第六十九回 · 五月節 Two Palace Maids Each Time — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

五月節 Two Palace Maids Each Time

行xíng者zhě急jí上shàng前qián，將jiāng國guó王wáng攙chān起qǐ道dào：「陛bì下xià，那nà妖yāo精jīng自zì得dé金jīn聖shèng宮gōng去qù後hòu，這zhè一yí向xiàng可kě曾céng再zài來lái？」國guó王wáng道dào：「他tā前qián年nián五wǔ月yuè節jié攝shè了le金jīn聖shèng宮gōng，至zhì十shí月yuè間jiān，來lái要yào兩liǎng個gè宮gōng娥é，說shuō是shì伏fú侍shì娘niáng娘niang，朕zhèn即jí獻xiàn出chū兩liǎng個gè；行xíng者zhě急jí上shàng前qián，将jiāng国guó王wáng搀chān起qǐ道dào：「陛bì下xià，那nà妖yāo精jīng自zì得dé金jīn圣shèng宫gōng去qù后hòu，这zhè一yí向xiàng可kě曾céng再zài来lái？」国guó王wáng道dào：「他tā前qián年nián五wǔ月yuè节jié摄shè了le金jīn圣shèng宫gōng，至zhì十shí月yuè间jiān，来lái要yào两liǎng个gè宫gōng娥é，说shuō是shì伏fú侍shì娘niáng娘niang，朕zhèn即jí献xiàn出chū两liǎng个gè；

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng者zhě急jí上shàng前qián，將jiāng國guó王wáng攙chān起qǐ道dào：「陛bì下xià，那nà妖yāo精jīng自zì得dé金jīn聖shèng宮gōng去qù後hòu，這zhè一yí向xiàng可kě曾céng再zài來lái？」行xíng者zhě急jí上shàng前qián，将jiāng国guó王wáng搀chān起qǐ道dào：「陛bì下xià，那nà妖yāo精jīng自zì得dé金jīn圣shèng宫gōng去qù后hòu，这zhè一yí向xiàng可kě曾céng再zài来lái？」

Pilgrim went quickly forward and raised the king up. "Your Majesty — since the monster got the Golden Sage Palace and went, has he come again in all this time?"

He lifts the king off his knees before answering him, which is the only courtesy anybody shows in the whole exchange. 可曾 takes céng, "ever" — has he ever come back.

國guó王wáng道dào：「他tā前qián年nián五wǔ月yuè節jié攝shè了le金jīn聖shèng宮gōng，至zhì十shí月yuè間jiān，來lái要yào兩liǎng個gè宮gōng娥é，說shuō是shì伏fú侍shì娘niáng娘niang，朕zhèn即jí獻xiàn出chū兩liǎng個gè；国guó王wáng道dào：「他tā前qián年nián五wǔ月yuè节jié摄shè了le金jīn圣shèng宫gōng，至zhì十shí月yuè间jiān，来lái要yào两liǎng个gè宫gōng娥é，说shuō是shì伏fú侍shì娘niáng娘niang，朕zhèn即jí献xiàn出chū两liǎng个gè；

The king said, "He carried off the Golden Sage Palace at the Fifth Month festival the year before last. In the tenth month he came asking for two palace maids, to wait on his lady, he said; and We sent out two;

The reason given is domestic — maids to wait on his lady — and the transaction is not. 娘娘 takes the light second syllable that doubled address words take.

總評 Commentary

Pilgrim raises the king off his knees before answering — the only courtesy anybody shows in the exchange — and asks the practical question: has he been back?

The answer opens the darkest sequence in the chapter. The queen was taken at the Fifth Month festival; five months later the monster came again for two palace maids, to wait on his lady, he said, and the king sent them out. The reason given is domestic. The transaction is not.