第五回 · 權管蟠桃 Put in charge of the Peach Garden — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

權管蟠桃 Put in charge of the Peach Garden

一yí日rì，玉yù帝dì早zǎo朝cháo，班bān部bù中zhōng閃shǎn出chū許xǔ旌jīng陽yáng真zhēn人rén，頫fǔ顖xìn啟qǐ奏zòu道dào：「今jīn有yǒu齊qí天tiān大dà聖shèng無wú事shì閑xián遊yóu，結jié交jiāo天tiān上shàng眾zhòng星xīng宿xiù，不bú論lùn高gāo低dī，俱jù稱chēng朋péng友yǒu，恐kǒng後hòu閑xián中zhōng生shēng事shì。不bú若ruò與yǔ他tā一yí件jiàn事shì管guǎn，庶shù免miǎn別bié生shēng事shì端duān。」玉yù帝dì聞wén言yán，即jí時shí宣xuān詔zhào。那nà猴hóu王wáng欣xīn欣xīn然rán而ér至zhì，道dào：「陛bì下xià，詔zhào老lǎo孫sūn有yǒu何hé陞shēng賞shǎng？」玉yù帝dì道dào：「朕zhèn見jiàn你nǐ身shēn閑xián無wú事shì，與yǔ你nǐ件jiàn執zhí事shì：你nǐ且qiě權quán管guǎn那nà蟠pán桃táo園yuán，早zǎo晚wǎn好hǎo生shēng在zài意yì。」大dà聖shèng歡huān喜xǐ謝xiè恩ēn，朝cháo上shàng唱chàng喏rě而ér退tuì。他tā等děng不bù得dé窮qióng忙máng，即jí入rù蟠pán桃táo園yuán內nèi查chá勘kān。本běn園yuán中zhōng有yǒu個gè土tǔ地dì攔lán住zhù問wèn道dào：「大dà聖shèng何hé往wǎng？」大dà聖shèng道dào：「吾wú奉fèng玉yù帝dì點diǎn差chāi，代dài管guǎn蟠pán桃táo園yuán，今jīn來lái查chá勘kān也yě。」那nà土tǔ地dì連lián忙máng施shī禮lǐ，即jí呼hū那nà一yì班bān鋤chú樹shù力lì士shì、運yùn水shuǐ力lì士shì、修xiū桃táo力lì士shì、打dǎ掃sǎo力lì士shì都dōu來lái見jiàn大dà聖shèng磕kē頭tóu，引yǐn他tā進jìn去qù。但dàn見jiàn那nà：一yí日rì，玉yù帝dì早zǎo朝cháo，班bān部bù中zhōng闪shǎn出chū许xǔ旌jīng阳yáng真zhēn人rén，𫖯fǔ顖xìn启qǐ奏zòu道dào：「今jīn有yǒu齐qí天tiān大dà圣shèng无wú事shì闲xián游yóu，结jié交jiāo天tiān上shàng众zhòng星xīng宿xiù，不bú论lùn高gāo低dī，俱jù称chēng朋péng友yǒu，恐kǒng后hòu闲xián中zhōng生shēng事shì。不bú若ruò与yǔ他tā一yí件jiàn事shì管guǎn，庶shù免miǎn别bié生shēng事shì端duān。」玉yù帝dì闻wén言yán，即jí时shí宣xuān诏zhào。那nà猴hóu王wáng欣xīn欣xīn然rán而ér至zhì，道dào：「陛bì下xià，诏zhào老lǎo孙sūn有yǒu何hé升shēng赏shǎng？」玉yù帝dì道dào：「朕zhèn见jiàn你nǐ身shēn闲xián无wú事shì，与yǔ你nǐ件jiàn执zhí事shì：你nǐ且qiě权quán管guǎn那nà蟠pán桃táo园yuán，早zǎo晚wǎn好hǎo生shēng在zài意yì。」大dà圣shèng欢huān喜xǐ谢xiè恩ēn，朝cháo上shàng唱chàng喏rě而ér退tuì。他tā等děng不bù得dé穷qióng忙máng，即jí入rù蟠pán桃táo园yuán内nèi查chá勘kān。本běn园yuán中zhōng有yǒu个gè土tǔ地dì拦lán住zhù问wèn道dào：「大dà圣shèng何hé往wǎng？」大dà圣shèng道dào：「吾wú奉fèng玉yù帝dì点diǎn差chāi，代dài管guǎn蟠pán桃táo园yuán，今jīn来lái查chá勘kān也yě。」那nà土tǔ地dì连lián忙máng施shī礼lǐ，即jí呼hū那nà一yì班bān锄chú树shù力lì士shì、运yùn水shuǐ力lì士shì、修xiū桃táo力lì士shì、打dǎ扫sǎo力lì士shì都dōu来lái见jiàn大dà圣shèng磕kē头tóu，引yǐn他tā进jìn去qù。但dàn见jiàn那nà：

逐句解 Line by line

One day, as the Jade Emperor held his early court, the True Person Xu Jingyang stepped from the ranks and, bowing low, reported: 'The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, having no duties, idles about; he befriends the star-host of heaven, high and low alike, and calls them all his friends. I fear that, left idle, he will breed trouble. Better to give him some charge, that no further mischief arise.'

頫顖 (the 世德堂 graphic forms of 俯囟), read fǔ xìn: to bow the head low in obeisance.

