第九回 · 統兵擒賊 The Troops Take the Villain — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

統兵擒賊 The Troops Take the Villain

次cì日rì，丞chéng相xiàng入rù朝cháo，啟qǐ奏zòu唐táng王wáng曰yuē：「今jīn有yǒu臣chén婿xù狀zhuàng元yuán陳chén光guāng蕊ruǐ，帶dài領lǐng家jiā小xiǎo江jiāng州zhōu赴fù任rèn，被bèi梢shāo子zi劉liú洪hóng打dǎ死sǐ，占zhàn女nǚ為wéi妻qī；假jiǎ冒mào臣chén婿xù，為wéi官guān多duō年nián。事shì屬shǔ異yì變biàn，乞qǐ陛bì下xià立lì發fā人rén馬mǎ，剿jiǎo除chú賊zéi寇kòu。」唐táng王wáng見jiàn奏zòu大dà怒nù，就jiù發fā御yù林lín軍jūn六liù萬wàn，著zhuó殷yīn丞chéng相xiàng督dū兵bīng前qián去qù。丞chéng相xiàng領lǐng旨zhǐ出chū朝cháo，即jí往wǎng教jiào場chǎng內nèi點diǎn了le兵bīng，徑jìng往wǎng江jiāng州zhōu進jìn發fā。曉xiǎo行xíng夜yè宿sù，星xīng落luò鳥niǎo飛fēi，不bù覺jué已yǐ到dào江jiāng州zhōu，殷yīn丞chéng相xiàng兵bīng馬mǎ俱jù在zài北běi岸àn下xià了le營yíng寨zhài。星xīng夜yè令lìng金jīn牌pái下xià戶hù喚huàn到dào江jiāng州zhōu同tóng知zhī、州zhōu判pàn二èr人rén，丞chéng相xiàng對duì他tā說shuō知zhī此cǐ事shì，叫jiào他tā提tí兵bīng相xiāng助zhù，一yì同tóng過guò江jiāng而ér去qù。天tiān尚shàng未wèi明míng，就jiù把bǎ劉liú洪hóng衙yá門mén圍wéi了le。劉liú洪hóng正zhèng在zài夢mèng中zhōng，聽tīng得de火huǒ炮pào一yì響xiǎng，金jīn鼓gǔ齊qí鳴míng，眾zhòng兵bīng殺shā進jìn私sī衙yá，劉liú洪hóng措cuò手shǒu不bù及jí，早zǎo被bèi擒qín住zhù。丞chéng相xiàng傳chuán下xià軍jūn令lìng，將jiāng劉liú洪hóng一yí干gān人rén犯fàn綁bǎng赴fù法fǎ場chǎng，令lìng眾zhòng軍jūn俱jù在zài城chéng外wài安ān營yíng去qù了le。次cì日rì，丞chéng相xiàng入rù朝cháo，启qǐ奏zòu唐táng王wáng曰yuē：「今jīn有yǒu臣chén婿xù状zhuàng元yuán陈chén光guāng蕊ruǐ，带dài领lǐng家jiā小xiǎo江jiāng州zhōu赴fù任rèn，被bèi梢shāo子zi刘liú洪hóng打dǎ死sǐ，占zhàn女nǚ为wéi妻qī；假jiǎ冒mào臣chén婿xù，为wéi官guān多duō年nián。事shì属shǔ异yì变biàn，乞qǐ陛bì下xià立lì发fā人rén马mǎ，剿jiǎo除chú贼zéi寇kòu。」唐táng王wáng见jiàn奏zòu大dà怒nù，就jiù发fā御yù林lín军jūn六liù万wàn，著zhuó殷yīn丞chéng相xiàng督dū兵bīng前qián去qù。丞chéng相xiàng领lǐng旨zhǐ出chū朝cháo，即jí往wǎng教jiào场chǎng内nèi点diǎn了le兵bīng，径jìng往wǎng江jiāng州zhōu进jìn发fā。晓xiǎo行xíng夜yè宿sù，星xīng落luò鸟niǎo飞fēi，不bù觉jué已yǐ到dào江jiāng州zhōu，殷yīn丞chéng相xiàng兵bīng马mǎ俱jù在zài北běi岸àn下xià了le营yíng寨zhài。星xīng夜yè令lìng金jīn牌pái下xià户hù唤huàn到dào江jiāng州zhōu同tóng知zhī、州zhōu判pàn二èr人rén，丞chéng相xiàng对duì他tā说shuō知zhī此cǐ事shì，叫jiào他tā提tí兵bīng相xiāng助zhù，一yì同tóng过guò江jiāng而ér去qù。天tiān尚shàng未wèi明míng，就jiù把bǎ刘liú洪hóng衙yá门mén围wéi了le。刘liú洪hóng正zhèng在zài梦mèng中zhōng，听tīng得de火huǒ炮pào一yì响xiǎng，金jīn鼓gǔ齐qí鸣míng，众zhòng兵bīng杀shā进jìn私sī衙yá，刘liú洪hóng措cuò手shǒu不bù及jí，早zǎo被bèi擒qín住zhù。丞chéng相xiàng传chuán下xià军jūn令lìng，将jiāng刘liú洪hóng一yí干gān人rén犯fàn绑bǎng赴fù法fǎ场chǎng，令lìng众zhòng军jūn俱jù在zài城chéng外wài安ān营yíng去qù了le。

