原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
二十多個賊
Twenty Odd Thieves
豈知他這店裡走堂的、挑水的、燒火的素與強盜一夥，聽見行者說有許多銀子，他就著幾個溜出去，夥了二十多個賊，明火執杖的來打劫馬販子，沖開門進來。岂知他这店里走堂的、挑水的、烧火的素与强盗一伙，听见行者说有许多银子，他就着几个溜出去，伙了二十多个贼，明火执杖的来打劫马贩子，冲开门进来。
逐句解 Line by line
豈知他這店裡走堂的、挑水的、燒火的素與強盜一夥，聽見行者說有許多銀子，他就著幾個溜出去，夥了二十多個賊，明火執杖的來打劫馬販子，沖開門進來。
岂知他这店里走堂的、挑水的、烧火的素与强盗一伙，听见行者说有许多银子，他就着几个溜出去，伙了二十多个贼，明火执杖的来打劫马贩子，冲开门进来。
Now as it happened, the waiters and the water-carriers and the stokers at that inn had long been in with a band of robbers; and hearing Pilgrim say there was all that silver, one of them sent a few men slipping out, gathered twenty-odd thieves, and they came with torches lit and staves in hand to rob the horse traders, and burst the door open.
The whole disaster in one sentence, and the novel builds it as a chain: staff, connection, overheard boast, messenger, gang, attack. 著 is zhuó, the reading that sets somebody to a task — he dispatched a few of them. 明火執杖 is torches lit and staves held, the standing phrase for an armed night robbery, and it is still the legal-sounding way to describe one. 素 here is all along, habitually.
總評 Commentary
Sixty-two characters and every link is ordinary. Nobody betrays anybody; the staff simply have friends, and a guest talked about money within earshot.
The chapter has been careful to plant each piece. The hired men came in with late rent rice, the widow put them downstairs because there was nowhere else, a chair-pole knocked the boards, and Pilgrim heard the noise and asked about it. He was told exactly who was down there and went on to announce four thousand taels anyway.