第六十六回 · 燒為灰燼 Burnt To Ashes — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

燒為灰燼 Burnt To Ashes

師shī徒tú們men卻què寬kuān住zhù了le半bàn日rì。喂wèi飽bǎo了le白bái馬mǎ，收shōu拾shí行xíng囊náng，至zhì次cì早zǎo登dēng程chéng。臨lín行xíng時shí，放fàng上shàng一yì把bǎ火huǒ，將jiāng那nà些xiē珍zhēn樓lóu、寶bǎo座zuò、高gāo閣gé、講jiǎng堂táng，俱jù盡jìn燒shāo為wéi灰huī燼jìn。师shī徒tú们men却què宽kuān住zhù了le半bàn日rì。喂wèi饱bǎo了le白bái马mǎ，收shōu拾shí行xíng囊náng，至zhì次cì早zǎo登dēng程chéng。临lín行xíng时shí，放fàng上shàng一yì把bǎ火huǒ，将jiāng那nà些xiē珍zhēn楼lóu、宝bǎo座zuò、高gāo阁gé、讲jiǎng堂táng，俱jù尽jìn烧shāo为wéi灰huī烬jìn。

逐句解 Line by line

師shī徒tú們men卻què寬kuān住zhù了le半bàn日rì。师shī徒tú们men却què宽kuān住zhù了le半bàn日rì。

Master and disciples rested there half a day.

Nine characters of rest, the only pause in the chapter.

喂wèi飽bǎo了le白bái馬mǎ，收shōu拾shí行xíng囊náng，至zhì次cì早zǎo登dēng程chéng。喂wèi饱bǎo了le白bái马mǎ，收shōu拾shí行xíng囊náng，至zhì次cì早zǎo登dēng程chéng。

They fed the white horse full, packed the baggage, and took the road at first light.

The white horse gets a clause of its own, which it has not had since the chapter began.

臨lín行xíng時shí，放fàng上shàng一yì把bǎ火huǒ，將jiāng那nà些xiē珍zhēn樓lóu、寶bǎo座zuò、高gāo閣gé、講jiǎng堂táng，俱jù盡jìn燒shāo為wéi灰huī燼jìn。临lín行xíng时shí，放fàng上shàng一yì把bǎ火huǒ，将jiāng那nà些xiē珍zhēn楼lóu、宝bǎo座zuò、高gāo阁gé、讲jiǎng堂táng，俱jù尽jìn烧shāo为wéi灰huī烬jìn。

As they left they set a fire to it, and the treasure pavilions, jewelled thrones, high galleries and lecture halls were all burnt to ashes together.

為 is wéi, to become. The four buildings named here are the four the dragons threatened to burn at the chapter's first challenge, and the threat is carried out in the same three characters they used: 燒為灰燼.

總評 Commentary

The burning is the chapter's last action and it is done on the way out, without discussion. A counterfeit Thunderclap Monastery cannot be left standing on the road west, and the pilgrims do not debate the point.

Burnt to ashes closes a loop opened near the chapter's beginning. The five dragons threatened exactly this if the fiend would not give up his prisoners, and were bagged for their trouble. The threat is finally carried out by four travellers with a torch, after the god who could not be beaten has been carried off in a sack.