反助妖道 “Why Aid the Demon?”
行者道：「我保護唐朝聖僧西天取經，路過車遲國，與那妖道賭勝祈雨，你怎麼不助老孫，反助那道士？我且饒你，把風收了；若有一些風兒，把那道士的鬍子吹得動動，各打二十鐵棒。」行者道：「我保护唐朝圣僧西天取经，路过车迟国，与那妖道赌胜祈雨，你怎么不助老孙，反助那道士？我且饶你，把风收了；若有一些风儿，把那道士的胡子吹得动动，各打二十铁棒。」
逐句解 Line by line
Pilgrim said, “I am guarding a holy monk of the Tang court on his way to fetch scriptures from the Western Heaven; passing through Cart-Slow Kingdom, we are wagering a rain-contest against those demon-Daoists. Why do you not help old Sun, but help that Daoist instead?
唐朝: 朝 = cháo. 那妖道 and 那道士: 那 = nà. 不助: the falling tone of 助 pulls 不 to bú. He opens with his commission -- escorting the scripture pilgrim -- because that, not his own strength, is what entitles him to give orders here.
I will pardon you this once — gather up the wind;
我且饒你 "I let you off for now." 把風收了: 了 = le.
but if there is the least breath of wind, enough to stir that Daoist's beard, you shall each be given twenty strokes of the iron rod.”
一些風兒: the level tone of 些 keeps 一 at yì; 兒 = er. 那道士: 那 = nà. 鬍子: 子 = zi. 吹得動動: 得 = de, linking the blowing to what it manages to move -- and what it must not manage to move is one whisker of the Daoist's beard.
He does not claim the wind by right of power. He claims it by right of office: I am escorting the holy monk to fetch the scriptures, and you are helping the other side.
Then the threat, which is very precisely calibrated. Not "no wind" but not enough wind to stir that Daoist's beard. The specificity does two things at once -- it demonstrates total control, and it aims the humiliation at one man on a platform who is about to crack a tablet and get nothing.