原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
太子留情
The Crown Prince Stays the Fiend's Hand
那魔王見他定住了文武多官，急縱身，跳下龍床，就要來拿。猴王暗喜道：「好，正合老孫之意。這一來，就是個生鐵鑄的頭，湯著棍子，也打個窟窿。」正動身，不期傍邊轉出一個救命星來。你道是誰，原來是烏雞國王的太子，急上前扯住那魔王的朝服，跪在面前道：「父王息怒。」妖精問：「孩兒怎麼說？」太子道：「啟父王得知：三年前聞得人說，有個東土唐朝駕下欽差聖僧往西天拜佛求經，不期今日才來到我邦。父王尊性威烈，若將這和尚拿去斬首，只恐大唐有日得此消息，必生嗔怒。你想那李世民自稱王位，一統江山，心尚未足，又過海征伐；若知我王害了他御弟聖僧，一定興兵發馬，來與我王爭敵。奈何兵少將微，那時悔之晚矣。父王依兒所奏，且把那四個和尚，問他個來歷分明，先定他一段不參王駕，然後方可問罪。」那魔王见他定住了文武多官，急纵身，跳下龙床，就要来拿。猴王暗喜道：「好，正合老孙之意。这一来，就是个生铁铸的头，汤着棍子，也打个窟窿。」正动身，不期傍边转出一个救命星来。你道是谁，原来是乌鸡国王的太子，急上前扯住那魔王的朝服，跪在面前道：「父王息怒。」妖精问：「孩儿怎么说？」太子道：「启父王得知：三年前闻得人说，有个东土唐朝驾下钦差圣僧往西天拜佛求经，不期今日才来到我邦。父王尊性威烈，若将这和尚拿去斩首，只恐大唐有日得此消息，必生嗔怒。你想那李世民自称王位，一统江山，心尚未足，又过海征伐；若知我王害了他御弟圣僧，一定兴兵发马，来与我王争敌。奈何兵少将微，那时悔之晚矣。父王依儿所奏，且把那四个和尚，问他个来历分明，先定他一段不参王驾，然后方可问罪。」
逐句解 Line by line
那魔王見他定住了文武多官，急縱身，跳下龍床，就要來拿。
那魔王见他定住了文武多官，急纵身，跳下龙床，就要来拿。
That demon-king, seeing him fix the civil and military host in place, sprang up in haste, leapt down from the dragon-couch, and made to seize him himself.
Deictic 那魔王: 那 = nà. 定住了 = "held fast." 龍床 = the dragon-couch (throne).
猴王暗喜道：「好，正合老孫之意。
猴王暗喜道：「好，正合老孙之意。
The Monkey King rejoiced in secret: "Good — that suits old Sun exactly.
正合老孫之意 = "just meets old Sun's intent."
這一來，就是個生鐵鑄的頭，湯著棍子，也打個窟窿。」
这一来，就是个生铁铸的头，汤着棍子，也打个窟窿。」
This once, even were it a head cast of wrought iron, let it but graze my cudgel and I'd knock a hole in it."
湯著棍子: 湯 (tāng, = 趟 "to graze against"), and resultative 著 = zháo. 棍子: suffix 子 = zi.
正動身，不期傍邊轉出一個救命星來。
正动身，不期傍边转出一个救命星来。
Just as he stirred to act, unexpectedly from the side stepped out a life-saving star.
傍邊: 傍 = bàng ("at the side"). 救命星 = "a rescuing star," here the prince. 轉出: 轉 = zhuǎn.
你道是誰，原來是烏雞國王的太子，急上前扯住那魔王的朝服，跪在面前道：「父王息怒。」
你道是谁，原来是乌鸡国王的太子，急上前扯住那魔王的朝服，跪在面前道：「父王息怒。」
Who do you suppose it was? None other than the crown prince of Wūjī, who rushed up, caught hold of that demon-king's court robe, and knelt before him: "Father-king, stay your anger."
Deictic 那魔王: 那 = nà. 太子: 子 = zǐ. 朝服: 朝 = cháo.
