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抬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: 'ah — you don't know, then.' The dragon-king begins his sales pitch by correcting a misapprehension he is delighted to find.

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, holds a body exactly as it was at death — a magical embalming, and the reason this king can still be brought back rather than merely buried. 井中: 中 = zhōng. 不曾得壞: has never spoiled (得 = dé).

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 — 'raise the dead, return them to life' — is still the ordinary Chinese phrase for a miraculous recovery, the one a grateful patient uses about a good doctor. Here it is meant literally, and it is the bait. 憑你要甚麼東西都有: name anything you like and you shall have it (甚麼 = shén me; 都 = dōu).

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?'

And instantly it is a fee negotiation. 燒埋錢 is 'burning-and-burial money,' the customary payment toward a funeral — so Bajie is not asking for a bribe exactly, he is invoicing for undertaker's services.

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: truly, there is no money. A dragon who cannot see the sun is unlikely to have petty cash.

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 work a man for nothing. The indignation is entirely sincere.

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.'

No money, no carrying (沒 = méi; 不 = bù). He is bluffing, and he is about to find out how well.

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: 'then please be on your way' (行 = xíng). The bluff is called with perfect courtesy.

八bā戒jiè就jiù走zǒu。八bā戒jiè就jiù走zǒu。

Bajie made to leave.

He turns to go, which is precisely what the dragon-king was waiting for.

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抬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.

The trap is sprung by logistics rather than argument. 差兩個有力量的夜叉: two strong yakshas detailed off for the job (差 = chāi). 擡將出去: carry it out (將 = jiāng). 辟水珠 is the Water-Parting Pearl, which holds the well-water back and makes the crystal palace possible at all; take it away and the water comes straight back in — along with the corpse, and Bajie, and no palace to argue in. 那廂 = nà.

總評 Commentary

The dragon-king now plays his hand. The corpse is not carrion but the preserved body of the Wuji king, held incorrupt by a Face-Preserving Pearl precisely so that it can one day be revived — and he dangles in front of Bajie the prospect of naming any reward he likes, should the Great Sage manage to bring it back. The bribe is aimed unerringly at the pig's cupidity.

Bajie, true to form, reduces a sacred errand to an invoice, 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, entirely unbothered, wishes him a pleasant journey.

The trap then springs by stratagem rather than persuasion. The yakshas carry the body out, plant it outside the gate, and lift the Water-Parting Pearl; the well-water rushes back, the crystal palace disappears, and Bajie will surface to find the corpse — inescapably — in his own arms. Everything that follows is the comedy of a man who negotiated his way into exactly what he refused.