原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
金箍探水
The Gold-Hooped Staff Sounds the Water
好大聖，把金箍棒拿出來，兩頭一扯，叫：「長！」足有七八丈長。教：「八戒，你抱著一頭兒，把你放下井去。」八戒道：「哥呀，放便放下去，若到水邊，就住了罷。」行者道：「我曉得。」那獃子抱著鐵棒，被行者輕輕提將起來，將他放下去，不多時，放至水邊。八戒道：「到水了。」行者聽見他說，卻將棒往下一按。那獃子撲通的一個沒頭蹲，丟了鐵棒，便就負水，口裡哺哺的嚷道：「這天殺的，我說到水莫放，他卻就把我一按。」好大圣，把金箍棒拿出来，两头一扯，叫：「长！」足有七八丈长。教：「八戒，你抱著一头儿，把你放下井去。」八戒道：「哥呀，放便放下去，若到水边，就住了罢。」行者道：「我晓得。」那呆子抱著铁棒，被行者轻轻提将起来，将他放下去，不多时，放至水边。八戒道：「到水了。」行者听见他说，却将棒往下一按。那呆子扑通的一个没头蹲，丢了铁棒，便就负水，口里哺哺的嚷道：「这天杀的，我说到水莫放，他却就把我一按。」
逐句解 Line by line
好大聖，把金箍棒拿出來，兩頭一扯，叫：「長！」
好大圣，把金箍棒拿出来，两头一扯，叫：「长！」
The fine Great Sage took out his gold-hooped staff, gave it a pull at both ends, and cried: 'Grow!'
金箍棒: the gold-hooped cudgel. 兩頭一扯: pulled it at both ends. 叫「長！」: cried 'Grow!' (長 = zhǎng, 'to grow').
足有七八丈長。
足有七八丈长。
It grew to a full seven or eight zhang in length.
七八丈長: seven or eight zhàng in length (丈 = zhàng, retained untranslated; 長 = cháng, 'length').
教：「八戒，你抱著一頭兒，把你放下井去。」
教：「八戒，你抱著一头儿，把你放下井去。」
He said: 'Bajie, hold on to one end, and I'll let you down into the well.'
抱著一頭兒: hold on to one end (著 = zhe; 兒 = er, suffix on 頭). 教: he told/instructed (jiào).
八戒道：「哥呀，放便放下去，若到水邊，就住了罷。」
八戒道：「哥呀，放便放下去，若到水边，就住了罢。」
Bajie said: 'Brother — lower away, but when I reach the water's edge, stop right there.'
就住了罷: 'just stop there' (罷 = ba). Bajie's careful instruction — soon to be ignored.
行者道：「我曉得。」
行者道：「我晓得。」
The Pilgrim said: 'I understand.'
曉得: understand (得 = dé). 行 = xíng.
那獃子抱著鐵棒，被行者輕輕提將起來，將他放下去，不多時，放至水邊。
那呆子抱著铁棒，被行者轻轻提将起来，将他放下去，不多时，放至水边。
The blockhead clung to the iron staff, and the Pilgrim lifted him lightly up, then let him down; in no long while he was lowered to the water's edge.
提將起來…放下去: lifted up and let down (將 = jiāng, ×2). 那 = nà; 著 = zhe (抱著).
八戒道：「到水了。」
八戒道：「到水了。」
Bajie said: 'I've reached the water.'
Bajie signals he has reached the water.
行者聽見他說，卻將棒往下一按。
行者听见他说，却将棒往下一按。
Hearing him say so, the Pilgrim gave the staff a push straight down.
卻將棒往下一按: gave the staff a downward push (將 = jiāng) — Wukong's mischief. 行 = xíng.
那獃子撲通的一個沒頭蹲，丟了鐵棒，便就負水，口裡哺哺的嚷道：「這天殺的，我說到水莫放，他卻就把我一按。」
那呆子扑通的一个没头蹲，丢了铁棒，便就负水，口里哺哺的嚷道：「这天杀的，我说到水莫放，他却就把我一按。」
With a splash the blockhead went under headfirst, let go the iron staff, and began treading water, sputtering out of his mouth: 'That murdering wretch! I told him not to lower me once I hit the water — and he pushes me straight down!'
撲通…沒頭蹲: with a splash, a headfirst plunge (沒 = mò, 'to submerge'). 負水: to tread water. 哺哺: sputtering. 這天殺的: 'this murdering wretch!' — Bajie's curse. 那 = nà.
總評 Commentary
Wukong's 'trick' is his signature staff, extended to a sounding-line, and the descent becomes an occasion for the pair's characteristic byplay. Bajie, lowered carefully, gives the sensible instruction to stop at the water — which Wukong, hearing the pig reach it, promptly disregards, shoving him under headfirst with a splash.
The dunking is pure slapstick, and Bajie's response — treading water and cursing his 'murdering wretch' of a brother for the exact betrayal he'd tried to forestall — is the comedy of the put-upon companion. The scene trades on the reader's affection for the two: Wukong's mischief is cruel only in the register of farce, and Bajie's outrage is more grumble than grievance.
Beneath the comedy the plot advances precisely: Bajie is now in the well, treading its water, exactly where he must be to recover the king's body. Wukong's every trick — the false treasure, the extending staff, the sudden shove — has served the single end of getting the reluctant pig to the bottom of the shaft.