第三十九回 · 真假難分 Two Tripitakas, Hard to Tell Apart — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

真假難分 Two Tripitakas, Hard to Tell Apart

他tā兩liǎng個gè戰zhàn經jīng數shù合hé，那nà妖yāo魔mó抵dǐ不bú住zhù猴hóu王wáng，急jí回huí頭tóu復fù從cóng舊jiù路lù跳tiào入rù城chéng裡lǐ，闖chuǎng在zài白bái玉yù階jiē前qián兩liǎng班bān文wén武wǔ叢cóng中zhōng，搖yáo身shēn一yí變biàn，即jí變biàn得de與yǔ唐táng三sān藏zàng一yì般bān模mó樣yàng，並bìng攙chān手shǒu，立lì在zài階jiē前qián。這zhè大dà聖shèng趕gǎn上shàng，就jiù欲yù舉jǔ棒bàng來lái打dǎ。那nà怪guài道dào：「徒tú弟dì莫mò打dǎ，是shì我wǒ。」急jí掣chè棒bàng要yào打dǎ那nà個gè唐táng僧sēng，卻què又yòu道dào：「徒tú弟dì莫mò打dǎ，是shì我wǒ。」一yí樣yàng兩liǎng個gè唐táng僧sēng，實shí難nán辨biàn認rèn：「倘tǎng若ruò一yí棒bàng打dǎ殺shā妖yāo怪guài變biàn的de唐táng僧sēng，這zhè個gè也yě成chéng了le功gōng果guǒ；假jiǎ若ruò一yí棒bàng打dǎ殺shā我wǒ的de真zhēn實shí師shī父fù，卻què怎zěn麼me好hǎo？」只zhǐ得dé停tíng手shǒu，叫jiào八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng問wèn道dào：「果guǒ然rán那nǎ一yí個gè是shì怪guài，那nǎ一yí個gè是shì我wǒ的de師shī父fù？你nǐ指zhǐ與yǔ我wǒ，我wǒ好hǎo打dǎ他tā。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「你nǐ在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng相xiāng打dǎ相xiāng嚷rǎng，我wǒ瞥piē瞥piē眼yǎn就jiù見jiàn兩liǎng個gè師shī父fù，也yě不bù知zhī誰shuí真zhēn誰shuí假jiǎ。」他tā两liǎng个gè战zhàn经jīng数shù合hé，那nà妖yāo魔mó抵dǐ不bú住zhù猴hóu王wáng，急jí回huí头tóu复fù从cóng旧jiù路lù跳tiào入rù城chéng里lǐ，闯chuǎng在zài白bái玉yù阶jiē前qián两liǎng班bān文wén武wǔ丛cóng中zhōng，摇yáo身shēn一yí变biàn，即jí变biàn得de与yǔ唐táng三sān藏zàng一yì般bān模mó样yàng，并bìng搀chān手shǒu，立lì在zài阶jiē前qián。这zhè大dà圣shèng赶gǎn上shàng，就jiù欲yù举jǔ棒bàng来lái打dǎ。那nà怪guài道dào：「徒tú弟dì莫mò打dǎ，是shì我wǒ。」急jí掣chè棒bàng要yào打dǎ那nà个gè唐táng僧sēng，却què又yòu道dào：「徒tú弟dì莫mò打dǎ，是shì我wǒ。」一yí样yàng两liǎng个gè唐táng僧sēng，实shí难nán辨biàn认rèn：「倘tǎng若ruò一yí棒bàng打dǎ杀shā妖yāo怪guài变biàn的de唐táng僧sēng，这zhè个gè也yě成chéng了le功gōng果guǒ；假jiǎ若ruò一yí棒bàng打dǎ杀shā我wǒ的de真zhēn实shí师shī父fù，却què怎zěn么me好hǎo？」只zhǐ得dé停tíng手shǒu，叫jiào八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng问wèn道dào：「果guǒ然rán那nǎ一yí个gè是shì怪guài，那nǎ一yí个gè是shì我wǒ的de师shī父fù？你nǐ指zhǐ与yǔ我wǒ，我wǒ好hǎo打dǎ他tā。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「你nǐ在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng相xiāng打dǎ相xiāng嚷rǎng，我wǒ瞥piē瞥piē眼yǎn就jiù见jiàn两liǎng个gè师shī父fù，也yě不bù知zhī谁shuí真zhēn谁shuí假jiǎ。」

逐句解 Line by line

When they had fought several bouts, that fiend, unable to withstand the Monkey King, spun about and by the old road leapt back into the city, plunging in before the white-jade steps among the two files of civil and military men, and with a shake of his body changed into the very likeness of the Tang Tripitaka, and stood, hands folded together with him, before the steps.

戰經數合: 數 = shù ("several"). Deictic 那妖魔 = nà. 叢中中 = zhōng. 變得: complement 得 = de. 三藏藏 = zàng.

這zhè大dà聖shèng趕gǎn上shàng，就jiù欲yù舉jǔ棒bàng來lái打dǎ。这zhè大dà圣shèng赶gǎn上shàng，就jiù欲yù举jǔ棒bàng来lái打dǎ。

This Great Sage caught up and was about to raise his cudgel to strike.