妖精問：「孩兒怎麼說？」
妖精问：「孩儿怎么说？」
The fiend asked: "What have you to say, child?"
孩兒: 兒 = ér (the standalone "child").
太子道：「啟父王得知：三年前聞得人說，有個東土唐朝駕下欽差聖僧往西天拜佛求經，不期今日才來到我邦。
太子道：「启父王得知：三年前闻得人说，有个东土唐朝驾下钦差圣僧往西天拜佛求经，不期今日才来到我邦。
The prince said: "May it please my father-king to know: three years ago I heard tell that there was a saintly monk, imperially commissioned from the Tang court in the Eastern Land, going to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha and seek scriptures — and now today he's come at last to our realm.
太子: 子 = zǐ. 得知: 得 = dé ("to learn"); 聞得: 得 = de. 欽差: 差 = chāi; 拜佛 佛 = fó.
父王尊性威烈，若將這和尚拿去斬首，只恐大唐有日得此消息，必生嗔怒。
父王尊性威烈，若将这和尚拿去斩首，只恐大唐有日得此消息，必生嗔怒。
My father-king's nature is stern and fierce; if you have this monk taken off and beheaded, I only fear that should Great Tang one day get such news, it would surely breed wrath.
若將這和尚: coverb 將 = jiāng. 得此消息: 得 = dé. 嗔怒 = "anger."
你想那李世民自稱王位，一統江山，心尚未足，又過海征伐；
你想那李世民自称王位，一统江山，心尚未足，又过海征伐；
Consider: that Li Shimin, who styles himself to the throne and has unified the realm, is still not satisfied at heart, but crosses the seas on campaigns;
Deictic 那李世民: 那 = nà. 自稱王位: 稱 = chēng. 過海征伐 = "to campaign across the seas."
若知我王害了他御弟聖僧，一定興兵發馬，來與我王爭敵。
若知我王害了他御弟圣僧，一定兴兵发马，来与我王争敌。
if he learned that our king had killed his imperial younger brother, the saintly monk, he would surely raise troops and dispatch cavalry to come and do battle with our king.
興兵發馬: 興 = xīng ("to raise [troops]"). 御弟 = the emperor's sworn younger brother (Tripitaka).
奈何兵少將微，那時悔之晚矣。
奈何兵少将微，那时悔之晚矣。
Then, with soldiers few and generals weak, that would be the time to repent too late.
兵少將微: here 將 = jiàng ("generals," standalone). Deictic 那時: 那 = nà.
父王依兒所奏，且把那四個和尚，問他個來歷分明，先定他一段不參王駕，然後方可問罪。」
父王依儿所奏，且把那四个和尚，问他个来历分明，先定他一段不参王驾，然后方可问罪。」
Let my father-king follow what your son advises: hold those four monks, question them clearly as to their history, first pin on them the charge of not paying homage to the throne, and only then may you put them to trial."
依兒所奏: 兒 = ér (the prince naming himself "your son"). Deictic 那四個: 那 = nà. 不參王駕: 參 = cān. 分明: 分 = fēn.
總評 Commentary
The scene is saved from bloodshed by an irony the reader alone can savour: the "life-saving star" who steps from the ranks to stay the fiend's hand is the murdered king's own son, the crown prince — kneeling to beg mercy from the very impostor who killed his father, unaware that the monk he is shielding, and the porter at the gate, hold his father's cause and his father's revived body. The novel loves such dramatic irony, and here it is doubled: the prince protects Tripitaka in order to protect his usurper-"father," and in doing so unknowingly serves the true king's restoration.
The prince's argument is a shrewd piece of statecraft, and it quietly flatters the pilgrims' homeland. To kill an imperial envoy of Great Tang, he warns, would invite the wrath of Li Shimin — Emperor Taizong — who, not content with a unified realm, "crosses the seas on campaigns"; better to hold the monks, question them, and pin on them the lesser charge of failing to bow. It is sound counsel that happens to buy exactly the delay Wukong wants; and the prince's filial kneeling before the false father plants the emotional seed of the recognition-scene to come, when he will learn whose son he truly is.