原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
東來佛祖 The Buddha Come From The East
行者見了，連忙下拜道：「東來佛祖，那裡去？弟子失迴避了，萬罪，萬罪。」佛祖道：「我此來，專為這小雷音妖怪也。」行者见了，连忙下拜道：「东来佛祖，那里去？弟子失回避了，万罪，万罪。」佛祖道：「我此来，专为这小雷音妖怪也。」
逐句解 Line by line
行者見了，連忙下拜道：「東來佛祖，那裡去？
行者见了，连忙下拜道：「东来佛祖，那里去？
Pilgrim saw him and bowed at once, saying, "Buddha Patriarch come from the east, where are you going?
那 is nǎ, the question word — where are you going.
弟子失迴避了，萬罪，萬罪。」
弟子失回避了，万罪，万罪。」
Your disciple failed to stand aside — a thousand faults, a thousand faults."
弟子 is dì zǐ. Monkey calls himself a disciple for the second time in this chapter, and apologises for not having got out of the way of a god he did not know was coming.
佛祖道：「我此來，專為這小雷音妖怪也。」
佛祖道：「我此来，专为这小雷音妖怪也。」
The Buddha Patriarch said, "I have come expressly on account of this Little Thunderclap fiend."
為 is wèi, on account of. Fifteen characters settle what two whole scenes of petitioning could not.
The exchange is the shortest of the chapter's four meetings with a divinity. He asks where the Buddha is going; the Buddha says he is already on the errand — and it is the second time a god has come to Monkey rather than the other way about, the Merit Star having found him on a hilltop in much the same condition.
That inversion is the chapter's turn. Every previous scene had Monkey arrive, petition, recite his misfortunes at length, and receive a qualified refusal with a deputy attached. Here the help comes to him, unasked, before he has said what is wrong — and the recital he has given three times is never required a fourth.