第八十四回 · 悶住了氣 The Air Was Stopped Up — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

悶住了氣 The Air Was Stopped Up

卻què說shuō他tā四sì個gè到dào了le櫃guì裡lǐ，可kě憐lián啊a！一yì則zé乍zhà戴dài個gè頭tóu巾jīn，二èr來lái天tiān氣qì炎yán熱rè，又yòu悶mèn住zhù了le氣qì，略lüè不bú透tòu風fēng。却què说shuō他tā四sì个gè到dào了le柜guì里lǐ，可kě怜lián啊a！一yì则zé乍zhà戴dài个gè头tóu巾jīn，二èr来lái天tiān气qì炎yán热rè，又yòu闷mèn住zhù了le气qì，略lüè不bú透tòu风fēng。

逐句解 Line by line

卻què說shuō他tā四sì個gè到dào了le櫃guì裡lǐ，可kě憐lián啊a！却què说shuō他tā四sì个gè到dào了le柜guì里lǐ，可kě怜lián啊a！

Now, the four of them once inside that chest — what a pitiful thing!

卻說 is the storyteller picking a thread back up, the counterpart of the formula that dropped it a line ago. 可憐啊 is an exclamation of pity, and the teller is enjoying himself.

一yì則zé乍zhà戴dài個gè頭tóu巾jīn，二èr來lái天tiān氣qì炎yán熱rè，又yòu悶mèn住zhù了le氣qì，略lüè不bú透tòu風fēng。一yì则zé乍zhà戴dài个gè头tóu巾jīn，二èr来lái天tiān气qì炎yán热rè，又yòu闷mèn住zhù了le气qì，略lüè不bú透tòu风fēng。

For one thing they were newly wearing headcloths; for another the weather was blazing hot, the air was stopped up, and not a breath got through.

乍 is newly, only just — they are not used to the things. 悶住 is stopped up, stifled, and it is used both of air and of people. The chapter opened in early summer with a poem about breezes and lotus; it has arrived at four men in an airless box in the heat.

總評 Commentary

The chapter's first verse promised a fine summer — soft green shade, a light breeze, swallows leading their young. This is the same summer from inside a locked chest.

And the headcloths, which have been the solution to everything since Pilgrim stole them, are now simply hot. The disguise that got them through the gates is the first thing they take off once nobody can see.