Canonical Classics ← 第四十五回
第四十五回
sānqīngguànshèngliúmíng
chēchíguóhóuwángxiǎn

At the Abbey of the Three Pure Ones the Great Sage leaves his name; in the Kingdom of Cart-Slow the Monkey King displays his magic.

有何話說
模式 Mode Read Study
拼音 Pinyin Off
字體 Script
原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

有何話說 “What Would You Say?”

guówángjīngdào:「guóshīyǒuhuàshuōcáiláibàolexìngmíngzhèngsòngguóshī使shǐyòngzěnnàidāngjiàtàishīsuǒzòuyǒuzhènyīnkànyuǎnláizhīmièzhōnghuáshànyuánfāngcáizhàoyàndiéguóshīyǒuwènxiǎngshìmàofànzūnyányǒuzuìchù?」guówángjīngdào:「guóshīyǒuhuàshuōcáiláibàolexìngmíngzhèngsòngguóshī使shǐyòngzěnnàidāngjiàtàishīsuǒzòuyǒuzhènyīnkànyuǎnláizhīmièzhōnghuáshànyuánfāngcáizhàoyàndiéguóshīyǒuwènxiǎngshìmàofànzūnyányǒuzuìchù?」


逐句解 Line by line

guówángjīngdào:「guóshīyǒuhuàshuō guówángjīngdào:「guóshīyǒuhuàshuō

The king said in alarm, “What is it the Preceptors would say?

驚道 "said in alarm." 有何話說 "what is it you would tell me?"

cáiláibàolexìngmíngzhèngsòngguóshī使shǐyòngzěnnàidāngjiàtàishīsuǒzòuyǒuzhènyīnkànyuǎnláizhīmièzhōnghuáshànyuánfāngcáizhàoyàndiéguóshīyǒuwèn cáiláibàolexìngmíngzhèngsòngguóshī使shǐyòngzěnnàidāngjiàtàishīsuǒzòuyǒuzhènyīnkànyuǎnláizhīmièzhōnghuáshànyuánfāngcáizhàoyàndiéguóshīyǒuwèn

He had only just come and given his name, and I was of a mind to have him seized and handed to you Preceptors to deal with; but as the Grand Preceptor on duty had spoken to good sense, and I, moved by the thought of one come from afar, would not sever the good bond with the Middle Flower, I had just called them in to inspect the document — I did not expect the Preceptors would have this to ask.

拿送 "to seize and hand over." 當駕: = dāng. 看遠來之意: = kàn. 中華: = zhōng; 不滅: the falling tone pulls to . 驗牒 "to inspect the document." Notice how carefully he explains himself: he is apologising to his own clergy for not having murdered four strangers.

xiǎngshìmàofànzūnyányǒuzuìchù?」 xiǎngshìmàofànzūnyányǒuzuìchù?」

I suppose he has offended your august persons — is there some point on which he has done wrong?”

冒犯尊顏 "to affront the honoured countenance." 得罪: = , to give offence. = chù, a point or respect.


總評 Commentary

The king is caught between his Preceptor's good advice and his Preceptors' evident anger, and what comes out is a nervous account of his own reasoning: I was going to have them arrested, but the Grand Preceptor made a fair point, and they have come a long way, so I called them in to check the paperwork.

It is worth noticing that he assumes the monks are in the wrong before he has heard anything. His question is not whether they have offended, but on which point. This is the mind the pilgrims have to work on, and it is not a strong one.