第三十八回 · 計取骨襯 The Plan to Fetch the Bones — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

計取骨襯 The Plan to Fetch the Bones

唐táng僧sēng道dào：「憑píng你nǐ怎zěn生shēng裁cái處chǔ？」行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「老lǎo孫sūn的de計jì已yǐ成chéng了le。只zhǐ是shì干gàn礙ài著zhe你nǐ老lǎo人rén家jiā，有yǒu些xiē兒er護hù短duǎn。」唐táng僧sēng道dào：「我wǒ怎zěn麼me護hù短duǎn？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「八bā戒jiè生shēng得de夯hāng，你nǐ有yǒu些xiē兒er偏piān向xiàng他tā。」唐táng僧sēng道dào：「我wǒ怎zěn麼me向xiàng他tā？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ若ruò不bú向xiàng他tā啊a，且qiě如rú今jīn把bǎ膽dǎn放fàng大dà些xiē，與yǔ沙shā僧sēng只zhǐ在zài這zhè裡lǐ。待dài老lǎo孫sūn與yǔ八bā戒jiè趁chèn此cǐ時shí先xiān入rù那nà烏wū雞jī國guó城chéng中zhōng，尋xún著zháo御yù花huā園yuán，打dǎ開kāi琉liú璃lí井jǐng，把bǎ那nà皇huáng帝dì屍shī首shǒu撈lāo將jiāng上shàng來lái，包bāo在zài我wǒ們men包bāo袱fú裡lǐ。明míng日rì進jìn城chéng，且qiě不bù管guǎn甚shén麼me倒dào換huàn文wén牒dié，見jiàn了le那nà怪guài，掣chè棍gùn來lái就jiù打dǎ。他tā但dàn有yǒu言yán語yǔ，就jiù將jiāng骨gǔ襯chèn與yǔ他tā看kàn，說shuō：『你nǐ殺shā的de是shì這zhè個gè人rén。』唐táng僧sēng道dào：「凭píng你nǐ怎zěn生shēng裁cái处chǔ？」行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「老lǎo孙sūn的de计jì已yǐ成chéng了le。只zhǐ是shì干gàn碍ài著zhe你nǐ老lǎo人rén家jiā，有yǒu些xiē儿er护hù短duǎn。」唐táng僧sēng道dào：「我wǒ怎zěn么me护hù短duǎn？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「八bā戒jiè生shēng得de夯hāng，你nǐ有yǒu些xiē儿er偏piān向xiàng他tā。」唐táng僧sēng道dào：「我wǒ怎zěn么me向xiàng他tā？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ若ruò不bú向xiàng他tā啊a，且qiě如rú今jīn把bǎ胆dǎn放fàng大dà些xiē，与yǔ沙shā僧sēng只zhǐ在zài这zhè里lǐ。待dài老lǎo孙sūn与yǔ八bā戒jiè趁chèn此cǐ时shí先xiān入rù那nà乌wū鸡jī国guó城chéng中zhōng，寻xún著zháo御yù花huā园yuán，打dǎ开kāi琉liú璃lí井jǐng，把bǎ那nà皇huáng帝dì尸shī首shǒu捞lāo将jiāng上shàng来lái，包bāo在zài我wǒ们men包bāo袱fú里lǐ。明míng日rì进jìn城chéng，且qiě不bù管guǎn甚shén么me倒dào换huàn文wén牒dié，见jiàn了le那nà怪guài，掣chè棍gùn来lái就jiù打dǎ。他tā但dàn有yǒu言yán语yǔ，就jiù将jiāng骨gǔ衬chèn与yǔ他tā看kàn，说shuō：『你nǐ杀shā的de是shì这zhè个gè人rén。』

逐句解 Line by line

唐táng僧sēng道dào：「憑píng你nǐ怎zěn生shēng裁cái處chǔ？」唐táng僧sēng道dào：「凭píng你nǐ怎zěn生shēng裁cái处chǔ？」

The Tang Monk said: 'Then how do you propose to handle it?'

憑你怎生裁處: 'how do you mean to handle it?' — 裁處 (cái chǔ), to dispose; 處 = chǔ (verb).

行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「老lǎo孫sūn的de計jì已yǐ成chéng了le。行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「老lǎo孙sūn的de计jì已yǐ成chéng了le。

The Pilgrim said with a laugh: 'Old Sun's plan is already laid.'

計已成: the plan is complete. 行 = xíng; 了 = le.

只zhǐ是shì干gàn礙ài著zhe你nǐ老lǎo人rén家jiā，有yǒu些xiē兒er護hù短duǎn。」只zhǐ是shì干gàn碍ài著zhe你nǐ老lǎo人rén家jiā，有yǒu些xiē儿er护hù短duǎn。」

'Only it touches on you, sir — you are a bit inclined to shield your own.'

干礙著: it involves, bears on (著 = zhe). 護短: to shield another's faults. 兒 = er (些兒 'a bit').

唐táng僧sēng道dào：「我wǒ怎zěn麼me護hù短duǎn？」唐táng僧sēng道dào：「我wǒ怎zěn么me护hù短duǎn？」

The Tang Monk said: 'How am I inclined to shield my own?'

