第三十八回 · 巽風算計 The Xun-Wind and the Scheme — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

巽風算計 The Xun-Wind and the Scheme

好hǎo大dà聖shèng，捻niǎn著zhe訣jué，念niàn聲shēng咒zhòu語yǔ，往wǎng巽xùn地dì上shàng吸xī一yì口kǒu氣qì，吹chuī將jiāng去qù，就jiù是shì一yí陣zhèn狂kuáng風fēng，把bǎ八bā戒jiè撮cuō出chū皇huáng宮gōng內nèi院yuàn，躲duǒ離lí了le城chéng池chí，息xī了le風fēng頭tóu，二èr人rén落luò地dì，徐xú徐xú卻què走zǒu將jiāng來lái。那nà獃dāi子zi心xīn中zhōng暗àn惱nǎo，算suàn計jì要yào報bào恨hèn行xíng者zhě，道dào：「這zhè猴hóu子zi捉zhuō弄nòng我wǒ，我wǒ到dào寺sì裡lǐ也yě捉zhuō弄nòng他tā捉zhuō弄nòng：攛cuān道dào師shī父fù，只zhǐ說shuō他tā醫yī得de活huó；醫yī不bù活huó，教jiào師shī父fù念niàn緊jǐn箍gū兒er咒zhòu，把bǎ這zhè猴hóu子zi的de腦nǎo漿jiāng勒lēi出chū來lái，方fāng趁chèn我wǒ心xīn。」走zǒu著zhe路lù，再zài再zài尋xún思sī道dào：「不bù好hǎo，不bù好hǎo。若ruò教jiào他tā醫yī人rén，卻què是shì容róng易yì：他tā去qù閻yán王wáng家jiā討tǎo將jiāng魂hún靈líng兒er來lái，就jiù醫yī活huó了le。只zhǐ說shuō不bù許xǔ赴fù陰yīn司sī，陽yáng世shì間jiān就jiù能néng醫yī活huó，這zhè法fǎ兒er才cái好hǎo。」好hǎo大dà圣shèng，捻niǎn著zhe诀jué，念niàn声shēng咒zhòu语yǔ，往wǎng巽xùn地dì上shàng吸xī一yì口kǒu气qì，吹chuī将jiāng去qù，就jiù是shì一yí阵zhèn狂kuáng风fēng，把bǎ八bā戒jiè撮cuō出chū皇huáng宫gōng内nèi院yuàn，躲duǒ离lí了le城chéng池chí，息xī了le风fēng头tóu，二èr人rén落luò地dì，徐xú徐xú却què走zǒu将jiāng来lái。那nà呆dāi子zi心xīn中zhōng暗àn恼nǎo，算suàn计jì要yào报bào恨hèn行xíng者zhě，道dào：「这zhè猴hóu子zi捉zhuō弄nòng我wǒ，我wǒ到dào寺sì里lǐ也yě捉zhuō弄nòng他tā捉zhuō弄nòng：撺cuān道dào师shī父fù，只zhǐ说shuō他tā医yī得de活huó；医yī不bù活huó，教jiào师shī父fù念niàn紧jǐn箍gū儿er咒zhòu，把bǎ这zhè猴hóu子zi的de脑nǎo浆jiāng勒lēi出chū来lái，方fāng趁chèn我wǒ心xīn。」走zǒu著zhe路lù，再zài再zài寻xún思sī道dào：「不bù好hǎo，不bù好hǎo。若ruò教jiào他tā医yī人rén，却què是shì容róng易yì：他tā去qù阎yán王wáng家jiā讨tǎo将jiāng魂hún灵líng儿er来lái，就jiù医yī活huó了le。只zhǐ说shuō不bù许xǔ赴fù阴yīn司sī，阳yáng世shì间jiān就jiù能néng医yī活huó，这zhè法fǎ儿er才cái好hǎo。」

逐句解 Line by line

The fine Great Sage pinched a magic sign, recited a spell, drew in a breath toward the Xun quarter, and blew it out — and there rose a gale that swept Bajie clear out of the palace precincts, away from the walled city; then he stilled the wind's force, the two came to earth, and walked slowly on.

捻著訣: pinching a hand-sign (著 = zhe). 巽地: the Xun quarter (巽 = xùn, the southeast trigram/direction), toward which wind-conjuring is directed. 吹將去…走將來: blew it out, walked on (將 ×2 = jiāng). 一陣狂風: a gust of wild wind (一 = yí).

