Canonical Classics ← 第六十八回
第六十八回
朱zhū紫zǐ國guó唐táng僧sēng論lùn前qián世shì
孫sūn行xíng者zhě施shī為wéi三sān折zhé肱gōng

At Purpuria the Tang Monk Discourses on a Former Life · Pilgrim Sun Practises as a Thrice-Broken Arm

告到陰司
模式 Mode Read Study
拼音 Pinyin Off
字體 Script 繁
原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

告到陰司 The Dragon Complains Below

因yīn他tā夢mèng斬zhǎn了le涇jīng河hé龍lóng王wáng,那nà龍lóng王wáng告gào到dào陰yīn司sī,說shuō我wǒ王wáng許xǔ救jiù又yòu殺shā之zhī,故gù我wǒ王wáng遂suì得dé促cù病bìng,漸jiàn覺jué身shēn危wēi。魏wèi徵zhēng又yòu寫xiě書shū一yì封fēng,與yǔ我wǒ王wáng帶dài至zhì陰yīn司sī,寄jì與yǔ酆fēng都dū城chéng判pàn官guān崔cuī珏jué。因yīn他tā梦mèng斩zhǎn了le泾jīng河hé龙lóng王wáng,那nà龙lóng王wáng告gào到dào阴yīn司sī,说shuō我wǒ王wáng许xǔ救jiù又yòu杀shā之zhī,故gù我wǒ王wáng遂suì得dé促cù病bìng,渐jiàn觉jué身shēn危wēi。魏wèi征zhēng又yòu写xiě书shū一yì封fēng,与yǔ我wǒ王wáng带dài至zhì阴yīn司sī,寄jì与yǔ酆fēng都dū城chéng判pàn官guān崔cuī珏jué。


逐句解 Line by line

因yīn他tā夢mèng斬zhǎn了le涇jīng河hé龍lóng王wáng,那nà龍lóng王wáng告gào到dào陰yīn司sī,說shuō我wǒ王wáng許xǔ救jiù又yòu殺shā之zhī,故gù我wǒ王wáng遂suì得dé促cù病bìng,漸jiàn覺jué身shēn危wēi。 因yīn他tā梦mèng斩zhǎn了le泾jīng河hé龙lóng王wáng,那nà龙lóng王wáng告gào到dào阴yīn司sī,说shuō我wǒ王wáng许xǔ救jiù又yòu杀shā之zhī,故gù我wǒ王wáng遂suì得dé促cù病bìng,渐jiàn觉jué身shēn危wēi。

"Because he beheaded the Dragon King of the Jing River in a dream, that dragon laid a complaint in the world below, saying my sovereign had promised to save him and then killed him; and so my sovereign fell suddenly ill and felt his life come into danger."

得 is dé, to contract — in Chinese as in English one gets an illness the way one gets anything else. 促病 is a sickness that comes on fast; the first character carries the sense of being pressed or hurried.

魏wèi徵zhēng又yòu寫xiě書shū一yì封fēng,與yǔ我wǒ王wáng帶dài至zhì陰yīn司sī,寄jì與yǔ酆fēng都dū城chéng判pàn官guān崔cuī珏jué。 魏wèi征zhēng又yòu写xiě书shū一yì封fēng,与yǔ我wǒ王wáng带dài至zhì阴yīn司sī,寄jì与yǔ酆fēng都dū城chéng判pàn官guān崔cuī珏jué。

"Wei Zheng then wrote a letter and gave it to my sovereign to carry down to the world below, addressed to Cui Jue, the judge of the city of Fengdu."

都 is dū in 酆都, the city of the dead — the same reading as the 都會 of the capital rhapsody, and not the dōu of 'all'.


總評 Commentary

The dragon's complaint is a lawsuit. He does not accuse the minister who killed him; he accuses the king who promised to prevent it, and the charge is breach of an undertaking rather than murder. That is what makes the case heard at all.

And the remedy Wei Zheng offers is more paperwork. Having caused the problem by carrying out a sentence in his sleep, he writes a letter of introduction to the clerk who keeps the register. The whole affair is conducted between officials, in writing, across the boundary of death.