第九回 · 含珠待還魂 The Pearl and the Waiting Soul — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

含珠待還魂 The Pearl and the Waiting Soul

龍lóng王wáng問wèn道dào：「你nǐ這zhè秀xiù才cái姓xìng甚shèn名míng誰shuí？何hé方fāng人rén氏shì？因yīn甚shèn到dào此cǐ，被bèi人rén打dǎ死sǐ？」光guāng蕊ruǐ施shī禮lǐ道dào：「小xiǎo生shēng陳chén萼è，表biǎo字zì光guāng蕊ruǐ，係xì海hǎi州zhōu弘hóng農nóng縣xiàn人rén。忝tiǎn中zhòng新xīn科kē狀zhuàng元yuán，叨tāo授shòu江jiāng州zhōu州zhōu主zhǔ，同tóng妻qī赴fù任rèn。行xíng至zhì江jiāng邊biān上shàng船chuán，不bú料liào梢shāo子zi劉liú洪hóng貪tān謀móu我wǒ妻qī，將jiāng我wǒ打dǎ死sǐ拋pāo屍shī。乞qǐ大dà王wáng救jiù我wǒ一yí救jiù。」龍lóng王wáng聞wén言yán道dào：「原yuán來lái如rú此cǐ。先xiān生shēng，你nǐ前qián者zhě所suǒ放fàng金jīn色sè鯉lǐ魚yú，即jí我wǒ也yě。你nǐ是shì救jiù我wǒ的de恩ēn人rén，你nǐ今jīn有yǒu難nàn，我wǒ豈qǐ有yǒu不bú救jiù你nǐ之zhī理lǐ？」就jiù把bǎ光guāng蕊ruǐ屍shī身shēn安ān置zhì一yí壁bì，口kǒu內nèi含hán一yì顆kē定dìng顏yán珠zhū，休xiū教jiào損sǔn壞huài了le，日rì後hòu好hǎo還huán魂hún報bào仇chóu。又yòu道dào：「汝rǔ今jīn真zhēn魂hún，權quán且qiě在zài我wǒ水shuǐ府fǔ中zhōng做zuò個gè都dū領lǐng。」光guāng蕊ruǐ叩kòu頭tóu拜bài謝xiè，龍lóng王wáng設shè宴yàn相xiāng待dài不bù題tí。龙lóng王wáng问wèn道dào：「你nǐ这zhè秀xiù才cái姓xìng甚shèn名míng谁shuí？何hé方fāng人rén氏shì？因yīn甚shèn到dào此cǐ，被bèi人rén打dǎ死sǐ？」光guāng蕊ruǐ施shī礼lǐ道dào：「小xiǎo生shēng陈chén萼è，表biǎo字zì光guāng蕊ruǐ，系xì海hǎi州zhōu弘hóng农nóng县xiàn人rén。忝tiǎn中zhòng新xīn科kē状zhuàng元yuán，叨tāo授shòu江jiāng州zhōu州zhōu主zhǔ，同tóng妻qī赴fù任rèn。行xíng至zhì江jiāng边biān上shàng船chuán，不bú料liào梢shāo子zi刘liú洪hóng贪tān谋móu我wǒ妻qī，将jiāng我wǒ打dǎ死sǐ抛pāo尸shī。乞qǐ大dà王wáng救jiù我wǒ一yí救jiù。」龙lóng王wáng闻wén言yán道dào：「原yuán来lái如rú此cǐ。先xiān生shēng，你nǐ前qián者zhě所suǒ放fàng金jīn色sè鲤lǐ鱼yú，即jí我wǒ也yě。你nǐ是shì救jiù我wǒ的de恩ēn人rén，你nǐ今jīn有yǒu难nàn，我wǒ岂qǐ有yǒu不bú救jiù你nǐ之zhī理lǐ？」就jiù把bǎ光guāng蕊ruǐ尸shī身shēn安ān置zhì一yí壁bì，口kǒu内nèi含hán一yì颗kē定dìng颜yán珠zhū，休xiū教jiào损sǔn坏huài了le，日rì后hòu好hǎo还huán魂hún报bào仇chóu。又yòu道dào：「汝rǔ今jīn真zhēn魂hún，权quán且qiě在zài我wǒ水shuǐ府fǔ中zhōng做zuò个gè都dū领lǐng。」光guāng蕊ruǐ叩kòu头tóu拜bài谢xiè，龙lóng王wáng设shè宴yàn相xiāng待dài不bù题tí。

逐句解 Line by line

龍lóng王wáng問wèn道dào：「你nǐ這zhè秀xiù才cái姓xìng甚shèn名míng誰shuí？何hé方fāng人rén氏shì？因yīn甚shèn到dào此cǐ，被bèi人rén打dǎ死sǐ？」龙lóng王wáng问wèn道dào：「你nǐ这zhè秀xiù才cái姓xìng甚shèn名míng谁shuí？何hé方fāng人rén氏shì？因yīn甚shèn到dào此cǐ，被bèi人rén打dǎ死sǐ？」

The Dragon King asked, 'You, scholar — what is your name, and where are you from? How came you here, to be beaten to death?'

姓甚名誰 / 因甚: 'what name,' 'on what account' — interrogative 甚 is shèn.

光guāng蕊ruǐ施shī禮lǐ道dào：「小xiǎo生shēng陳chén萼è，表biǎo字zì光guāng蕊ruǐ，係xì海hǎi州zhōu弘hóng農nóng縣xiàn人rén。光guāng蕊ruǐ施shī礼lǐ道dào：「小xiǎo生shēng陈chén萼è，表biǎo字zì光guāng蕊ruǐ，系xì海hǎi州zhōu弘hóng农nóng县xiàn人rén。

Guangrui bowed and said, 'Your humble servant is Chen E, courtesy-name Guangrui, a man of Hongnong county in Haizhou.'

