Canonical Classics ← 第六十八回
第六十八回
zhūguótángsēnglùnqiánshì
sūnxíngzhěshīwéisānzhégōng

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

會同館
模式 Mode Read Study
拼音 Pinyin Off
字體 Script
原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

會同館 The Hall Of Assembly

duōshízhuǎnguòtóujiànzuòménqiángshàngyǒuhuìtóngguǎnsāntángsēngdào:「menjìnzhèmén。」xíngzhědào:「jìnzěnde?」duōshízhuǎnguòtóujiànzuòménqiángshàngyǒuhuìtóngguǎnsāntángsēngdào:「menjìnzhèmén。」xíngzhědào:「jìnzěnde?」


逐句解 Line by line

duōshízhuǎnguòtóujiànzuòménqiángshàngyǒuhuìtóngguǎnsān duōshízhuǎnguòtóujiànzuòménqiángshàngyǒuhuìtóngguǎnsān

Before long they turned a corner and came suddenly upon a gated wall, and above it stood three characters: Hall of Common Assembly.

隅頭 is a street corner. The three characters over this gate answer the three on the city banner a few passages back — the second sign in the chapter that has to be read, and this time nobody argues about it.

tángsēngdào:「menjìnzhèmén。」 tángsēngdào:「menjìnzhèmén。」

The Tang Monk said, "Disciples, let us go into this office."

衙門 is a government office, and this is its only appearance in the chapter. Calling the place by that word rather than by its name is what makes the errand sound official before any reason has been given for going in.

xíngzhědào:「jìnzěnde?」 xíngzhědào:「jìnzěnde?」

Pilgrim said, "Go in for what?"

怎的 is everyday speech for 'what for'. Four characters, and the shortest reply in the passage.


總評 Commentary

A 會同館 was a real institution — the office where a court received foreign envoys and lodged travelling officials, something between an embassy and a government guest house. Tripitaka heads for it without being directed, which tells us he knows the procedure of these kingdoms by now.

Pilgrim's question is impatience rather than obstruction. He has no business at such a place and cannot see why they should stop — and the answer he gets is the first time in the chapter that his master explains something to him instead of being corrected.