第三十八回 · 咬棒出井 Biting the Staff, Out of the Well — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

咬棒出井 Biting the Staff, Out of the Well

八bā戒jiè道dào：「我wǒ就jiù不bú去qù了le？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ爬pá得de上shàng來lái，便biàn帶dài你nǐ去qù；爬pá不bú上shàng來lái，便biàn罷ba。」八bā戒jiè慌huāng了le：「怎zěn生shēng爬pá得de動dòng？你nǐ想xiǎng，城chéng牆qiáng也yě難nán上shàng，這zhè井jǐng肚dù子zi大dà，口kǒu兒er小xiǎo，壁bì陡dǒu的de圈quān牆qiáng，又yòu是shì幾jǐ年nián不bù曾céng打dǎ水shuǐ的de井jǐng，團tuán團tuán都dōu長zhǎng的de是shì苔tái痕hén，好hǎo不bù滑huá也yě，教jiào我wǒ怎zěn爬pá？哥gē哥ge，不bú要yào失shī了le兄xiōng弟dì們men和hé氣qì，等děng我wǒ馱tuó上shàng來lái罷ba。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「正zhèng是shì，快kuài快kuài馱tuó上shàng來lái，我wǒ同tóng你nǐ回huí去qù睡shuì覺jiào。」那nà獃dāi子zi又yòu一yí個gè猛měng子zi，淬cuì將jiāng下xià去qù，摸mō著zháo屍shī首shǒu，拽zhuài過guò來lái，背bèi在zài身shēn上shàng，攛cuān出chū水shuǐ面miàn，扶fú井jǐng牆qiáng道dào：「哥gē哥ge，馱tuó上shàng來lái了le。」那nà行xíng者zhě睜zhēng睛jīng看kàn處chù，真zhēn個gè的de背bèi在zài身shēn上shàng，卻què才cái把bǎ金jīn箍gū棒bàng伸shēn下xià井jǐng底dǐ。那nà獃dāi子zi著zháo了le惱nǎo的de人rén，張zhāng開kāi口kǒu，咬yǎo著zhe鐵tiě棒bàng，被bèi行xíng者zhě輕qīng輕qīng的de提tí將jiāng出chū來lái。八bā戒jiè道dào：「我wǒ就jiù不bú去qù了le？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ爬pá得de上shàng来lái，便biàn带dài你nǐ去qù；爬pá不bú上shàng来lái，便biàn罢ba。」八bā戒jiè慌huāng了le：「怎zěn生shēng爬pá得de动dòng？你nǐ想xiǎng，城chéng墙qiáng也yě难nán上shàng，这zhè井jǐng肚dù子zi大dà，口kǒu儿er小xiǎo，壁bì陡dǒu的de圈quān墙qiáng，又yòu是shì几jǐ年nián不bù曾céng打dǎ水shuǐ的de井jǐng，团tuán团tuán都dōu长zhǎng的de是shì苔tái痕hén，好hǎo不bù滑huá也yě，教jiào我wǒ怎zěn爬pá？哥gē哥ge，不bú要yào失shī了le兄xiōng弟dì们men和hé气qì，等děng我wǒ驮tuó上shàng来lái罢ba。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「正zhèng是shì，快kuài快kuài驮tuó上shàng来lái，我wǒ同tóng你nǐ回huí去qù睡shuì觉jiào。」那nà呆dāi子zi又yòu一yí个gè猛měng子zi，淬cuì将jiāng下xià去qù，摸mō着zháo尸shī首shǒu，拽zhuài过guò来lái，背bèi在zài身shēn上shàng，撺cuān出chū水shuǐ面miàn，扶fú井jǐng墙qiáng道dào：「哥gē哥ge，驮tuó上shàng来lái了le。」那nà行xíng者zhě睁zhēng睛jīng看kàn处chù，真zhēn个gè的de背bèi在zài身shēn上shàng，却què才cái把bǎ金jīn箍gū棒bàng伸shēn下xià井jǐng底dǐ。那nà呆dāi子zi着zháo了le恼nǎo的de人rén，张zhāng开kāi口kǒu，咬yǎo着zhe铁tiě棒bàng，被bèi行xíng者zhě轻qīng轻qīng的de提tí将jiāng出chū来lái。

逐句解 Line by line

八bā戒jiè道dào：「我wǒ就jiù不bú去qù了le？」八bā戒jiè道dào：「我wǒ就jiù不bú去qù了le？」

Bajie said: 'Then I'm not to go along at all?'

