第六十九回 · 鬼乃陰靈 Ghosts Come Out At Night — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

鬼乃陰靈 Ghosts Come Out At Night

八bā戒jiè道dào：「鬼guǐ乃nǎi陰yīn靈líng也yě，一yí日rì至zhì晚wǎn，交jiāo申shēn酉yǒu戌xū亥hài時shí方fāng出chū。今jīn日rì還hái在zài巳sì時shí，那nǎ裡lǐ有yǒu鬼guǐ敢gǎn出chū來lái？就jiù是shì鬼guǐ，也yě不bú會huì駕jià雲yún。縱zòng會huì弄nòng風fēng，也yě只zhǐ是shì一yí陣zhèn旋xuán風fēng耳ěr，有yǒu這zhè等děng狂kuáng風fēng？」或huò者zhě他tā就jiù是shì賽sài太tài歲suì也yě。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「鬼guǐ乃nǎi阴yīn灵líng也yě，一yí日rì至zhì晚wǎn，交jiāo申shēn酉yǒu戌xū亥hài时shí方fāng出chū。今jīn日rì还hái在zài巳sì时shí，那nǎ里lǐ有yǒu鬼guǐ敢gǎn出chū来lái？就jiù是shì鬼guǐ，也yě不bú会huì驾jià云yún。纵zòng会huì弄nòng风fēng，也yě只zhǐ是shì一yí阵zhèn旋xuán风fēng耳ěr，有yǒu这zhè等děng狂kuáng风fēng？」或huò者zhě他tā就jiù是shì赛sài太tài岁suì也yě。」

逐句解 Line by line

八bā戒jiè道dào：「鬼guǐ乃nǎi陰yīn靈líng也yě，一yí日rì至zhì晚wǎn，交jiāo申shēn酉yǒu戌xū亥hài時shí方fāng出chū。八bā戒jiè道dào：「鬼guǐ乃nǎi阴yīn灵líng也yě，一yí日rì至zhì晚wǎn，交jiāo申shēn酉yǒu戌xū亥hài时shí方fāng出chū。

Eight Rules said, "A ghost is a shade of the dark principle. In the whole run of a day it comes out only when the hours of shēn, yǒu, xū and hài come round.

The argument starts from a principle. A ghost belongs to the yin, the dark half of things, and the four hours he names run from mid-afternoon into the night. 一日 shifts tone in the ordinary way.

今jīn日rì還hái在zài巳sì時shí，那nǎ裡lǐ有yǒu鬼guǐ敢gǎn出chū來lái？今jīn日rì还hái在zài巳sì时shí，那nǎ里lǐ有yǒu鬼guǐ敢gǎn出chū来lái？

"Today it is still the hour of sì. Where would a ghost be that dared come out?

The hour of 巳 is late morning — three double-hours before the earliest of the four he has just listed. So this is not a hunch; it is a calculation. 還 is hái and 那 is nǎ.

就jiù是shì鬼guǐ，也yě不bú會huì駕jià雲yún。就jiù是shì鬼guǐ，也yě不bú会huì驾jià云yún。

"And even if it were a ghost, a ghost cannot ride a cloud.

A second argument, entirely independent of the first. He is building a case rather than making an assertion.

縱zòng會huì弄nòng風fēng，也yě只zhǐ是shì一yí陣zhèn旋xuán風fēng耳ěr，有yǒu這zhè等děng狂kuáng風fēng？」纵zòng会huì弄nòng风fēng，也yě只zhǐ是shì一yí阵zhèn旋xuán风fēng耳ěr，有yǒu这zhè等děng狂kuáng风fēng？」

"Even if it could raise a wind, it would only be a whirlwind — and is this a whirlwind?"

And a third, turning on the difference between a whirlwind and a gale — which is the one that actually settles it.

或huò者zhě他tā就jiù是shì賽sài太tài歲suì也yě。」或huò者zhě他tā就jiù是shì赛sài太tài岁suì也yě。」

"Perhaps he is the Rival of the Year Star himself."

And he is right. Nobody remarks on it. 賽 stays sài.

總評 Commentary

The argument is built properly, from a principle to a consequence. A ghost belongs to the yin, the dark half of things, and shades of that kind come out only in the hours of shēn, yǒu, xū and hài — mid-afternoon into the night. It is presently the hour of sì, which is late morning. Therefore it is not a ghost.

Then two further arguments, each independent of the first. A ghost cannot ride a cloud; and even a ghost that could raise wind would raise a whirlwind, not a gale like this one. Three moves, each knocking the theory out on different grounds.

And then the conclusion: perhaps he is the Rival of the Year Star himself. Eight Rules has reasoned his way to the correct identification of the monster, out of calendar lore and weather, and nobody in the scene remarks on it. It is the second time in this chapter he has been right by argument, and the first time anybody has agreed with him.