第九回 · 廷試中狀元 First in the Palace Examination — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

廷試中狀元 First in the Palace Examination

光guāng蕊ruǐ便biàn吩fēn咐fù家jiā僮tóng收shōu拾shí行xíng李lǐ，即jí拜bài辭cí母mǔ親qīn，趲zǎn程chéng前qián進jìn。到dào了le長cháng安ān，正zhèng值zhí大dà開kāi選xuǎn場chǎng，光guāng蕊ruǐ就jiù進jìn場chǎng。考kǎo畢bì，中zhòng選xuǎn。及jí廷tíng試shì三sān策cè，唐táng王wáng御yù筆bǐ親qīn賜cì狀zhuàng元yuán，跨kuà馬mǎ遊yóu街jiē三sān日rì。光guāng蕊ruǐ便biàn吩fēn咐fù家jiā僮tóng收shōu拾shí行xíng李lǐ，即jí拜bài辞cí母mǔ亲qīn，趱zǎn程chéng前qián进jìn。到dào了le长cháng安ān，正zhèng值zhí大dà开kāi选xuǎn场chǎng，光guāng蕊ruǐ就jiù进jìn场chǎng。考kǎo毕bì，中zhòng选xuǎn。及jí廷tíng试shì三sān策cè，唐táng王wáng御yù笔bǐ亲qīn赐cì状zhuàng元yuán，跨kuà马mǎ游yóu街jiē三sān日rì。

逐句解 Line by line

光guāng蕊ruǐ便biàn吩fēn咐fù家jiā僮tóng收shōu拾shí行xíng李lǐ，即jí拜bài辭cí母mǔ親qīn，趲zǎn程chéng前qián進jìn。光guāng蕊ruǐ便biàn吩fēn咐fù家jiā僮tóng收shōu拾shí行xíng李lǐ，即jí拜bài辞cí母mǔ亲qīn，趱zǎn程chéng前qián进jìn。

Guangrui then bade his serving-boy pack the baggage, took leave of his mother, and pressed on his way.

家僮, a household serving-boy; 趲程, to push on by forced stages.

到dào了le長cháng安ān，正zhèng值zhí大dà開kāi選xuǎn場chǎng，光guāng蕊ruǐ就jiù進jìn場chǎng。到dào了le长cháng安ān，正zhèng值zhí大dà开kāi选xuǎn场chǎng，光guāng蕊ruǐ就jiù进jìn场chǎng。

Reaching Cháng'ān just as the examination halls were thrown wide, Guangrui entered the hall.

長安 with 長 as cháng; he arrives at the very moment the halls open.

考kǎo畢bì，中zhòng選xuǎn。考kǎo毕bì，中zhòng选xuǎn。

He sat the papers and was selected.

中選, 'to pass the selection' — 中 here is zhòng, 'to hit the mark.'

及jí廷tíng試shì三sān策cè，唐táng王wáng御yù筆bǐ親qīn賜cì狀zhuàng元yuán，跨kuà馬mǎ遊yóu街jiē三sān日rì。及jí廷tíng试shì三sān策cè，唐táng王wáng御yù笔bǐ亲qīn赐cì状zhuàng元yuán，跨kuà马mǎ游yóu街jiē三sān日rì。

At the palace examination on the three policy questions, the Tang sovereign with his own brush conferred on him the rank of zhuàngyuán, Top Graduate, and for three days he rode in procession through the streets.

廷試三策, the palace examination set on three policy essays; 狀元 (zhuàngyuán), first in the empire; 跨馬遊街, the new graduate's celebratory procession on horseback.

總評 Commentary

In a few strokes the passage runs the whole ladder of examination glory: selection (中選) at the metropolitan level, the palace examination (廷試) on three policy essays presided over by the sovereign, and the supreme distinction of 狀元 — first place in the realm. The three-day ride through the streets (跨馬遊街) was the customary public honoring of the new Top Graduate, and it is the very pivot of the plot: the procession carries Guangrui beneath the marriage-tower of the Chancellor's daughter.