不去了: not to go at all (不 = bú). The threat has landed.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ爬pá得de上shàng來lái，便biàn帶dài你nǐ去qù；行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ爬pá得de上shàng来lái，便biàn带dài你nǐ去qù；

The Pilgrim said: 'If you can climb up, I'll take you along;'

爬得上來: if you can climb up (得 = de). 行 = xíng.

爬pá不bú上shàng來lái，便biàn罷ba。」爬pá不bú上shàng来lái，便biàn罢ba。」

'if you can't climb up, then that's the end of it.'

便罷: then that's the end of it (罷 = ba). The terms are not negotiable.

八bā戒jiè慌huāng了le：「怎zěn生shēng爬pá得de動dòng？八bā戒jiè慌huāng了le：「怎zěn生shēng爬pá得de动dòng？

Bajie panicked: 'However am I to climb?'

怎生爬得動: however am I to manage the climb? (得 = de). 了 = le.

你nǐ想xiǎng，城chéng牆qiáng也yě難nán上shàng，這zhè井jǐng肚dù子zi大dà，口kǒu兒er小xiǎo，壁bì陡dǒu的de圈quān牆qiáng，又yòu是shì幾jǐ年nián不bù曾céng打dǎ水shuǐ的de井jǐng，團tuán團tuán都dōu長zhǎng的de是shì苔tái痕hén，好hǎo不bù滑huá也yě，教jiào我wǒ怎zěn爬pá？你nǐ想xiǎng，城chéng墙qiáng也yě难nán上shàng，这zhè井jǐng肚dù子zi大dà，口kǒu儿er小xiǎo，壁bì陡dǒu的de圈quān墙qiáng，又yòu是shì几jǐ年nián不bù曾céng打dǎ水shuǐ的de井jǐng，团tuán团tuán都dōu长zhǎng的de是shì苔tái痕hén，好hǎo不bù滑huá也yě，教jiào我wǒ怎zěn爬pá？

'Just think — even a city wall is hard to climb; this well has a big belly and a small mouth, with sheer, steep sides, and it's been years since it was drawn from, all round grown over with moss, so slippery — how do you expect me to climb?'

The complaint is wonderfully specific, and every detail of it is true. 肚子大，口兒小: a well is bellied out below and narrow at the mouth (子 and 兒 both light endings). 團團都長的是苔痕: moss grown all the way round (都 = dōu; 長 = zhǎng, 'grown'). Years unused, sheer walls, and slime — he is not exaggerating, and he still has to do it.

哥gē哥ge，不bú要yào失shī了le兄xiōng弟dì們men和hé氣qì，等děng我wǒ馱tuó上shàng來lái罷ba。」哥gē哥ge，不bú要yào失shī了le兄xiōng弟dì们men和hé气qì，等děng我wǒ驮tuó上shàng来lái罢ba。」

'Brother, don't let there be bad blood between us brothers — let me carry it up.'

失了…和氣: to spoil the good feeling between us (和 = hé). Having failed with argument, he appeals to brotherhood, and gives in. 馱上來罷: let me carry it up (罷 = ba).

行xíng者zhě道dào：「正zhèng是shì，快kuài快kuài馱tuó上shàng來lái，我wǒ同tóng你nǐ回huí去qù睡shuì覺jiào。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「正zhèng是shì，快kuài快kuài驮tuó上shàng来lái，我wǒ同tóng你nǐ回huí去qù睡shuì觉jiào。」

The Pilgrim said: 'Just so — carry it up quickly, and I'll go back to sleep with you.'

正是: 'just so.' And the reward is the thing he was threatened with the loss of: bed. 睡覺: 覺 = jiào. 行 = xíng.

