第三十八回 · 定顏賺屍 The Face-Preserving Pearl and the Planted Corpse — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

定顏賺屍 The Face-Preserving Pearl and the Planted Corpse

龍lóng王wáng道dào：「元yuán帥shuài原yuán來lái不bù知zhī。他tā本běn是shì烏wū雞jī國guó王wáng的de屍shī首shǒu，自zì到dào井jǐng中zhōng，我wǒ與yǔ他tā定dìng顏yán珠zhū定dìng住zhù，不bù曾céng得dé壞huài。你nǐ若ruò肯kěn馱tuó他tā出chū去qù，見jiàn了le齊qí天tiān大dà聖shèng，假jiǎ有yǒu起qǐ死sǐ回huí生shēng之zhī意yì啊a，莫mò說shuō寶bǎo貝bèi，憑píng你nǐ要yào甚shén麼me東dōng西xī都dōu有yǒu。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「既jì這zhè等děng說shuō，我wǒ與yǔ你nǐ馱tuó出chū去qù，只zhǐ說shuō把bǎ多duō少shǎo燒shāo埋mái錢qián與yǔ我wǒ？」龍lóng王wáng道dào「其qí實shí無wú錢qián。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「你nǐ好hǎo白bái使shǐ人rén？果guǒ然rán沒méi錢qián，不bù馱tuó。」龍lóng王wáng道dào：「不bù馱tuó，請qǐng行xíng。」八bā戒jiè就jiù走zǒu。龍lóng王wáng差chāi兩liǎng個gè有yǒu力lì量liàng的de夜yè叉chā，把bǎ屍shī擡tái將jiāng出chū去qù，送sòng到dào水shuǐ晶jīng宮gōng門mén外wài，丟diū在zài那nà廂xiāng，摘zhāi了le辟bì水shuǐ珠zhū，就jiù有yǒu水shuǐ響xiǎng。龙lóng王wáng道dào：「元yuán帅shuài原yuán来lái不bù知zhī。他tā本běn是shì乌wū鸡jī国guó王wáng的de尸shī首shǒu，自zì到dào井jǐng中zhōng，我wǒ与yǔ他tā定dìng颜yán珠zhū定dìng住zhù，不bù曾céng得dé坏huài。你nǐ若ruò肯kěn驮tuó他tā出chū去qù，见jiàn了le齐qí天tiān大dà圣shèng，假jiǎ有yǒu起qǐ死sǐ回huí生shēng之zhī意yì啊a，莫mò说shuō宝bǎo贝bèi，凭píng你nǐ要yào甚shén么me东dōng西xī都dōu有yǒu。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「既jì这zhè等děng说shuō，我wǒ与yǔ你nǐ驮tuó出chū去qù，只zhǐ说shuō把bǎ多duō少shǎo烧shāo埋mái钱qián与yǔ我wǒ？」龙lóng王wáng道dào「其qí实shí无wú钱qián。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「你nǐ好hǎo白bái使shǐ人rén？果guǒ然rán没méi钱qián，不bù驮tuó。」龙lóng王wáng道dào：「不bù驮tuó，请qǐng行xíng。」八bā戒jiè就jiù走zǒu。龙lóng王wáng差chāi两liǎng个gè有yǒu力lì量liàng的de夜yè叉chā，把bǎ尸shī擡tái将jiāng出chū去qù，送sòng到dào水shuǐ晶jīng宫gōng门mén外wài，丢diū在zài那nà厢xiāng，摘zhāi了le辟bì水shuǐ珠zhū，就jiù有yǒu水shuǐ响xiǎng。

逐句解 Line by line

龍lóng王wáng道dào：「元yuán帥shuài原yuán來lái不bù知zhī。龙lóng王wáng道dào：「元yuán帅shuài原yuán来lái不bù知zhī。

The Dragon-King said: 'Marshal, it seems you do not understand.'

原來不知: 'so you do not understand' — the dragon-king corrects the pig.

他tā本běn是shì烏wū雞jī國guó王wáng的de屍shī首shǒu，自zì到dào井jǐng中zhōng，我wǒ與yǔ他tā定dìng顏yán珠zhū定dìng住zhù，不bù曾céng得dé壞huài。他tā本běn是shì乌wū鸡jī国guó王wáng的de尸shī首shǒu，自zì到dào井jǐng中zhōng，我wǒ与yǔ他tā定dìng颜yán珠zhū定dìng住zhù，不bù曾céng得dé坏huài。

'This is in truth the corpse of the king of Wuji; since it came into the well, I have fixed it with a Face-Preserving Pearl, so that it has never decayed.'

定顏珠: the 'Face-Preserving Pearl,' which keeps the corpse from decay. 井中: 中 = zhōng. 不曾得壞: never decayed (得 = dé). This is why the king can still be revived.

