第八十回 · 日久年深 Long Years and Deep — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

日久年深 Long Years and Deep

原yuán來lái是shì日rì久jiǔ年nián深shēn，上shàng邊biān被bèi雨yǔ淋lín白bái，下xià邊biān是shì土tǔ氣qì上shàng的de銅tóng青qīng。三sān藏zàng用yòng手shǒu摸mō著zhe鐘zhōng，高gāo叫jiào道dào：「鐘zhōng啊a，你nǐ也yě曾céng懸xuán掛guà高gāo樓lóu吼hǒu，也yě曾céng鳴míng遠yuǎn彩cǎi梁liáng聲shēng。原yuán来lái是shì日rì久jiǔ年nián深shēn，上shàng边biān被bèi雨yǔ淋lín白bái，下xià边biān是shì土tǔ气qì上shàng的de铜tóng青qīng。三sān藏zàng用yòng手shǒu摸mō着zhe钟zhōng，高gāo叫jiào道dào：「钟zhōng啊a，你nǐ也yě曾céng悬xuán挂guà高gāo楼lóu吼hǒu，也yě曾céng鸣míng远yuǎn彩cǎi梁liáng声shēng。

逐句解 Line by line

原yuán來lái是shì日rì久jiǔ年nián深shēn，上shàng邊biān被bèi雨yǔ淋lín白bái，下xià邊biān是shì土tǔ氣qì上shàng的de銅tóng青qīng。原yuán来lái是shì日rì久jiǔ年nián深shēn，上shàng边biān被bèi雨yǔ淋lín白bái，下xià边biān是shì土tǔ气qì上shàng的de铜tóng青qīng。

It turned out that over long years and deep, the upper part had been bleached white by the rain, and the lower part had taken the green of bronze from the damp of the earth.

銅青 is verdigris, the green crust that grows on bronze in damp. The explanation is entirely material and entirely correct: rain scours the top, ground moisture corrodes the bottom, and the line between them is how far the bell has sunk.

三sān藏zàng用yòng手shǒu摸mō著zhe鐘zhōng，高gāo叫jiào道dào：「鐘zhōng啊a，你nǐ也yě曾céng懸xuán掛guà高gāo樓lóu吼hǒu，也yě曾céng鳴míng遠yuǎn彩cǎi梁liáng聲shēng。三sān藏zàng用yòng手shǒu摸mō着zhe钟zhōng，高gāo叫jiào道dào：「钟zhōng啊a，你nǐ也yě曾céng悬xuán挂guà高gāo楼lóu吼hǒu，也yě曾céng鸣míng远yuǎn彩cǎi梁liáng声shēng。

Tripitaka laid his hand on the bell and called out loudly, "Bell! You too once hung in a high tower and roared, you too once rang from painted beams and carried far.

The 著 in 摸著 is the sustained zhe: hand on the bronze and left there. He is not examining it now. He is talking to it.

總評 Commentary

The narrator explains the two colours in plain physical terms before letting anyone make anything of them, which is a very characteristic move. The wonder is not undercut by the explanation; it is set on a firm footing first.

And then Tripitaka puts his hand on the metal and addresses it directly. Nobody has asked him to. He is alone in a ruined courtyard at dusk, having pushed past a collapsed gate, and he speaks to the only thing in the place that is still whole.