逐句解 Line by line

次cì日rì，丞chéng相xiàng入rù朝cháo，啟qǐ奏zòu唐táng王wáng曰yuē：次cì日rì，丞chéng相xiàng入rù朝cháo，启qǐ奏zòu唐táng王wáng曰yuē：

Next day the Chancellor entered court and memorialized the Tang sovereign:

丞相入朝: the Chancellor enters court — 相 = xiàng, 朝 = cháo (court).

「今jīn有yǒu臣chén婿xù狀zhuàng元yuán陳chén光guāng蕊ruǐ，帶dài領lǐng家jiā小xiǎo江jiāng州zhōu赴fù任rèn，「今jīn有yǒu臣chén婿xù状zhuàng元yuán陈chén光guāng蕊ruǐ，带dài领lǐng家jiā小xiǎo江jiāng州zhōu赴fù任rèn，

'Your subject's son-in-law, the Top Graduate Chen Guangrui, took his household to his post at Jiangzhou,'

臣婿, your servant's son-in-law; 家小, one's family.

被bèi梢shāo子zi劉liú洪hóng打dǎ死sǐ，占zhàn女nǚ為wéi妻qī；假jiǎ冒mào臣chén婿xù，為wéi官guān多duō年nián。被bèi梢shāo子zi刘liú洪hóng打dǎ死sǐ，占zhàn女nǚ为wéi妻qī；假jiǎ冒mào臣chén婿xù，为wéi官guān多duō年nián。

'and was beaten to death by the boatman Liu Hong, who seized his wife, impersonated your subject's son-in-law, and has held office for years.'

占女為妻 and 為官 both take 為 as wéi ('as wife,' 'as official'); 梢子, boatman (子 neutral).

事shì屬shǔ異yì變biàn，乞qǐ陛bì下xià立lì發fā人rén馬mǎ，剿jiǎo除chú賊zéi寇kòu。」事shì属shǔ异yì变biàn，乞qǐ陛bì下xià立lì发fā人rén马mǎ，剿jiǎo除chú贼zéi寇kòu。」

'The matter is monstrous; I beg Your Majesty to send forth troops at once and stamp out the bandit.'

剿除賊寇, to exterminate the bandit-rebel.

唐táng王wáng見jiàn奏zòu大dà怒nù，就jiù發fā御yù林lín軍jūn六liù萬wàn，著zhuó殷yīn丞chéng相xiàng督dū兵bīng前qián去qù。唐táng王wáng见jiàn奏zòu大dà怒nù，就jiù发fā御yù林lín军jūn六liù万wàn，著zhuó殷yīn丞chéng相xiàng督dū兵bīng前qián去qù。

The Tang sovereign, on reading the memorial, was greatly angered, and dispatched sixty thousand of the Imperial Forest Guard, ordering Chancellor Yin to lead the troops out.

御林軍, the Imperial Forest Guard (the palace army); 著 ('to order') is the causative zhuó; 丞相, 相 = xiàng.

丞chéng相xiàng領lǐng旨zhǐ出chū朝cháo，即jí往wǎng教jiào場chǎng內nèi點diǎn了le兵bīng，徑jìng往wǎng江jiāng州zhōu進jìn發fā。丞chéng相xiàng领lǐng旨zhǐ出chū朝cháo，即jí往wǎng教jiào场chǎng内nèi点diǎn了le兵bīng，径jìng往wǎng江jiāng州zhōu进jìn发fā。

The Chancellor received the edict, left court, mustered his troops at the drill-ground, and set out straight for Jiangzhou.

教場, the military drill-ground; 丞相, 相 = xiàng.