那nà獃dāi子zi又yòu一yí個gè猛měng子zi，淬cuì將jiāng下xià去qù，摸mō著zháo屍shī首shǒu，拽zhuài過guò來lái，背bèi在zài身shēn上shàng，攛cuān出chū水shuǐ面miàn，扶fú井jǐng牆qiáng道dào：「哥gē哥ge，馱tuó上shàng來lái了le。」那nà呆dāi子zi又yòu一yí个gè猛měng子zi，淬cuì将jiāng下xià去qù，摸mō着zháo尸shī首shǒu，拽zhuài过guò来lái，背bèi在zài身shēn上shàng，撺cuān出chū水shuǐ面miàn，扶fú井jǐng墙qiáng道dào：「哥gē哥ge，驮tuó上shàng来lái了le。」

The blockhead gave another dive, plunged down, got hold of the corpse, dragged it over, slung it onto his back, shot up to the surface, and, steadying himself on the well-wall, said: 'Brother, I've carried it up.'

The retrieval in one long breathless sentence: dive, grope, drag, shoulder, surface, cling, report. 又一個猛子: another plunging dive. 摸著: got hold of it (著 = zháo). 拽過來: dragged it over (拽 = zhuài). 攛出水面: shot up to the surface. 那 = nà; 將 = jiāng.

那nà行xíng者zhě睜zhēng睛jīng看kàn處chù，真zhēn個gè的de背bèi在zài身shēn上shàng，卻què才cái把bǎ金jīn箍gū棒bàng伸shēn下xià井jǐng底dǐ。那nà行xíng者zhě睁zhēng睛jīng看kàn处chù，真zhēn个gè的de背bèi在zài身shēn上shàng，却què才cái把bǎ金jīn箍gū棒bàng伸shēn下xià井jǐng底dǐ。

The Pilgrim, opening his eyes to look, saw that it was truly slung on his back, and only then reached the gold-hooped staff down to the bottom of the well.

睜睛看處: opened his eyes and looked (處 = chù). 真個的: sure enough. 那 = nà. Only when he can see the body on the pig's back does the staff come down — no corpse, no rescue.

那nà獃dāi子zi著zháo了le惱nǎo的de人rén，張zhāng開kāi口kǒu，咬yǎo著zhe鐵tiě棒bàng，被bèi行xíng者zhě輕qīng輕qīng的de提tí將jiāng出chū來lái。那nà呆dāi子zi着zháo了le恼nǎo的de人rén，张zhāng开kāi口kǒu，咬yǎo着zhe铁tiě棒bàng，被bèi行xíng者zhě轻qīng轻qīng的de提tí将jiāng出chū来lái。

The blockhead, being one now thoroughly riled, opened his mouth, bit down on the iron staff, and was lightly lifted out by the Pilgrim.

著了惱: thoroughly riled by now (著 = zháo, marking the state as arrived at). 咬著鐵棒: teeth clamped on the staff (著 = zhe — the same character twice in one line, doing two different jobs). 提將出來: lifted out (將 = jiāng). 那 = nà. Hands full of emperor, he has to carry the rope in his mouth, and comes up the shaft like a landed fish.

總評 Commentary

The threat of abandonment does its work. Faced with hauling the corpse or being left on the well-wall while his brother goes to bed, Bajie first protests the sheer impossibility of the climb — and the protest is a small masterpiece of specificity, the well's big belly, small mouth, sheer sides and years of moss — and then capitulates rather than lose his brother's good feeling.

The retrieval is staged as slapstick from first to last. Bajie dives, slings the corpse over his shoulder and surfaces; Wukong, only now satisfied, lowers the staff; and the pig is hauled up out of the well with an iron rod clenched in his teeth, like something caught on a line. The dignity of a drowned king's recovery is entirely subordinated to the comedy of his put-upon bearer.

Beneath the farce the chapter's long contrivance reaches its object. The true king's incorrupt body is out of the well and on Bajie's back — the evidence the whole expedition was mounted to secure. What remains is transport, and grumbling, and the next passages give the grumbling free rein.