第七十二回 · 笑語諠譁 Seven Women Come Out Laughing — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

笑語諠譁 Seven Women Come Out Laughing

又yòu聽tīng得dé呀ya的de一yì聲shēng，柴chái扉fēi響xiǎng處chù，裡lǐ邊biān笑xiào語yǔ諠xuān譁huá，走zǒu出chū七qī個gè女nǚ子zǐ。行xíng者zhě在zài暗àn中zhōng細xì看kàn，見jiàn他tā一yí個gè個gè攜xié手shǒu相xiàng攙chān，挨āi肩jiān執zhí袂mèi，有yǒu說shuō有yǒu笑xiào的de走zǒu過guò橋qiáo來lái，果guǒ是shì標biāo致zhì。又yòu听tīng得dé呀ya的de一yì声shēng，柴chái扉fēi响xiǎng处chù，里lǐ边biān笑xiào语yǔ諠xuān哗huá，走zǒu出chū七qī个gè女nǚ子zǐ。行xíng者zhě在zài暗àn中zhōng细xì看kàn，见jiàn他tā一yí个gè个gè携xié手shǒu相xiàng搀chān，挨āi肩jiān执zhí袂mèi，有yǒu说shuō有yǒu笑xiào的de走zǒu过guò桥qiáo来lái，果guǒ是shì标biāo致zhì。

逐句解 Line by line

又yòu聽tīng得dé呀ya的de一yì聲shēng，柴chái扉fēi響xiǎng處chù，裡lǐ邊biān笑xiào語yǔ諠xuān譁huá，走zǒu出chū七qī個gè女nǚ子zǐ。又yòu听tīng得dé呀ya的de一yì声shēng，柴chái扉fēi响xiǎng处chù，里lǐ边biān笑xiào语yǔ諠xuān哗huá，走zǒu出chū七qī个gè女nǚ子zǐ。

Then he heard a creak as the brushwood gate swung, and out of the laughing and chattering inside came seven women.

得 takes dé after 聽 — the lexicalised suffix on a verb of perception, heard and registered. 柴扉 is a gate of brushwood, the humblest kind, and the book has not forgotten that this place is dressed as a cottage.

行xíng者zhě在zài暗àn中zhōng細xì看kàn，見jiàn他tā一yí個gè個gè攜xié手shǒu相xiàng攙chān，挨āi肩jiān執zhí袂mèi，有yǒu說shuō有yǒu笑xiào的de走zǒu過guò橋qiáo來lái，果guǒ是shì標biāo致zhì。行xíng者zhě在zài暗àn中zhōng细xì看kàn，见jiàn他tā一yí个gè个gè携xié手shǒu相xiàng搀chān，挨āi肩jiān执zhí袂mèi，有yǒu说shuō有yǒu笑xiào的de走zǒu过guò桥qiáo来lái，果guǒ是shì标biāo致zhì。

Pilgrim, watching closely from cover, saw them come over the bridge hand in hand, shoulder against shoulder and sleeve caught in sleeve, talking and laughing — and handsome they certainly were.

相 is xiàng here, mutually. 攜手相攙 and 挨肩執袂 are two four-character phrases for the same picture: linked arms, touching shoulders, one woman's sleeve in another's hand. 標致 means good-looking, and it is Pilgrim's assessment, not the narrator's.

總評 Commentary

The seven come out of the gate arm in arm, chattering, and the description is affectionate. They are going swimming.

It matters that this is Pilgrim's view and not the narrator's. He is sitting on a grass stem as a fly, watching seven monsters walk to the baths, and the word he reaches for is handsome. The book lets him find them attractive and does not comment.

The two four-character phrases for how they walk are doing something specific. Linked hands, shoulders touching, sleeves held — it is the physical vocabulary of women who are entirely comfortable with each other. Nothing in the last thirty passages has suggested they are anything but a household that gets on.