第三十八回 · 長老哀君 The Elder Laments the King — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

長老哀君 The Elder Laments the King

那nà唐táng僧sēng與yǔ沙shā僧sēng開kāi門mén看kàn處chù，那nà皇huáng帝dì容róng顏yán未wèi改gǎi，似sì活huó的de一yì般bān。長zhǎng老lǎo忽hū然rán慘cǎn悽qī道dào：「陛bì下xià，你nǐ不bù知zhī那nà世shì裡lǐ冤yuān家jiā，今jīn生shēng遇yù著zháo他tā，暗àn喪sàng其qí身shēn，拋pāo妻qī別bié子zǐ，致zhì令lìng文wén武wǔ不bù知zhī，多duō官guān不bù曉xiǎo。可kě憐lián你nǐ妻qī子zǐ昏hūn蒙méng，誰shuí曾céng見jiàn焚fén香xiāng獻xiàn茶chá？」忽hū失shī聲shēng淚lèi如rú雨yǔ下xià。八bā戒jiè笑xiào道dào：「師shī父fù，他tā死sǐ了le可kě干gàn你nǐ事shì？又yòu不bú是shì你nǐ家jiā父fù祖zǔ，哭kū他tā怎zěn的de？」三sān藏zàng道dào：「徒tú弟dì啊a，出chū家jiā人rén慈cí悲bēi為wéi本běn，方fāng便biàn為wéi門mén。你nǐ怎zěn的de這zhè等děng心xīn硬yìng？」八bā戒jiè道dào：「不bú是shì心xīn硬yìng，師shī兄xiōng和hé我wǒ說shuō來lái，他tā會huì醫yī得de活huó；若ruò醫yī不bù活huó，我wǒ也yě不bù馱tuó他tā來lái了le。」那nà唐táng僧sēng与yǔ沙shā僧sēng开kāi门mén看kàn处chù，那nà皇huáng帝dì容róng颜yán未wèi改gǎi，似sì活huó的de一yì般bān。长zhǎng老lǎo忽hū然rán惨cǎn凄qī道dào：「陛bì下xià，你nǐ不bù知zhī那nà世shì里lǐ冤yuān家jiā，今jīn生shēng遇yù著zháo他tā，暗àn丧sàng其qí身shēn，抛pāo妻qī别bié子zǐ，致zhì令lìng文wén武wǔ不bù知zhī，多duō官guān不bù晓xiǎo。可kě怜lián你nǐ妻qī子zǐ昏hūn蒙méng，谁shuí曾céng见jiàn焚fén香xiāng献xiàn茶chá？」忽hū失shī声shēng泪lèi如rú雨yǔ下xià。八bā戒jiè笑xiào道dào：「师shī父fù，他tā死sǐ了le可kě干gàn你nǐ事shì？又yòu不bú是shì你nǐ家jiā父fù祖zǔ，哭kū他tā怎zěn的de？」三sān藏zàng道dào：「徒tú弟dì啊a，出chū家jiā人rén慈cí悲bēi为wéi本běn，方fāng便biàn为wéi门mén。你nǐ怎zěn的de这zhè等děng心xīn硬yìng？」八bā戒jiè道dào：「不bú是shì心xīn硬yìng，师shī兄xiōng和hé我wǒ说shuō来lái，他tā会huì医yī得de活huó；若ruò医yī不bù活huó，我wǒ也yě不bù驮tuó他tā来lái了le。」

逐句解 Line by line

那nà唐táng僧sēng與yǔ沙shā僧sēng開kāi門mén看kàn處chù，那nà皇huáng帝dì容róng顏yán未wèi改gǎi，似sì活huó的de一yì般bān。那nà唐táng僧sēng与yǔ沙shā僧sēng开kāi门mén看kàn处chù，那nà皇huáng帝dì容róng颜yán未wèi改gǎi，似sì活huó的de一yì般bān。

When the Tang Monk and Sha Monk opened the door to look, the emperor's face was unchanged, as though he were alive.

容顏未改，似活: the face unchanged, as if alive (似 = sì). 那 (twice) = nà; 處 = chù.

長zhǎng老lǎo忽hū然rán慘cǎn悽qī道dào：「陛bì下xià，你nǐ不bù知zhī那nà世shì裡lǐ冤yuān家jiā，今jīn生shēng遇yù著zháo他tā，暗àn喪sàng其qí身shēn，拋pāo妻qī別bié子zǐ，致zhì令lìng文wén武wǔ不bù知zhī，多duō官guān不bù曉xiǎo。长zhǎng老lǎo忽hū然rán惨cǎn凄qī道dào：「陛bì下xià，你nǐ不bù知zhī那nà世shì里lǐ冤yuān家jiā，今jīn生shēng遇yù著zháo他tā，暗àn丧sàng其qí身shēn，抛pāo妻qī别bié子zǐ，致zhì令lìng文wén武wǔ不bù知zhī，多duō官guān不bù晓xiǎo。

The elder said in sudden grief: 'Your Majesty — you knew not what foe from a former life you met in this one, who secretly took your life, so that you were parted from wife and child, and your civil and military officers left all unknowing.'

