第九十回 · 伏之於地 Four Feet Flat On The Ground — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

伏之於地 Four Feet Flat On The Ground

那nà妖yāo認rèn得dé是shì主zhǔ人rén，不bù敢gǎn展zhǎn掙zhēng，四sì隻zhī腳jiǎo伏fú之zhī於yú地dì，只zhǐ是shì磕kē頭tóu。傍páng邊biān跑pǎo過guò獅shī奴nú兒ér，一yì把bǎ撾zhuā住zhù項xiàng毛máo，用yòng拳quán著zhuó項xiàng上shàng打dǎ夠gòu百bǎi十shí，口kǒu裡lǐ罵mà道dào：「你nǐ這zhè畜chù生sheng，如rú何hé偷tōu走zǒu，教jiào我wǒ受shòu罪zuì？」那nà獅shī獸shòu合hé口kǒu無wú言yán，不bù敢gǎn搖yáo動dòng。獅shī奴nú兒ér打dǎ得de手shǒu困kùn，方fāng才cái住zhù了le，即jí將jiāng錦jǐn韂chàn安ān在zài他tā身shēn上shàng。天tiān尊zūn騎qí了le，喝hè聲shēng教jiào走zǒu。他tā就jiù縱zòng身shēn駕jià起qǐ彩cǎi雲yún，徑jìng轉zhuǎn妙miào巖yán宮gōng去qù。大dà聖shèng望wàng空kōng稱chēng謝xiè了le，卻què入rù洞dòng中zhōng，先xiān解jiě玉yù華huá王wáng，次cì解jiě唐táng三sān藏zàng，次cì又yòu解jiě了le八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng並bìng三sān王wáng子zǐ。那nà妖yāo认rèn得dé是shì主zhǔ人rén，不bù敢gǎn展zhǎn挣zhēng，四sì只zhī脚jiǎo伏fú之zhī于yú地dì，只zhǐ是shì磕kē头tóu。傍páng边biān跑pǎo过guò狮shī奴nú儿ér，一yì把bǎ挝zhuā住zhù项xiàng毛máo，用yòng拳quán着zhuó项xiàng上shàng打dǎ够gòu百bǎi十shí，口kǒu里lǐ骂mà道dào：「你nǐ这zhè畜chù生sheng，如rú何hé偷tōu走zǒu，教jiào我wǒ受shòu罪zuì？」那nà狮shī兽shòu合hé口kǒu无wú言yán，不bù敢gǎn摇yáo动dòng。狮shī奴nú儿ér打dǎ得de手shǒu困kùn，方fāng才cái住zhù了le，即jí将jiāng锦jǐn韂chàn安ān在zài他tā身shēn上shàng。天tiān尊zūn骑qí了le，喝hè声shēng教jiào走zǒu。他tā就jiù纵zòng身shēn驾jià起qǐ彩cǎi云yún，径jìng转zhuǎn妙miào岩yán宫gōng去qù。大dà圣shèng望wàng空kōng称chēng谢xiè了le，却què入rù洞dòng中zhōng，先xiān解jiě玉yù华huá王wáng，次cì解jiě唐táng三sān藏zàng，次cì又yòu解jiě了le八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng并bìng三sān王wáng子zǐ。

逐句解 Line by line

那nà妖yāo認rèn得dé是shì主zhǔ人rén，不bù敢gǎn展zhǎn掙zhēng，四sì隻zhī腳jiǎo伏fú之zhī於yú地dì，只zhǐ是shì磕kē頭tóu。那nà妖yāo认rèn得dé是shì主zhǔ人rén，不bù敢gǎn展zhǎn挣zhēng，四sì只zhī脚jiǎo伏fú之zhī于yú地dì，只zhǐ是shì磕kē头tóu。

That fiend knew him for his master, and dared not struggle; he laid all four feet flat on the ground and did nothing but knock his head down.

The surrender is written as an animal's, not a warrior's. 展掙 is to strain and wriggle against a hold, 伏之於地 is going flat, and 磕頭 is the ordinary word for knocking the forehead on the floor in submission. One line, and the nine-headed terror becomes somebody's dog.

傍páng邊biān跑pǎo過guò獅shī奴nú兒ér，一yì把bǎ撾zhuā住zhù項xiàng毛máo，用yòng拳quán著zhuó項xiàng上shàng打dǎ夠gòu百bǎi十shí，口kǒu裡lǐ罵mà道dào：「你nǐ這zhè畜chù生sheng，如rú何hé偷tōu走zǒu，教jiào我wǒ受shòu罪zuì？」傍páng边biān跑pǎo过guò狮shī奴nú儿ér，一yì把bǎ挝zhuā住zhù项xiàng毛máo，用yòng拳quán着zhuó项xiàng上shàng打dǎ够gòu百bǎi十shí，口kǒu里lǐ骂mà道dào：「你nǐ这zhè畜chù生sheng，如rú何hé偷tōu走zǒu，教jiào我wǒ受shòu罪zuì？」

The lion-keeper came running up at the side, grabbed a fistful of his neck mane and gave the neck a good hundred punches, cursing him: "You wretched beast! How could you run off and leave me to take the punishment?"

