第七十二回 · 寧少路邊錢 Rather Short Of Money — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

寧少路邊錢 Rather Short Of Money

縱zòng然rán不bù趕gǎn，他tā久jiǔ住zhù在zài此cǐ，我wǒ們men取qǔ了le經jīng，還hái從cóng那nà條tiáo路lù回huí去qù。常cháng言yán道dào：『寧nìng少shǎo路lù邊biān錢qián，莫mò少shǎo路lù邊biān拳quán。』那nà時shí節jié，他tā攔lán住zhù了le吵chǎo鬧nào，卻què不bú是shì個gè仇chóu人rén也yě？」纵zòng然rán不bù赶gǎn，他tā久jiǔ住zhù在zài此cǐ，我wǒ们men取qǔ了le经jīng，还hái从cóng那nà条tiáo路lù回huí去qù。常cháng言yán道dào：『宁nìng少shǎo路lù边biān钱qián，莫mò少shǎo路lù边biān拳quán。』那nà时shí节jié，他tā拦lán住zhù了le吵chǎo闹nào，却què不bú是shì个gè仇chóu人rén也yě？」

逐句解 Line by line

縱zòng然rán不bù趕gǎn，他tā久jiǔ住zhù在zài此cǐ，我wǒ們men取qǔ了le經jīng，還hái從cóng那nà條tiáo路lù回huí去qù。纵zòng然rán不bù赶gǎn，他tā久jiǔ住zhù在zài此cǐ，我wǒ们men取qǔ了le经jīng，还hái从cóng那nà条tiáo路lù回huí去qù。

"And even if they do not come after us — they live here for good, and when we have fetched the scriptures we come back along this same road."

還 is hái, still, in addition. The return journey is a real consideration in this book: the party has to come back the way it went, which makes every enemy left alive a future problem.

常cháng言yán道dào：『寧nìng少shǎo路lù邊biān錢qián，莫mò少shǎo路lù邊biān拳quán。』常cháng言yán道dào：『宁nìng少shǎo路lù边biān钱qián，莫mò少shǎo路lù边biān拳quán。』

"As the common word goes: better to be short of road-money than short of road-fists."

寧 is nìng, would rather — not níng, peaceful. The proverb balances 路邊錢 against 路邊拳, money on the road against fists on the road, one character apart. Better to run out of cash than to run out of the ability to fight.

那nà時shí節jié，他tā攔lán住zhù了le吵chǎo鬧nào，卻què不bú是shì個gè仇chóu人rén也yě？」那nà时shí节jié，他tā拦lán住zhù了le吵chǎo闹nào，却què不bú是shì个gè仇chóu人rén也yě？」

"Come that time, they block the way and make a scene — will they not be enemies then?"

了 is the light le. 仇人 is an enemy in the personal sense, somebody with a grievance against you. He is arguing that mercy today manufactures a grudge for later.

總評 Commentary

The argument closes on a proverb, and it is a good one: better short of road-money than short of road-fists. The two halves differ by a single character.

The reasoning underneath is about the shape of this whole book. The pilgrimage goes west and then has to come back east along the same road, so anybody left alive behind them is a problem twice. Eight Rules is the only member of the party thinking about the return leg.

He finishes on the word for a personal enemy — not a monster, not an obstacle, but somebody who now has a grievance. Steal seven women's clothes and leave them crouching naked in a pool, he is saying, and you have made yourself an enemy for the road home.