第四十五回 · 雷部奉旨 The Thunder Bureau's Commission — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

雷部奉旨 The Thunder Bureau's Commission

行xíng者zhě又yòu將jiāng前qián項xiàng事shì說shuō了le一yí遍biàn，道dào：「你nǐ們men怎zěn麼me來lái的de志zhì誠chéng？是shì何hé法fǎ旨zhǐ？」天tiān君jūn道dào：「那nà道dào士shì五wǔ雷léi法fǎ是shì個gè真zhēn的de，他tā發fā了le文wén書shū，燒shāo了le文wén檄xí，驚jīng動dòng玉yù帝dì，玉yù帝dì擲zhì下xià旨zhǐ意yì，徑jìng至zhì九jiǔ天tiān應yìng元yuán雷léi聲shēng普pǔ化huà天tiān尊zūn府fǔ下xià。我wǒ等děng奉fèng旨zhǐ前qián來lái，助zhù雷léi電diàn下xià雨yǔ。」行xíng者zhě又yòu将jiāng前qián项xiàng事shì说shuō了le一yí遍biàn，道dào：「你nǐ们men怎zěn么me来lái的de志zhì诚chéng？是shì何hé法fǎ旨zhǐ？」天tiān君jūn道dào：「那nà道dào士shì五wǔ雷léi法fǎ是shì个gè真zhēn的de，他tā发fā了le文wén书shū，烧shāo了le文wén檄xí，惊jīng动dòng玉yù帝dì，玉yù帝dì掷zhì下xià旨zhǐ意yì，径jìng至zhì九jiǔ天tiān应yìng元yuán雷léi声shēng普pǔ化huà天tiān尊zūn府fǔ下xià。我wǒ等děng奉fèng旨zhǐ前qián来lái，助zhù雷léi电diàn下xià雨yǔ。」

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng者zhě又yòu將jiāng前qián項xiàng事shì說shuō了le一yí遍biàn，道dào：「你nǐ們men怎zěn麼me來lái的de志zhì誠chéng？行xíng者zhě又yòu将jiāng前qián项xiàng事shì说shuō了le一yí遍biàn，道dào：「你nǐ们men怎zěn么me来lái的de志zhì诚chéng？

Pilgrim again set out the foregoing matter to them and said, “How is it you have come so promptly?

將前項事: 將 = jiāng. 行者: 行 = xíng. 志誠 "in earnest, prompt about it."

是shì何hé法fǎ旨zhǐ？」是shì何hé法fǎ旨zhǐ？」

By what divine command?”

是何法旨 "on what sacred authority?" -- he wants to see the orders.

天tiān君jūn道dào：「那nà道dào士shì五wǔ雷léi法fǎ是shì個gè真zhēn的de，他tā發fā了le文wén書shū，燒shāo了le文wén檄xí，驚jīng動dòng玉yù帝dì，玉yù帝dì擲zhì下xià旨zhǐ意yì，徑jìng至zhì九jiǔ天tiān應yìng元yuán雷léi聲shēng普pǔ化huà天tiān尊zūn府fǔ下xià。天tiān君jūn道dào：「那nà道dào士shì五wǔ雷léi法fǎ是shì个gè真zhēn的de，他tā发fā了le文wén书shū，烧shāo了le文wén檄xí，惊jīng动dòng玉yù帝dì，玉yù帝dì掷zhì下xià旨zhǐ意yì，径jìng至zhì九jiǔ天tiān应yìng元yuán雷léi声shēng普pǔ化huà天tiān尊zūn府fǔ下xià。

The Marshal said, “That Daoist's Five-Thunder method is a genuine one; he sent up a document and burned a writ, which stirred the Jade Emperor, and the Jade Emperor cast down a decree, straight to the office of the Heavenly Venerable of the Ninefold Heaven, Responding-to-the-Origin, Universal Transformer of the Thunder-Sound.

那道士: 那 = nà. The deity's title is given in full: 九天應元雷聲普化天尊, the Heavenly Venerable of the Ninefold Heaven, Responding to the Origin, Universal Transformer of the Thunder-Sound -- in which 應 = yìng, responding to. Titles of this length are not decoration; in a heaven organised as a civil service, the full title is the address. 擲下旨意 "cast down a decree."

我wǒ等děng奉fèng旨zhǐ前qián來lái，助zhù雷léi電diàn下xià雨yǔ。」我wǒ等děng奉fèng旨zhǐ前qián来lái，助zhù雷léi电diàn下xià雨yǔ。」

We come by decree to aid the thunder and lightning and send down rain.”

奉旨前來 "come at the imperial command." 助雷電下雨 "to assist with thunder, lightning and rain."

總評 Commentary

Marshal Deng's answer changes the meaning of everything that has happened. The immortal's Five-Thunder rite is genuine. The document went up, the Jade Emperor read it, and a decree came down through the thunder ministry ordering these deities to attend.

So Wukong is not unmasking a charlatan. He is overruling a valid instruction from the Jade Emperor by standing in the road and telling the staff to wait. That is a far more interesting kind of victory, and a much cheekier one.

The full title of the presiding thunder deity, spelled out at length, is part of the same point. This heaven runs on offices and correct forms, and the immortal has used them correctly. He has simply run into someone who does not need them.