越牆尋園 Over the Wall to the Garden
兩個密密的開了門，躲離三藏，縱祥光，徑奔那城。不多時到了，按落雲頭，只聽得樓頭方二鼓矣。行者道：「兄弟，二更時分了。」八戒道：「正好，正好，人都在頭覺裡正濃睡也。」二人不奔正陽門，徑到後宰門首，只聽得梆鈴聲響。行者道：「兄弟，前後門皆緊急，如何得入？」八戒道：「那見做賊的從門裡走麼，瞞牆跳過便罷。」行者依言，將身一縱，跳上裡羅城牆。八戒也跳上去。二人潛入裡面，找著門路，徑尋那御花園。两个密密的开了门，躲离三藏，纵祥光，径奔那城。不多时到了，按落云头，只听得楼头方二鼓矣。行者道：「兄弟，二更时分了。」八戒道：「正好，正好，人都在头觉里正浓睡也。」二人不奔正阳门，径到后宰门首，只听得梆铃声响。行者道：「兄弟，前后门皆紧急，如何得入？」八戒道：「那见做贼的从门里走么，瞒墙跳过便罢。」行者依言，将身一纵，跳上里罗城墙。八戒也跳上去。二人潜入里面，找着门路，径寻那御花园。
逐句解 Line by line
The two of them quietly opened the door, slipped away from Tripitaka, loosed an auspicious light, and made straight for the city.
縱祥光: to loose an auspicious light, which is what these two travel by when they are in a hurry. 三藏 is Tripitaka (藏 = zàng); 那 = nà; 奔 = bēn.
In no long while they arrived, brought down their cloud, and heard the tower just then beating the second drum.
二鼓, the second drum. Chinese cities kept time by a drum tower that beat out the night-watches, so the drum is both a clock and an alarm: it tells the thieves the hour and tells everyone else that watchmen are awake. 得 in 聽得 = de.
The Pilgrim said: 'Brother, it is the second watch.'
二更時分: the time of the second watch (更 = gēng), roughly nine to eleven at night.
Bajie said: 'Just right, just right — everyone is deep in their first sleep.'
頭覺 is the first sleep of the night, when people are hardest to wake (覺 = jiào, 'sleep,' not jué, 'to perceive'). Bajie has clearly given this some professional thought. 都 = dōu.
The two did not head for the Zhengyang Gate, but went straight to the Rear Steward's Gate, where they heard the clappers and bells sounding.
正陽門, the 'Facing-the-Sun Gate,' is the main south gate of a walled city, and they avoid it for the same reason burglars avoid the front door. 後宰門 is the rear service gate the prince used earlier (宰 = zǎi). 梆鈴 is the watchman's wooden clapper and bell — the sound of someone patrolling. 得 = de.
The Pilgrim said: 'Brother, front gate and back are both on strict watch — how are we to get in?'
得入: to manage to get in (得 = dé). 行 = xíng.
Bajie said: 'Whoever saw a thief go in by the door? We'll just slip over the wall and be done.'
The pig's one moment of professional expertise. 那見做賊的從門裡走 — 'whoever saw a thief use the door?' — takes 那 as the questioning nǎ. 瞞牆跳過: slip over the wall unseen. 便罷 = ba.
The Pilgrim did as he said, flung his body up with a bound, and leapt onto the inner enclosing wall.
將身一縱: one heave and he is up (將 = jiāng). 裡羅城牆 is the inner enclosing wall — big Chinese cities had rings of them, an outer wall for the city and inner ones around the palace.
Bajie leapt up too.
Straight after him, and no fuss about it.
The two slipped inside, found their way, and made straight for the imperial garden.
找著: found their way (著 = zháo, marking the finding as achieved). 那 = nà.
The chapter's central operation begins as a caper. Wukong and Bajie slip away from their master, fly to a sleeping city, find both gates under strict watch, and go over the wall on the pig's impeccable thief's logic — whoever saw a burglar use the door? The night hours are marked out by drum and clapper, which gives the whole approach the texture of a heist film.
The comedy here is companionable rather than fraught. Bajie, who had to be tricked into coming, is an eager and competent accomplice the moment he arrives, offering the professional's advice and vaulting the wall after his brother. The two make straight for the imperial garden, and the tone of light adventure holds just long enough to reach the ruin waiting inside it.