曉xiǎo行xíng夜yè宿sù，星xīng落luò鳥niǎo飛fēi，不bù覺jué已yǐ到dào江jiāng州zhōu，晓xiǎo行xíng夜yè宿sù，星xīng落luò鸟niǎo飞fēi，不bù觉jué已yǐ到dào江jiāng州zhōu，

Travelling by day and resting by night, swift as falling stars and flying birds, before they knew it they had reached Jiangzhou,

星落鳥飛, swift as falling stars and flying birds.

殷yīn丞chéng相xiàng兵bīng馬mǎ俱jù在zài北běi岸àn下xià了le營yíng寨zhài。殷yīn丞chéng相xiàng兵bīng马mǎ俱jù在zài北běi岸àn下xià了le营yíng寨zhài。

and Chancellor Yin's forces all encamped on the north bank.

營寨, an encampment; 丞相, 相 = xiàng.

星xīng夜yè令lìng金jīn牌pái下xià戶hù喚huàn到dào江jiāng州zhōu同tóng知zhī、州zhōu判pàn二èr人rén，星xīng夜yè令lìng金jīn牌pái下xià户hù唤huàn到dào江jiāng州zhōu同tóng知zhī、州zhōu判pàn二èr人rén，

By night, a golden tablet of summons called in the Jiangzhou vice-administrator and the assistant prefect, two men,

金牌, a golden tablet of summons; 同知 / 州判, prefectural deputy offices.

丞chéng相xiàng對duì他tā說shuō知zhī此cǐ事shì，叫jiào他tā提tí兵bīng相xiāng助zhù，一yì同tóng過guò江jiāng而ér去qù。丞chéng相xiàng对duì他tā说shuō知zhī此cǐ事shì，叫jiào他tā提tí兵bīng相xiāng助zhù，一yì同tóng过guò江jiāng而ér去qù。

and the Chancellor told them the whole matter, bidding them bring troops to assist, and together they crossed the river.

相助, to assist — here 相 is the reciprocal xiāng, distinct from 丞相's xiàng in the same line.

天tiān尚shàng未wèi明míng，就jiù把bǎ劉liú洪hóng衙yá門mén圍wéi了le。天tiān尚shàng未wèi明míng，就jiù把bǎ刘liú洪hóng衙yá门mén围wéi了le。

It was not yet light when they surrounded Liu Hong's yamen.

天尚未明, before daybreak.

劉liú洪hóng正zhèng在zài夢mèng中zhōng，聽tīng得de火huǒ炮pào一yì響xiǎng，金jīn鼓gǔ齊qí鳴míng，刘liú洪hóng正zhèng在zài梦mèng中zhōng，听tīng得de火huǒ炮pào一yì响xiǎng，金jīn鼓gǔ齐qí鸣míng，

Liu Hong was deep in a dream when he heard the boom of a cannon and the clash of gongs and drums;

聽得 ('heard') takes 得 as the resultative de; 金鼓齊鳴, gongs and drums sounding as one.

眾zhòng兵bīng殺shā進jìn私sī衙yá，劉liú洪hóng措cuò手shǒu不bù及jí，早zǎo被bèi擒qín住zhù。众zhòng兵bīng杀shā进jìn私sī衙yá，刘liú洪hóng措cuò手shǒu不bù及jí，早zǎo被bèi擒qín住zhù。

the troops cut their way into the private yamen, and Liu Hong, caught off guard, was taken before he could move.

措手不及, caught with no time to act.

丞chéng相xiàng傳chuán下xià軍jūn令lìng，將jiāng劉liú洪hóng一yí干gān人rén犯fàn綁bǎng赴fù法fǎ場chǎng，丞chéng相xiàng传chuán下xià军jūn令lìng，将jiāng刘liú洪hóng一yí干gān人rén犯fàn绑bǎng赴fù法fǎ场chǎng，

The Chancellor handed down a military order and had Liu Hong and his whole gang bound and marched to the execution ground,

一干人犯, the whole gang of culprits; 法場, the execution ground; 丞相, 相 = xiàng.

令lìng眾zhòng軍jūn俱jù在zài城chéng外wài安ān營yíng去qù了le。令lìng众zhòng军jūn俱jù在zài城chéng外wài安ān营yíng去qù了le。

and ordered all the troops to make camp outside the city.

安營, to pitch camp.

總評 Commentary

The reckoning is executed with the brisk efficiency of state power: a memorial, the emperor's wrath, sixty thousand of the Imperial Forest Guard, a forced march, a night assault. After eighteen years of impunity, Liu Hong is taken 'caught off guard, before he could move' (措手不及) — the suddenness of justice answering the suddenness of the original crime. The episode stages the Confucian ideal of redress: private wrong, once it reaches the sovereign, is righted by the full apparatus of empire. Only the execution itself remains, held over to the next passage.