第六十九回 · 雌雄二鳥 The Hen And The Cock — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

雌雄二鳥 The Hen And The Cock

眾zhòng官guān上shàng前qián道dào：「神shén僧sēng長zhǎng老lǎo適shì才cái說shuō『雙shuāng鳥niǎo失shī群qún』之zhī症zhèng，何hé也yě？」行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「有yǒu雌cí雄xióng二èr鳥niǎo，原yuán在zài一yí處chù同tóng飛fēi，忽hū被bèi暴bào風fēng驟zhòu雨yǔ驚jīng散sàn，雌cí不bù能néng見jiàn雄xióng，雄xióng不bù能néng見jiàn雌cí，雌cí乃nǎi想xiǎng雄xióng，雄xióng亦yì想xiǎng雌cí：這zhè不bú是shì『雙shuāng鳥niǎo失shī群qún』也yě？」眾zhòng官guān聞wén說shuō，齊qí聲shēng喝hè采cǎi道dào：「真zhēn是shì神shén僧sēng！真zhēn是shì神shén醫yī！」稱chēng讚zàn不bù已yǐ。众zhòng官guān上shàng前qián道dào：「神shén僧sēng长zhǎng老lǎo适shì才cái说shuō『双shuāng鸟niǎo失shī群qún』之zhī症zhèng，何hé也yě？」行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「有yǒu雌cí雄xióng二èr鸟niǎo，原yuán在zài一yí处chù同tóng飞fēi，忽hū被bèi暴bào风fēng骤zhòu雨yǔ惊jīng散sàn，雌cí不bù能néng见jiàn雄xióng，雄xióng不bù能néng见jiàn雌cí，雌cí乃nǎi想xiǎng雄xióng，雄xióng亦yì想xiǎng雌cí：这zhè不bú是shì『双shuāng鸟niǎo失shī群qún』也yě？」众zhòng官guān闻wén说shuō，齐qí声shēng喝hè采cǎi道dào：「真zhēn是shì神shén僧sēng！真zhēn是shì神shén医yī！」称chēng赞zàn不bù已yǐ。

逐句解 Line by line

眾zhòng官guān上shàng前qián道dào：「神shén僧sēng長zhǎng老lǎo適shì才cái說shuō『雙shuāng鳥niǎo失shī群qún』之zhī症zhèng，何hé也yě？」众zhòng官guān上shàng前qián道dào：「神shén僧sēng长zhǎng老lǎo适shì才cái说shuō『双shuāng鸟niǎo失shī群qún』之zhī症zhèng，何hé也yě？」

The officials came forward and said, "Divine monk, elder, what did you mean just now by this ailment, A Pair of Birds Parted?"

長 is zhǎng in 長老, senior in years or standing — an elder — and not the cháng of length.

行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「有yǒu雌cí雄xióng二èr鳥niǎo，原yuán在zài一yí處chù同tóng飛fēi，忽hū被bèi暴bào風fēng驟zhòu雨yǔ驚jīng散sàn，雌cí不bù能néng見jiàn雄xióng，雄xióng不bù能néng見jiàn雌cí，雌cí乃nǎi想xiǎng雄xióng，雄xióng亦yì想xiǎng雌cí：這zhè不bú是shì『雙shuāng鳥niǎo失shī群qún』也yě？」行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「有yǒu雌cí雄xióng二èr鸟niǎo，原yuán在zài一yí处chù同tóng飞fēi，忽hū被bèi暴bào风fēng骤zhòu雨yǔ惊jīng散sàn，雌cí不bù能néng见jiàn雄xióng，雄xióng不bù能néng见jiàn雌cí，雌cí乃nǎi想xiǎng雄xióng，雄xióng亦yì想xiǎng雌cí：这zhè不bú是shì『双shuāng鸟niǎo失shī群qún』也yě？」

Pilgrim laughed and said, "There were two birds, a hen and a cock, that flew together in one place. A sudden gale and a driving rain scattered them in fright, so that the hen could not see the cock, nor the cock the hen. The hen thinks upon the cock, and the cock likewise upon the hen. Is that not A Pair of Birds Parted?"

The explanation is a story about birds and contains no medicine whatsoever. Watch the four clauses turn over: hen cannot see cock, cock cannot see hen, hen thinks of cock, cock thinks of hen. Nothing changes but which bird is named first, and that turning is the whole point — it is what longing sounds like. 處 is chù, a place. 散 is sàn, to scatter apart, not the sǎn of a loose powder.

眾zhòng官guān聞wén說shuō，齊qí聲shēng喝hè采cǎi道dào：「真zhēn是shì神shén僧sēng！真zhēn是shì神shén醫yī！」稱chēng讚zàn不bù已yǐ。众zhòng官guān闻wén说shuō，齐qí声shēng喝hè采cǎi道dào：「真zhēn是shì神shén僧sēng！真zhēn是shì神shén医yī！」称chēng赞zàn不bù已yǐ。

Hearing this, the officials shouted their approval with one voice: "Truly a divine monk! Truly a divine physician!" and their praise did not stop.

The officials applaud a piece of storytelling as though it were a technical achievement. 喝 is hè, to call out loudly — 喝采 is to shout your approval — and not the hē of drinking.

總評 Commentary

Asked what the name means, Pilgrim tells them about two birds in a storm. It contains no medicine at all — it is a small piece of storytelling offered in answer to a technical question, and the officials cheer it as though he had produced a cure.

What nobody in the room asks is the obvious thing: who, at this court, has been parted from whom. The answer is what the entire chapter turns on, and it is sitting in front of them.