第九回 · 血書浮江 The Blood-Letter on the River — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

血書浮江 The Blood-Letter on the River

小xiǎo姐jiě醒xǐng來lái，句jù句jù記jì得de，將jiāng子zǐ抱bào定dìng，無wú計jì可kě施shī。忽hū然rán劉liú洪hóng回huí來lái，一yí見jiàn此cǐ子zǐ，便biàn要yào淹yān殺shā。小xiǎo姐jiě道dào：「今jīn日rì天tiān色sè已yǐ晚wǎn，容róng待dài明míng日rì拋pāo去qù江jiāng中zhōng。」幸xìng喜xǐ次cì早zǎo劉liú洪hóng忽hū有yǒu緊jǐn急jí公gōng事shì遠yuǎn出chū。小xiǎo姐jiě暗àn思sī：「此cǐ子zǐ若ruò待dài賊zéi人rén回huí來lái，性xìng命mìng休xiū矣yǐ。不bù如rú及jí早zǎo拋pāo棄qì江jiāng中zhōng，聽tīng其qí生shēng死sǐ。倘tǎng或huò皇huáng天tiān見jiàn憐lián，有yǒu人rén救jiù得dé，收shōu養yǎng此cǐ子zǐ，他tā日rì還hái得dé相xiāng逢féng。」但dàn恐kǒng難nán以yǐ識shí認rèn，即jí咬yǎo破pò手shǒu指zhǐ，寫xiě下xià血xuè書shū一yì紙zhǐ，將jiāng父fù母mǔ姓xìng名míng、跟gēn腳jiǎo緣yuán由yóu，備bèi細xì開kāi載zǎi；又yòu將jiāng此cǐ子zǐ左zuǒ腳jiǎo上shàng一yí個gè小xiǎo指zhǐ，用yòng口kǒu咬yǎo下xià，以yǐ為wéi記jì驗yàn。取qǔ貼tiē身shēn汗hàn衫shān一yí件jiàn，包bāo裹guǒ此cǐ子zǐ，乘chéng空kōng抱bào出chū衙yá門mén。幸xìng喜xǐ官guān衙yá離lí江jiāng不bù遠yuǎn。小xiǎo姐jiě到dào了le江jiāng邊biān，大dà哭kū一yì場chǎng。正zhèng欲yù拋pāo棄qì，忽hū見jiàn江jiāng岸àn岸àn側cè飄piāo起qǐ一yí片piàn木mù板bǎn，小xiǎo姐jiě即jí朝cháo天tiān拜bài禱dǎo，將jiāng此cǐ子zǐ安ān在zài板bǎn上shàng，用yòng帶dài縛fù住zhù，血xuè書shū繫xì在zài胸xiōng前qián，推tuī放fàng江jiāng中zhōng，聽tīng其qí所suǒ之zhī。小xiǎo姐jiě含hán淚lèi回huí衙yá不bù題tí。小xiǎo姐jiě醒xǐng来lái，句jù句jù记jì得de，将jiāng子zǐ抱bào定dìng，无wú计jì可kě施shī。忽hū然rán刘liú洪hóng回huí来lái，一yí见jiàn此cǐ子zǐ，便biàn要yào淹yān杀shā。小xiǎo姐jiě道dào：「今jīn日rì天tiān色sè已yǐ晚wǎn，容róng待dài明míng日rì抛pāo去qù江jiāng中zhōng。」幸xìng喜xǐ次cì早zǎo刘liú洪hóng忽hū有yǒu紧jǐn急jí公gōng事shì远yuǎn出chū。小xiǎo姐jiě暗àn思sī：「此cǐ子zǐ若ruò待dài贼zéi人rén回huí来lái，性xìng命mìng休xiū矣yǐ。不bù如rú及jí早zǎo抛pāo弃qì江jiāng中zhōng，听tīng其qí生shēng死sǐ。倘tǎng或huò皇huáng天tiān见jiàn怜lián，有yǒu人rén救jiù得dé，收shōu养yǎng此cǐ子zǐ，他tā日rì还hái得dé相xiāng逢féng。」但dàn恐kǒng难nán以yǐ识shí认rèn，即jí咬yǎo破pò手shǒu指zhǐ，写xiě下xià血xuè书shū一yì纸zhǐ，将jiāng父fù母mǔ姓xìng名míng、跟gēn脚jiǎo缘yuán由yóu，备bèi细xì开kāi载zǎi；又yòu将jiāng此cǐ子zǐ左zuǒ脚jiǎo上shàng一yí个gè小xiǎo指zhǐ，用yòng口kǒu咬yǎo下xià，以yǐ为wéi记jì验yàn。取qǔ贴tiē身shēn汗hàn衫shān一yí件jiàn，包bāo裹guǒ此cǐ子zǐ，乘chéng空kōng抱bào出chū衙yá门mén。幸xìng喜xǐ官guān衙yá离lí江jiāng不bù远yuǎn。小xiǎo姐jiě到dào了le江jiāng边biān，大dà哭kū一yì场chǎng。正zhèng欲yù抛pāo弃qì，忽hū见jiàn江jiāng岸àn岸àn侧cè飘piāo起qǐ一yí片piàn木mù板bǎn，小xiǎo姐jiě即jí朝cháo天tiān拜bài祷dǎo，将jiāng此cǐ子zǐ安ān在zài板bǎn上shàng，用yòng带dài缚fù住zhù，血xuè书shū系xì在zài胸xiōng前qián，推tuī放fàng江jiāng中zhōng，听tīng其qí所suǒ之zhī。小xiǎo姐jiě含hán泪lèi回huí衙yá不bù题tí。

