第九十二回 · 拔刀相助 Quick Draw Swords and Help — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

拔刀相助 Quick Draw Swords and Help

卻què說shuō西xī海hǎi中zhōng有yǒu個gè探tàn海hǎi的de夜yè叉chā、巡xún海hǎi的de介jiè士shì，遠yuǎn見jiàn犀xī牛niú分fēn開kāi水shuǐ勢shì，又yòu認rèn得dé孫sūn大dà聖shèng與yǔ二èr天tiān星xīng，即jí赴fù水shuǐ晶jīng宮gōng對duì龍lóng王wáng慌huāng慌huāng張zhāng張zhāng報bào道dào：「大dà王wáng，有yǒu三sān隻zhī犀xī牛niú，被bèi齊qí天tiān大dà聖shèng和hé二èr位wèi天tiān星xīng趕gǎn來lái也yě。」老lǎo龍lóng王wáng敖áo順shùn聽tīng言yán，即jí喚huàn太tài子zǐ摩mó昂áng：「快kuài點diǎn水shuǐ兵bīng，想xiǎng是shì犀xī牛niú精jīng辟bì寒hán、辟bì暑shǔ、辟bì塵chén兒ér三sān個gè惹rě了le孫sūn行xíng者zhě，今jīn既jì至zhì海hǎi，快kuài快kuài拔bá刀dāo相xiāng助zhù。」敖áo摩mó昂áng得dé令lìng，即jí忙máng點diǎn兵bīng。却què说shuō西xī海hǎi中zhōng有yǒu个gè探tàn海hǎi的de夜yè叉chā、巡xún海hǎi的de介jiè士shì，远yuǎn见jiàn犀xī牛niú分fēn开kāi水shuǐ势shì，又yòu认rèn得dé孙sūn大dà圣shèng与yǔ二èr天tiān星xīng，即jí赴fù水shuǐ晶jīng宫gōng对duì龙lóng王wáng慌huāng慌huāng张zhāng张zhāng报bào道dào：「大dà王wáng，有yǒu三sān只zhī犀xī牛niú，被bèi齐qí天tiān大dà圣shèng和hé二èr位wèi天tiān星xīng赶gǎn来lái也yě。」老lǎo龙lóng王wáng敖áo顺shùn听tīng言yán，即jí唤huàn太tài子zǐ摩mó昂áng：「快kuài点diǎn水shuǐ兵bīng，想xiǎng是shì犀xī牛niú精jīng辟bì寒hán、辟bì暑shǔ、辟bì尘chén儿ér三sān个gè惹rě了le孙sūn行xíng者zhě，今jīn既jì至zhì海hǎi，快kuài快kuài拔bá刀dāo相xiāng助zhù。」敖áo摩mó昂áng得dé令lìng，即jí忙máng点diǎn兵bīng。

逐句解 Line by line

We tell now how in the Western Ocean there was a sea-scouting yaksha and a patrolling shell-officer, who saw from afar the rhinoceroses parting the press of water, and knew besides the Great Sage Sun and the two heavenly stars; and they went straight into the water-crystal palace and reported to the Dragon King in a great fluster: "Great King, there are three rhinoceroses being chased here by the Great Sage Equal to Heaven and two heavenly stars!"

The novel's sea-bureaucracy, complete with job titles. A 夜叉 is a yaksha, a fierce spirit taken over from Indian mythology and given a post here as a scout; the 介士 is a shelled officer, that is, a crab or turtle on patrol. Both have specific duties. 認得 is the recognising word again — they knew the Great Sage by sight, which after ninety-two chapters everybody in the ocean does.

老lǎo龍lóng王wáng敖áo順shùn聽tīng言yán，即jí喚huàn太tài子zǐ摩mó昂áng：「快kuài點diǎn水shuǐ兵bīng，想xiǎng是shì犀xī牛niú精jīng辟bì寒hán、辟bì暑shǔ、辟bì塵chén兒ér三sān個gè惹rě了le孫sūn行xíng者zhě，今jīn既jì至zhì海hǎi，快kuài快kuài拔bá刀dāo相xiāng助zhù。」老lǎo龙lóng王wáng敖áo顺shùn听tīng言yán，即jí唤huàn太tài子zǐ摩mó昂áng：「快kuài点diǎn水shuǐ兵bīng，想xiǎng是shì犀xī牛niú精jīng辟bì寒hán、辟bì暑shǔ、辟bì尘chén儿ér三sān个gè惹rě了le孙sūn行xíng者zhě，今jīn既jì至zhì海hǎi，快kuài快kuài拔bá刀dāo相xiāng助zhù。」

The old Dragon King Aoshun heard it and at once called his son Aomo'ang: "Quickly muster the water troops. I suppose those rhinoceros spirits Cold-Averting, Heat-Averting and Dust-Averting have provoked Pilgrim Sun, and now that they have come to the sea, quick — draw swords and help him."

敖順 is Aoshun, Dragon King of the Western Ocean, one of the four brothers who hold the four seas; his eldest brother Aoguang of the Eastern Ocean is the one Pilgrim robbed of the iron rod in chapter 3. 太子 is a crown prince, and its second character takes the literary zǐ rather than the light ending it has in everyday words. The order is instant and it needs no explanation: the Great Sage is in the water, so help him.

敖áo摩mó昂áng得dé令lìng，即jí忙máng點diǎn兵bīng。敖áo摩mó昂áng得dé令lìng，即jí忙máng点diǎn兵bīng。

Ao Mo'ang received the order and mustered his troops at once.

得令 — received the order — has 得 as the full verb dé, to get. Nine characters, and an army is out.

總評 Commentary

A new set of characters arrives in three lines and every one of them has a job title. A sea-scouting yaksha. A patrolling shell-officer. A dragon king and his crown prince. This is how the novel builds a world: not with description but with posts, ranks and chains of command, so that the ocean feels administered rather than merely wet.

The Dragon King's reaction is worth pausing on. He is told the Great Sage is in his sea chasing three creatures, and his instant assumption is that the creatures must have provoked him — followed by an order to help. There is no deliberation. Ninety-two chapters have taught the four seas that when Sun Wukong turns up, the fastest route to a quiet life is assisting him.

There is an older reason for the speed, too. This is the family Pilgrim extorted his weapon out of. He walked into the Eastern Ocean in chapter 3 and left with the iron rod, a suit of armour and a headache for all four brothers. Aoshun of the Western Ocean does not mention it, and neither does the novel, but he mobilises very promptly.