原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
宣至金鑾 Summoned to the Hall
國王准奏,把唐僧等宣至金鑾殿下。師徒們排列階前,捧關文遞與國王。国王准奏,把唐僧等宣至金銮殿下。师徒们排列阶前,捧关文递与国王。
逐句解 Line by line
國王准奏,把唐僧等宣至金鑾殿下。
国王准奏,把唐僧等宣至金銮殿下。
The king approved the memorial and had the Tang Monk and his party summoned to the foot of the Hall of the Golden Chariot.
准奏 "to approve a memorial." 金鑾殿 the Hall of the Golden Chariot, the throne room. 宣至 "to summon before the throne."
師徒們排列階前,捧關文遞與國王。
师徒们排列阶前,捧关文递与国王。
Master and disciples ranged themselves before the steps and, holding up the rescript, handed it to the king.
排列階前 "lined up before the steps." 捧關文 "holding up the document in both hands," which is how you present anything to a sovereign.
They are admitted, they line up, they hand the document up in both hands. This is the moment they came for and it takes two sentences.
The novel then interrupts it. Nothing is ever resolved in this book at the first attempt, and the timing here -- the king has literally just opened the paper -- is as sharp a piece of stagecraft as the chapter contains.