玉yù帝dì聞wén言yán，即jí時shí宣xuān詔zhào。玉yù帝dì闻wén言yán，即jí时shí宣xuān诏zhào。

The Jade Emperor, hearing this, at once issued a summons.

那nà猴hóu王wáng欣xīn欣xīn然rán而ér至zhì，道dào：「陛bì下xià，詔zhào老lǎo孫sūn有yǒu何hé陞shēng賞shǎng？」那nà猴hóu王wáng欣xīn欣xīn然rán而ér至zhì，道dào：「陛bì下xià，诏zhào老lǎo孙sūn有yǒu何hé升shēng赏shǎng？」

The Monkey King came delighted and said: 'Your Majesty — for what promotion have you summoned old Sun?'

玉yù帝dì道dào：「朕zhèn見jiàn你nǐ身shēn閑xián無wú事shì，與yǔ你nǐ件jiàn執zhí事shì：你nǐ且qiě權quán管guǎn那nà蟠pán桃táo園yuán，早zǎo晚wǎn好hǎo生shēng在zài意yì。」玉yù帝dì道dào：「朕zhèn见jiàn你nǐ身shēn闲xián无wú事shì，与yǔ你nǐ件jiàn执zhí事shì：你nǐ且qiě权quán管guǎn那nà蟠pán桃táo园yuán，早zǎo晚wǎn好hǎo生shēng在zài意yì。」

The Jade Emperor said: 'Seeing you idle and unoccupied, I give you a charge: you shall take provisional command of the Peach Garden, and tend it well morning and evening.'

大dà聖shèng歡huān喜xǐ謝xiè恩ēn，朝cháo上shàng唱chàng喏rě而ér退tuì。大dà圣shèng欢huān喜xǐ谢xiè恩ēn，朝cháo上shàng唱chàng喏rě而ér退tuì。

The Great Sage, overjoyed, gave thanks for the grace, made his bowing salute toward the throne, and withdrew.

唱喏 (chàng rě): the old court courtesy of bowing while voicing a respectful salute. (The bare particle 喏 elsewhere reads nuò, "aye.")

他tā等děng不bù得dé窮qióng忙máng，即jí入rù蟠pán桃táo園yuán內nèi查chá勘kān。他tā等děng不bù得dé穷qióng忙máng，即jí入rù蟠pán桃táo园yuán内nèi查chá勘kān。

Unable to wait in his eagerness, he went straight into the Peach Garden to make his inspection.

本běn園yuán中zhōng有yǒu個gè土tǔ地dì攔lán住zhù問wèn道dào：「大dà聖shèng何hé往wǎng？」本běn园yuán中zhōng有yǒu个gè土tǔ地dì拦lán住zhù问wèn道dào：「大dà圣shèng何hé往wǎng？」

In the garden a local earth-god barred his way and asked: 'Where is the Great Sage bound?'

大dà聖shèng道dào：「吾wú奉fèng玉yù帝dì點diǎn差chāi，代dài管guǎn蟠pán桃táo園yuán，今jīn來lái查chá勘kān也yě。」大dà圣shèng道dào：「吾wú奉fèng玉yù帝dì点diǎn差chāi，代dài管guǎn蟠pán桃táo园yuán，今jīn来lái查chá勘kān也yě。」

The Great Sage said: 'By the Jade Emperor's command I am appointed to take charge of the Peach Garden, and have come now to inspect it.'

差 here is chāi, to dispatch or assign: 點差 = appointed and sent.

那nà土tǔ地dì連lián忙máng施shī禮lǐ，即jí呼hū那nà一yì班bān鋤chú樹shù力lì士shì、運yùn水shuǐ力lì士shì、修xiū桃táo力lì士shì、打dǎ掃sǎo力lì士shì都dōu來lái見jiàn大dà聖shèng磕kē頭tóu，引yǐn他tā進jìn去qù。但dàn見jiàn那nà：那nà土tǔ地dì连lián忙máng施shī礼lǐ，即jí呼hū那nà一yì班bān锄chú树shù力lì士shì、运yùn水shuǐ力lì士shì、修xiū桃táo力lì士shì、打dǎ扫sǎo力lì士shì都dōu来lái见jiàn大dà圣shèng磕kē头tóu，引yǐn他tā进jìn去qù。但dàn见jiàn那nà：

The earth-god hastily made obeisance and summoned that whole company — the hoe-the-trees strongmen, the carry-the-water strongmen, the tend-the-peaches strongmen, the sweep-and-clean strongmen — all to come and kowtow before the Great Sage, and led him within. And there he saw:

總評 Commentary

Xu Jingyang’s memorial is pure bureaucratic logic: 不若與他一件事管，庶免別生事端 — "better give him some charge, lest he breed further trouble." The cure proposed for a restless mind is a title and a task. The chapter sets up its central irony at once, for the post they settle on is steward of the 蟠桃園: they place the unrefined 心猿 in charge of the very fruits of immortality.

In alchemical terms the 蟠桃 are an emblem of the 金丹 itself, the elixir of deathless life — the coming 賦 will call the trees 瑤池王母自栽培, "the Queen Mother’s own planting." To set the mind-monkey to "tend" the elixir before the mind has itself been refined is to invite exactly the theft the title-couplet has promised. 好生在意, "tend it well," is an injunction the unstilled mind cannot keep — and his eagerness, 等不得窮忙 ("unable to wait, all in a rush"), is appetite already outrunning office.