第六十四回 · 言談清雅 Talk Clear And Refined — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

言談清雅 Talk Clear And Refined

他tā與yǔ我wǒ攜xié手shǒu相xiāng攙chān，走zǒu入rù門mén，又yòu見jiàn三sān個gè老lǎo者zhě，來lái此cǐ會huì我wǒ，俱jù道dào我wǒ做zuò『聖shèng僧sēng』。一yí個gè個gè言yán談tán清qīng雅yǎ，極jí善shàn吟yín詩shī。我wǒ與yǔ他tā賡gēng和hè相xiāng攀pān，覺jué有yǒu夜yè半bàn時shí候hòu，又yòu見jiàn一yí個gè美měi貌mào女nǚ子zǐ執zhí燈dēng火huǒ，也yě來lái這zhè裡lǐ會huì我wǒ，吟yín了le一yì首shǒu詩shī，稱chēng我wǒ做zuò『佳jiā客kè』。他tā与yǔ我wǒ携xié手shǒu相xiāng搀chān，走zǒu入rù门mén，又yòu见jiàn三sān个gè老lǎo者zhě，来lái此cǐ会huì我wǒ，俱jù道dào我wǒ做zuò『圣shèng僧sēng』。一yí个gè个gè言yán谈tán清qīng雅yǎ，极jí善shàn吟yín诗shī。我wǒ与yǔ他tā赓gēng和hè相xiāng攀pān，觉jué有yǒu夜yè半bàn时shí候hòu，又yòu见jiàn一yí个gè美měi貌mào女nǚ子zǐ执zhí灯dēng火huǒ，也yě来lái这zhè里lǐ会huì我wǒ，吟yín了le一yì首shǒu诗shī，称chēng我wǒ做zuò『佳jiā客kè』。

逐句解 Line by line

他tā與yǔ我wǒ攜xié手shǒu相xiāng攙chān，走zǒu入rù門mén，又yòu見jiàn三sān個gè老lǎo者zhě，來lái此cǐ會huì我wǒ，俱jù道dào我wǒ做zuò『聖shèng僧sēng』。他tā与yǔ我wǒ携xié手shǒu相xiāng搀chān，走zǒu入rù门mén，又yòu见jiàn三sān个gè老lǎo者zhě，来lái此cǐ会huì我wǒ，俱jù道dào我wǒ做zuò『圣shèng僧sēng』。

"He took me by the hand to steady me and we went in at a door; and there I saw three more old men who had come to meet me, and every one of them called me holy monk.

相 is the mutual xiāng in 相攙, to support somebody by the arm — the same phrase the narrator used of the abduction itself. The automatic reading gives xiàng, and the character does take that value two segments on.

一yí個gè個gè言yán談tán清qīng雅yǎ，極jí善shàn吟yín詩shī。一yí个gè个gè言yán谈tán清qīng雅yǎ，极jí善shàn吟yín诗shī。

"Each of them spoke in a clear and refined way, and they were excellent at making verses.

Eleven characters, and the only judgement he passes on the whole poetry session. It is favourable.

我wǒ與yǔ他tā賡gēng和hè相xiāng攀pān，覺jué有yǒu夜yè半bàn時shí候hòu，又yòu見jiàn一yí個gè美měi貌mào女nǚ子zǐ執zhí燈dēng火huǒ，也yě來lái這zhè裡lǐ會huì我wǒ，吟yín了le一yì首shǒu詩shī，稱chēng我wǒ做zuò『佳jiā客kè』。我wǒ与yǔ他tā赓gēng和hè相xiāng攀pān，觉jué有yǒu夜yè半bàn时shí候hòu，又yòu见jiàn一yí个gè美měi貌mào女nǚ子zǐ执zhí灯dēng火huǒ，也yě来lái这zhè里lǐ会huì我wǒ，吟yín了le一yì首shǒu诗shī，称chēng我wǒ做zuò『佳jiā客kè』。

"I traded answering poems with them and climbed along with them; and about midnight, as I felt it, I saw besides a beautiful woman carrying a light who also came here to meet me, chanted a poem, and called me honoured guest.

和 is hè, to answer a poem in its own rhyme — the technical verb, used by the man who did it. 相 is again xiāng in 相攀, to climb alongside another.

總評 Commentary

What he reports of the poetry is that the talk was refined and the verses excellent, and that he traded answering poems with them. He uses the technical word for it. There is no complaint anywhere in the account about that part of the evening, and no suggestion that he was made to take part.

What he does not report is more striking. He says nothing about the sermon he delivered, nothing about the Cloud-Brusher's attack on the pilgrimage, and nothing about being pressed twice into producing verse he had tried to decline. The doctrinal quarrel that occupied a whole block has simply gone.

His time-keeping is worth noticing too: about midnight, as I felt it. He had no way of knowing the hour, and the qualification is the only thing in the whole recapitulation he marks as uncertain.