原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
玉龍得救
The Jade Dragon Is Saved
菩薩卻與木吒辭了悟能，半興雲霧前來。正走處，只見空中有一條玉龍叫喚。菩薩近前問曰：「你是何龍，在此受罪？」那龍道：「我是西海龍王敖閏之子，因縱火燒了殿上明珠，我父王表奏天庭，告了忤逆。玉帝把我吊在空中，打了三百，不日遭誅。望菩薩搭救搭救。」觀音聞言，即與木吒撞上南天門裡，早有丘、張二天師接著，問道：「何往？」菩薩道：「貧僧要見玉帝一面。」二天師即忙上奏。玉帝遂下殿迎接。菩薩上前禮畢道：「貧僧領佛旨上東土尋取經人，路遇孽龍懸吊，特來啟奏，饒他性命，賜與貧僧，教他與取經人做個腳力。」玉帝聞言，即傳旨赦宥，差天將解放，送與菩薩。菩薩謝恩而出。這小龍叩頭謝活命之恩，聽從菩薩使喚。菩薩把他送在深澗之中，只等取經人來，變做白馬，上西方立功。小龍領命潛身不題。菩萨却与木吒辞了悟能，半兴云雾前来。正走处，只见空中有一条玉龙叫唤。菩萨近前问曰：「你是何龙，在此受罪？」那龙道：「我是西海龙王敖闰之子，因纵火烧了殿上明珠，我父王表奏天庭，告了忤逆。玉帝把我吊在空中，打了三百，不日遭诛。望菩萨搭救搭救。」观音闻言，即与木吒撞上南天门里，早有丘、张二天师接著，问道：「何往？」菩萨道：「贫僧要见玉帝一面。」二天师即忙上奏。玉帝遂下殿迎接。菩萨上前礼毕道：「贫僧领佛旨上东土寻取经人，路遇孽龙悬吊，特来启奏，饶他性命，赐与贫僧，教他与取经人做个脚力。」玉帝闻言，即传旨赦宥，差天将解放，送与菩萨。菩萨谢恩而出。这小龙叩头谢活命之恩，听从菩萨使唤。菩萨把他送在深涧之中，只等取经人来，变做白马，上西方立功。小龙领命潜身不题。
逐句解 Line by line
菩薩卻與木吒辭了悟能，半興雲霧前來。
菩萨却与木吒辞了悟能，半兴云雾前来。
The Bodhisattva, with Moksa, took leave of Wuneng and came on, half-raising cloud and mist.
正走處，只見空中有一條玉龍叫喚。
正走处，只见空中有一条玉龙叫唤。
As they went, they saw in the sky a jade dragon crying out.
一條 takes yì before second-tone 條.
菩薩近前問曰：「你是何龍，在此受罪？」
菩萨近前问曰：「你是何龙，在此受罪？」
The Bodhisattva drew near and asked: “What dragon are you, suffering punishment here?”
那龍道：「我是西海龍王敖閏之子，因縱火燒了殿上明珠，我父王表奏天庭，告了忤逆。
那龙道：「我是西海龙王敖闰之子，因纵火烧了殿上明珠，我父王表奏天庭，告了忤逆。
The dragon said: “I am the son of Aorun, Dragon King of the Western Sea. Because I set fire to the palace's luminous pearls, my father memorialized the court of Heaven and charged me with unfilial conduct.
敖閏 — Aorun, Dragon King of the Western Sea. 忤逆 — the grave offense of filial disobedience.
玉帝把我吊在空中，打了三百，不日遭誅。望菩薩搭救搭救。」
玉帝把我吊在空中，打了三百，不日遭诛。望菩萨搭救搭救。」
The Jade Emperor has hung me in the sky, beaten me three hundred strokes, and within days I am to be executed. I beg the Bodhisattva to save me, save me!”
不日 — “within days”; 不 takes bú before fourth-tone 日.
