第四十五回 · 五鳳樓前 Before the Five-Phoenix Tower — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

五鳳樓前 Before the Five-Phoenix Tower

唐táng僧sēng大dà喜xǐ，披pī了le錦jǐn襴lán袈jiā裟shā。行xíng者zhě帶dài了le通tōng關guān文wén牒dié，教jiào悟wù淨jìng捧pěng著zhe缽bō盂yú，悟wù能néng拿ná了le錫xī杖zhàng；將jiāng行xíng囊náng、馬mǎ匹pǐ，交jiāo與yǔ智zhì淵yuān寺sì僧sēng看kān守shǒu。徑jìng到dào五wǔ鳳fèng樓lóu前qián，對duì黃huáng門mén官guān作zuò禮lǐ，報bào了le姓xìng名míng，言yán是shì東dōng土tǔ大dà唐táng取qǔ經jīng的de和hé尚shàng來lái此cǐ倒dào換huàn關guān文wén，煩fán為wèi轉zhuǎn奏zòu。唐táng僧sēng大dà喜xǐ，披pī了le锦jǐn襕lán袈jiā裟shā。行xíng者zhě带dài了le通tōng关guān文wén牒dié，教jiào悟wù净jìng捧pěng着zhe钵bō盂yú，悟wù能néng拿ná了le锡xī杖zhàng；将jiāng行xíng囊náng、马mǎ匹pǐ，交jiāo与yǔ智zhì渊yuān寺sì僧sēng看kān守shǒu。径jìng到dào五wǔ凤fèng楼lóu前qián，对duì黄huáng门mén官guān作zuò礼lǐ，报bào了le姓xìng名míng，言yán是shì东dōng土tǔ大dà唐táng取qǔ经jīng的de和hé尚shàng来lái此cǐ倒dào换huàn关guān文wén，烦fán为wèi转zhuǎn奏zòu。

逐句解 Line by line

唐táng僧sēng大dà喜xǐ，披pī了le錦jǐn襴lán袈jiā裟shā。唐táng僧sēng大dà喜xǐ，披pī了le锦jǐn襕lán袈jiā裟shā。

The Tang Monk, greatly pleased, put on his brocade-bordered cassock.

大喜 "greatly pleased." 錦襴袈裟 the brocade-bordered kāṣāya, the ceremonial robe a monk puts on for a formal occasion. He is dressing for an audience, which tells you how little he suspects.

行xíng者zhě帶dài了le通tōng關guān文wén牒dié，教jiào悟wù淨jìng捧pěng著zhe缽bō盂yú，悟wù能néng拿ná了le錫xī杖zhàng；行xíng者zhě带dài了le通tōng关guān文wén牒dié，教jiào悟wù净jìng捧pěng着zhe钵bō盂yú，悟wù能néng拿ná了le锡xī杖zhàng；

Pilgrim took the passport-rescript, had Wujing bear the alms-bowl and Wuneng carry the tin staff;

捧著: 著 = zhe. 教 = jiào, having someone do something. 缽盂 "the alms bowl"; 錫杖 the monk's staff with its ringed tin head. Wujing and Wuneng are Friar Sand and Bajie under their religious names.

將jiāng行xíng囊náng、馬mǎ匹pǐ，交jiāo與yǔ智zhì淵yuān寺sì僧sēng看kān守shǒu。将jiāng行xíng囊náng、马mǎ匹pǐ，交jiāo与yǔ智zhì渊yuān寺sì僧sēng看kān守shǒu。

and the baggage and horse he handed over to the monks of Zhiyuan Temple to keep watch on.

將 = jiāng, taking hold of the baggage and handing it over. 行囊: 行 = xíng, travelling gear. 看守: 看 = kān, to guard or keep watch -- not kàn, to look at.

徑jìng到dào五wǔ鳳fèng樓lóu前qián，對duì黃huáng門mén官guān作zuò禮lǐ，報bào了le姓xìng名míng，言yán是shì東dōng土tǔ大dà唐táng取qǔ經jīng的de和hé尚shàng來lái此cǐ倒dào換huàn關guān文wén，煩fán為wèi轉zhuǎn奏zòu。径jìng到dào五wǔ凤fèng楼lóu前qián，对duì黄huáng门mén官guān作zuò礼lǐ，报bào了le姓xìng名míng，言yán是shì东dōng土tǔ大dà唐táng取qǔ经jīng的de和hé尚shàng来lái此cǐ倒dào换huàn关guān文wén，烦fán为wèi转zhuǎn奏zòu。

They went straight to the front of the Five-Phoenix Tower, made their bows to the Yellow-Gate officer, gave their names, and said they were monks of the Great Tang in the east, come to fetch scriptures and now here to have their rescript re-stamped, begging him to relay it within.

五鳳樓 the Five-Phoenix Tower, the great gate tower of the palace. 黃門官 the "Yellow Gate" usher, the official who carries messages in to the throne. 倒換: 倒 = dào. 煩為轉奏: 為 = wèi, on our behalf -- "trouble you to pass it up."

總評 Commentary

The pilgrims kit themselves out for a formal audience: ceremonial robe, travel document, alms bowl, ringed staff, with the baggage and the horse left in the temple's care.

Then they queue. They bow to the gate usher, give their names, state their business, and ask him to relay it. Every step is correct, and the care taken over the protocol is the point: the pilgrims are about to be attacked inside a system, and their only defence is to have used it properly.