弘農縣, Hongnong, Guangrui's native county; 小生, a scholar's humble self-reference.

忝tiǎn中zhòng新xīn科kē狀zhuàng元yuán，叨tāo授shòu江jiāng州zhōu州zhōu主zhǔ，同tóng妻qī赴fù任rèn。忝tiǎn中zhòng新xīn科kē状zhuàng元yuán，叨tāo授shòu江jiāng州zhōu州zhōu主zhǔ，同tóng妻qī赴fù任rèn。

'I unworthily took first place in the new examination and was granted the governorship of Jiangzhou, and was going with my wife to take up the post.'

忝中 ('to take, to my disgrace') and 叨授 ('to receive undeservedly') are humble formulas; 中 is zhòng, 叨 is tāo.

行xíng至zhì江jiāng邊biān上shàng船chuán，不bú料liào梢shāo子zi劉liú洪hóng貪tān謀móu我wǒ妻qī，將jiāng我wǒ打dǎ死sǐ拋pāo屍shī。行xíng至zhì江jiāng边biān上shàng船chuán，不bú料liào梢shāo子zi刘liú洪hóng贪tān谋móu我wǒ妻qī，将jiāng我wǒ打dǎ死sǐ抛pāo尸shī。

'Reaching the riverside and boarding the boat, I did not foresee that the boatman Liu Hong would covet my wife; he beat me to death and cast away my body.'

貪謀, to covet and scheme for; 梢子 with 子 neutral, zi.

乞qǐ大dà王wáng救jiù我wǒ一yí救jiù。」乞qǐ大dà王wáng救jiù我wǒ一yí救jiù。」

'I beg the Great King to grant me rescue.'

救我一救, 'save me a saving' — the doubled verb makes an earnest plea.

龍lóng王wáng聞wén言yán道dào：「原yuán來lái如rú此cǐ。龙lóng王wáng闻wén言yán道dào：「原yuán来lái如rú此cǐ。

The Dragon King, hearing this, said, 'So that is how it was.'

原來如此, 'so that is how it is.'

先xiān生shēng，你nǐ前qián者zhě所suǒ放fàng金jīn色sè鯉lǐ魚yú，即jí我wǒ也yě。先xiān生shēng，你nǐ前qián者zhě所suǒ放fàng金jīn色sè鲤lǐ鱼yú，即jí我wǒ也yě。

'Sir, the golden carp you released earlier was none other than myself.'

The Dragon King reveals himself as the rescued carp.

你nǐ是shì救jiù我wǒ的de恩ēn人rén，你nǐ今jīn有yǒu難nàn，我wǒ豈qǐ有yǒu不bú救jiù你nǐ之zhī理lǐ？」你nǐ是shì救jiù我wǒ的de恩ēn人rén，你nǐ今jīn有yǒu难nàn，我wǒ岂qǐ有yǒu不bú救jiù你nǐ之zhī理lǐ？」

'You are the man who saved me; now that you are in peril, how could there be any reason for me not to save you?'

有難, to be in peril — 難 here is nàn, 'calamity.'

就jiù把bǎ光guāng蕊ruǐ屍shī身shēn安ān置zhì一yí壁bì，口kǒu內nèi含hán一yì顆kē定dìng顏yán珠zhū，休xiū教jiào損sǔn壞huài了le，就jiù把bǎ光guāng蕊ruǐ尸shī身shēn安ān置zhì一yí壁bì，口kǒu内nèi含hán一yì颗kē定dìng颜yán珠zhū，休xiū教jiào损sǔn坏huài了le，

So he laid Guangrui's body to one side and set a face-preserving pearl in its mouth, that it should not decay,

定顏珠, a 'face-preserving pearl' that keeps the corpse from corruption; 一壁, to one side.

日rì後hòu好hǎo還huán魂hún報bào仇chóu。日rì后hòu好hǎo还huán魂hún报bào仇chóu。

so that one day it might be restored to life and take its revenge.

還魂, the return of the soul to the body — 還 is huán.

又yòu道dào：「汝rǔ今jīn真zhēn魂hún，權quán且qiě在zài我wǒ水shuǐ府fǔ中zhōng做zuò個gè都dū領lǐng。」又yòu道dào：「汝rǔ今jīn真zhēn魂hún，权quán且qiě在zài我wǒ水shuǐ府fǔ中zhōng做zuò个gè都dū领lǐng。」

He said further, 'Your true soul shall for the present serve as a commander in my water-court.'

都領, a commander — 都 here is dū, as in official titles; 水府, the water-court.

光guāng蕊ruǐ叩kòu頭tóu拜bài謝xiè，龍lóng王wáng設shè宴yàn相xiāng待dài不bù題tí。光guāng蕊ruǐ叩kòu头tóu拜bài谢xiè，龙lóng王wáng设shè宴yàn相xiāng待dài不bù题tí。

Guangrui kowtowed his thanks, and the Dragon King set out a feast to entertain him — of which no more here.

相待, to entertain — 相 here is the reciprocal xiāng; 不題, 'we say no more of it,' a narrator's formula.

總評 Commentary

The Dragon King's plan turns on deferral: rather than restore Guangrui at once, he keeps the body incorrupt with a 定顏珠 ('face-preserving pearl') and enrolls the soul as a 都領 in his water-court, to await the day of vengeance. The whole apparatus — pearl, preserved corpse, postponed resurrection — exists to synchronize Guangrui's return with the working-out of the revenge plot eighteen years on, when his unborn son will be grown. The reciprocity is explicit and tidy: the man who freed a creature is, in his turn, kept alive by it. 弘農縣 (Hongnong), named here as his home, was a real county.