第八回 · 大聖求救 The Great Sage Begs Release — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

大聖求救 The Great Sage Begs Release

菩pú薩sà道dào：「我wǒ奉fèng佛fó旨zhǐ，上shàng東dōng土tǔ尋xún取qǔ經jīng人rén去qù，從cóng此cǐ經jīng過guò，特tè留liú殘cán步bù看kàn你nǐ。」大dà聖shèng道dào：「如rú來lái哄hǒng了le我wǒ，把bǎ我wǒ壓yā在zài此cǐ山shān，五wǔ百bǎi餘yú年nián了le，不bù能néng展zhǎn掙zhēng。萬wàn望wàng菩pú薩sà方fāng便biàn一yí二èr，救jiù我wǒ老lǎo孫sūn一yí救jiù。」菩pú薩sà道dào：「你nǐ這zhè廝sī罪zuì業yè彌mí深shēn，救jiù你nǐ出chū來lái，恐kǒng你nǐ又yòu生shēng禍huò害hài，反fǎn為wéi不bù美měi。」菩pú萨sà道dào：「我wǒ奉fèng佛fó旨zhǐ，上shàng东dōng土tǔ寻xún取qǔ经jīng人rén去qù，从cóng此cǐ经jīng过guò，特tè留liú残cán步bù看kàn你nǐ。」大dà圣shèng道dào：「如rú来lái哄hǒng了le我wǒ，把bǎ我wǒ压yā在zài此cǐ山shān，五wǔ百bǎi余yú年nián了le，不bù能néng展zhǎn挣zhēng。万wàn望wàng菩pú萨sà方fāng便biàn一yí二èr，救jiù我wǒ老lǎo孙sūn一yí救jiù。」菩pú萨sà道dào：「你nǐ这zhè厮sī罪zuì业yè弥mí深shēn，救jiù你nǐ出chū来lái，恐kǒng你nǐ又yòu生shēng祸huò害hài，反fǎn为wéi不bù美měi。」

逐句解 Line by line

菩pú薩sà道dào：「我wǒ奉fèng佛fó旨zhǐ，上shàng東dōng土tǔ尋xún取qǔ經jīng人rén去qù，從cóng此cǐ經jīng過guò，特tè留liú殘cán步bù看kàn你nǐ。」菩pú萨sà道dào：「我wǒ奉fèng佛fó旨zhǐ，上shàng东dōng土tǔ寻xún取qǔ经jīng人rén去qù，从cóng此cǐ经jīng过guò，特tè留liú残cán步bù看kàn你nǐ。」

The Bodhisattva said: “I bear the Buddha's command, going up to the Eastern Land to seek a scripture-pilgrim; passing this way, I have taken a few spare steps to look in on you.”

殘步 — “a few remaining steps,” a modest way of saying she went out of her way.

大dà聖shèng道dào：「如rú來lái哄hǒng了le我wǒ，把bǎ我wǒ壓yā在zài此cǐ山shān，五wǔ百bǎi餘yú年nián了le，不bù能néng展zhǎn掙zhēng。大dà圣shèng道dào：「如rú来lái哄hǒng了le我wǒ，把bǎ我wǒ压yā在zài此cǐ山shān，五wǔ百bǎi余yú年nián了le，不bù能néng展zhǎn挣zhēng。

The Great Sage said: “The Tathāgata deceived me and pinned me beneath this mountain — five hundred years and more, with no power to struggle free.

不能 — 不 takes bù before second-tone 能. 展掙 — to stretch and break loose.

萬wàn望wàng菩pú薩sà方fāng便biàn一yí二èr，救jiù我wǒ老lǎo孫sūn一yí救jiù。」万wàn望wàng菩pú萨sà方fāng便biàn一yí二èr，救jiù我wǒ老lǎo孙sūn一yí救jiù。」

I beg the Bodhisattva to show me some little favor and save old Sun, save me!”

一二 takes yí before fourth-tone 二; 一救 takes yí before fourth-tone 救.

菩pú薩sà道dào：「你nǐ這zhè廝sī罪zuì業yè彌mí深shēn，救jiù你nǐ出chū來lái，恐kǒng你nǐ又yòu生shēng禍huò害hài，反fǎn為wéi不bù美měi。」菩pú萨sà道dào：「你nǐ这zhè厮sī罪zuì业yè弥mí深shēn，救jiù你nǐ出chū来lái，恐kǒng你nǐ又yòu生shēng祸huò害hài，反fǎn为wéi不bù美měi。」

The Bodhisattva said: “You wretch, your sins are deep; were I to free you, I fear you would breed fresh havoc — that would be ill done.”

這廝 — “this fellow,” dismissive; 廝 read sī. 反為不美 — “would turn out ill”; 為 is wéi.

總評 Commentary

Guanyin explains her errand, and the monkey seizes his chance, pleading for rescue with a bitterness aimed squarely at the Buddha who “deceived” him. His five-hundred-year grievance is unrepentant — he asks to be freed, not yet to be reformed.

The Bodhisattva's refusal is pointed and just: she will not loose him while his “sins are deep” and his release might only breed fresh harm. The exchange establishes the precondition of his salvation — that it cannot be a simple liberation but must be tied to a discipline, the very logic the fillet and the pilgrimage will enforce.

Following Anthony C. Yu, this brief standoff is dramatically necessary: the monkey must move from demanding freedom to accepting submission. Guanyin withholds rescue precisely to elicit the change of heart that the next passage will record — the turn from grievance to repentance that alone makes his redemption possible.