逐句解 Line by line

小xiǎo姐jiě醒xǐng來lái，句jù句jù記jì得de，將jiāng子zǐ抱bào定dìng，無wú計jì可kě施shī。小xiǎo姐jiě醒xǐng来lái，句jù句jù记jì得de，将jiāng子zǐ抱bào定dìng，无wú计jì可kě施shī。

The lady woke, remembering every word, and clasping the child to her could find no plan.

句句記得: she recalls the star-god's whole charge — 記得 takes 得 as the resultative de; 子 is zǐ.

忽hū然rán劉liú洪hóng回huí來lái，一yí見jiàn此cǐ子zǐ，便biàn要yào淹yān殺shā。忽hū然rán刘liú洪hóng回huí来lái，一yí见jiàn此cǐ子zǐ，便biàn要yào淹yān杀shā。

Suddenly Liu Hong returned, and at the sight of the child meant to drown it.

淹殺, to drown; in 此子 the 子 is zǐ.

小xiǎo姐jiě道dào：「今jīn日rì天tiān色sè已yǐ晚wǎn，容róng待dài明míng日rì拋pāo去qù江jiāng中zhōng。」小xiǎo姐jiě道dào：「今jīn日rì天tiān色sè已yǐ晚wǎn，容róng待dài明míng日rì抛pāo去qù江jiāng中zhōng。」

The lady said, 'It is late in the day now; let us wait and cast it into the river tomorrow.'

She buys a day's reprieve; 江中, into the river.

幸xìng喜xǐ次cì早zǎo劉liú洪hóng忽hū有yǒu緊jǐn急jí公gōng事shì遠yuǎn出chū。幸xìng喜xǐ次cì早zǎo刘liú洪hóng忽hū有yǒu紧jǐn急jí公gōng事shì远yuǎn出chū。

By good fortune, early next morning Liu Hong was suddenly called away on urgent official business.

幸喜, by lucky chance.

小xiǎo姐jiě暗àn思sī：「此cǐ子zǐ若ruò待dài賊zéi人rén回huí來lái，性xìng命mìng休xiū矣yǐ。小xiǎo姐jiě暗àn思sī：「此cǐ子zǐ若ruò待dài贼zéi人rén回huí来lái，性xìng命mìng休xiū矣yǐ。

The lady thought to herself, 'If this child waits for the villain's return, its life is forfeit.'

休矣, 'is finished' — its life would be lost; 此子, 子 = zǐ.

不bù如rú及jí早zǎo拋pāo棄qì江jiāng中zhōng，聽tīng其qí生shēng死sǐ。不bù如rú及jí早zǎo抛pāo弃qì江jiāng中zhōng，听tīng其qí生shēng死sǐ。

'Better to cast it into the river early and leave it to live or die.'

聽其生死, to leave it to live or die as it may.

倘tǎng或huò皇huáng天tiān見jiàn憐lián，有yǒu人rén救jiù得dé，收shōu養yǎng此cǐ子zǐ，他tā日rì還hái得dé相xiāng逢féng。」倘tǎng或huò皇huáng天tiān见jiàn怜lián，有yǒu人rén救jiù得dé，收shōu养yǎng此cǐ子zǐ，他tā日rì还hái得dé相xiāng逢féng。」

'Should Heaven take pity, and someone save and raise this child, one day we might meet again.'

救得 ('manage to save') takes 得 as the potential dé; in 他日還得相逢, 還 is hái ('still') and 相逢 takes the reciprocal 相 (xiāng); 子 = zǐ.

但dàn恐kǒng難nán以yǐ識shí認rèn，即jí咬yǎo破pò手shǒu指zhǐ，寫xiě下xià血xuè書shū一yì紙zhǐ，但dàn恐kǒng难nán以yǐ识shí认rèn，即jí咬yǎo破pò手shǒu指zhǐ，写xiě下xià血xuè书shū一yì纸zhǐ，

But fearing the child could not later be known for hers, she bit her finger and wrote a letter in blood,

難以識認, hard to recognize — 難 here is nán, 'difficult.'