那世裡冤家: a foe (karmic enemy) from a former life (那 = nà, 'that [other] life'). 遇著: met (著 = zháo). 拋妻別子: parted from wife and child (子 = zǐ). 長 = zhǎng (長老).

可kě憐lián你nǐ妻qī子zǐ昏hūn蒙méng，誰shuí曾céng見jiàn焚fén香xiāng獻xiàn茶chá？」可kě怜lián你nǐ妻qī子zǐ昏hūn蒙méng，谁shuí曾céng见jiàn焚fén香xiāng献xiàn茶chá？」

'Pitiable that your wife and children are kept in the dark — who has ever been seen to burn incense or offer you tea?'

妻子昏蒙: the wife and children kept benighted (子 = zǐ). 焚香獻茶: to burn incense and offer tea — the rites of mourning none has performed.

忽hū失shī聲shēng淚lèi如rú雨yǔ下xià。忽hū失shī声shēng泪lèi如rú雨yǔ下xià。

And suddenly he broke down, his tears falling like rain.

失聲淚如雨下: broke down, tears like rain. Tripitaka's tender-heartedness on full display.

八bā戒jiè笑xiào道dào：「師shī父fù，他tā死sǐ了le可kě干gàn你nǐ事shì？八bā戒jiè笑xiào道dào：「师shī父fù，他tā死sǐ了le可kě干gàn你nǐ事shì？

Bajie laughed: 'Master, what business is his dying of yours?'

可干你事: 'what business of yours?' — Bajie's callous jest.

又yòu不bú是shì你nǐ家jiā父fù祖zǔ，哭kū他tā怎zěn的de？」又yòu不bú是shì你nǐ家jiā父fù祖zǔ，哭kū他tā怎zěn的de？」

'He's no father or forebear of your house — what are you weeping over him for?'

不是你家父祖: 'no father or forebear of yours' (不 = bú). Bajie mocks the monk's grief for a stranger.

三sān藏zàng道dào：「徒tú弟dì啊a，出chū家jiā人rén慈cí悲bēi為wéi本běn，方fāng便biàn為wéi門mén。三sān藏zàng道dào：「徒tú弟dì啊a，出chū家jiā人rén慈cí悲bēi为wéi本běn，方fāng便biàn为wéi门mén。

Tripitaka said: 'Disciple — for one who has left the household life, compassion is the root, and expedient kindness the gate.'

慈悲為本，方便為門: 'compassion the root, expedient means the gate' — a Buddhist maxim on the monastic's proper disposition (為 ×2 = wéi). 三藏 = zàng.

你nǐ怎zěn的de這zhè等děng心xīn硬yìng？」你nǐ怎zěn的de这zhè等děng心xīn硬yìng？」

'How can you be so hard of heart?'

心硬: hard-hearted.

八bā戒jiè道dào：「不bú是shì心xīn硬yìng，師shī兄xiōng和hé我wǒ說shuō來lái，他tā會huì醫yī得de活huó；八bā戒jiè道dào：「不bú是shì心xīn硬yìng，师shī兄xiōng和hé我wǒ说shuō来lái，他tā会huì医yī得de活huó；

Bajie said: 'It's not that I'm hard of heart — my elder brother told me he could cure him back to life;'

醫得活: could cure [him] to life (得 = de). Bajie reveals his motive — and his scheme.

若ruò醫yī不bù活huó，我wǒ也yě不bù馱tuó他tā來lái了le。」若ruò医yī不bù活huó，我wǒ也yě不bù驮tuó他tā来lái了le。」

'if he couldn't cure him, I'd never have hauled him here at all.'

醫不活: if [he] can't cure him (不 = bù). Bajie sets the trap: he only hauled the corpse because Wukong promised a revival.

總評 Commentary

The chapter's final movement opens on Tripitaka's grief. The preserved face, unchanged as if alive, moves the tender-hearted monk to a full lament for the king's ruin — murdered by a karmic foe, parted from wife and children, unmourned by a family kept in ignorance. The passage gives the monk his characteristic note: an overflowing compassion that weeps for a stranger three years dead.

Bajie's callousness is the deliberate foil. His jeers ('what business of yours is his dying?') provoke Tripitaka's statement of the monastic ideal — compassion the root, expedient kindness the gate — and set up the pig's real maneuver. For Bajie's mockery is strategic: it is the opening move of the revenge-plot he devised on the road, designed to steer the soft-hearted master toward demanding a revival Wukong cannot easily perform.

The trap is sprung obliquely. Bajie lets slip that he only hauled the corpse because Wukong 'said he could cure him back to life' — planting in Tripitaka's grieving mind the possibility of resurrection, and the expectation that Wukong can deliver it. The scene turns the monk's genuine compassion into the instrument of Bajie's petty vengeance, and drives toward the fillet-spell with which the chapter ends.