第四十五回 · 真龍現像 The True Dragons Appear — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition 含詞賦 With rhapsody

真龍現像 The True Dragons Appear

那nà大dà聖shèng仰yǎng面miàn朝cháo空kōng，厲lì聲shēng高gāo叫jiào：「敖áo廣guǎng何hé在zài？弟dì兄xiōng們men都dōu現xiàn原yuán身shēn來lái看kàn。」那nà龍lóng王wáng聽tīng喚huàn，即jí忙máng現xiàn了le本běn身shēn，四sì條tiáo龍lóng。在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng度dù霧wù穿chuān雲yún，飛fēi舞wǔ向xiàng金jīn鑾luán殿diàn上shàng。但dàn見jiàn：那nà大dà圣shèng仰yǎng面miàn朝cháo空kōng，厉lì声shēng高gāo叫jiào：「敖áo广guǎng何hé在zài？弟dì兄xiōng们men都dōu现xiàn原yuán身shēn来lái看kàn。」那nà龙lóng王wáng听tīng唤huàn，即jí忙máng现xiàn了le本běn身shēn，四sì条tiáo龙lóng。在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng度dù雾wù穿chuān云yún，飞fēi舞wǔ向xiàng金jīn銮luán殿diàn上shàng。但dàn见jiàn：

飛fēi騰téng變biàn化huà，遶rào霧wù盤pán雲yún。飞fēi腾téng变biàn化huà，绕rào雾wù盘pán云yún。

玉yù爪zhǎo垂chuí鉤gōu白bái，銀yín鱗lín舞wǔ鏡jìng明míng。玉yù爪zhǎo垂chuí钩gōu白bái，银yín鳞lín舞wǔ镜jìng明míng。

髯rán飄piāo素sù練liàn根gēn根gēn爽shuǎng，角jiǎo聳sǒng軒xuān昂áng挺tǐng挺tǐng清qīng。髯rán飘piāo素sù练liàn根gēn根gēn爽shuǎng，角jiǎo耸sǒng轩xuān昂áng挺tǐng挺tǐng清qīng。

磕kē額é崔cuī巍wēi，圓yuán睛jīng晃huǎng亮liàng。磕kē额é崔cuī巍wēi，圆yuán睛jīng晃huǎng亮liàng。

隱yǐn顯xiǎn莫mò能néng測cè，飛fēi揚yáng不bù可kě評píng。隐yǐn显xiǎn莫mò能néng测cè，飞fēi扬yáng不bù可kě评píng。

禱dǎo雨yǔ隨suí時shí佈bù雨yǔ，求qiú晴qíng即jí便biàn天tiān晴qíng。祷dǎo雨yǔ随suí时shí布bù雨yǔ，求qiú晴qíng即jí便biàn天tiān晴qíng。

這zhè才cái是shì有yǒu靈líng有yǒu聖shèng真zhēn龍lóng像xiàng，祥xiáng瑞ruì繽bīn紛fēn遶rào殿diàn庭tíng。这zhè才cái是shì有yǒu灵líng有yǒu圣shèng真zhēn龙lóng像xiàng，祥xiáng瑞ruì缤bīn纷fēn绕rào殿diàn庭tíng。

逐句解 Line by line

那nà大dà聖shèng仰yǎng面miàn朝cháo空kōng，厲lì聲shēng高gāo叫jiào：「敖áo廣guǎng何hé在zài？那nà大dà圣shèng仰yǎng面miàn朝cháo空kōng，厉lì声shēng高gāo叫jiào：「敖áo广guǎng何hé在zài？

The Great Sage turned his face up to the sky and cried out in a stern, loud voice, “Where is Ao Guang?

那大聖: 那 = nà. 仰面朝空: 朝 = cháo, facing toward. 厲聲 "in a stern voice" -- and what he shouts is a name, which is all the ritual this takes.

弟dì兄xiōng們men都dōu現xiàn原yuán身shēn來lái看kàn。」弟dì兄xiōng们men都dōu现xiàn原yuán身shēn来lái看kàn。」

Brothers, all of you show your true forms for us to see.”

都現原身: 都 = dōu. 來看: 看 = kàn. 原身 "the original body," the form a shape-shifter wears when he is not wearing another. He calls them brothers.

那nà龍lóng王wáng聽tīng喚huàn，即jí忙máng現xiàn了le本běn身shēn，四sì條tiáo龍lóng。那nà龙lóng王wáng听tīng唤huàn，即jí忙máng现xiàn了le本běn身shēn，四sì条tiáo龙lóng。

Those Dragon Kings, hearing the summons, at once revealed their true bodies — four dragons.