The stable lad who caused all this now beats the animal for it, which is very nearly the funniest thing in the chapter. 傍 is páng again, standing for the character meaning the side of something. 著 is zhuó inside 著項上, the applying reading - bringing the fist to bear on the neck. And 畜生 keeps its everyday colloquial shape: it is what any Chinese speaker still shouts at an animal, or at a person they are furious with.

那nà獅shī獸shòu合hé口kǒu無wú言yán，不bù敢gǎn搖yáo動dòng。那nà狮shī兽shòu合hé口kǒu无wú言yán，不bù敢gǎn摇yáo动dòng。

That lion beast shut its mouth and said nothing, and dared not stir.

合口無言 - mouth closed, no words - of a creature with nine of them. The chapter's central image is the nine open mouths, and it closes them all in four characters.

獅shī奴nú兒ér打dǎ得de手shǒu困kùn，方fāng才cái住zhù了le，即jí將jiāng錦jǐn韂chàn安ān在zài他tā身shēn上shàng。狮shī奴nú儿ér打dǎ得de手shǒu困kùn，方fāng才cái住zhù了le，即jí将jiāng锦jǐn韂chàn安ān在zài他tā身shēn上shàng。

The lion-keeper beat away until his hands were tired, and only then stopped; and at once he set the brocade saddlecloth on his back.

得 is de here, linking the beating to the state it brought about - he beat until his own hands gave out. 錦韂 is the embroidered cloth that hangs under a saddle, so the whole encounter ends with tack being fitted.

天tiān尊zūn騎qí了le，喝hè聲shēng教jiào走zǒu。天tiān尊zūn骑qí了le，喝hè声shēng教jiào走zǒu。

The Heavenly Worthy mounted, and with a shout told him to go.

喝 is hè inside 喝聲, the shouting reading, not the hē of drinking. Five characters for a god getting on a horse. The novel gives the moment no ceremony at all.

他tā就jiù縱zòng身shēn駕jià起qǐ彩cǎi雲yún，徑jìng轉zhuǎn妙miào巖yán宮gōng去qù。他tā就jiù纵zòng身shēn驾jià起qǐ彩cǎi云yún，径jìng转zhuǎn妙miào岩yán宫gōng去qù。

He then sprang up and rode a coloured cloud, going straight back to the Palace of Wondrous Crags.

He leaves without a word to anyone. There is no exchange of thanks, no parting speech, no acknowledgement of the prisoners. He came for his animal, and he has it.

大dà聖shèng望wàng空kōng稱chēng謝xiè了le，卻què入rù洞dòng中zhōng，先xiān解jiě玉yù華huá王wáng，次cì解jiě唐táng三sān藏zàng，次cì又yòu解jiě了le八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng並bìng三sān王wáng子zǐ。大dà圣shèng望wàng空kōng称chēng谢xiè了le，却què入rù洞dòng中zhōng，先xiān解jiě玉yù华huá王wáng，次cì解jiě唐táng三sān藏zàng，次cì又yòu解jiě了le八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng并bìng三sān王wáng子zǐ。

The Great Sage gave his thanks to the empty sky, then went into the cave and loosed the king of Yuhua first, next the Tang Monk, and next Eight Rules and Sha Monk and the three princes.

望空稱謝 - giving thanks towards the empty air - is the courtesy paid to somebody already gone. Then the order of release, which is worth reading twice: the king first, the master second. Eight Rules, who wrecked the previous rescue by objecting to exactly this, comes fifth.

總評 Commentary

The chapter's whole conflict unwinds in one passage, and almost none of it is heroic. The creature goes flat on the ground. The stable lad who lost him beats him with his fists for a hundred blows. Somebody fits a saddlecloth. A god gets on and leaves.

The detail with the most sting is the punching. This lad drank stolen wine, slept through his duties, and set the whole disaster running; and the moment the animal is safely down he takes it out on the animal, shouting at it for the punishment he expects to receive. Nobody in the passage remarks on this.

And then the release order. King of Yuhua first, Tang Monk second, Eight Rules fifth. In the failed rescue in the cave, Pilgrim untied Sha Monk first and Eight Rules shouted about it loudly enough to wake the house. Here he comes even further down the list and does not say a word.