第三十八回 · 緊箍勒猴 The Fillet-Spell Squeezes the Monkey — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

緊箍勒猴 The Fillet-Spell Squeezes the Monkey

那nà長zhǎng老lǎo原yuán來lái是shì一yì頭tóu水shuǐ的de，被bèi那nà獃dāi子zi搖yáo動dòng了le，他tā就jiù叫jiào：「悟wù空kōng，若ruò果guǒ有yǒu手shǒu段duàn醫yī活huó這zhè個gè皇huáng帝dì，正zhèng是shì『救jiù人rén一yí命mìng，勝shèng造zào七qī級jí浮fú圖tú』。我wǒ等děng也yě強qiáng似sì靈líng山shān拜bài佛fó。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「師shī父fù，你nǐ怎zěn麼me信xìn這zhè獃dāi子zi亂luàn談tán？人rén若ruò死sǐ了le，或huò三sān七qī五wǔ七qī，盡jǐn七qī百bǎi日rì，受shòu滿mǎn了le陽yáng間jiān罪zuì過guò，就jiù轉zhuǎn生shēng去qù了le。如rú今jīn已yǐ死sǐ三sān年nián，如rú何hé救jiù得de？」三sān藏zàng聞wén其qí言yán道dào：「也yě罷bà了le。」八bā戒jiè苦kǔ恨hèn不bù息xī，道dào：「師shī父fù，你nǐ莫mò被bèi他tā瞞mán了le，他tā有yǒu些xiē夾jiā腦nǎo風fēng。你nǐ只zhǐ念niàn念niàn那nà話huà兒er，管guǎn他tā還huán你nǐ一yí個gè活huó人rén。」真zhēn個gè唐táng僧sēng就jiù念niàn緊jǐn箍gū兒er咒zhòu，勒lēi得de那nà猴hóu子zi眼yǎn脹zhàng頭tóu疼téng。那nà长zhǎng老lǎo原yuán来lái是shì一yì头tóu水shuǐ的de，被bèi那nà呆dāi子zi摇yáo动dòng了le，他tā就jiù叫jiào：「悟wù空kōng，若ruò果guǒ有yǒu手shǒu段duàn医yī活huó这zhè个gè皇huáng帝dì，正zhèng是shì『救jiù人rén一yí命mìng，胜shèng造zào七qī级jí浮fú图tú』。我wǒ等děng也yě强qiáng似sì灵líng山shān拜bài佛fó。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「师shī父fù，你nǐ怎zěn么me信xìn这zhè呆dāi子zi乱luàn谈tán？人rén若ruò死sǐ了le，或huò三sān七qī五wǔ七qī，尽jǐn七qī百bǎi日rì，受shòu满mǎn了le阳yáng间jiān罪zuì过guò，就jiù转zhuǎn生shēng去qù了le。如rú今jīn已yǐ死sǐ三sān年nián，如rú何hé救jiù得de？」三sān藏zàng闻wén其qí言yán道dào：「也yě罢bà了le。」八bā戒jiè苦kǔ恨hèn不bù息xī，道dào：「师shī父fù，你nǐ莫mò被bèi他tā瞒mán了le，他tā有yǒu些xiē夹jiā脑nǎo风fēng。你nǐ只zhǐ念niàn念niàn那nà话huà儿er，管guǎn他tā还huán你nǐ一yí个gè活huó人rén。」真zhēn个gè唐táng僧sēng就jiù念niàn紧jǐn箍gū儿er咒zhòu，勒lēi得de那nà猴hóu子zi眼yǎn胀zhàng头tóu疼téng。

逐句解 Line by line

那nà長zhǎng老lǎo原yuán來lái是shì一yì頭tóu水shuǐ的de，被bèi那nà獃dāi子zi搖yáo動dòng了le，他tā就jiù叫jiào：「悟wù空kōng，若ruò果guǒ有yǒu手shǒu段duàn醫yī活huó這zhè個gè皇huáng帝dì，正zhèng是shì『救jiù人rén一yí命mìng，勝shèng造zào七qī級jí浮fú圖tú』。那nà长zhǎng老lǎo原yuán来lái是shì一yì头tóu水shuǐ的de，被bèi那nà呆dāi子zi摇yáo动dòng了le，他tā就jiù叫jiào：「悟wù空kōng，若ruò果guǒ有yǒu手shǒu段duàn医yī活huó这zhè个gè皇huáng帝dì，正zhèng是shì『救jiù人rén一yí命mìng，胜shèng造zào七qī级jí浮fú图tú』。

The elder, being by nature easily swayed, was worked upon by the blockhead, and called out: 'Wukong, if you truly have the means to cure this emperor back to life, then indeed "to save a single life is better than to raise a seven-story pagoda."'

一頭水: 'a head of water,' idiom for one easily swayed. 救人一命，勝造七級浮圖: 'to save one life is better than to build a seven-story stupa' — a Buddhist proverb. 那 (twice) = nà; 長 = zhǎng.

我wǒ等děng也yě強qiáng似sì靈líng山shān拜bài佛fó。」我wǒ等děng也yě强qiáng似sì灵líng山shān拜bài佛fó。」

'It would be even better for us than worshipping the Buddha on Spirit Mountain.'

強似靈山拜佛: better than worshipping the Buddha at Spirit Mountain (強 = qiáng, 'better/stronger than'; 似 = sì; 佛 = fó).

