第八十四回 · 何不早說 Why Not Say So Sooner — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

何不早說 Why Not Say So Sooner

行xíng者zhě起qǐ來lái，扶fú著zhe師shī父fù道dào：「請qǐng起qǐ來lái，菩pú薩sà已yǐ回huí寶bǎo山shān也yě。」三sān藏zàng起qǐ來lái道dào：「悟wù空kōng，你nǐ既jì認rèn得dé是shì菩pú薩sà，何hé不bù早zǎo說shuō？」行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「你nǐ還hái問wèn話huà不bù了liǎo，我wǒ即jí下xià拜bài，怎zěn麼me還hái是shì不bù早zǎo哩li？」行xíng者zhě起qǐ来lái，扶fú着zhe师shī父fù道dào：「请qǐng起qǐ来lái，菩pú萨sà已yǐ回huí宝bǎo山shān也yě。」三sān藏zàng起qǐ来lái道dào：「悟wù空kōng，你nǐ既jì认rèn得dé是shì菩pú萨sà，何hé不bù早zǎo说shuō？」行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「你nǐ还hái问wèn话huà不bù了liǎo，我wǒ即jí下xià拜bài，怎zěn么me还hái是shì不bù早zǎo哩li？」

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng者zhě起qǐ來lái，扶fú著zhe師shī父fù道dào：「請qǐng起qǐ來lái，菩pú薩sà已yǐ回huí寶bǎo山shān也yě。」行xíng者zhě起qǐ来lái，扶fú着zhe师shī父fù道dào：「请qǐng起qǐ来lái，菩pú萨sà已yǐ回huí宝bǎo山shān也yě。」

Pilgrim got up and helped his master up. "Please rise. The Bodhisattva has gone back to her precious mountain."

著 is zhe, the reading for an action held in progress — supporting him, not merely having supported him. 寶山, precious mountain, is a respectful way of naming Potalaka without naming it.

三sān藏zàng起qǐ來lái道dào：「悟wù空kōng，你nǐ既jì認rèn得dé是shì菩pú薩sà，何hé不bù早zǎo說shuō？」三sān藏zàng起qǐ来lái道dào：「悟wù空kōng，你nǐ既jì认rèn得dé是shì菩pú萨sà，何hé不bù早zǎo说shuō？」

Tripitaka got up. "Wukong, if you knew it was the Bodhisattva, why did you not say so sooner?"

The reproach is instant and entirely characteristic. 認得 again takes dé after the verb of recognising.

行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「你nǐ還hái問wèn話huà不bù了liǎo，我wǒ即jí下xià拜bài，怎zěn麼me還hái是shì不bù早zǎo哩li？」行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「你nǐ还hái问wèn话huà不bù了liǎo，我wǒ即jí下xià拜bài，怎zěn么me还hái是shì不bù早zǎo哩li？」

Pilgrim laughed. "You had not finished asking your questions before I was already bowing. How is that not soon enough?"

了 here is liǎo, to finish or complete, not the light le — 不了 is has not got to the end of it. The two readings of that character sit a stroke apart in meaning and the whole retort depends on which one you take.

總評 Commentary

A small domestic scene doing real work. Tripitaka blames Pilgrim for not announcing a miracle he was in the middle of responding to, and Pilgrim points out that he was already on his knees while the master was still talking.

It is also a neat piece of timing. Pilgrim recognised her, bowed, and she left — all inside the space of Tripitaka's questions. The master never saw the Bodhisattva at all, only the cloud going. He has been arguing with heaven and missed it.