那龍王: 那 = nà. 現了本身: 了 = le. 四條龍 "four dragons" -- counted with the measure word for long thin things, the same one you would use for a fish or a road.

在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng度dù霧wù穿chuān雲yún，飛fēi舞wǔ向xiàng金jīn鑾luán殿diàn上shàng。在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng度dù雾wù穿chuān云yún，飞fēi舞wǔ向xiàng金jīn銮luán殿diàn上shàng。

In the mid-air they passed through the mist and pierced the clouds, flying and wheeling toward the Hall of the Golden Chariot.

半空中: 中 = zhōng. 度霧穿雲 "crossing the mist, piercing the cloud." 飛舞 "flying and wheeling," the word you would use of a dance.

但dàn見jiàn：但dàn见jiàn：

Behold:

但見 -- the cue phrase, opening the last set-piece of the chapter.

飛fēi騰téng變biàn化huà，遶rào霧wù盤pán雲yún。飞fēi腾téng变biàn化huà，绕rào雾wù盘pán云yún。

Soaring and transforming, coiling through mist, winding among clouds.

飛騰變化 "soaring and shape-shifting." 遶霧盤雲 "wreathing the mist, coiling through cloud."

玉yù爪zhǎo垂chuí鉤gōu白bái，銀yín鱗lín舞wǔ鏡jìng明míng。玉yù爪zhǎo垂chuí钩gōu白bái，银yín鳞lín舞wǔ镜jìng明míng。

Their jade claws hung white as hooks; their silver scales danced bright as mirrors.

玉爪垂鉤白 "jade claws hanging white as hooks." 銀鱗舞鏡明 "silver scales dancing mirror-bright."

Their whiskers streamed like white silk, crisp strand by strand; their horns reared high and proud, straight and clear.

髯飄素練 "whiskers streaming like bleached silk," with 根根爽 "every strand of them crisp." 角聳軒昂 "horns rearing up proud."

磕kē額é崔cuī巍wēi，圓yuán睛jīng晃huǎng亮liàng。磕kē额é崔cuī巍wēi，圆yuán睛jīng晃huǎng亮liàng。

Their knobbed brows towered up; their round eyes gleamed and flashed.

磕額崔巍 "knobbed brows, towering." 圓睛晃亮 "round eyes, glittering."

隱yǐn顯xiǎn莫mò能néng測cè，飛fēi揚yáng不bù可kě評píng。隐yǐn显xiǎn莫mò能néng测cè，飞fēi扬yáng不bù可kě评píng。

Now hidden, now shown, past all fathoming; soaring aloft, beyond all describing.

隱顯莫能測 "appearing and vanishing past all gauging." 不可評: the third tone of 可 keeps 不 at bù.

禱dǎo雨yǔ隨suí時shí佈bù雨yǔ，求qiú晴qíng即jí便biàn天tiān晴qíng。祷dǎo雨yǔ随suí时shí布bù雨yǔ，求qiú晴qíng即jí便biàn天tiān晴qíng。

Pray for rain, and at once they spread the rain; ask for clearing, and straightway the sky is clear.

禱雨隨時佈雨 "pray for rain and the rain comes at once." 求晴即便天晴 "ask for clear and the sky clears straight away." Two lines that state the whole contest's lesson in miniature: real power answers immediately, and needs no equipment.

This indeed was the numinous, holy, true dragon-form: auspicious signs in profusion circling the palace court.

有靈有聖 "holy, and with a living spirit in it." 真龍像 "the true dragon-shape." 祥瑞繽紛 "lucky signs in profusion." 遶殿庭 "wreathing the palace court."

總評 Commentary

The fifth and last set-piece is the chapter's visual climax, and it is different in kind from the four before it. Those catalogued what the weather destroyed. This one simply looks at something: jade claws, silver scales, whiskers like bleached silk, horns rearing, round eyes glittering, four dragons wheeling above the throne hall.

And it takes no ritual whatever. Wukong tips his face up and shouts a name, and they come. Set that beside the sword, the loosed hair, the burning talismans and the wooden tablet, and the argument the chapter has been making is complete.

The couplet at the centre -- pray for rain and it rains, ask for clear and it clears -- is the lesson in two lines. Then the last line calls them 真龍像, the true dragon-shape, which is the word that settles it. Everything else in this contest has been an appearance. This is the thing itself.

For a court that has spent twenty-three years being told about dragons, seeing four is not evidence in a dispute. It is the end of one.