原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
寫個執結
A Written Undertaking
等老孫先上嶺打聽打聽，看前後共有多少妖怪，拿住一個，問他個詳細，教他寫個執結，開個花名，把他老老小小一一查明，吩咐他關了洞門，不許阻路，卻請師父靜靜悄悄的過去，方顯得老孫手段。」等老孙先上岭打听打听，看前后共有多少妖怪，拿住一个，问他个详细，教他写个执结，开个花名，把他老老小小一一查明，吩咐他关了洞门，不许阻路，却请师父静静悄悄的过去，方显得老孙手段。」
逐句解 Line by line
等老孫先上嶺打聽打聽，看前後共有多少妖怪，拿住一個，問他個詳細，教他寫個執結，開個花名，把他老老小小一一查明，吩咐他關了洞門，不許阻路，卻請師父靜靜悄悄的過去，方顯得老孫手段。」
等老孙先上岭打听打听，看前后共有多少妖怪，拿住一个，问他个详细，教他写个执结，开个花名，把他老老小小一一查明，吩咐他关了洞门，不许阻路，却请师父静静悄悄的过去，方显得老孙手段。」
Let Old Sun go up the ridge first and make some enquiries — see how many demons there are altogether, front and back; catch one and question him in detail; make him write out a bond and open a register of names, with every one of them, old and young, checked off one by one; order him to shut the cave door and let there be no blocking of the road; and then invite the master to go quietly through. That will show what Old Sun can do."
Seventy-seven characters in a single breath, the longest unit in the chapter. 執結 is a written bond or guarantee, a real legal instrument; 花名 is a roll of names, the term for a personnel register. 一一 keeps its full first tone twice over because the character is being counted rather than modifying anything — one by one. 靜靜悄悄 is a doubled quietness, with the third character as qiǎo, and it is the whole plan's object: the master is to go through without noticing anything.
總評 Commentary
This is the funniest thing in the chapter and it is delivered completely straight. Pilgrim's plan for forty-eight thousand man-eating demons is to make one of them fill in a form.
Every step is administrative. Count the establishment, detain a witness, take a signed undertaking, open a personnel register, verify each name against it, issue an instruction to close the premises and cease obstructing the highway. The only violence anywhere in it is catching the first one.
It is also the third time this chapter has reached for paperwork as the form victory takes — after the kings of hell signing their names and the demons with tallies round their necks. This book knows that the truly terrifying institution is not the army but the registry.
And the last clause tells you who the plan is really for. Not so the demons are beaten, but so the master can walk through quietly and see nothing at all.