觀音聞言，即與木吒撞上南天門裡，早有丘、張二天師接著，問道：「何往？」
观音闻言，即与木吒撞上南天门里，早有丘、张二天师接著，问道：「何往？」
Hearing this, Guanyin went up with Moksa through the Southern Heaven Gate, where the two Heavenly Masters Qiu and Zhang met them and asked: “Whither away?”
丘、張二天師 — the celestial chamberlains Qiu and Zhang. 接著 — “met, received”; the durative 著 is zhe.
菩薩道：「貧僧要見玉帝一面。」
菩萨道：「贫僧要见玉帝一面。」
The Bodhisattva said: “This poor nun would have one audience with the Jade Emperor.”
貧僧 — “this poor monk/nun,” Guanyin's self-deprecating term. 一面 takes yí.
二天師即忙上奏。玉帝遂下殿迎接。
二天师即忙上奏。玉帝遂下殿迎接。
The two Heavenly Masters at once announced her, and the Jade Emperor came down from his hall to receive her.
菩薩上前禮畢道：「貧僧領佛旨上東土尋取經人，路遇孽龍懸吊，特來啟奏，饒他性命，賜與貧僧，教他與取經人做個腳力。」
菩萨上前礼毕道：「贫僧领佛旨上东土寻取经人，路遇孽龙悬吊，特来启奏，饶他性命，赐与贫僧，教他与取经人做个脚力。」
The Bodhisattva, having paid her respects, said: “This poor nun, bearing the Buddha's command to seek a scripture-pilgrim in the Eastern Land, met on the way this sinful dragon hung up for punishment, and have come expressly to petition that his life be spared and he be granted to me, to serve the scripture-pilgrim as a mount.”
腳力 — a beast of burden, a mount; the dragon is destined to become Tripiṭaka's white horse.
玉帝聞言，即傳旨赦宥，差天將解放，送與菩薩。菩薩謝恩而出。
玉帝闻言，即传旨赦宥，差天将解放，送与菩萨。菩萨谢恩而出。
The Jade Emperor, hearing this, issued an edict of pardon, sent a heavenly general to release him, and gave him to the Bodhisattva, who gave thanks and withdrew.
傳旨 — to issue an edict; 傳 is chuán. 天將 — a heavenly general; 將 is jiàng.
這小龍叩頭謝活命之恩，聽從菩薩使喚。
这小龙叩头谢活命之恩，听从菩萨使唤。
The little dragon kowtowed in thanks for the gift of his life and obeyed the Bodhisattva's command.
菩薩把他送在深澗之中，只等取經人來，變做白馬，上西方立功。小龍領命潛身不題。
菩萨把他送在深涧之中，只等取经人来，变做白马，上西方立功。小龙领命潜身不题。
The Bodhisattva sent him into a deep ravine, there to await the scripture-pilgrim, to become a white horse and go west to win merit. The little dragon received the command and hid himself away — but no more of that.
不題 — the storyteller's formula “we say no more of this for now.” The dragon-horse is the last of the five companions assembled in this chapter.
總評 Commentary
The final recruitment is the briefest: a condemned jade dragon, son of the Western Sea Dragon King, whom Guanyin rescues from execution by petitioning the Jade Emperor in person. He will become the white horse that bears Tripiṭaka the whole way west — the silent fifth member of the company.
The episode neatly inverts the chapter's hierarchy. Where the Buddha earlier received the Jade Emperor's thanks, here it is Guanyin who ascends to the Daoist court to ask a favor, and is met with deference and granted it at once. The two heavens operate in courteous concert, the Buddhist mission moving freely through the Daoist bureaucracy.
Following Anthony C. Yu, the dragon completes the providential roster: monkey, boar, river-ogre, and dragon-horse are now all in place, each a fallen being awaiting the pilgrim who will bind them into a single enterprise. With the disciples gathered, the chapter turns at last toward the mountain where the monkey waits — and toward the human world where the pilgrim must be found.