Tripitaka takes the bait.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「八bā戒jiè生shēng得de夯hāng，你nǐ有yǒu些xiē兒er偏piān向xiàng他tā。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「八bā戒jiè生shēng得de夯hāng，你nǐ有yǒu些xiē儿er偏piān向xiàng他tā。」

The Pilgrim said: 'Bajie was born a lummox, and you rather take his side.'

生得夯: born clumsy and dull (夯 = hāng; 得 = de, complement). 偏向: to be partial toward. 兒 = er.

唐táng僧sēng道dào：「我wǒ怎zěn麼me向xiàng他tā？」唐táng僧sēng道dào：「我wǒ怎zěn么me向xiàng他tā？」

The Tang Monk said: 'How do I take his side?'

The straight-man's second question keeps the exchange rolling.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ若ruò不bú向xiàng他tā啊a，且qiě如rú今jīn把bǎ膽dǎn放fàng大dà些xiē，與yǔ沙shā僧sēng只zhǐ在zài這zhè裡lǐ。行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ若ruò不bú向xiàng他tā啊a，且qiě如rú今jīn把bǎ胆dǎn放fàng大dà些xiē，与yǔ沙shā僧sēng只zhǐ在zài这zhè里lǐ。

The Pilgrim said: 'If you truly do not favor him, then for now screw up your courage and stay right here with Sha Monk.'

把膽放大: to make one's gall large, i.e. take courage. 沙僧: Sha Monk. 不向他: not favor him (不 = bù before xiàng).

待dài老lǎo孫sūn與yǔ八bā戒jiè趁chèn此cǐ時shí先xiān入rù那nà烏wū雞jī國guó城chéng中zhōng，尋xún著zháo御yù花huā園yuán，打dǎ開kāi琉liú璃lí井jǐng，把bǎ那nà皇huáng帝dì屍shī首shǒu撈lāo將jiāng上shàng來lái，包bāo在zài我wǒ們men包bāo袱fú裡lǐ。待dài老lǎo孙sūn与yǔ八bā戒jiè趁chèn此cǐ时shí先xiān入rù那nà乌wū鸡jī国guó城chéng中zhōng，寻xún著zháo御yù花huā园yuán，打dǎ开kāi琉liú璃lí井jǐng，把bǎ那nà皇huáng帝dì尸shī首shǒu捞lāo将jiāng上shàng来lái，包bāo在zài我wǒ们men包bāo袱fú里lǐ。

'Let old Sun and Bajie take this hour to slip first into the city of Wuji, find the imperial garden, open the glazed-tile well, haul up that king's corpse, and wrap it in our bundle.'

琉璃井: the glazed-tile well where the king was drowned. 尋著: find (著 = zháo, resultative). 撈將上來: haul up (將 = jiāng, directional). 那 (twice) = nà; 中 = zhōng.

明míng日rì進jìn城chéng，且qiě不bù管guǎn甚shén麼me倒dào換huàn文wén牒dié，見jiàn了le那nà怪guài，掣chè棍gùn來lái就jiù打dǎ。明míng日rì进jìn城chéng，且qiě不bù管guǎn甚shén么me倒dào换huàn文wén牒dié，见jiàn了le那nà怪guài，掣chè棍gùn来lái就jiù打dǎ。

'Tomorrow, entering the city, we will not trouble at all about getting our travel-papers stamped: the moment we see the fiend, out comes the cudgel and we strike.'

倒換文牒: to have travel-documents inspected and re-stamped (倒 = dào, 'exchange') — the formality Wukong means to skip. 甚麼 = shén me; 那 = nà; 了 = le.

他tā但dàn有yǒu言yán語yǔ，就jiù將jiāng骨gǔ襯chèn與yǔ他tā看kàn，說shuō：『你nǐ殺shā的de是shì這zhè個gè人rén。』他tā但dàn有yǒu言yán语yǔ，就jiù将jiāng骨gǔ衬chèn与yǔ他tā看kàn，说shuō：『你nǐ杀shā的de是shì这zhè个gè人rén。』

'Should he have anything to say, we will thrust the bones before him and say: "This is the man you murdered."'

骨襯: the skeleton, the bones. 將骨襯: taking the bones (將 = jiāng, disposal). The corpse is to be the evidence that convicts the demon on the spot.

總評 Commentary

Wukong's plan answers the evidentiary problem exactly. Since the demon cannot be convicted on assertion, the pilgrims will produce the corpus delicti: they will steal into the city by night, recover the true king's body from the well, and confront the impostor the next day with the bones themselves — 'This is the man you murdered.' Force and proof are married; the cudgel is backed by evidence.

The scene is framed by a running domestic joke. Before he will reveal the plan, Wukong needles Tripitaka for 'shielding his own' — for favoring the lazy Bajie — and the master's indignant denials are the setup for the real maneuver: the vow of impartiality is extracted precisely so Tripitaka cannot later intervene when Wukong drafts Bajie for the grave-robbing.

The plan's casual lawlessness — skipping the travel-papers, striking on sight — is characteristic of the novel's pragmatism about means. What matters is that the false king be exposed and the true one restored; the niceties of procedure Wukong invoked as an obstacle are, once the evidence is in hand, cheerfully set aside.