第九回 · 尋祖婆婆 Seeking the Grandmother — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

尋祖婆婆 Seeking the Grandmother

玄xuán奘zàng哭kū回huí寺sì中zhōng，告gào過guò師shī父fù，即jí時shí拜bài別bié，徑jìng往wǎng洪hóng州zhōu。來lái到dào萬wàn花huā店diàn，問wèn那nà店diàn主zhǔ劉liú小xiǎo二èr道dào：「昔xī年nián江jiāng州zhōu陳chén客kè官guān有yǒu一yì母mǔ親qīn住zhù在zài你nǐ店diàn中zhōng，如rú今jīn好hǎo麼me？」劉liú小xiǎo二èr道dào：「他tā原yuán在zài我wǒ店diàn中zhōng。後hòu來lái昏hūn了le眼yǎn，三sān四sì年nián並bìng無wú店diàn租zū還huán我wǒ。如rú今jīn在zài南nán門mén頭tóu一yí個gè破pò瓦wǎ窰yáo裡lǐ，每měi日rì上shàng街jiē叫jiào化huā度dù日rì。那nà客kè官guān一yí去qù許xǔ久jiǔ，到dào如rú今jīn杳yǎo無wú信xìn息xī，不bù知zhī為wèi何hé。」玄xuán奘zàng聽tīng罷bà，即jí時shí問wèn到dào南nán門mén頭tóu破pò瓦wǎ窰yáo，尋xún著zháo婆pó婆po。婆pó婆po道dào：「你nǐ聲shēng音yīn好hǎo似sì我wǒ兒ér陳chén光guāng蕊ruǐ。」玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「我wǒ不bú是shì陳chén光guāng蕊ruǐ，我wǒ是shì陳chén光guāng蕊ruǐ的de兒ér子zi。溫wēn嬌jiāo小xiǎo姐jiě是shì我wǒ的de娘niáng。」婆pó婆po道dào：「你nǐ爹diē娘niáng怎zěn麼me不bù來lái？」玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「我wǒ爹diē爹diē被bèi強qiáng盜dào打dǎ死sǐ了le，我wǒ娘niáng被bèi強qiáng盜dào霸bà占zhàn為wéi妻qī。」玄xuán奘zàng哭kū回huí寺sì中zhōng，告gào过guò师shī父fù，即jí时shí拜bài别bié，径jìng往wǎng洪hóng州zhōu。来lái到dào万wàn花huā店diàn，问wèn那nà店diàn主zhǔ刘liú小xiǎo二èr道dào：「昔xī年nián江jiāng州zhōu陈chén客kè官guān有yǒu一yì母mǔ亲qīn住zhù在zài你nǐ店diàn中zhōng，如rú今jīn好hǎo么me？」刘liú小xiǎo二èr道dào：「他tā原yuán在zài我wǒ店diàn中zhōng。后hòu来lái昏hūn了le眼yǎn，三sān四sì年nián并bìng无wú店diàn租zū还huán我wǒ。如rú今jīn在zài南nán门mén头tóu一yí个gè破pò瓦wǎ窰yáo里lǐ，每měi日rì上shàng街jiē叫jiào化huā度dù日rì。那nà客kè官guān一yí去qù许xǔ久jiǔ，到dào如rú今jīn杳yǎo无wú信xìn息xī，不bù知zhī为wèi何hé。」玄xuán奘zàng听tīng罢bà，即jí时shí问wèn到dào南nán门mén头tóu破pò瓦wǎ窰yáo，寻xún著zháo婆pó婆po。婆pó婆po道dào：「你nǐ声shēng音yīn好hǎo似sì我wǒ儿ér陈chén光guāng蕊ruǐ。」玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「我wǒ不bú是shì陈chén光guāng蕊ruǐ，我wǒ是shì陈chén光guāng蕊ruǐ的de儿ér子zi。温wēn娇jiāo小xiǎo姐jiě是shì我wǒ的de娘niáng。」婆pó婆po道dào：「你nǐ爹diē娘niáng怎zěn么me不bù来lái？」玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「我wǒ爹diē爹diē被bèi强qiáng盗dào打dǎ死sǐ了le，我wǒ娘niáng被bèi强qiáng盗dào霸bà占zhàn为wéi妻qī。」

逐句解 Line by line

玄xuán奘zàng哭kū回huí寺sì中zhōng，告gào過guò師shī父fù，即jí時shí拜bài別bié，徑jìng往wǎng洪hóng州zhōu。玄xuán奘zàng哭kū回huí寺sì中zhōng，告gào过guò师shī父fù，即jí时shí拜bài别bié，径jìng往wǎng洪hóng州zhōu。

Xuanzang wept his way back to the temple, took leave of his master, and set out at once for Hongzhou.

告過師父, having told his master.

來lái到dào萬wàn花huā店diàn，問wèn那nà店diàn主zhǔ劉liú小xiǎo二èr道dào：来lái到dào万wàn花huā店diàn，问wèn那nà店diàn主zhǔ刘liú小xiǎo二èr道dào：

Coming to the Myriad Flowers Inn, he asked the innkeeper Liu the Second:

那店主, that innkeeper (demonstrative 那, nà).

