原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
賽太歲
The Demon Names Himself
忽然一陣風至，半空中現出一個妖精，自稱賽太歲，說他在麒麟山獬豸洞居住，洞中少個夫人，訪得我金聖宮生得貌美嬌姿，要做個夫人，教朕快早送出；忽然一阵风至，半空中现出一个妖精，自称赛太岁，说他在麒麟山獬豸洞居住，洞中少个夫人，访得我金圣宫生得貌美娇姿，要做个夫人，教朕快早送出；
逐句解 Line by line
忽然一陣風至，半空中現出一個妖精，自稱賽太歲，說他在麒麟山獬豸洞居住，洞中少個夫人，訪得我金聖宮生得貌美嬌姿，要做個夫人，教朕快早送出；
忽然一阵风至，半空中现出一个妖精，自称赛太岁，说他在麒麟山獬豸洞居住，洞中少个夫人，访得我金圣宫生得貌美娇姿，要做个夫人，教朕快早送出；
"All at once a gust of wind came, and in mid-air a monster appeared. He called himself Rival of the Year Star, and said that he lived in the Xiezhi Cave on Mount Qilin, that his cave wanted a lady, that he had learned Our Golden Sage Palace was beautiful and delicate, that he would have her for his lady, and that We were to send her out at once;
賽太歲 means "one who outmatches Tai Sui" — the deity of Jupiter's counter-orbit, the most feared of all the calendar's malign influences. It is a boast, and he makes it himself. 訪得 takes the full dé, learned by enquiry, while 生得貌美嬌姿 takes the light de before its description.
總評 Commentary
One long breath, and every clause piles onto the last: a gust of wind, a monster in mid-air, a name, an address, a want, an enquiry already made, a demand, and a deadline. The syntax reproduces the speed of the thing.
The name is a boast and he makes it himself — one who outmatches Tai Sui, the deity of Jupiter's counter-orbit and the most feared of all the calendar's malign influences. He has also done his homework: he had enquired and learned about her beforehand, which makes the taking premeditated rather than a raid of opportunity.