第八回 · 木吒認怪 Moksa Is Recognized — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

木吒認怪 Moksa Is Recognized

他tā兩liǎng個gè來lái來lái往wǎng往wǎng，戰zhàn上shàng數shù十shí合hé，不bù分fēn勝shèng負fù。那nà怪guài物wù架jià住zhù了le鐵tiě棒bàng道dào：「你nǐ是shì那nǎ裡lǐ和hé尚shàng，敢gǎn來lái與yǔ我wǒ抵dǐ敵dí？」木mù吒zhā道dào：「我wǒ是shì托tuō塔tǎ天tiān王wáng二èr太tài子zǐ木mù吒zhā惠huì岸àn行xíng者zhě，今jīn保bǎo我wǒ師shī父fù往wǎng東dōng土tǔ尋xún取qǔ經jīng人rén去qù。你nǐ是shì何hé怪guài，敢gǎn大dà膽dǎn阻zǔ路lù？」那nà怪guài方fāng才cái醒xǐng悟wù道dào：「我wǒ記jì得dé你nǐ跟gēn南nán海hǎi觀guān音yīn在zài紫zǐ竹zhú林lín中zhōng修xiū行xíng，你nǐ為wèi何hé來lái此cǐ？」木mù吒zhā道dào：「那nà岸àn上shàng不bú是shì我wǒ師shī父fù？」他tā两liǎng个gè来lái来lái往wǎng往wǎng，战zhàn上shàng数shù十shí合hé，不bù分fēn胜shèng负fù。那nà怪guài物wù架jià住zhù了le铁tiě棒bàng道dào：「你nǐ是shì那nǎ里lǐ和hé尚shàng，敢gǎn来lái与yǔ我wǒ抵dǐ敌dí？」木mù咤zhā道dào：「我wǒ是shì托tuō塔tǎ天tiān王wáng二èr太tài子zǐ木mù咤zhā惠huì岸àn行xíng者zhě，今jīn保bǎo我wǒ师shī父fù往wǎng东dōng土tǔ寻xún取qǔ经jīng人rén去qù。你nǐ是shì何hé怪guài，敢gǎn大dà胆dǎn阻zǔ路lù？」那nà怪guài方fāng才cái醒xǐng悟wù道dào：「我wǒ记jì得dé你nǐ跟gēn南nán海hǎi观guān音yīn在zài紫zǐ竹zhú林lín中zhōng修xiū行xíng，你nǐ为wèi何hé来lái此cǐ？」木mù咤zhā道dào：「那nà岸àn上shàng不bú是shì我wǒ师shī父fù？」

逐句解 Line by line

他tā兩liǎng個gè來lái來lái往wǎng往wǎng，戰zhàn上shàng數shù十shí合hé，不bù分fēn勝shèng負fù。他tā两liǎng个gè来lái来lái往wǎng往wǎng，战zhàn上shàng数shù十shí合hé，不bù分fēn胜shèng负fù。

The two of them came and went, fought above some dozens of bouts, and neither could best the other.

數 is shù and 分 is fēn. Several dozen bouts and nothing decided: this is the formula the novel uses whenever a fight is going to be interrupted rather than won.

那nà怪guài物wù架jià住zhù了le鐵tiě棒bàng道dào：那nà怪guài物wù架jià住zhù了le铁tiě棒bàng道dào：

The monster, parrying the iron rod, said:

那 is nà and 了 the light le. 架住 is catching a weapon and holding it, so the monster stops the fight by blocking rather than by striking.

「你nǐ是shì那nǎ裡lǐ和hé尚shàng，敢gǎn來lái與yǔ我wǒ抵dǐ敵dí？」「你nǐ是shì那nǎ里lǐ和hé尚shàng，敢gǎn来lái与yǔ我wǒ抵dǐ敌dí？」

"What sort of monk are you, that you dare come and cross me?"

那裡 is a question here — where from, what sort — with 那 read nǎ.

木mù吒zhā道dào：「我wǒ是shì托tuō塔tǎ天tiān王wáng二èr太tài子zǐ木mù吒zhā惠huì岸àn行xíng者zhě，今jīn保bǎo我wǒ師shī父fù往wǎng東dōng土tǔ尋xún取qǔ經jīng人rén去qù。木mù咤zhā道dào：「我wǒ是shì托tuō塔tǎ天tiān王wáng二èr太tài子zǐ木mù咤zhā惠huì岸àn行xíng者zhě，今jīn保bǎo我wǒ师shī父fù往wǎng东dōng土tǔ寻xún取qǔ经jīng人rén去qù。

Moksa said: "I am Moksa, the disciple Huian, second prince of the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, now escorting my mistress to the Eastern Land to seek a scripture-pilgrim.

托塔天王 is Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, and Moksa is his second son. Introducing yourself by your father's office is exactly how this heaven works.

你nǐ是shì何hé怪guài，敢gǎn大dà膽dǎn阻zǔ路lù？」你nǐ是shì何hé怪guài，敢gǎn大dà胆dǎn阻zǔ路lù？」

What demon are you, that you dare so boldly to block the road?"

The question is asked in the vocabulary of the road — 阻路, blocking the way — which is what the whole encounter turns out to be about.

那nà怪guài方fāng才cái醒xǐng悟wù道dào：「我wǒ記jì得dé你nǐ跟gēn南nán海hǎi觀guān音yīn在zài紫zǐ竹zhú林lín中zhōng修xiū行xíng，你nǐ為wèi何hé來lái此cǐ？」那nà怪guài方fāng才cái醒xǐng悟wù道dào：「我wǒ记jì得dé你nǐ跟gēn南nán海hǎi观guān音yīn在zài紫zǐ竹zhú林lín中zhōng修xiū行xíng，你nǐ为wèi何hé来lái此cǐ？」

The monster, just then recalling, said: "I remember you — you practiced with the Guanyin of the Southern Sea in the Purple-Bamboo Grove. Why have you come here?"

記得 is to remember, with 得 as the light de. 為何 is why, 為 read wèi.

木mù吒zhā道dào：「那nà岸àn上shàng不bú是shì我wǒ師shī父fù？」木mù咤zhā道dào：「那nà岸àn上shàng不bú是shì我wǒ师shī父fù？」

Moksa said: "Is that not my mistress on the bank yonder?"

In 不是 the 不 takes bú before the falling tone of 是.

總評 Commentary

The duel stops and turns into a reunion. The river-demon catches the iron rod, holds it, and abruptly recognises his opponent: Moksa, a fellow-student from Guanyin's purple bamboo grove. That swerve from combat to acquaintance is entirely typical — the monsters in this novel are hardly ever strangers to the heaven they fell out of.

Moksa's self-introduction does real work, planting him in the divine civil service: son of the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, acolyte of Guanyin. And the demon's flash of memory, that the two of them once trained together, prepares his surrender. He is not an alien horror but a lapsed member of the same household, waiting for somebody to offer him a way back.