第六十八回 · 懷中露出 A Paper Edge Showing — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

懷中露出 A Paper Edge Showing

那nà榜bǎng原yuán有yǒu十shí二èr個gè太tài監jiān、十shí二èr個gè校xiào尉wèi早zǎo朝cháo領lǐng出chū，才cái掛guà不bú上shàng三sān個gè時shí辰chén，被bèi風fēng吹chuī去qù，戰zhàn兢jīng兢jīng左zuǒ右yòu追zhuī尋xún，忽hū見jiàn豬zhū八bā戒jiè懷huái中zhōng露lù出chū個gè紙zhǐ邊biān兒er來lái。眾zhòng人rén近jìn前qián道dào：「你nǐ揭jiē了le榜bǎng來lái耶yé？」那nà榜bǎng原yuán有yǒu十shí二èr个gè太tài监jiān、十shí二èr个gè校xiào尉wèi早zǎo朝cháo领lǐng出chū，才cái挂guà不bú上shàng三sān个gè时shí辰chén，被bèi风fēng吹chuī去qù，战zhàn兢jīng兢jīng左zuǒ右yòu追zhuī寻xún，忽hū见jiàn猪zhū八bā戒jiè怀huái中zhōng露lù出chū个gè纸zhǐ边biān儿er来lái。众zhòng人rén近jìn前qián道dào：「你nǐ揭jiē了le榜bǎng来lái耶yé？」

逐句解 Line by line

那nà榜bǎng原yuán有yǒu十shí二èr個gè太tài監jiān、十shí二èr個gè校xiào尉wèi早zǎo朝cháo領lǐng出chū，才cái掛guà不bú上shàng三sān個gè時shí辰chén，被bèi風fēng吹chuī去qù，戰zhàn兢jīng兢jīng左zuǒ右yòu追zhuī尋xún，忽hū見jiàn豬zhū八bā戒jiè懷huái中zhōng露lù出chū個gè紙zhǐ邊biān兒er來lái。那nà榜bǎng原yuán有yǒu十shí二èr个gè太tài监jiān、十shí二èr个gè校xiào尉wèi早zǎo朝cháo领lǐng出chū，才cái挂guà不bú上shàng三sān个gè时shí辰chén，被bèi风fēng吹chuī去qù，战zhàn兢jīng兢jīng左zuǒ右yòu追zhuī寻xún，忽hū见jiàn猪zhū八bā戒jiè怀huái中zhōng露lù出chū个gè纸zhǐ边biān儿er来lái。

That notice had been brought out at the morning audience by twelve eunuchs and twelve guardsmen, and had not been hanging three double-hours before the wind carried it off. Trembling, they searched left and right, and then caught sight of the edge of a paper showing at Zhu Eight Rules's breast.

兒 is the weak little er on 紙邊兒, a paper edge, not the ér of a child. 朝 is cháo in 早朝, the morning audience — the same court that gave Tripitaka his seat.

眾zhòng人rén近jìn前qián道dào：「你nǐ揭jiē了le榜bǎng來lái耶yé？」众zhòng人rén近jìn前qián道dào：「你nǐ揭jiē了le榜bǎng来lái耶yé？」

The crowd pressed forward: "Did you take down the notice?"

耶 is the little question-marking word at the end, and it makes the sentence sound incredulous rather than accusing. They can hardly believe what they are looking at.

總評 Commentary

Twenty-four men were detailed to carry one sheet of paper out of the palace, and it lasted under three double-hours. The disproportion is the joke, and it is also the measure of what is now at stake for them.

They are trembling before they have found anything. The search is being made by men who know exactly what losing a royal proclamation means.

What they find is not a thief but a paper edge, sticking out of the clothing of somebody asleep against a wall. The evidence is perfect and entirely planted.