那nà獃dāi子zi心xīn中zhōng暗àn惱nǎo，算suàn計jì要yào報bào恨hèn行xíng者zhě，道dào：「這zhè猴hóu子zi捉zhuō弄nòng我wǒ，我wǒ到dào寺sì裡lǐ也yě捉zhuō弄nòng他tā捉zhuō弄nòng：攛cuān道dào師shī父fù，只zhǐ說shuō他tā醫yī得de活huó；那nà呆dāi子zi心xīn中zhōng暗àn恼nǎo，算suàn计jì要yào报bào恨hèn行xíng者zhě，道dào：「这zhè猴hóu子zi捉zhuō弄nòng我wǒ，我wǒ到dào寺sì里lǐ也yě捉zhuō弄nòng他tā捉zhuō弄nòng：撺cuān道dào师shī父fù，只zhǐ说shuō他tā医yī得de活huó；

The blockhead, secretly seething, plotted to get his revenge on the Pilgrim, and said to himself: 'This monkey has made a fool of me; when I get to the temple, I'll make a fool of him too — I'll egg the Master on, telling him the monkey can cure him back to life;'

心中暗惱: secretly seething (中 = zhōng). 報恨: to avenge a grudge. 捉弄: to make a fool of. 醫得活: can cure [him] to life (得 = de). 那 = nà; Bajie's revenge-plot begins.

醫yī不bù活huó，教jiào師shī父fù念niàn緊jǐn箍gū兒er咒zhòu，把bǎ這zhè猴hóu子zi的de腦nǎo漿jiāng勒lēi出chū來lái，方fāng趁chèn我wǒ心xīn。」医yī不bù活huó，教jiào师shī父fù念niàn紧jǐn箍gū儿er咒zhòu，把bǎ这zhè猴hóu子zi的de脑nǎo浆jiāng勒lēi出chū来lái，方fāng趁chèn我wǒ心xīn。」

'and if he can't cure him, I'll have the Master recite the tightening-fillet spell and squeeze the monkey's brains right out — that would satisfy me.'

緊箍兒咒: the tightening-fillet spell, which tortures Wukong (兒 = er, suffix). 教師父念: have the Master recite (教 = jiào). 腦漿勒出來: squeeze out his brains. Bajie relishes the thought of Wukong's agony.

走zǒu著zhe路lù，再zài再zài尋xún思sī道dào：「不bù好hǎo，不bù好hǎo。走zǒu著zhe路lù，再zài再zài寻xún思sī道dào：「不bù好hǎo，不bù好hǎo。

Walking along, he thought it over again and again: 'No good, no good.'

走著路: walking along (著 = zhe). 再再尋思: thought over and over. 不好: 'no good' (不 = bù). Bajie reconsiders.

若ruò教jiào他tā醫yī人rén，卻què是shì容róng易yì：他tā去qù閻yán王wáng家jiā討tǎo將jiāng魂hún靈líng兒er來lái，就jiù醫yī活huó了le。若ruò教jiào他tā医yī人rén，却què是shì容róng易yì：他tā去qù阎yán王wáng家jiā讨tǎo将jiāng魂hún灵líng儿er来lái，就jiù医yī活huó了le。

'If I have him cure the man, that's easy enough — he'll just go to King Yama's house and fetch back the soul, and the cure is done.'

若教他醫人: if [I] have him cure the man (教 = jiào). 閻王家: King Yama's house (the underworld). 討將魂靈兒來: fetch back the soul (將 = jiāng; 兒 = er). Bajie realizes reviving via the underworld would be too easy.

只zhǐ說shuō不bù許xǔ赴fù陰yīn司sī，陽yáng世shì間jiān就jiù能néng醫yī活huó，這zhè法fǎ兒er才cái好hǎo。」只zhǐ说shuō不bù许xǔ赴fù阴yīn司sī，阳yáng世shì间jiān就jiù能néng医yī活huó，这zhè法fǎ儿er才cái好hǎo。」

'I'll say he's not allowed to go down to the shades — that he must cure him here in the world of the living; that scheme would do the trick.'

不許赴陰司: forbidden to go down to the shades (陰司, the netherworld). 陽世間: the world of the living (間 = jiān). 這法兒: this scheme (兒 = er). Bajie refines his plot to make revival hardest for Wukong.

總評 Commentary

Wukong whisks the pair out of the city by a conjured gale, directed toward the Xun quarter — the trigram of wind — and the chapter's setting shifts from the palace garden back toward the temple. The wind-magic is dispatched in a single deft sentence, the novel's shorthand for the Great Sage's casual command of the elements.

The passage then turns wholly to Bajie's interior, and his revenge-plot is a small masterpiece of comic malice. Still smarting from the well, he schemes to turn the tables: he will urge Tripitaka to have Wukong revive the king, and when Wukong fails, have the Master recite the tightening-fillet spell and 'squeeze the monkey's brains out.' The pig's relish for his tormentor's agony is entirely in character.

But Bajie is shrewder than he is usually credited, and he refines his scheme with a real understanding of Wukong's powers: reviving the king by fetching his soul from King Yama would be too easy, so he will stipulate that Wukong must revive the body in the world of the living, without recourse to the underworld. The condition Bajie devises here is precisely the difficulty that will drive the opening of the next chapter, and the chapter thus plants, in the pig's petty vengeance, the seed of its sequel.