第九十四回 · 這個買賣生意弄不成 Otherwise This Deal Falls Through — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

這個買賣生意弄不成 Otherwise This Deal Falls Through

吩fēn咐fu儀yí制zhì司sī領lǐng三sān位wèi賢xián親qīn去qù會huì同tóng館guǎn少shǎo坐zuò，著zhuó光guāng祿lù寺sì安ān排pái三sān席xí素sù宴yàn去qù彼bǐ奉fèng陪péi。兩liǎng處chù俱jù著zhuó教jiào坊fāng司sī奏zòu樂yuè，伏fú侍shì賞shǎng春chūn景jǐng，消xiāo遲chí日rì也yě。八bā戒jiè聞wén得dé，應yìng聲shēng道dào：「陛bì下xià，我wǒ師shī徒tú自zì相xiāng會huì，更gèng無wú一yí刻kè相xiāng離lí。今jīn日rì既jì在zài御yù花huā園yuán飲yǐn宴yàn，帶dài我wǒ們men去qù耍shuǎ兩liǎng日rì，好hǎo教jiào師shī父fù替tì你nǐ家jiā做zuò駙fù馬mǎ；不bù然rán，這zhè個gè買mǎi賣mài生shēng意yì弄nòng不bù成chéng。」吩fēn咐fu仪yí制zhì司sī领lǐng三sān位wèi贤xián亲qīn去qù会huì同tóng馆guǎn少shǎo坐zuò，着zhuó光guāng禄lù寺sì安ān排pái三sān席xí素sù宴yàn去qù彼bǐ奉fèng陪péi。两liǎng处chù俱jù着zhuó教jiào坊fāng司sī奏zòu乐yuè，伏fú侍shì赏shǎng春chūn景jǐng，消xiāo迟chí日rì也yě。八bā戒jiè闻wén得dé，应yìng声shēng道dào：「陛bì下xià，我wǒ师shī徒tú自zì相xiāng会huì，更gèng无wú一yí刻kè相xiāng离lí。今jīn日rì既jì在zài御yù花huā园yuán饮yǐn宴yàn，带dài我wǒ们men去qù耍shuǎ两liǎng日rì，好hǎo教jiào师shī父fù替tì你nǐ家jiā做zuò驸fù马mǎ；不bù然rán，这zhè个gè买mǎi卖mài生shēng意yì弄nòng不bù成chéng。」

逐句解 Line by line

吩fēn咐fu儀yí制zhì司sī領lǐng三sān位wèi賢xián親qīn去qù會huì同tóng館guǎn少shǎo坐zuò，著zhuó光guāng祿lù寺sì安ān排pái三sān席xí素sù宴yàn去qù彼bǐ奉fèng陪péi。兩liǎng處chù俱jù著zhuó教jiào坊fāng司sī奏zòu樂yuè，伏fú侍shì賞shǎng春chūn景jǐng，消xiāo遲chí日rì也yě。吩fēn咐fu仪yí制zhì司sī领lǐng三sān位wèi贤xián亲qīn去qù会huì同tóng馆guǎn少shǎo坐zuò，着zhuó光guāng禄lù寺sì安ān排pái三sān席xí素sù宴yàn去qù彼bǐ奉fèng陪péi。两liǎng处chù俱jù着zhuó教jiào坊fāng司sī奏zòu乐yuè，伏fú侍shì赏shǎng春chūn景jǐng，消xiāo迟chí日rì也yě。

He instructed the Bureau of Ceremonies to take the three worthy relatives to sit a while at the Residence for Envoys, and had the Court of Imperial Entertainments lay on three tables of meatless food to attend them there. At both places he had the Music Bureau play, to wait on them while they enjoyed the spring scene and whiled away the long day.

Three separate government departments, deployed on the problem of keeping three monks entertained. The 儀制司 handled protocol, the 會同館 was the state guest house for foreign envoys, and the 教坊司 supplied the court's musicians and dancers. The small word 著 appears twice here, both times as zhuó — the reading it takes when somebody is being ordered to do something. Six of this chapter's twenty-one uses of the character are royal commands, and this whole scene is built out of them. Note what the king has quietly done: the monks are to be entertained *somewhere else*.

八bā戒jiè聞wén得dé，應yìng聲shēng道dào：「陛bì下xià，我wǒ師shī徒tú自zì相xiāng會huì，更gèng無wú一yí刻kè相xiāng離lí。今jīn日rì既jì在zài御yù花huā園yuán飲yǐn宴yàn，帶dài我wǒ們men去qù耍shuǎ兩liǎng日rì，好hǎo教jiào師shī父fù替tì你nǐ家jiā做zuò駙fù馬mǎ；不bù然rán，這zhè個gè買mǎi賣mài生shēng意yì弄nòng不bù成chéng。」八bā戒jiè闻wén得dé，应yìng声shēng道dào：「陛bì下xià，我wǒ师shī徒tú自zì相xiāng会huì，更gèng无wú一yí刻kè相xiāng离lí。今jīn日rì既jì在zài御yù花huā园yuán饮yǐn宴yàn，带dài我wǒ们men去qù耍shuǎ两liǎng日rì，好hǎo教jiào师shī父fù替tì你nǐ家jiā做zuò驸fù马mǎ；不bù然rán，这zhè个gè买mǎi卖mài生shēng意yì弄nòng不bù成chéng。」

Eight Rules heard this and spoke up in answer: "Your Majesty, ever since we master and disciples came together we have not been apart for a single moment. Since today's drinking is in the royal garden, take us along and let us amuse ourselves for a day or two, so that our master can be your family's Prince Consort properly. Otherwise this deal of yours falls through."

Eight Rules has spotted the separation and objects to it, and his argument is a masterpiece of the wrong instinct producing the right result. The last line is the one to enjoy. 這個買賣生意弄不成 — this piece of business won't come off — is shop language, the sort of thing said across a counter about a consignment. He has just described a royal wedding as a deal that might fall through, to the king, in his own audience hall. 應聲 is yìng, to answer or respond. All four of this chapter's uses are that reading, and not one is the yīng of ought to.

總評 Commentary

The king's plan is to have the groom in one pavilion and the groom's alarming attendants in another, and it is a perfectly sensible plan. Eight Rules destroys it in four sentences by being too stupid to see what it was for.

But he is right, and the novel needs him to be right, because Pilgrim has to be in the garden. Everything Pilgrim promised in the dark last night depends on his being close enough to see the princess when she comes out. Eight Rules has just secured that, and his stated reason for wanting it is that he would like a couple of days' amusement and some food.

This is one of the book's favourite structures: the plan that works is not the clever one. Pilgrim argued the king off his throne with a piece of reasoning about rank. Eight Rules keeps them all in the same garden by whining about it.