原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
可有妖精 Is There a Fiend Inside
行者跳出，八戒上前扯住道：「可有妖精？可有師父？」行者道：「有有有。」行者跳出，八戒上前扯住道：「可有妖精？可有师父？」行者道：「有有有。」
逐句解 Line by line
行者跳出，八戒上前扯住道：「可有妖精？
行者跳出，八戒上前扯住道：「可有妖精？
Pilgrim leapt out, and Bajie came forward and caught hold of him. "Is there a fiend?"
The grabbing is characteristic — Bajie does not ask from a distance. 可有 is the vernacular interrogative, roughly is there or is there not.
可有師父？」
可有师父？」
"Is the master there?"
The second question in four characters, and the order of the two tells you what Bajie is actually worried about. He asked after the fiend first.
行者道：「有有有。」
行者道：「有有有。」
Pilgrim said, "There is, there is, there is."
Three of the same character in a row, which in this novel means impatience rather than emphasis. He is being harried and is answering both questions at once so as to get on.
Twenty-five characters of pure dialogue rhythm. Two short questions and a triple answer, and the comedy is entirely in the pacing.
It is a small piece of characterisation that Bajie asks about the monster before he asks about his master. He has spent the chapter proposing to divide the luggage, and his priorities have not moved.