Canonical Classics ← 第七十一回
第七十一回
行xíng者zhě假jiǎ名míng降xiáng怪guài犼hǒu
觀guān音yīn現xiàn像xiàng伏fú妖yāo王wáng

Pilgrim Under a False Name Subdues the Monster Hou · Guanyin Shows Her Image and Puts Down the Fiend King

捨死忘生
模式 Mode Read Study
拼音 Pinyin Off
字體 Script 繁
原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition 含詞賦 With rhapsody

捨死忘生 Both Risk Death For A King

往wǎng往wǎng來lái來lái解xiè數shù多duō,翻fān翻fān復fù復fù金jīn光guāng吐tǔ。往wǎng往wǎng来lái来lái解xiè数shù多duō,翻fān翻fān复fù复fù金jīn光guāng吐tǔ。
齊qí將jiāng本běn事shì施shī,各gè把bǎ神shén通tōng賭dǔ。齐qí将jiāng本běn事shì施shī,各gè把bǎ神shén通tōng赌dǔ。
這zhè個gè要yào取qǔ娘niáng娘niang轉zhuǎn帝dì都dū,那nà個gè喜xǐ同tóng皇huáng后hòu居jū山shān塢wù。这zhè个gè要yào取qǔ娘niáng娘niang转zhuǎn帝dì都dū,那nà个gè喜xǐ同tóng皇huáng后hòu居jū山shān坞wù。
這zhè場cháng都dōu是shì沒méi來lái由yóu,捨shě死sǐ忘wàng生shēng因yīn國guó主zhǔ。这zhè场cháng都dōu是shì没méi来lái由yóu,舍shě死sǐ忘wàng生shēng因yīn国guó主zhǔ。

逐句解 Line by line

往wǎng往wǎng來lái來lái解xiè數shù多duō,翻fān翻fān復fù復fù金jīn光guāng吐tǔ。 往wǎng往wǎng来lái来lái解xiè数shù多duō,翻fān翻fān复fù复fù金jīn光guāng吐tǔ。

Back and forth, the moves came thick; over and over, gold light poured out.

解 is xiè here. 康熙 角部六畫 runs to great length, and the band that fits is the last one — 尸賣切, 蟹去聲, glossed 接中也 and 支節也, a joint or segment, with 師古's note 解,支節也. 解數 is a martial form broken into its joints, a sequence of moves.

齊qí將jiāng本běn事shì施shī,各gè把bǎ神shén通tōng賭dǔ。 齐qí将jiāng本běn事shì施shī,各gè把bǎ神shén通tōng赌dǔ。

Together they brought their skills to bear; each staked his magic powers on it.

賭 is to gamble, and it is the right word — each is wagering everything he has on the outcome. 將 is jiāng, the disposal marker.

這zhè個gè要yào取qǔ娘niáng娘niang轉zhuǎn帝dì都dū,那nà個gè喜xǐ同tóng皇huáng后hòu居jū山shān塢wù。 这zhè个gè要yào取qǔ娘niáng娘niang转zhuǎn帝dì都dū,那nà个gè喜xǐ同tóng皇huáng后hòu居jū山shān坞wù。

This one means to take the Queen back to the imperial capital; that one is glad to keep the consort with him in his mountain fastness.

都 is dū, a capital city — and the very next line uses the same character as dōu, meaning all. 塢 is a walled hollow in the hills, a stronghold.

這zhè場cháng都dōu是shì沒méi來lái由yóu,捨shě死sǐ忘wàng生shēng因yīn國guó主zhǔ。 这zhè场cháng都dōu是shì没méi来lái由yóu,舍shě死sǐ忘wàng生shēng因yīn国guó主zhǔ。

This whole business is without cause; they cast off life and forget death for the sake of a king.

場 is cháng again, the event measure, and 都 is dōu, all — the same character as 帝都 one line back, doing an entirely different job. 沒 is méi, the everyday negative.


總評 Commentary

The rhapsody ends by telling you the fight is pointless. 這場都是沒來由 — the whole business is without cause — is the narrator's own verdict, dropped into the last couplet of a set-piece he has just spent seven couplets celebrating. Then the reason: 因國主, because of a king. Neither of them is fighting for himself.

The pairing in the third couplet is exact and it is the chapter in miniature. One wants to take the queen back to the capital; the other is happy to keep her in a mountain stronghold. Nobody has asked her, and the verse does not think to either.

One character appears in both of the last two couplets doing entirely different work. 帝都 is the imperial capital and takes one reading; 都是 means all and takes another. Fourteen characters apart, and the automatic reading engine gets both of them right — which is worth recording, because it usually does not.