第八十九回 · 光彩映目 Three Weapons On Display — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

光彩映目 Three Weapons On Display

沙shā僧sēng仗zhàng著zhe膽dǎn，同tóng八bā戒jiè、行xíng者zhě進jìn於yú洞dòng內nèi。到dào二èr層céng廠chǎng廳tīng之zhī上shàng，只zhǐ見jiàn正zhèng中zhōng間jiān桌zhuō上shàng，高gāo高gāo的de供gōng養yǎng著zhe一yì柄bǐng九jiǔ齒chǐ釘dīng鈀pá，真zhēn個gè是shì光guāng彩cǎi映yìng目mù；東dōng山shān頭tóu靠kào著zhe一yì條tiáo金jīn箍gū棒bàng，西xī山shān頭tóu靠kào著zhe一yì條tiáo降xiáng妖yāo杖zhàng。那nà怪guài王wáng隨suí後hòu跟gēn著zhe道dào：「客kè人rén，那nà中zhōng間jiān放fàng光guāng亮liàng的de就jiù是shì釘dīng鈀pá，你nǐ看kàn便biàn看kàn，只zhǐ是shì出chū去qù，千qiān萬wàn莫mò與yǔ人rén說shuō。」沙shā僧sēng點diǎn頭tóu稱chēng謝xiè了le。沙shā僧sēng仗zhàng着zhe胆dǎn，同tóng八bā戒jiè、行xíng者zhě进jìn于yú洞dòng内nèi。到dào二èr层céng厂chǎng厅tīng之zhī上shàng，只zhǐ见jiàn正zhèng中zhōng间jiān桌zhuō上shàng，高gāo高gāo的de供gōng养yǎng着zhe一yì柄bǐng九jiǔ齿chǐ钉dīng钯pá，真zhēn个gè是shì光guāng彩cǎi映yìng目mù；东dōng山shān头tóu靠kào着zhe一yì条tiáo金jīn箍gū棒bàng，西xī山shān头tóu靠kào着zhe一yì条tiáo降xiáng妖yāo杖zhàng。那nà怪guài王wáng随suí后hòu跟gēn着zhe道dào：「客kè人rén，那nà中zhōng间jiān放fàng光guāng亮liàng的de就jiù是shì钉dīng钯pá，你nǐ看kàn便biàn看kàn，只zhǐ是shì出chū去qù，千qiān万wàn莫mò与yǔ人rén说shuō。」沙shā僧sēng点diǎn头tóu称chēng谢xiè了le。

逐句解 Line by line

沙shā僧sēng仗zhàng著zhe膽dǎn，同tóng八bā戒jiè、行xíng者zhě進jìn於yú洞dòng內nèi。沙shā僧sēng仗zhàng着zhe胆dǎn，同tóng八bā戒jiè、行xíng者zhě进jìn于yú洞dòng内nèi。

Sha Monk screwed up his courage and went into the cave with Eight Rules and Pilgrim.

仗著膽 is to lean on your own nerve — you borrow courage from yourself. 著 is zhe, the reading for a state kept up: the nerve has to be held all the way in. Of the three, only Sha Monk is described as needing it, and he is the one with no disguise to hide behind.

到dào二èr層céng廠chǎng廳tīng之zhī上shàng，只zhǐ見jiàn正zhèng中zhōng間jiān桌zhuō上shàng，高gāo高gāo的de供gōng養yǎng著zhe一yì柄bǐng九jiǔ齒chǐ釘dīng鈀pá，真zhēn個gè是shì光guāng彩cǎi映yìng目mù；到dào二èr层céng厂chǎng厅tīng之zhī上shàng，只zhǐ见jiàn正zhèng中zhōng间jiān桌zhuō上shàng，高gāo高gāo的de供gōng养yǎng着zhe一yì柄bǐng九jiǔ齿chǐ钉dīng钯pá，真zhēn个gè是shì光guāng彩cǎi映yìng目mù；

Coming up to the second hall, they saw on the table in the very middle, raised high and reverently set out, a nine-tooth rake, whose brilliance truly dazzled the eye;

供養 is the word for setting out offerings before an altar. The monster has not stored his loot, he has enshrined it. 著 is zhe, the reading for a state that holds — it is not being set out, it is sitting there set out.

東dōng山shān頭tóu靠kào著zhe一yì條tiáo金jīn箍gū棒bàng，西xī山shān頭tóu靠kào著zhe一yì條tiáo降xiáng妖yāo杖zhàng。东dōng山shān头tóu靠kào着zhe一yì条tiáo金jīn箍gū棒bàng，西xī山shān头tóu靠kào着zhe一yì条tiáo降xiáng妖yāo杖zhàng。

and leaning at the east end a golden-hooped rod, and at the west end a demon-quelling staff.

The staging is an altar: the rake enthroned in the centre, the other two propped at the flanks like attendant figures. 降 is xiáng here, the subduing reading — it is the staff's own name — not the one meaning to descend. Both instances of 著 are again zhe: the weapons stand leaning.

那nà怪guài王wáng隨suí後hòu跟gēn著zhe道dào：「客kè人rén，那nà中zhōng間jiān放fàng光guāng亮liàng的de就jiù是shì釘dīng鈀pá，你nǐ看kàn便biàn看kàn，只zhǐ是shì出chū去qù，千qiān萬wàn莫mò與yǔ人rén說shuō。」那nà怪guài王wáng随suí后hòu跟gēn着zhe道dào：「客kè人rén，那nà中zhōng间jiān放fàng光guāng亮liàng的de就jiù是shì钉dīng钯pá，你nǐ看kàn便biàn看kàn，只zhǐ是shì出chū去qù，千qiān万wàn莫mò与yǔ人rén说shuō。」

The fiend king, following behind, said, "Guest, that thing shining in the middle is the rake. Look at it if you like, only when you go out, on no account speak of it to anybody."

He cannot help showing it off and cannot help the warning that follows, which is the whole of his character in one sentence. 著 is zhe — the following-behind goes on while he talks.

沙shā僧sēng點diǎn頭tóu稱chēng謝xiè了le。沙shā僧sēng点diǎn头tóu称chēng谢xiè了le。

Sha Monk nodded and thanked him.

Seven graphs, and the disguise holds to the last moment. He has just been shown his own staff and thanked the thief for the privilege.

總評 Commentary

The three weapons are laid out like an altar because that is exactly how the Yellow Lion thinks of them. He has not hidden the loot, or used it, or armed his troops with it. He has enshrined it in the middle of his hall, invited his grandfather, and is showing it to a passing tradesman.

That is what makes him a comic villain rather than a frightening one. A monster who wanted the golden-hooped rod would try to swing it. This one wants to be seen owning it, which is why the whole theft unravels in a single afternoon.

And Sha Monk carries the passage. He is the only one of the three not wearing a stolen face, so he is the only one genuinely at risk, and the novel gives him the borrowed nerve at the start and the polite nod at the end. He looks at his own staff propped against a wall and says thank you.