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gān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gān碍ài着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着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: 'so how do you mean to handle it?' 裁處 (cái chǔ) is to dispose of a matter, with 處 read chǔ as the verb 'to deal with,' not chù, 'a place.'

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 already made. He has had it all along and has been waiting to be asked. 行 = xíng; 了 = le.

只zhǐ是shì干gān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gān碍ài着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.'

Now watch the setup. 干礙著 is to involve or bear on someone (著 = zhe); 護短 is to cover for another person's failings, to take their side when they are in the wrong. Wukong needs Tripitaka to deny it before he explains what the plan requires. 兒 in 些兒 is the light ending.

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?'

And he takes the bait on cue.

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 thick and heavy-handed (夯 = hāng, the character for a rammer used to pound earth, which tells you the flavor of the insult; 得 = de). 偏向 is to lean someone's way. 兒 = the light ending.

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 trap open one line longer.

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.'

The vow of impartiality, duly extracted. 把膽放大 — 'make your gall bigger' — is the Chinese way of saying 'take courage'; the gallbladder, not the heart, was the seat of nerve. 沙僧 is Sha Monk. In 不向他 the 不 takes the tone bú before the falling tone of 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着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.'

The real plan at last, and it is grave-robbing. 琉璃井 is the glazed-tile well the king was drowned in. 尋著, find it — 著 read zháo, marking the finding as accomplished. 撈將上來: haul it up (將 = jiāng). 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 is the traveler's routine of having papers inspected and re-stamped at each border — the visa queue of the Tang world, and the errand that normally brings the pilgrims into a throne room at all. Wukong proposes to skip it and open with the cudgel instead. 倒 = dào, 'to exchange.' 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 is the bones, the mortal remains. 將骨襯 takes them up to be shown (將 = jiāng). This is the whole plan in one line: not an argument but an exhibit, produced in open court.

總評 Commentary

Wukong's plan answers the evidence problem exactly. Since the demon cannot be convicted on assertion, the pilgrims will go and fetch the body: into the city by night, into the imperial garden, down the well, and back the next morning to confront the impostor with the bones themselves — 'this is the man you murdered.' Force and proof are married, and the cudgel now has a case behind it.

The scene is framed by a running domestic joke. Before he will say what the plan is, Wukong needles his master for 'shielding his own' — for going soft on the lazy Bajie — and Tripitaka's indignant denials are the real maneuver. The vow of impartiality is extracted in advance precisely so the master cannot object later when Wukong drafts the pig for a night of grave-robbing.

The plan's casual lawlessness — skip the travel papers, strike on sight — is characteristic of this novel's pragmatism about means. What matters is that the false king be exposed and the true one restored. The procedural niceties Wukong raised as an obstacle are, the moment the evidence is in hand, cheerfully set aside.