走上石崖 Pilgrim on the Stone Crag
師徒正說,不覺的到了山腳下。行者取出金箍棒,走上石崖,叫道:「師父,此間乃轉山的路兒,忒好走。快來,快來。」师徒正说,不觉的到了山脚下。行者取出金箍棒,走上石崖,叫道:「师父,此间乃转山的路儿,忒好走。快来,快来。」
逐句解 Line by line
Master and disciples were still talking when, before they knew it, they arrived at the foot of the mountain.
不覺的 is "before they knew it" — the writer's way of covering ground while the characters argue.
Pilgrim brought out his gold-hooped rod, walked up onto the stone crag and called, "Master, this is the path that goes round the mountain, and it is very easy going.
The little 兒 on 路兒 is a diminutive that makes the path sound friendly — Pilgrim is selling it. It is read ér throughout this edition; the modern reduction to a mere r-colouring is a later development, not a neutral syllable.
Come on, come on!"
Doubled again, and from a different mouth. Pilgrim is hurrying his master along before he can start worrying.
Pilgrim's technique for managing his master is on display here and it is pure showmanship: get out in front, get up high, announce that the road is easy, and call him on before he can start worrying. It works.
It is worth noticing that Pilgrim takes out the rod before he climbs the crag. He has not seen anything yet. The rod comes out because they are at the foot of a mountain, and that is simply what you do at the foot of a mountain.