你nǐ若ruò肯kěn馱tuó他tā出chū去qù，見jiàn了le齊qí天tiān大dà聖shèng，假jiǎ有yǒu起qǐ死sǐ回huí生shēng之zhī意yì啊a，莫mò說shuō寶bǎo貝bèi，憑píng你nǐ要yào甚shén麼me東dōng西xī都dōu有yǒu。」你nǐ若ruò肯kěn驮tuó他tā出chū去qù，见jiàn了le齐qí天tiān大dà圣shèng，假jiǎ有yǒu起qǐ死sǐ回huí生shēng之zhī意yì啊a，莫mò说shuō宝bǎo贝bèi，凭píng你nǐ要yào甚shén么me东dōng西xī都dōu有yǒu。」

'If you will carry it out and, on seeing the Great Sage, there should be any thought of restoring it to life — never mind treasure, whatever you might want, you shall have.'

起死回生: to raise the dead and restore life. 憑你要甚麼東西都有: 'whatever you want, you shall have' (甚麼 = shén me; 都 = dōu). The dragon-king's bribe.

八bā戒jiè道dào：「既jì這zhè等děng說shuō，我wǒ與yǔ你nǐ馱tuó出chū去qù，只zhǐ說shuō把bǎ多duō少shǎo燒shāo埋mái錢qián與yǔ我wǒ？」八bā戒jiè道dào：「既jì这zhè等děng说shuō，我wǒ与yǔ你nǐ驮tuó出chū去qù，只zhǐ说shuō把bǎ多duō少shǎo烧shāo埋mái钱qián与yǔ我wǒ？」

Bajie said: 'Since you put it so, I'll carry it out for you — but tell me, how much burial-money will you give me?'

燒埋錢: 'burning-and-burial money,' a funeral gratuity — Bajie demands a fee for the haulage.

龍lóng王wáng道dào「其qí實shí無wú錢qián。」龙lóng王wáng道dào「其qí实shí无wú钱qián。」

The Dragon-King said: 'In truth I have no money.'

其實無錢: 'in truth, no money.'

八bā戒jiè道dào：「你nǐ好hǎo白bái使shǐ人rén？八bā戒jiè道dào：「你nǐ好hǎo白bái使shǐ人rén？

Bajie said: 'So you'd have a man work for nothing?'

白使人: to use a man for nothing, without pay. Bajie's indignation.

果guǒ然rán沒méi錢qián，不bù馱tuó。」果guǒ然rán没méi钱qián，不bù驮tuó。」

'If you really have no money, I won't carry it.'

沒錢，不馱: 'no money, no carrying' (沒 = méi; 不 = bù). Bajie holds out.

龍lóng王wáng道dào：「不bù馱tuó，請qǐng行xíng。」龙lóng王wáng道dào：「不bù驮tuó，请qǐng行xíng。」

The Dragon-King said: 'If you won't carry it, then please be on your way.'

請行: 'please be on your way' (行 = xíng). The dragon-king calls the pig's bluff.

八bā戒jiè就jiù走zǒu。八bā戒jiè就jiù走zǒu。

Bajie made to leave.

Bajie, his bluff called, starts to go — and walks into the trap.

龍lóng王wáng差chāi兩liǎng個gè有yǒu力lì量liàng的de夜yè叉chā，把bǎ屍shī擡tái將jiāng出chū去qù，送sòng到dào水shuǐ晶jīng宮gōng門mén外wài，丟diū在zài那nà廂xiāng，摘zhāi了le辟bì水shuǐ珠zhū，就jiù有yǒu水shuǐ響xiǎng。龙lóng王wáng差chāi两liǎng个gè有yǒu力lì量liàng的de夜yè叉chā，把bǎ尸shī擡tái将jiāng出chū去qù，送sòng到dào水shuǐ晶jīng宫gōng门mén外wài，丢diū在zài那nà厢xiāng，摘zhāi了le辟bì水shuǐ珠zhū，就jiù有yǒu水shuǐ响xiǎng。

The Dragon-King dispatched two strong yakshas to carry the body out, set it down outside the gate of the Crystal Palace, remove the Water-Parting Pearl — and at once there came the sound of rushing water.

差兩個夜叉: dispatched two yakshas (差 = chāi). 擡將出去: carried [it] out (將 = jiāng). 辟水珠: the 'Water-Parting Pearl,' which holds back the well-water; removing it lets the water rush in. 那廂 = nà.

總評 Commentary

The dragon-king now plays his hand. The corpse is no mere carrion but the preserved body of the Wuji king, kept incorrupt by a Face-Preserving Pearl precisely so that it can one day be revived — and he dangles before Bajie the prospect of any reward he likes, should the Great Sage restore it to life. The bribe is aimed unerringly at the pig's cupidity.

Bajie, true to form, reduces the sacred errand to a fee negotiation, demanding 'burial-money' for the haulage. The haggling is pure comedy — the pig indignant at being asked to work for nothing, the dragon-king pleading poverty — and it ends in a bluff: Bajie stalks off, and the dragon-king, calling the bluff, bids him go.

The trap then springs by stratagem rather than persuasion. The dragon-king's yakshas carry the body out, plant it outside the gate, and remove the Water-Parting Pearl; the well-water rushes back, the crystal palace vanishes, and Bajie will surface to find the corpse — inescapably — in his own arms. The comedy of the reluctant corpse-bearer is set in motion.