第三十八回 · 晶宮敘舊 Old Acquaintance in the Crystal Palace — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

晶宮敘舊 Old Acquaintance in the Crystal Palace

那nà龍lóng王wáng整zhěng衣yī冠guān，領lǐng眾zhòng水shuǐ族zú，出chū門mén來lái厲lì聲shēng高gāo叫jiào道dào：「天tiān蓬péng元yuán帥shuài，請qǐng裡lǐ面miàn坐zuò。」八bā戒jiè卻què才cái歡huān喜xǐ道dào：「原yuán來lái是shì個gè故gù知zhī。」那nà獃dāi子zi不bù管guǎn好hǎo歹dǎi，徑jìng入rù水shuǐ晶jīng宮gōng裡lǐ。其qí實shí不bù知zhī上shàng下xià，赤chì淋lín淋lín的de，就jiù坐zuò在zài上shàng面miàn。龍lóng王wáng道dào：「元yuán帥shuài，近jìn聞wén你nǐ得dé了le性xìng命mìng，皈guī依yī釋shì教jiào，保bǎo唐táng僧sēng西xī天tiān取qǔ經jīng，如rú何hé得dé到dào此cǐ處chù？」八bā戒jiè道dào：「正zhèng為wèi此cǐ說shuō。那nà龙lóng王wáng整zhěng衣yī冠guān，领lǐng众zhòng水shuǐ族zú，出chū门mén来lái厉lì声shēng高gāo叫jiào道dào：「天tiān蓬péng元yuán帅shuài，请qǐng里lǐ面miàn坐zuò。」八bā戒jiè却què才cái欢huān喜xǐ道dào：「原yuán来lái是shì个gè故gù知zhī。」那nà呆dāi子zi不bù管guǎn好hǎo歹dǎi，径jìng入rù水shuǐ晶jīng宫gōng里lǐ。其qí实shí不bù知zhī上shàng下xià，赤chì淋lín淋lín的de，就jiù坐zuò在zài上shàng面miàn。龙lóng王wáng道dào：「元yuán帅shuài，近jìn闻wén你nǐ得dé了le性xìng命mìng，皈guī依yī释shì教jiào，保bǎo唐táng僧sēng西xī天tiān取qǔ经jīng，如rú何hé得dé到dào此cǐ处chù？」八bā戒jiè道dào：「正zhèng为wèi此cǐ说shuō。

逐句解 Line by line

那nà龍lóng王wáng整zhěng衣yī冠guān，領lǐng眾zhòng水shuǐ族zú，出chū門mén來lái厲lì聲shēng高gāo叫jiào道dào：「天tiān蓬péng元yuán帥shuài，請qǐng裡lǐ面miàn坐zuò。」那nà龙lóng王wáng整zhěng衣yī冠guān，领lǐng众zhòng水shuǐ族zú，出chū门mén来lái厉lì声shēng高gāo叫jiào道dào：「天tiān蓬péng元yuán帅shuài，请qǐng里lǐ面miàn坐zuò。」

The Dragon-King straightened his cap and robe, led out his host of water-tribes, and came to the gate, calling in a ringing voice: 'Marshal Tianpeng — pray come inside and be seated.'

整衣冠: straightens cap and gown before going out to greet a guest (冠 = guān) — the same gesture the crown prince made before kneeling to Wukong, and the mark of a formal reception. 眾水族 is his household of water-creatures, turned out to receive a marshal. 那 = nà.

八bā戒jiè卻què才cái歡huān喜xǐ道dào：「原yuán來lái是shì個gè故gù知zhī。」八bā戒jiè却què才cái欢huān喜xǐ道dào：「原yuán来lái是shì个gè故gù知zhī。」

Only then was Bajie glad: 'So — an old acquaintance after all.'

故知: an old acquaintance. The alarm evaporates the instant he hears his own title.

那nà獃dāi子zi不bù管guǎn好hǎo歹dǎi，徑jìng入rù水shuǐ晶jīng宮gōng裡lǐ。那nà呆dāi子zi不bù管guǎn好hǎo歹dǎi，径jìng入rù水shuǐ晶jīng宫gōng里lǐ。

The blockhead, without minding manners, went straight into the Crystal Palace.

不管好歹: without the least regard for what is proper. 那 = nà.

其qí實shí不bù知zhī上shàng下xià，赤chì淋lín淋lín的de，就jiù坐zuò在zài上shàng面miàn。其qí实shí不bù知zhī上shàng下xià，赤chì淋lín淋lín的de，就jiù坐zuò在zài上shàng面miàn。

In truth he had no notion of precedence, and, stark naked, sat himself down in the seat of honor.

And here is the joke the whole scene has been building. 不知上下 is 'no notion of high and low,' meaning seating precedence — who sits where was the entire grammar of a Chinese formal room. Bajie, stark naked and dripping, takes the seat of honor. 不 = bù.

龍lóng王wáng道dào：「元yuán帥shuài，近jìn聞wén你nǐ得dé了le性xìng命mìng，皈guī依yī釋shì教jiào，保bǎo唐táng僧sēng西xī天tiān取qǔ經jīng，如rú何hé得dé到dào此cǐ處chù？」龙lóng王wáng道dào：「元yuán帅shuài，近jìn闻wén你nǐ得dé了le性xìng命mìng，皈guī依yī释shì教jiào，保bǎo唐táng僧sēng西xī天tiān取qǔ经jīng，如rú何hé得dé到dào此cǐ处chù？」

The Dragon-King said: 'Marshal — I have lately heard that you gained a new life, took refuge in the Buddhist teaching, and now guard the Tang Monk on his westward quest for scriptures. How is it you have come to this place?'

The courteous inquiry, which is also a compliment. 得了性命: gained a life (得 = dé) — Bajie's reprieve from execution when he was taken into the pilgrimage. 皈依釋教: took refuge in the Buddhist teaching, 皈依 being the formal act of conversion (教 = jiào, 'teaching'). 得到此處: came to be here (得 = dé; 處 = chù).

八bā戒jiè道dào：「正zhèng為wèi此cǐ說shuō。八bā戒jiè道dào：「正zhèng为wèi此cǐ说shuō。

Bajie said: 'It is precisely on that account.'

正為此說: 'that is exactly what I've come about' (為 = wèi, 'on account of').

總評 Commentary

The scene slides into the courtly manner the novel keeps for its dragon-kings: cap straightened, water-host assembled, a ringing invitation to come in and be seated. It is met by Bajie's relief — an old acquaintance after all — and by a total want of manners. Naked, dripping and heedless of who should sit where, he marches in and plants himself in the seat of honor. The etiquette of the undersea court exists in this scene mainly to be trodden on.

The dragon-king's courteous inquiry flatters his guest and reminds the reader of the disciple's arc: the reprieve from execution, the taking of Buddhist vows, the new job escorting Tripitaka west. And his question — how does a marshal come to be at the bottom of a well? — opens the negotiation proper. From here the recovery of a king's body will proceed through the forms of hospitality rather than the force of arms.