原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
私衙抄化
Begging Alms at the Private Yamen
玄奘領了師父言語，就做化緣的和尚，徑至江州。適值劉洪有事出外，也是天叫他母子相會，玄奘就直至私衙門口抄化。那殷小姐原來夜間得了一夢，夢見月缺再圓，暗想道：「我婆婆不知音信；我丈夫被這賊謀殺；我的兒子拋在江中，倘若有人收養，算來有十八歲矣，或今日天教相會，亦未可知。」正沉吟間，忽聽私衙前有人念經，連叫「抄化」，小姐又乘便出來問道：「你是何處來的？」玄奘答道：「貧僧乃是金山寺法明長老的徒弟。」小姐道：「你既是金山寺長老的徒弟……」叫進衙來，將齋飯與玄奘吃。仔細看他舉止言談，好似與丈夫一般。玄奘领了师父言语，就做化缘的和尚，径至江州。适值刘洪有事出外，也是天叫他母子相会，玄奘就直至私衙门口抄化。那殷小姐原来夜间得了一梦，梦见月缺再圆，暗想道：「我婆婆不知音信；我丈夫被这贼谋杀；我的儿子抛在江中，倘若有人收养，算来有十八岁矣，或今日天教相会，亦未可知。」正沉吟间，忽听私衙前有人念经，连叫「抄化」，小姐又乘便出来问道：「你是何处来的？」玄奘答道：「贫僧乃是金山寺法明长老的徒弟。」小姐道：「你既是金山寺长老的徒弟……」叫进衙来，将斋饭与玄奘吃。仔细看他举止言谈，好似与丈夫一般。
逐句解 Line by line
玄奘領了師父言語，就做化緣的和尚，徑至江州。
玄奘领了师父言语，就做化缘的和尚，径至江州。
Xuanzang received his master's instructions, took on the guise of an alms-begging monk, and went straight to Jiangzhou.
領了師父言語, having taken his master's words.
適值劉洪有事出外，也是天叫他母子相會，玄奘就直至私衙門口抄化。
适值刘洪有事出外，也是天叫他母子相会，玄奘就直至私衙门口抄化。
It happened that Liu Hong was away on business — it was Heaven's doing that mother and son should meet — and Xuanzang came right up to the gate of the private yamen to beg.
母子相會, mother and son meet — 子 = zǐ, with reciprocal 相 (xiāng); 抄化, to beg for alms.
那殷小姐原來夜間得了一夢，夢見月缺再圓，暗想道：
那殷小姐原来夜间得了一梦，梦见月缺再圆，暗想道：
Now Yin Wenjiao had had a dream in the night, dreaming of the waned moon grown round again, and thought to herself:
月缺再圓, the waned moon made whole — an omen of reunion.
「我婆婆不知音信；我丈夫被這賊謀殺；
「我婆婆不知音信；我丈夫被这贼谋杀；
'Of my mother-in-law I have no word; my husband was murdered by this villain;'
音信, news, word.
我的兒子拋在江中，倘若有人收養，算來有十八歲矣，
我的儿子抛在江中，倘若有人收养，算来有十八岁矣，
'my own son I cast into the river — if anyone took and raised him, by my reckoning he would be eighteen now;'
兒子, son — here 子 is the neutral zi of the compound.
或今日天教相會，亦未可知。」
或今日天教相会，亦未可知。」
'perhaps today Heaven means us to meet — there is no telling.'
相會, to meet — reciprocal 相 (xiāng).
正沉吟間，忽聽私衙前有人念經，連叫「抄化」，
正沉吟间，忽听私衙前有人念经，连叫「抄化」，
Just as she was musing, she suddenly heard someone before the yamen chanting sutras and calling out 'Alms!'
沉吟, to muse and ponder.
小姐又乘便出來問道：「你是何處來的？」
小姐又乘便出来问道：「你是何处来的？」
and the lady, taking the chance, came out and asked, 'Where have you come from?'
乘便, taking the opportunity — 乘 is chéng.
玄奘答道：「貧僧乃是金山寺法明長老的徒弟。」
玄奘答道：「贫僧乃是金山寺法明长老的徒弟。」
Xuanzang answered, 'This poor monk is a disciple of the elder Faming of Gold Mountain Monastery.'
貧僧, 'this poor monk,' a cleric's humble self-reference.
小姐道：「你既是金山寺長老的徒弟……」
小姐道：「你既是金山寺长老的徒弟……」
The lady said, 'Since you are a disciple of the elder of Gold Mountain...'
Her sentence breaks off as suspicion turns to hope.
叫進衙來，將齋飯與玄奘吃。
叫进衙来，将斋饭与玄奘吃。
She called him into the yamen and had vegetarian food set before him to eat.
齋飯, vegetarian temple fare.
仔細看他舉止言談，好似與丈夫一般。
仔细看他举止言谈，好似与丈夫一般。
Watching closely his bearing and his speech, she found him much like her husband.
好似, much resembling — 似 is sì; recognition by family resemblance.
總評 Commentary
The reunion is engineered by a convergence of providence and intuition: Liu Hong conveniently absent, the mother primed by a dream of the 'waned moon grown round again' (月缺再圓, the stock emblem of reunion), and her running tally of losses — mother-in-law, husband, the son cast adrift who 'would be eighteen now.' When the begging monk proves to be Faming's disciple, she sees in his bearing the likeness of her dead husband. The scene runs on the vernacular conventions of recognition-by-resemblance and dream-portent, the machinery turning just slowly enough for the reader to feel the approach.