「昔xī年nián江jiāng州zhōu陳chén客kè官guān有yǒu一yì母mǔ親qīn住zhù在zài你nǐ店diàn中zhōng，如rú今jīn好hǎo麼me？」「昔xī年nián江jiāng州zhōu陈chén客kè官guān有yǒu一yì母mǔ亲qīn住zhù在zài你nǐ店diàn中zhōng，如rú今jīn好hǎo么me？」

'In years past, the traveller Chen, an official of Jiangzhou, had a mother lodging at your inn — how does she fare now?'

客官, a travelling gentleman.

劉liú小xiǎo二èr道dào：「他tā原yuán在zài我wǒ店diàn中zhōng。刘liú小xiǎo二èr道dào：「他tā原yuán在zài我wǒ店diàn中zhōng。

Liu the Second said, 'She was indeed at my inn.'

原在, was formerly at.

後hòu來lái昏hūn了le眼yǎn，三sān四sì年nián並bìng無wú店diàn租zū還huán我wǒ。后hòu来lái昏hūn了le眼yǎn，三sān四sì年nián并bìng无wú店diàn租zū还huán我wǒ。

'Later she went blind in the eyes, and for three or four years paid me no rent.'

並無店租還我, owed me no rent — 還 ('repay') is huán.

如rú今jīn在zài南nán門mén頭tóu一yí個gè破pò瓦wǎ窰yáo裡lǐ，每měi日rì上shàng街jiē叫jiào化huā度dù日rì。如rú今jīn在zài南nán门mén头tóu一yí个gè破pò瓦wǎ窰yáo里lǐ，每měi日rì上shàng街jiē叫jiào化huā度dù日rì。

'Now she is in a ruined tile-kiln by the south gate, going out each day to beg her bread.'

破瓦窰, a ruined tile-kiln; 叫化度日, to live by begging.

那nà客kè官guān一yí去qù許xǔ久jiǔ，到dào如rú今jīn杳yǎo無wú信xìn息xī，不bù知zhī為wèi何hé。」那nà客kè官guān一yí去qù许xǔ久jiǔ，到dào如rú今jīn杳yǎo无wú信xìn息xī，不bù知zhī为wèi何hé。」

'That gentleman has been gone so long — to this day not a word of him; I cannot tell why.'

杳無信息, no news at all; 為何, why — 為 here is wèi.

玄xuán奘zàng聽tīng罷bà，即jí時shí問wèn到dào南nán門mén頭tóu破pò瓦wǎ窰yáo，尋xún著zháo婆pó婆po。玄xuán奘zàng听tīng罢bà，即jí时shí问wèn到dào南nán门mén头tóu破pò瓦wǎ窰yáo，寻xún著zháo婆pó婆po。

When Xuanzang had heard him out, he went straight to the ruined kiln by the south gate and found the grandmother.

尋著, found — 著 is the resultative zháo.

婆pó婆po道dào：「你nǐ聲shēng音yīn好hǎo似sì我wǒ兒ér陳chén光guāng蕊ruǐ。」婆pó婆po道dào：「你nǐ声shēng音yīn好hǎo似sì我wǒ儿ér陈chén光guāng蕊ruǐ。」

The grandmother said, 'Your voice is much like my son Chen Guangrui's.'

好似, much resembling — 似 is sì.

玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「我wǒ不bú是shì陳chén光guāng蕊ruǐ，我wǒ是shì陳chén光guāng蕊ruǐ的de兒ér子zi。玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「我wǒ不bú是shì陈chén光guāng蕊ruǐ，我wǒ是shì陈chén光guāng蕊ruǐ的de儿ér子zi。

Xuanzang said, 'I am not Chen Guangrui; I am Chen Guangrui's son.'

兒子, son — 子 neutral zi.

溫wēn嬌jiāo小xiǎo姐jiě是shì我wǒ的de娘niáng。」温wēn娇jiāo小xiǎo姐jiě是shì我wǒ的de娘niáng。」

'The lady Wenjiao is my mother.'

娘, mother.

婆pó婆po道dào：「你nǐ爹diē娘niáng怎zěn麼me不bù來lái？」婆pó婆po道dào：「你nǐ爹diē娘niáng怎zěn么me不bù来lái？」

The grandmother said, 'Why have your father and mother not come?'

爹娘, father and mother.

玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「我wǒ爹diē爹diē被bèi強qiáng盜dào打dǎ死sǐ了le，我wǒ娘niáng被bèi強qiáng盜dào霸bà占zhàn為wéi妻qī。」玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「我wǒ爹diē爹diē被bèi强qiáng盗dào打dǎ死sǐ了le，我wǒ娘niáng被bèi强qiáng盗dào霸bà占zhàn为wéi妻qī。」

Xuanzang said, 'My father was beaten to death by a brigand, and my mother seized by force as his wife.'

霸占為妻, taken by force as wife — 為 is wéi; 強盜, brigand (強, qiáng).

總評 Commentary

The search for the paternal grandmother darkens the chapter's middle: eighteen years of abandonment have left her blind, evicted, and begging from a ruined tile-kiln by the city gate — the human cost of the river-murder reckoned in one ruined old woman. The recognition again works by the conventions of vernacular fiction: first by voice (she hears her dead son in the boy's speech), then by the declaration of kinship and the bad news of the parents' fate. The kiln, the blindness, and the begging set up the small miracle of the next passage.