屏後老翁 The Old Man Behind the Screen
行者拿起火把，點上燈燭，扯過一張交椅，請唐僧坐在上面；他兄弟們坐在兩傍，那老者坐在前面。正敘坐間，只聽得裡面門開處，又走出一個老者，拄著拐杖道：「是甚麼邪魔，黑夜裡來我善門之家？」前面坐的老者，急起身迎到屏門後道：「哥哥莫嚷，不是邪魔，乃東土大唐取經的羅漢。徒弟們相貌雖兇，果然是相惡人善。」那老者方才放下拄杖，與他四位行禮。禮畢，也坐了面前，叫：「看茶來。排齋。」連叫數聲，幾個僮僕戰戰兢兢，不敢攏帳。行者拿起火把，点上灯烛，扯过一张交椅，请唐僧坐在上面；他兄弟们坐在两傍，那老者坐在前面。正叙坐间，只听得里面门开处，又走出一个老者，拄着拐杖道：「是甚么邪魔，黑夜里来我善门之家？」前面坐的老者，急起身迎到屏门后道：「哥哥莫嚷，不是邪魔，乃东土大唐取经的罗汉。徒弟们相貌虽凶，果然是相恶人善。」那老者方才放下拄杖，与他四位行礼。礼毕，也坐了面前，叫：「看茶来。排斋。」连叫数声，几个僮仆战战兢兢，不敢拢帐。
逐句解 Line by line
Pilgrim took up a torch, lit the lamps and candles, drew over a folding chair, and invited the Tang Monk to sit above;
Wukong picks up a dropped torch and quietly puts the room back in order. 交椅 is a folding chair with crossed legs — portable, and by long convention the seat of honour, which is why he pulls it over for his master.
his brothers sat to either side, and the old man sat in front.
兩傍 takes 傍 as páng, the noun "side." 那 points — nà. Everyone is seated and civilised again, for about one line.
Just as they were settling into their seats, they heard within the sound of a door opening, and out came another old man, leaning on a staff: "What evil spirits are these, come to my god-fearing house in the dead of night?"
邪魔 is evil spirits; 善門之家 is a household that keeps an open door for good works — a family known locally for charity, which as it happens is exactly true of this one. 聽得 takes 得 as dé; 拄著 takes 著 as zhe; 甚 is shén.
The old man seated in front rose hastily and went to meet him behind the screen-gate: "Brother, do not shout — they are no evil spirits, but arhats from the Land of the East, Great Tang, come to fetch the scriptures.
屏門 is the screen-gate set just inside a Chinese courtyard house to block the view from the street — so the brother is intercepted before he can get a proper look. 羅漢 is an arhat, a Buddhist saint, and it is a generous promotion for three creatures who have just emptied a room by breathing.
Though the disciples are fierce of feature, they are truly a case of ugly looks and kindly hearts."
相惡人善 — the looks are foul, the men are good — takes both 相 as xiàng, appearance. A near-identical saying about a fierce face over a kind heart is still in daily use, and the line states the theme this whole stretch of the chapter has been circling: what a face is worth as evidence.
At this the old man set down his staff and made his courtesies to the four of them.
放下拄杖, setting the staff down, is the whole reconciliation in one gesture — he had been holding it like a weapon. 那 points — nà; 行 in 行禮 is xíng.
The courtesies done, he too sat down in front, and called: "Bring tea.
禮畢: courtesies done. Tea first, in any Chinese household, whatever has just happened.
Lay out the meal."
排齋: lay out the meatless meal.
He called several times over, but the few serving-lads, trembling, dared not come near.
戰戰兢兢 is shaking with fright, and 不敢攏帳 is not daring to come near. He can call for tea as often as he likes; nobody is going into that room. 數 in 連叫數聲 is shù, "several."
A second, older householder comes out on a staff, roused by the din, and the passage steadies around him. His opening line takes the pilgrims for evil spirits who have come to a 善門之家 — a house known for charity — in the dead of night, and it falls to his brother to vouch for them at the screen-gate: not spirits but arhats, bound west for the scriptures, and as for the disciples, 相惡人善, the looks are foul but the men are good. That formula is the chapter's theme in four characters, and it is the second time somebody has had to vouch for those faces.
It works. The staff goes down, the courtesies are made, tea and a meal are called for, and decorum returns — except that it does not, quite. The serving-lads are still too frightened to come near, so the old man can call as often as he likes and nothing arrives. The detail keeps the household's fright alive under the restored politeness, and it sets the table, so to speak, for the feast in the next passage, where Bajie will dismantle propriety all over again by an entirely different method.