第九回 · 約定還願 Arranging the Vow-Pilgrimage — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

約定還願 Arranging the Vow-Pilgrimage

就jiù叫jiào：「我wǒ兒ér快kuài去qù。」玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「十shí八bā年nián不bù識shí生shēng身shēn父fù母mǔ，今jīn朝zhāo才cái見jiàn母mǔ親qīn，教jiào孩hái兒ér如rú何hé割gē捨shě？」小xiǎo姐jiě道dào：「我wǒ兒ér，你nǐ火huǒ速sù抽chōu身shēn前qián去qù。劉liú賊zéi若ruò回huí，他tā必bì害hài你nǐ性xìng命mìng。我wǒ明míng日rì假jiǎ裝zhuāng一yí病bìng，只zhǐ說shuō先xiān年nián曾céng許xǔ捨shě百bǎi雙shuāng僧sēng鞋xié，來lái你nǐ寺sì中zhōng還huán願yuàn。那nà時shí節jié，我wǒ有yǒu話huà與yǔ你nǐ說shuō。」玄xuán奘zàng依yī言yán拜bài別bié。就jiù叫jiào：「我wǒ儿ér快kuài去qù。」玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「十shí八bā年nián不bù识shí生shēng身shēn父fù母mǔ，今jīn朝zhāo才cái见jiàn母mǔ亲qīn，教jiào孩hái儿ér如rú何hé割gē舍shě？」小xiǎo姐jiě道dào：「我wǒ儿ér，你nǐ火huǒ速sù抽chōu身shēn前qián去qù。刘liú贼zéi若ruò回huí，他tā必bì害hài你nǐ性xìng命mìng。我wǒ明míng日rì假jiǎ装zhuāng一yí病bìng，只zhǐ说shuō先xiān年nián曾céng许xǔ舍shě百bǎi双shuāng僧sēng鞋xié，来lái你nǐ寺sì中zhōng还huán愿yuàn。那nà时shí节jié，我wǒ有yǒu话huà与yǔ你nǐ说shuō。」玄xuán奘zàng依yī言yán拜bài别bié。

逐句解 Line by line

就jiù叫jiào：「我wǒ兒ér快kuài去qù。」就jiù叫jiào：「我wǒ儿ér快kuài去qù。」

She then cried, 'My son, away quickly!'

快去, go at once — love and danger in one breath.

玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「十shí八bā年nián不bù識shí生shēng身shēn父fù母mǔ，今jīn朝zhāo才cái見jiàn母mǔ親qīn，教jiào孩hái兒ér如rú何hé割gē捨shě？」玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「十shí八bā年nián不bù识shí生shēng身shēn父fù母mǔ，今jīn朝zhāo才cái见jiàn母mǔ亲qīn，教jiào孩hái儿ér如rú何hé割gē舍shě？」

Xuanzang said, 'For eighteen years I have not known the parents who bore me; only this morning have I seen my mother — how can I bear to part?'

今朝, 'this morning, today' — 朝 here is zhāo; 割捨, to tear oneself away.

小xiǎo姐jiě道dào：「我wǒ兒ér，你nǐ火huǒ速sù抽chōu身shēn前qián去qù。小xiǎo姐jiě道dào：「我wǒ儿ér，你nǐ火huǒ速sù抽chōu身shēn前qián去qù。

The lady said, 'My son, withdraw at once and be gone.'

火速抽身, to slip away with all haste.

劉liú賊zéi若ruò回huí，他tā必bì害hài你nǐ性xìng命mìng。刘liú贼zéi若ruò回huí，他tā必bì害hài你nǐ性xìng命mìng。

'If the villain Liu returns, he will surely take your life.'

害你性命, to do you to death.

我wǒ明míng日rì假jiǎ裝zhuāng一yí病bìng，只zhǐ說shuō先xiān年nián曾céng許xǔ捨shě百bǎi雙shuāng僧sēng鞋xié，我wǒ明míng日rì假jiǎ装zhuāng一yí病bìng，只zhǐ说shuō先xiān年nián曾céng许xǔ舍shě百bǎi双shuāng僧sēng鞋xié，

'Tomorrow I shall feign an illness, saying I once vowed a hundred pairs of monk's shoes in years past,'

假裝一病, to feign sickness; 百雙僧鞋, a hundred pairs of monk's shoes — the pretext for the journey.

來lái你nǐ寺sì中zhōng還huán願yuàn。来lái你nǐ寺sì中zhōng还huán愿yuàn。

'and come to your temple to redeem the vow.'

還願, to fulfill a vow — 還 is huán; an ordinary act of lay devotion, here a cover.

那nà時shí節jié，我wǒ有yǒu話huà與yǔ你nǐ說shuō。」那nà时shí节jié，我wǒ有yǒu话huà与yǔ你nǐ说shuō。」

'At that time I shall have words for you.'

那時節, at that time — demonstrative 那 = nà.

玄xuán奘zàng依yī言yán拜bài別bié。玄xuán奘zàng依yī言yán拜bài别bié。

Xuanzang did as she said and took his leave.

依言拜別, to obey and take leave.

總評 Commentary

Recognition achieved, the mother turns at once to danger and strategy. Her plan is a small, deft deception: a feigned illness and a pretended vow of a hundred pairs of monk's shoes, giving her a pretext to travel to the temple and speak with her son beyond Liu Hong's reach. The 還願 ('vow-fulfillment') pilgrimage is a thoroughly ordinary act of lay devotion, and that is exactly its value as cover. The tension between the just-found mother's love (割捨, the wrench of parting) and the cold necessity of haste gives the scene its charge.