就欲舉棒來打 = "made to lift the cudgel and strike."

那nà怪guài道dào：「徒tú弟dì莫mò打dǎ，是shì我wǒ。」那nà怪guài道dào：「徒tú弟dì莫mò打dǎ，是shì我wǒ。」

That monster said: "Disciple, don't strike — it's me."

Deictic 那怪: 那 = nà.

急jí掣chè棒bàng要yào打dǎ那nà個gè唐táng僧sēng，卻què又yòu道dào：「徒tú弟dì莫mò打dǎ，是shì我wǒ。」急jí掣chè棒bàng要yào打dǎ那nà个gè唐táng僧sēng，却què又yòu道dào：「徒tú弟dì莫mò打dǎ，是shì我wǒ。」

He hastened to raise the cudgel to strike that other Tang Monk, who also said: "Disciple, don't strike — it's me."

Deictic 那個唐僧: 那 = nà. 急掣棒 = "quickly drew the cudgel."

一yí樣yàng兩liǎng個gè唐táng僧sēng，實shí難nán辨biàn認rèn：「倘tǎng若ruò一yí棒bàng打dǎ殺shā妖yāo怪guài變biàn的de唐táng僧sēng，這zhè個gè也yě成chéng了le功gōng果guǒ；一yí样yàng两liǎng个gè唐táng僧sēng，实shí难nán辨biàn认rèn：「倘tǎng若ruò一yí棒bàng打dǎ杀shā妖yāo怪guài变biàn的de唐táng僧sēng，这zhè个gè也yě成chéng了le功gōng果guǒ；

One and the same, two Tang Monks, truly hard to tell apart: "If with one blow I kill the Tang Monk the fiend has turned into, that would be a merit accomplished;

實難辨認: 難 = nán. 成了功果 = "achieved a meritorious result."

假jiǎ若ruò一yí棒bàng打dǎ殺shā我wǒ的de真zhēn實shí師shī父fù，卻què怎zěn麼me好hǎo？」假jiǎ若ruò一yí棒bàng打dǎ杀shā我wǒ的de真zhēn实shí师shī父fù，却què怎zěn么me好hǎo？」

but if with one blow I kill my own true master, what then?"

假若一棒打殺我的真實師父 = "if I should club my real master dead." The dilemma that stays Wukong's hand.

只zhǐ得dé停tíng手shǒu，叫jiào八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng問wèn道dào：「果guǒ然rán那nǎ一yí個gè是shì怪guài，那nǎ一yí個gè是shì我wǒ的de師shī父fù？只zhǐ得dé停tíng手shǒu，叫jiào八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng问wèn道dào：「果guǒ然rán那nǎ一yí个gè是shì怪guài，那nǎ一yí个gè是shì我wǒ的de师shī父fù？

He could only stay his hand, and called to Eight Rules and Sha Monk: "Truly now — which one is the monster, and which is my master?

只得停手: 得 = dé ("could only"). Both interrogative 那一個: 那 = nǎ ("which one").

你nǐ指zhǐ與yǔ我wǒ，我wǒ好hǎo打dǎ他tā。」你nǐ指zhǐ与yǔ我wǒ，我wǒ好hǎo打dǎ他tā。」

Point him out to me, and I'll strike him."

你指與我，我好打他 = "show me, so I may strike him."

八bā戒jiè道dào：「你nǐ在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng相xiāng打dǎ相xiāng嚷rǎng，我wǒ瞥piē瞥piē眼yǎn就jiù見jiàn兩liǎng個gè師shī父fù，也yě不bù知zhī誰shuí真zhēn誰shuí假jiǎ。」八bā戒jiè道dào：「你nǐ在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng相xiāng打dǎ相xiāng嚷rǎng，我wǒ瞥piē瞥piē眼yǎn就jiù见jiàn两liǎng个gè师shī父fù，也yě不bù知zhī谁shuí真zhēn谁shuí假jiǎ。」

Eight Rules said: "You were fighting and shouting away up in mid-air; I blinked and saw two masters — I've no idea which is true and which false."

空中: 中 = zhōng. 相打相嚷: 相 = xiāng ("at each other"). 誰真誰假 = "who true, who false."

總評 Commentary

Outmatched in the air, the fiend resorts to the oldest trick in the demon's book — he flees back into the hall and, with a shake, doubles himself as Tripitaka, so that two identical monks stand hand-in-hand before the throne, each crying "Disciple, don't strike — it's me." The device is a recurring one in the novel (the false-Wukong of Ch.57–58 is its grandest instance), and it turns Wukong's very strength against him: raw force is useless when the target cannot be told from the master, and the terrible risk — "if with one blow I kill my own true master" — freezes the cudgel in mid-swing.

The passage is built on the chapter's deep theme of 真假, the true and the false, here made literal in two indistinguishable bodies. Wukong's appeal to Bajie and Sha Monk for help fails comically — Bajie blinked and saw only "two masters," no idea which is which — which sets up the solution of the next passage, when the one instrument that can distinguish them, the Tight-Fillet Spell that only the true Tripitaka's disciples know, will be brought to bear. The impostor who counterfeited a king now counterfeits the holiest of the pilgrims, and only a test of the spirit, not the sword, can undo him.