第六十九回 · 藥引兒兩般 Two Ways To Send It Down — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

藥引兒兩般 Two Ways To Send It Down

八bā戒jiè二èr人rén暗àn中zhōng作zuò笑xiào道dào：「鍋guō灰huī拌bàn的de，怎zěn麼me不bú是shì烏wū金jīn？」多duō官guān又yòu問wèn道dào：「用yòng何hé引yǐn子zi？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「藥yào引yǐn兒er兩liǎng般bān都dōu下xià得dé。有yǒu一yì般bān易yì取qǔ者zhě，乃nǎi六liù物wù煎jiān湯tāng送sòng下xià。」多duō官guān問wèn：「是shì何hé六liù物wù？」八bā戒jiè二èr人rén暗àn中zhōng作zuò笑xiào道dào：「锅guō灰huī拌bàn的de，怎zěn么me不bú是shì乌wū金jīn？」多duō官guān又yòu问wèn道dào：「用yòng何hé引yǐn子zi？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「药yào引yǐn儿er两liǎng般bān都dōu下xià得dé。有yǒu一yì般bān易yì取qǔ者zhě，乃nǎi六liù物wù煎jiān汤tāng送sòng下xià。」多duō官guān问wèn：「是shì何hé六liù物wù？」

逐句解 Line by line

八bā戒jiè二èr人rén暗àn中zhōng作zuò笑xiào道dào：「鍋guō灰huī拌bàn的de，怎zěn麼me不bú是shì烏wū金jīn？」八bā戒jiè二èr人rén暗àn中zhōng作zuò笑xiào道dào：「锅guō灰huī拌bàn的de，怎zěn么me不bú是shì乌wū金jīn？」

Eight Rules and the other laughed secretly to each other: "Mixed up out of pot soot — how is that not black gold?"

The only moment in the scene when anybody says what is actually in the box — and they say it to each other, out of earshot. 的 is the light de.

多duō官guān又yòu問wèn道dào：「用yòng何hé引yǐn子zi？」多duō官guān又yòu问wèn道dào：「用yòng何hé引yǐn子zi？」

The officials asked further, "What vehicle is it taken with?"

引子 is the technical term for whatever you send a pill down with — the vehicle. The officials are asking exactly the right questions, which is what makes the answers land.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「藥yào引yǐn兒er兩liǎng般bān都dōu下xià得dé。行xíng者zhě道dào：「药yào引yǐn儿er两liǎng般bān都dōu下xià得dé。

Pilgrim said, "There are two vehicles, and either will serve.

兒 is the light suffix again. 得 keeps the full dé here, following an adverb rather than heading a result.

有yǒu一yì般bān易yì取qǔ者zhě，乃nǎi六liù物wù煎jiān湯tāng送sòng下xià。」有yǒu一yì般bān易yì取qǔ者zhě，乃nǎi六liù物wù煎jiān汤tāng送sòng下xià。」

"One of them is easy to come by: a decoction of six things, to wash it down."

易取 — easy to come by — is the hook, and he sets it before he names a single ingredient.

多duō官guān問wèn：「是shì何hé六liù物wù？」多duō官guān问wèn：「是shì何hé六liù物wù？」

The officials asked, "Which six things?"

Asked without a trace of suspicion, which is the last moment in this scene at which that is true.

總評 Commentary

Eight Rules and Sha the monk supply the gloss the reader needs, muttering it to each other where the officials cannot hear: mixed out of pot soot, so how is it not black gold? It is the only moment in the scene when anyone says what is actually in the box.

The officials then ask exactly the right technical question — what do you send it down with — and Pilgrim answers that there are two ways, one of them easy. He sets the hook before naming a single ingredient, and they ask to hear the easy one first.