第六十回 · 是誰偷放 Who Loosed the Beast — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

是誰偷放 Who Loosed the Beast

卻què說shuō那nà牛niú魔mó王wáng在zài碧bì波bō潭tán底dǐ與yǔ眾zhòng精jīng散sàn了le筵yán席xí，出chū得de門mén來lái，不bú見jiàn了le辟bì水shuǐ金jīn睛jīng獸shòu。老lǎo龍lóng王wáng聚jù眾zhòng精jīng問wèn道dào：「是shì誰shuí偷tōu放fàng牛niú爺yé的de金jīn睛jīng獸shòu也yě？」眾zhòng精jīng跪guì下xià道dào：「沒méi人rén敢gǎn偷tōu。我wǒ等děng俱jù在zài筵yán前qián供gōng酒jiǔ捧pěng盤pán，供gōng唱chàng奏zòu樂yuè，更gèng無wú一yì人rén在zài前qián。」却què说shuō那nà牛niú魔mó王wáng在zài碧bì波bō潭tán底dǐ与yǔ众zhòng精jīng散sàn了le筵yán席xí，出chū得de门mén来lái，不bú见jiàn了le辟bì水shuǐ金jīn睛jīng兽shòu。老lǎo龙lóng王wáng聚jù众zhòng精jīng问wèn道dào：「是shì谁shuí偷tōu放fàng牛niú爷yé的de金jīn睛jīng兽shòu也yě？」众zhòng精jīng跪guì下xià道dào：「没méi人rén敢gǎn偷tōu。我wǒ等děng俱jù在zài筵yán前qián供gōng酒jiǔ捧pěng盘pán，供gōng唱chàng奏zòu乐yuè，更gèng无wú一yì人rén在zài前qián。」

逐句解 Line by line

卻què說shuō那nà牛niú魔mó王wáng在zài碧bì波bō潭tán底dǐ與yǔ眾zhòng精jīng散sàn了le筵yán席xí，出chū得de門mén來lái，不bú見jiàn了le辟bì水shuǐ金jīn睛jīng獸shòu。却què说shuō那nà牛niú魔mó王wáng在zài碧bì波bō潭tán底dǐ与yǔ众zhòng精jīng散sàn了le筵yán席xí，出chū得de门mén来lái，不bú见jiàn了le辟bì水shuǐ金jīn睛jīng兽shòu。

The story turns to the Bull Demon King at the bottom of the Green Wave Pool. When the banquet with the spirits had broken up and he came out at the door, the water-averting golden-eyed beast was nowhere to be seen.

散 is sàn, of a gathering breaking up. 出得門來 takes the toneless de. 辟 is bì. 卻說 opens the chapter's second and last change of thread.

老lǎo龍lóng王wáng聚jù眾zhòng精jīng問wèn道dào：「是shì誰shuí偷tōu放fàng牛niú爺yé的de金jīn睛jīng獸shòu也yě？」老lǎo龙lóng王wáng聚jù众zhòng精jīng问wèn道dào：「是shì谁shuí偷tōu放fàng牛niú爷yé的de金jīn睛jīng兽shòu也yě？」

The old Dragon King gathered the spirits and demanded, "Who has stolen and loosed Lord Bull's golden-eyed beast?"

偷放 pairs the theft with the untying — the charge is of two acts, and the second is one only somebody inside the palace could have performed.

眾zhòng精jīng跪guì下xià道dào：「沒méi人rén敢gǎn偷tōu。众zhòng精jīng跪guì下xià道dào：「没méi人rén敢gǎn偷tōu。

The spirits knelt down and said, "None of us would dare steal it."

沒 is méi, the there-isn't reading. They kneel before they answer, which tells us how the question was asked.

我wǒ等děng俱jù在zài筵yán前qián供gōng酒jiǔ捧pěng盤pán，供gōng唱chàng奏zòu樂yuè，更gèng無wú一yì人rén在zài前qián。」我wǒ等děng俱jù在zài筵yán前qián供gōng酒jiǔ捧pěng盘pán，供gōng唱chàng奏zòu乐yuè，更gèng无wú一yì人rén在zài前qián。」

"We were all of us at the banquet mat, serving wine and bearing dishes, providing the singing and playing the music. Not one of us was out in front."

供 is gōng at both places here, to serve or provide — against the gòng of 快早供來 and 對眾供道 a few passages back, where the sense was giving evidence in court. Same character, two entirely different institutions. 樂 is yuè, music, as at 一派音樂之聲, not the lè of 極樂. 更 is gèng.

總評 Commentary

The investigation is conducted with the same procedural solemnity as the crab's trial earlier in the same hall. The Dragon King does not ask what happened; he asks who is responsible, and the household answers with an alibi covering the entire staff — every one of them was at the mat serving, and none was out at the front.

The alibi is true and useless, and it is also the thing that solves the case. By establishing that no member of the household was anywhere near where the beast was tethered, it clears the way for the one outsider anybody can remember — who was sent out to the archway to wait by the court's own order.