第四十五回 · 羊力獻策 Ram-Power's Proposal — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

羊力獻策 Ram-Power's Proposal

羊yáng力lì大dà仙xiān道dào：「師shī兄xiōng勿wù疑yí。想xiǎng是shì我wǒ們men虔qián心xīn敬jìng意yì，在zài此cǐ晝zhòu夜yè誦sòng經jīng，前qián後hòu申shēn文wén，又yòu是shì朝cháo廷tíng名míng號hào，斷duàn然rán驚jīng動dòng天tiān尊zūn。想xiǎng是shì三sān清qīng爺yé爺ye聖shèng駕jià降jiàng臨lín，受shòu用yòng了le這zhè些xiē供gòng養yǎng。趁chèn今jīn仙xiān從cóng未wèi返fǎn，鶴hè駕jià在zài斯sī，我wǒ等děng可kě拜bài告gào天tiān尊zūn，懇kěn求qiú些xiē聖shèng水shuǐ金jīn丹dān，進jìn與yǔ陛bì下xià，卻què不bú是shì長cháng生shēng永yǒng壽shòu，見jiàn我wǒ們men的de功gōng果guǒ也yě？」羊yáng力lì大dà仙xiān道dào：「师shī兄xiōng勿wù疑yí。想xiǎng是shì我wǒ们men虔qián心xīn敬jìng意yì，在zài此cǐ昼zhòu夜yè诵sòng经jīng，前qián后hòu申shēn文wén，又yòu是shì朝cháo廷tíng名míng号hào，断duàn然rán惊jīng动dòng天tiān尊zūn。想xiǎng是shì三sān清qīng爷yé爷ye圣shèng驾jià降jiàng临lín，受shòu用yòng了le这zhè些xiē供gòng养yǎng。趁chèn今jīn仙xiān从cóng未wèi返fǎn，鹤hè驾jià在zài斯sī，我wǒ等děng可kě拜bài告gào天tiān尊zūn，恳kěn求qiú些xiē圣shèng水shuǐ金jīn丹dān，进jìn与yǔ陛bì下xià，却què不bú是shì长cháng生shēng永yǒng寿shòu，见jiàn我wǒ们men的de功gōng果guǒ也yě？」

逐句解 Line by line

羊yáng力lì大dà仙xiān道dào：「師shī兄xiōng勿wù疑yí。羊yáng力lì大dà仙xiān道dào：「师shī兄xiōng勿wù疑yí。

Ram-Power the Immortal said, “Elder brothers, harbour no doubt.

師兄 "elder brothers in the school" -- fellow disciples senior to the speaker. 勿疑 "have no doubts about it."

想xiǎng是shì我wǒ們men虔qián心xīn敬jìng意yì，在zài此cǐ晝zhòu夜yè誦sòng經jīng，前qián後hòu申shēn文wén，又yòu是shì朝cháo廷tíng名míng號hào，斷duàn然rán驚jīng動dòng天tiān尊zūn。想xiǎng是shì我wǒ们men虔qián心xīn敬jìng意yì，在zài此cǐ昼zhòu夜yè诵sòng经jīng，前qián后hòu申shēn文wén，又yòu是shì朝cháo廷tíng名míng号hào，断duàn然rán惊jīng动dòng天tiān尊zūn。

Surely it is that our devout hearts and reverent minds — chanting the scriptures here day and night, submitting our petitions in due order, and all in the sovereign's own name — have stirred the Heavenly Venerable beyond all question.

Ram-Power builds his case out of everything they have done right. 虔心敬意 "devout heart and reverent mind." 申文 is to send up a written petition -- the Daoist ritual borrows the paperwork of government, and a prayer here is filed rather than felt. 朝廷名號: 朝 = cháo, in the name of the imperial court; 號 = hào, a title. 天尊 is the Daoist "Heavenly Venerable," meaning here the Three Pure Ones themselves.

想xiǎng是shì三sān清qīng爺yé爺ye聖shèng駕jià降jiàng臨lín，受shòu用yòng了le這zhè些xiē供gòng養yǎng。想xiǎng是shì三sān清qīng爷yé爷ye圣shèng驾jià降jiàng临lín，受shòu用yòng了le这zhè些xiē供gòng养yǎng。

Surely the Patriarchs of the Three Pure Ones have brought their sacred carriage down among us and partaken of these offerings.

聖駕降臨: 降 = jiàng, to come down -- the reading for descending, as against xiáng for surrendering. 供養: 供 = gòng. 受用 "to take and enjoy," the polite word for a god eating what you set out for him.

趁chèn今jīn仙xiān從cóng未wèi返fǎn，鶴hè駕jià在zài斯sī，我wǒ等děng可kě拜bài告gào天tiān尊zūn，懇kěn求qiú些xiē聖shèng水shuǐ金jīn丹dān，進jìn與yǔ陛bì下xià，卻què不bú是shì長cháng生shēng永yǒng壽shòu，見jiàn我wǒ們men的de功gōng果guǒ也yě？」趁chèn今jīn仙xiān从cóng未wèi返fǎn，鹤hè驾jià在zài斯sī，我wǒ等děng可kě拜bài告gào天tiān尊zūn，恳kěn求qiú些xiē圣shèng水shuǐ金jīn丹dān，进jìn与yǔ陛bì下xià，却què不bú是shì长cháng生shēng永yǒng寿shòu，见jiàn我wǒ们men的de功gōng果guǒ也yě？」

While the immortals' train has not yet withdrawn and the crane-carriage still lingers here, let us bow in supplication to the Venerable and earnestly beg a little holy water and golden elixir; presenting it to His Majesty — would that not be everlasting life and length of years, and proof besides of our own merit?”

鶴駕 "the crane-drawn carriage," the transport gods arrive in. 拜告 is to petition face-down on the floor. 長生永壽: 長 = cháng, long life and endless years. 功果 "merit" -- the spiritual credit an act earns you, and the thing Ram-Power is really after.

總評 Commentary

Ram-Power reads the crime scene as a miracle. Years of exalting the Way and hounding the monks have left the three of them so certain of their own standing with heaven that a burgled altar looks like a visit.

The reasoning is worth following because it is not stupid, only vain. If the gods really had come down, they would eat; if they had eaten, the plates would be empty; the plates are empty. He has simply left out every other way of emptying a plate. And his proposal -- catch them before they leave, beg the elixir, present it to the king -- is what opens the door for Wukong.

The phrase to hold onto is 功果, merit. Ram-Power wants the holy water partly for the king and largely for the credit of having got it. That mixture of piety and self-advancement is what the whole episode is aimed at.