第四十五回 · 三缸盆瓶 Vat, Basin, and Vase — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

三缸盆瓶 Vat, Basin, and Vase

虎hǔ力lì大dà仙xiān愛ài強qiáng，就jiù擡tái一yì口kǒu大dà缸gāng，放fàng在zài殿diàn上shàng；鹿lù力lì大dà仙xiān端duān一yì砂shā盆pén，安ān在zài供gòng桌zhuō之zhī上shàng；羊yáng力lì大dà仙xiān把bǎ花huā瓶píng摘zhāi了le花huā，移yí在zài中zhōng間jiān。行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ們men都dōu出chū殿diàn前qián，掩yǎn上shàng格gé子zi，不bù可kě洩xiè了le天tiān機jī，好hǎo留liú與yǔ你nǐ些xiē聖shèng水shuǐ。」眾zhòng道dào一yì齊qí跪guì伏fú丹dān墀chí之zhī下xià，掩yǎn了le殿diàn門mén。虎hǔ力lì大dà仙xiān爱ài强qiáng，就jiù抬tái一yì口kǒu大dà缸gāng，放fàng在zài殿diàn上shàng；鹿lù力lì大dà仙xiān端duān一yì砂shā盆pén，安ān在zài供gòng桌zhuō之zhī上shàng；羊yáng力lì大dà仙xiān把bǎ花huā瓶píng摘zhāi了le花huā，移yí在zài中zhōng间jiān。行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ们men都dōu出chū殿diàn前qián，掩yǎn上shàng格gé子zi，不bù可kě泄xiè了le天tiān机jī，好hǎo留liú与yǔ你nǐ些xiē圣shèng水shuǐ。」众zhòng道dào一yì齐qí跪guì伏fú丹dān墀chí之zhī下xià，掩yǎn了le殿diàn门mén。

逐句解 Line by line

虎hǔ力lì大dà仙xiān愛ài強qiáng，就jiù擡tái一yì口kǒu大dà缸gāng，放fàng在zài殿diàn上shàng；虎hǔ力lì大dà仙xiān爱ài强qiáng，就jiù抬tái一yì口kǒu大dà缸gāng，放fàng在zài殿diàn上shàng；

Tiger-Power the Immortal, loving to outdo the rest, hauled over a great vat and set it upon the hall floor;

愛強: 強 = qiáng, fond of coming first, of outdoing the others. 擡一口大缸: the third tone of 口 keeps 一 at yì; a 缸 is a big earthen vat, the kind you store water in.

鹿lù力lì大dà仙xiān端duān一yì砂shā盆pén，安ān在zài供gòng桌zhuō之zhī上shàng；鹿lù力lì大dà仙xiān端duān一yì砂shā盆pén，安ān在zài供gòng桌zhuō之zhī上shàng；

Deer-Power the Immortal set out a sand-basin and placed it upon the offering-table;

砂盆 "a coarse earthenware basin." 供桌: 供 = gòng, the offering table.

羊yáng力lì大dà仙xiān把bǎ花huā瓶píng摘zhāi了le花huā，移yí在zài中zhōng間jiān。羊yáng力lì大dà仙xiān把bǎ花huā瓶píng摘zhāi了le花huā，移yí在zài中zhōng间jiān。

and Ram-Power the Immortal took the flower-vase, plucked out its flowers, and moved it to the middle.

花瓶 "a flower vase" -- emptied of its flowers first, which is the small comic beat here. 中間: 中 = zhōng, the middle.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ們men都dōu出chū殿diàn前qián，掩yǎn上shàng格gé子zi，不bù可kě洩xiè了le天tiān機jī，好hǎo留liú與yǔ你nǐ些xiē聖shèng水shuǐ。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「你nǐ们men都dōu出chū殿diàn前qián，掩yǎn上shàng格gé子zi，不bù可kě泄xiè了le天tiān机jī，好hǎo留liú与yǔ你nǐ些xiē圣shèng水shuǐ。」

Pilgrim said, “All of you go out before the hall and pull the lattice-panels to; you must not let the heavenly secret leak out, so that I may leave you your holy water.”

都出: 都 = dōu. 格子 "lattice panel, screen"; 子 = zi, the light ending. 不可: 不 = bù. 洩了天機 "to let the secret of Heaven leak out." This is the con-man's master stroke: the mark is asked to leave the room and shut the door, and told it is for his own good.

眾zhòng道dào一yì齊qí跪guì伏fú丹dān墀chí之zhī下xià，掩yǎn了le殿diàn門mén。众zhòng道dào一yì齐qí跪guì伏fú丹dān墀chí之zhī下xià，掩yǎn了le殿diàn门mén。

The Daoists all knelt in a row below the vermilion steps and closed the hall doors.

一齊: 一 = yì. 丹墀 "the vermilion terrace," the red-painted steps in front of a hall. 掩了殿門 "pulled the hall doors to."

總評 Commentary

Each immortal brings a vessel, and each brings a bigger one than he needs to: a great vat, a sand basin, a flower vase stripped of its flowers. They are competing over who will receive most.

Wukong caps the staging with the line every confidence trick needs -- everybody out, shut the door, this must not be seen. Dressed as reverence for a heavenly secret, it is simply a request for privacy, and they grant it gladly. With 掩了殿門 the doors close on the three of them.