第六十九回 · 再拜頓首 A King Bows Twice — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

再拜頓首 A King Bows Twice

拜bài畢bì，以yǐ御yù手shǒu攙chān著zhe，便biàn教jiào閣gé下xià：「快kuài具jù簡jiǎn帖tiě，帖tiě上shàng寫xiě朕zhèn『再zài拜bài頓dùn首shǒu』字zì樣yàng，差chāi官guān奉fèng請qǐng法fǎ師shī高gāo徒tú三sān位wèi。一yí壁bì廂xiāng大dà開kāi東dōng閣gé，光guāng祿lù寺sì排pái宴yàn酬chóu謝xiè。」多duō官guān領lǐng旨zhǐ，具jù簡jiǎn的de具jù簡jiǎn，排pái宴yàn的de排pái宴yàn，正zhèng是shì：國guó家jiā有yǒu倒dǎo山shān之zhī力lì，霎shà時shí俱jù完wán。拜bài毕bì，以yǐ御yù手shǒu搀chān着zhe，便biàn教jiào阁gé下xià：「快kuài具jù简jiǎn帖tiě，帖tiě上shàng写xiě朕zhèn『再zài拜bài顿dùn首shǒu』字zì样yàng，差chāi官guān奉fèng请qǐng法fǎ师shī高gāo徒tú三sān位wèi。一yí壁bì厢xiāng大dà开kāi东dōng阁gé，光guāng禄lù寺sì排pái宴yàn酬chóu谢xiè。」多duō官guān领lǐng旨zhǐ，具jù简jiǎn的de具jù简jiǎn，排pái宴yàn的de排pái宴yàn，正zhèng是shì：国guó家jiā有yǒu倒dǎo山shān之zhī力lì，霎shà时shí俱jù完wán。

逐句解 Line by line

拜bài畢bì，以yǐ御yù手shǒu攙chān著zhe，便biàn教jiào閣gé下xià：「快kuài具jù簡jiǎn帖tiě，帖tiě上shàng寫xiě朕zhèn『再zài拜bài頓dùn首shǒu』字zì樣yàng，差chāi官guān奉fèng請qǐng法fǎ師shī高gāo徒tú三sān位wèi。拜bài毕bì，以yǐ御yù手shǒu搀chān着zhe，便biàn教jiào阁gé下xià：「快kuài具jù简jiǎn帖tiě，帖tiě上shàng写xiě朕zhèn『再zài拜bài顿dùn首shǒu』字zì样yàng，差chāi官guān奉fèng请qǐng法fǎ师shī高gāo徒tú三sān位wèi。

The bowing done, he took the monk's arm in his own royal hand and told the cabinet: "Draw up cards at once. Write on them the words 'Your servant bows twice and touches his head to the ground,' and depute an officer to invite the Master of the Law's three worthy disciples.

再拜頓首 — your servant bows twice and knocks his head on the ground — is the formula a subject uses writing upward to a superior. The king is ordering it written over his own name, to three disciples, one of whom spent last night collecting horse urine. 帖 is tiě at both occurrences, the written card. 差 is chāi, to send somebody on an errand, and 著 marks the taking of the arm as ongoing.

一yí壁bì廂xiāng大dà開kāi東dōng閣gé，光guāng祿lù寺sì排pái宴yàn酬chóu謝xiè。」一yí壁bì厢xiāng大dà开kāi东dōng阁gé，光guāng禄lù寺sì排pái宴yàn酬chóu谢xiè。」

"Meanwhile throw open the Eastern Pavilion, and let the Court of Imperial Entertainments set out a banquet of thanks."

光祿寺 was a real office of state, the department that catered imperial banquets. 一壁廂 is the everyday "meanwhile".

多duō官guān領lǐng旨zhǐ，具jù簡jiǎn的de具jù簡jiǎn，排pái宴yàn的de排pái宴yàn，正zhèng是shì：國guó家jiā有yǒu倒dǎo山shān之zhī力lì，霎shà時shí俱jù完wán。多duō官guān领lǐng旨zhǐ，具jù简jiǎn的de具jù简jiǎn，排pái宴yàn的de排pái宴yàn，正zhèng是shì：国guó家jiā有yǒu倒dǎo山shān之zhī力lì，霎shà时shí俱jù完wán。

The officials took the order, and those who were to draw up the cards drew up cards, and those who were to set out the banquet set it out. Truly, a state has strength to topple mountains: in a moment it was all done.

A proverb about the strength of a state to topple mountains — and what that strength has been mobilised for is a dinner. 倒 is dǎo here, to topple. 的 is the light de twice.

總評 Commentary

The king takes the monk's arm in his own hand and dictates the wording of the invitation himself. "Your servant bows twice and knocks his head on the ground" is the formula a subject uses writing upward, and he is ordering it written over his own name to three disciples, one of whom spent last night collecting horse urine.

Then the machinery moves at speed. The Court of Imperial Entertainments was a genuine department of state; the Eastern Pavilion is thrown open; and the narrator closes with a proverb about a state having strength enough to topple mountains. What that strength has been mobilised for is a dinner.