行xíng者zhě道dào：「師shī父fù，你nǐ怎zěn麼me信xìn這zhè獃dāi子zi亂luàn談tán？行xíng者zhě道dào：「师shī父fù，你nǐ怎zěn么me信xìn这zhè呆dāi子zi乱luàn谈tán？

The Pilgrim said: 'Master, how can you believe this blockhead's wild talk?'

信這獃子亂談: to believe this blockhead's wild talk (獃子: 子 = zi). 行 = xíng.

人rén若ruò死sǐ了le，或huò三sān七qī五wǔ七qī，盡jǐn七qī百bǎi日rì，受shòu滿mǎn了le陽yáng間jiān罪zuì過guò，就jiù轉zhuǎn生shēng去qù了le。人rén若ruò死sǐ了le，或huò三sān七qī五wǔ七qī，尽jǐn七qī百bǎi日rì，受shòu满mǎn了le阳yáng间jiān罪zuì过guò，就jiù转zhuǎn生shēng去qù了le。

'When a person dies — at three-sevens, at five-sevens, or by seven hundred days at the most — once the punishments of the mortal world are served out, they pass on to be reborn.'

三七五七…盡七百日: at three-sevens (21 days), five-sevens (35 days), or by seven hundred days at the most — 盡 read jǐn (the concessive 儘-sense, 'up to / at the utmost'), not jìn. 受滿…陽間罪過: having served out the mortal world's punishments.

如rú今jīn已yǐ死sǐ三sān年nián，如rú何hé救jiù得de？」如rú今jīn已yǐ死sǐ三sān年nián，如rú何hé救jiù得de？」

'This one has been dead three years now — how is he to be saved?'

救得: to be saved (得 = de). The three-year-dead king, Wukong argues, is long past saving by ordinary means.

三sān藏zàng聞wén其qí言yán道dào：「也yě罷bà了le。」三sān藏zàng闻wén其qí言yán道dào：「也yě罢bà了le。」

Tripitaka, hearing this, said: 'Well, let it be, then.'

也罷了: 'well, let it be, then' — 罷了 read bà le (Tripitaka's resigned assent). 三藏 = zàng.

八bā戒jiè苦kǔ恨hèn不bù息xī，道dào：「師shī父fù，你nǐ莫mò被bèi他tā瞞mán了le，他tā有yǒu些xiē夾jiā腦nǎo風fēng。八bā戒jiè苦kǔ恨hèn不bù息xī，道dào：「师shī父fù，你nǐ莫mò被bèi他tā瞒mán了le，他tā有yǒu些xiē夹jiā脑nǎo风fēng。

Bajie, chafing bitterly and unappeased, said: 'Master, don't let him hoodwink you — he's a touch brain-addled.'

苦恨不息: chafing bitterly, unappeased (不 = bù). 夾腦風: 'brain-wind,' i.e. a touch of madness — Bajie's slander of Wukong.

你nǐ只zhǐ念niàn念niàn那nà話huà兒er，管guǎn他tā還huán你nǐ一yí個gè活huó人rén。」你nǐ只zhǐ念niàn念niàn那nà话huà儿er，管guǎn他tā还huán你nǐ一yí个gè活huó人rén。」

'Just recite that little spell of yours, and I'll warrant he gives you back a living man.'

那話兒: 'that little spell' (那 = nà; 兒 = er) — the fillet-spell. 還你一個活人: 'give you back a living man' — 還 read huán ('to give back, return'), not hái.

真zhēn個gè唐táng僧sēng就jiù念niàn緊jǐn箍gū兒er咒zhòu，勒lēi得de那nà猴hóu子zi眼yǎn脹zhàng頭tóu疼téng。真zhēn个gè唐táng僧sēng就jiù念niàn紧jǐn箍gū儿er咒zhòu，勒lēi得de那nà猴hóu子zi眼yǎn胀zhàng头tóu疼téng。

And sure enough the Tang Monk recited the tightening-fillet spell, squeezing till the monkey's eyes bulged and his head throbbed.

緊箍兒咒: the tightening-fillet spell (兒 = er). 勒得…眼脹頭疼: squeezed till [his] eyes bulged and head throbbed (得 = de; 那 = nà). Bajie's revenge accomplished.

總評 Commentary

Bajie's plot works exactly as designed. The 'easily swayed' Tripitaka, worked upon by the pig's provocations, seizes on the hope of resurrection, invoking the proverb that saving a life outweighs raising a pagoda — better even, he says, than worshipping the Buddha at Spirit Mountain. The monk's compassion, turned by Bajie toward a specific demand, now presses Wukong to revive the king.

Wukong's objection is coolly doctrinal. He lays out the karmic timetable of death — the intervals of three-sevens and five-sevens, up to seven hundred days at the most — after which the soul is reborn and beyond recall; a king three years dead is simply past saving. His argument nearly succeeds: Tripitaka, persuaded, says 'let it be.' But Bajie is not done.

The chapter's engine of comic malice reaches its climax. Refusing to let the matter drop, Bajie slanders Wukong as 'brain-addled' and delivers the coup: let the Master recite the fillet-spell to compel a revival. Tripitaka obliges, and Wukong's own tormenting-spell is turned on him — eyes bulging, head throbbing — precisely the agony Bajie had relished plotting on the road. The chapter ends with the demon still enthroned, the king still dead, and the Great Sage squeezed into undertaking an impossible revival: the cliffhanger that opens Chapter 39.