將jiāng父fù母mǔ姓xìng名míng、跟gēn腳jiǎo緣yuán由yóu，備bèi細xì開kāi載zǎi；将jiāng父fù母mǔ姓xìng名míng、跟gēn脚jiǎo缘yuán由yóu，备bèi细xì开kāi载zǎi；

setting down in full the parents' names and the whole history of his origins;

跟腳緣由, the roots and circumstances; 開載, to set down on record — 載 here is zǎi.

又yòu將jiāng此cǐ子zǐ左zuǒ腳jiǎo上shàng一yí個gè小xiǎo指zhǐ，用yòng口kǒu咬yǎo下xià，以yǐ為wéi記jì驗yàn。又yòu将jiāng此cǐ子zǐ左zuǒ脚jiǎo上shàng一yí个gè小xiǎo指zhǐ，用yòng口kǒu咬yǎo下xià，以yǐ为wéi记jì验yàn。

and she bit off the little toe of the child's left foot, as a token of proof.

以為記驗, 'as a mark of verification' — 為 here is wéi; the bitten toe will later confirm his identity. 子 = zǐ.

取qǔ貼tiē身shēn汗hàn衫shān一yí件jiàn，包bāo裹guǒ此cǐ子zǐ，乘chéng空kōng抱bào出chū衙yá門mén。取qǔ贴tiē身shēn汗hàn衫shān一yí件jiàn，包bāo裹guǒ此cǐ子zǐ，乘chéng空kōng抱bào出chū衙yá门mén。

She took an inner garment from her own body, wrapped the child in it, and seizing the chance carried him out of the yamen.

汗衫, an undershirt worn next to the skin; 乘空, taking the chance — 乘 is chéng. 子 = zǐ.

幸xìng喜xǐ官guān衙yá離lí江jiāng不bù遠yuǎn。幸xìng喜xǐ官guān衙yá离lí江jiāng不bù远yuǎn。

By good fortune the yamen was not far from the river.

官衙, the government office.

小xiǎo姐jiě到dào了le江jiāng邊biān，大dà哭kū一yì場chǎng。小xiǎo姐jiě到dào了le江jiāng边biān，大dà哭kū一yì场chǎng。

Reaching the riverside, the lady wept long and bitterly.

大哭一場, to weep a great spell.

正zhèng欲yù拋pāo棄qì，忽hū見jiàn江jiāng岸àn岸àn側cè飄piāo起qǐ一yí片piàn木mù板bǎn，正zhèng欲yù抛pāo弃qì，忽hū见jiàn江jiāng岸àn岸àn侧cè飘piāo起qǐ一yí片piàn木mù板bǎn，

Just as she was about to cast him away, she saw a plank of wood float up at the river's edge,

飄起, to float up — the providential plank.

小xiǎo姐jiě即jí朝cháo天tiān拜bài禱dǎo，將jiāng此cǐ子zǐ安ān在zài板bǎn上shàng，用yòng帶dài縛fù住zhù，小xiǎo姐jiě即jí朝cháo天tiān拜bài祷dǎo，将jiāng此cǐ子zǐ安ān在zài板bǎn上shàng，用yòng带dài缚fù住zhù，

and bowing in prayer toward Heaven, she laid the child on the plank and bound him fast with a sash,

朝天拜禱, to bow in prayer toward Heaven (朝, cháo, 'facing'); 子 = zǐ.

血xuè書shū繫xì在zài胸xiōng前qián，推tuī放fàng江jiāng中zhōng，聽tīng其qí所suǒ之zhī。血xuè书shū系xì在zài胸xiōng前qián，推tuī放fàng江jiāng中zhōng，听tīng其qí所suǒ之zhī。

fastened the blood-letter at his breast, and pushed him out into the river, to go where it would.

繫在胸前, fastened at the breast (繫, xì, in its literary sense); 聽其所之, to let him go where he might.

小xiǎo姐jiě含hán淚lèi回huí衙yá不bù題tí。小xiǎo姐jiě含hán泪lèi回huí衙yá不bù题tí。

Swallowing her tears, the lady returned to the yamen — of which no more here.

含淚, holding back tears.

總評 Commentary

This is the chapter's most harrowing scene, and the pivot of the 江流 ('River-Float') legend beneath it. Unable to keep the child or to let Liu Hong drown him, the mother commits him to the river — but first she does two terrible, deliberate things: she writes a letter in her own blood recording his parentage and history, and she bites off the little toe of his left foot as a bodily token (記驗) by which he may one day be known. Both will work exactly as she intends, eighteen years on. The episode gives the passive infant-set-adrift motif a fierce maternal agency: every detail of the future recognition is laid down here in advance, in blood and in flesh.