rén情qíng，快kuài將jiāng獐zhāng𤜱bā鹿lù兔tù、走zǒu獸shòu飛fēi禽qín，各gè尋xún些xiē來lái，打dǎ發fā他tā回huí去qù。」山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì聞wén言yán，敢gǎn不bù承chéng命mìng，又yòu問wèn各gè要yào幾jǐ何hé。大dà聖shèng道dào：「不bù拘jū多duō少shǎo，取qǔ些xiē來lái便biàn罷ba。」好hǎo大dà圣shèng，你nǐ看kàn他tā就jiù在zài太tài子zǐ面miàn前qián，显xiǎn个gè手shǒu段duàn，将jiāng身shēn一yí纵zòng，跳tiào在zài云yún端duān里lǐ。捻niǎn着zhe诀jué，念niàn一yì声shēng「唵ǎn蓝lán净jìng法fǎ界jiè」的de真zhēn言yán，拘jū得de那nà山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng施shī礼lǐ道dào：「大dà圣shèng，呼hū唤huàn小xiǎo神shén，有yǒu何hé使shǐ令lìng？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「老lǎo孙sūn保bǎo护hù唐táng僧sēng到dào此cǐ，欲yù拿ná邪xié魔mó，奈nài何hé那nà太tài子zǐ打dǎ猎liè无wú物wù，不bù敢gǎn回huí朝cháo。问wèn汝rǔ等děng讨tǎo个gè人rén情qíng，快kuài将jiāng獐zhāng𤜱bā鹿lù兔tù、走zǒu兽shòu飞fēi禽qín，各gè寻xún些xiē来lái，打dǎ发fā他tā回huí去qù。」山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì闻wén言yán，敢gǎn不bù承chéng命mìng，又yòu问wèn各gè要yào几jǐ何hé。大dà圣shèng道dào：「不bù拘jū多duō少shǎo，取qǔ些xiē来lái便biàn罢ba。」

逐句解 Line by line

好hǎo大dà聖shèng，你nǐ看kàn他tā就jiù在zài太tài子zǐ面miàn前qián，顯xiǎn個gè手shǒu段duàn，將jiāng身shēn一yí縱zòng，跳tiào在zài雲yún端duān裡lǐ。好hǎo大dà圣shèng，你nǐ看kàn他tā就jiù在zài太tài子zǐ面miàn前qián，显xiǎn个gè手shǒu段duàn，将jiāng身shēn一yí纵zòng，跳tiào在zài云yún端duān里lǐ。

The fine Great Sage — watch him now: right there before the prince he showed off a bit of his art, flung his body up with a single bound, and leapt into the edge of the clouds.

顯個手段 is to show off a bit of technique. 將身一縱, one heave and he is airborne (將 = jiāng). Doing it in front of the prince is half the point. 太子: 子 = zǐ.

捻niǎn著zhe訣jué，念niàn一yì聲shēng「唵ǎn藍lán淨jìng法fǎ界jiè」的de真zhēn言yán，拘jū得de那nà山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng施shī禮lǐ道dào：「大dà聖shèng，呼hū喚huàn小xiǎo神shén，有yǒu何hé使shǐ令lìng？」捻niǎn着zhe诀jué，念niàn一yì声shēng「唵ǎn蓝lán净jìng法fǎ界jiè」的de真zhēn言yán，拘jū得de那nà山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng施shī礼lǐ道dào：「大dà圣shèng，呼hū唤huàn小xiǎo神shén，有yǒu何hé使shǐ令lìng？」

Pinching a magic sign and reciting once the spell 'Oṃ, blue-pure dharma-realm,' he summoned the mountain gods and earth-spirits, who did obeisance in mid-air and said: 'Great Sage, you have called your little gods — what is your command?'

