第八十四回 · 燈影兒後面 Behind the Lanterns Shadow — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

燈影兒後面 Behind the Lanterns Shadow

說shuō不bù了liǎo，就jiù有yǒu一yí個gè漢hàn子zi來lái牽qiān馬mǎ，行xíng者zhě把bǎ馬mǎ兒ér遞dì與yǔ牽qiān進jìn去qù。他tā引yǐn著zhe師shī父fù，從cóng燈dēng影yǐng兒ér後hòu面miàn，徑jìng上shàng樓lóu門mén，那nà樓lóu上shàng有yǒu方fāng便biàn的de桌zhuō椅yǐ。说shuō不bù了liǎo，就jiù有yǒu一yí个gè汉hàn子zi来lái牵qiān马mǎ，行xíng者zhě把bǎ马mǎ儿ér递dì与yǔ牵qiān进jìn去qù。他tā引yǐn着zhe师shī父fù，从cóng灯dēng影yǐng儿ér后hòu面miàn，径jìng上shàng楼lóu门mén，那nà楼lóu上shàng有yǒu方fāng便biàn的de桌zhuō椅yǐ。

逐句解 Line by line

說shuō不bù了liǎo，就jiù有yǒu一yí個gè漢hàn子zi來lái牽qiān馬mǎ，行xíng者zhě把bǎ馬mǎ兒ér遞dì與yǔ牽qiān進jìn去qù。说shuō不bù了liǎo，就jiù有yǒu一yí个gè汉hàn子zi来lái牵qiān马mǎ，行xíng者zhě把bǎ马mǎ儿ér递dì与yǔ牵qiān进jìn去qù。

Before she had finished speaking a fellow came out to take the horse, and Pilgrim handed it over to be led inside.

了 is liǎo here, to finish — 說不了 is before the words were out, not the light le the same character usually is. The horse goes first, which is what happens at a real inn and also what a horse trader would expect.

他tā引yǐn著zhe師shī父fù，從cóng燈dēng影yǐng兒ér後hòu面miàn，徑jìng上shàng樓lóu門mén，那nà樓lóu上shàng有yǒu方fāng便biàn的de桌zhuō椅yǐ。他tā引yǐn着zhe师shī父fù，从cóng灯dēng影yǐng儿ér后hòu面miàn，径jìng上shàng楼lóu门mén，那nà楼lóu上shàng有yǒu方fāng便biàn的de桌zhuō椅yǐ。

He led his master up behind the shadow of the lantern, straight through the upstairs door, where there were serviceable tables and chairs.

The detail is a smuggler's. 燈影兒後面 is behind where the lantern throws its shadow, and Pilgrim is routing Tripitaka through the one strip of the room where a face cannot be read. 著 is zhe, the leading held in progress.

總評 Commentary

Four men in stolen clothes with a shaved-headed master, walking into a lit inn. The lantern's shadow is the whole margin of safety and Pilgrim has already measured it.

Notice how little of this is magic. He could turn Tripitaka into anything he likes. Instead he walks him up the dark side of a staircase, because a transformation would have to be held all night in front of strangers and a shadow does not.