唵藍淨法界 is the opening of a dhāraṇī, a Buddhist spell-formula, beginning with the familiar Oṃ — one of the summoning charms Wukong keeps in his repertoire. 捻著訣 is to pinch the fingers into a hand-sign (著 = zhe), the gesture that goes with it. 拘得: summoned, and they duly came (得 = de). 那 = nà; 半空中: 中 = zhōng. The local gods appear the way a duty clerk appears when the extension rings.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「老lǎo孫sūn保bǎo護hù唐táng僧sēng到dào此cǐ，欲yù拿ná邪xié魔mó，奈nài何hé那nà太tài子zǐ打dǎ獵liè無wú物wù，不bù敢gǎn回huí朝cháo。行xíng者zhě道dào：「老lǎo孙sūn保bǎo护hù唐táng僧sēng到dào此cǐ，欲yù拿ná邪xié魔mó，奈nài何hé那nà太tài子zǐ打dǎ猎liè无wú物wù，不bù敢gǎn回huí朝cháo。

The Pilgrim said: 'Old Sun, escorting the Tang Monk, has come to this place meaning to seize a demon; but the trouble is that the prince here has hunted and taken nothing, and dares not return to court.'

邪魔, an evil sprite. 不敢回朝: dares not go back to court (朝 = cháo). 那 = nà; 太子: 子 = zǐ.

問wèn汝rǔ等děng討tǎo個gè人rén情qíng，快kuài將jiāng獐zhāng𤜱bā鹿lù兔tù、走zǒu獸shòu飛fēi禽qín，各gè尋xún些xiē來lái，打dǎ發fā他tā回huí去qù。」问wèn汝rǔ等děng讨tǎo个gè人rén情qíng，快kuài将jiāng獐zhāng𤜱bā鹿lù兔tù、走zǒu兽shòu飞fēi禽qín，各gè寻xún些xiē来lái，打dǎ发fā他tā回huí去qù。」

'I ask a favor of you all: quickly find some roe-deer and wild sows, deer and hares, walking beasts and flying fowl, a few of each, and send him off home with them.'

獐𤜱鹿兔 is a stock four-character shopping list of game: roe-deer, wild sow (𤜱, read bā — a rare character you will not meet outside lists like this one), deer, hare. 快將: quickly bring (將 = jiāng). 打發 is to send someone off, then as now.

山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì聞wén言yán，敢gǎn不bù承chéng命mìng，又yòu問wèn各gè要yào幾jǐ何hé。山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì闻wén言yán，敢gǎn不bù承chéng命mìng，又yòu问wèn各gè要yào几jǐ何hé。

The mountain gods and earth-spirits, hearing this, dared not but obey, and asked further how many of each were wanted.

敢不承命 — 'how should we dare not accept the command?' — is bureaucratic obedience in four characters. Then, being conscientious spirits, they ask for a quantity. 幾何: how many.

大dà聖shèng道dào：「不bù拘jū多duō少shǎo，取qǔ些xiē來lái便biàn罷ba。」大dà圣shèng道dào：「不bù拘jū多duō少shǎo，取qǔ些xiē来lái便biàn罢ba。」

The Great Sage said: 'No matter how many — just bring some, and that will do.'

不拘多少, never mind the number; 便罷, and that will do (罷 = ba). The Great Sage does not do paperwork.

總評 Commentary

Having promised the prince a face-saving catch, Wukong makes good on it the only way he knows, by conscripting the local pantheon. The result is a small comic set-piece of celestial bureaucracy: the Great Sage leaps skyward, recites his spell, and the mountain gods and earth-spirits materialize to take the order like clerks summoned to a desk.

The exchange plays the supernatural for laughs. The gods' deferential 'we dare not disobey' and their earnest follow-up question — how many of each? — meet Wukong's breezy 'never mind, just bring some.' Requisitioning wildlife is a trivial errand to him, and the powers of heaven are quietly put to work supplying a courtier's alibi.

Under the comedy the plan is advancing. The empty-handed hunt was the obstacle raised in the previous scene, and Wukong dissolves it with a snap of celestial fingers, clearing the prince's path home so the real work — exposing the demon — can go ahead.