第四十回 · 前番變化 As He Was Transformed Before — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

前番變化 As He Was Transformed Before

那nà精jīng靈líng見jiàn了le，在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng稱chēng羨xiàn不bù已yǐ道dào：「好hǎo和hé尚shàng！我wǒ才cái見jiàn那nà白bái面miàn和hé尚shàng坐zuò在zài馬mǎ上shàng，卻què怎zěn麼me又yòu被bèi他tā三sān人rén藏cáng了le？這zhè一yí去qù見jiàn面miàn方fāng知zhī。先xiān把bǎ那nà有yǒu眼yǎn力lì的de弄nòng倒dǎo了le，方fāng才cái捉zhuō得dé唐táng僧sēng；不bù然rán啊a，徒tú費fèi心xīn機jī難nán獲huò物wù，枉wǎng勞láo情qíng興xìng總zǒng成chéng空kōng。」卻què又yòu按àn下xià雲yún頭tóu，恰qià似sì前qián番fān變biàn化huà，高gāo吊diào在zài松sōng樹shù梢shāo頭tóu等děng候hòu。這zhè番fān卻què不bú上shàng半bàn里lǐ之zhī地dì。那nà精jīng灵líng见jiàn了le，在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng称chēng羡xiàn不bù已yǐ道dào：「好hǎo和hé尚shàng！我wǒ才cái见jiàn那nà白bái面miàn和hé尚shàng坐zuò在zài马mǎ上shàng，却què怎zěn么me又yòu被bèi他tā三sān人rén藏cáng了le？这zhè一yí去qù见jiàn面miàn方fāng知zhī。先xiān把bǎ那nà有yǒu眼yǎn力lì的de弄nòng倒dǎo了le，方fāng才cái捉zhuō得dé唐táng僧sēng；不bù然rán啊a，徒tú费fèi心xīn机jī难nán获huò物wù，枉wǎng劳láo情qíng兴xìng总zǒng成chéng空kōng。」却què又yòu按àn下xià云yún头tóu，恰qià似sì前qián番fān变biàn化huà，高gāo吊diào在zài松sōng树shù梢shāo头tóu等děng候hòu。这zhè番fān却què不bú上shàng半bàn里lǐ之zhī地dì。

逐句解 Line by line

那nà精jīng靈líng見jiàn了le，在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng稱chēng羨xiàn不bù已yǐ道dào：「好hǎo和hé尚shàng！那nà精jīng灵líng见jiàn了le，在zài半bàn空kōng中zhōng称chēng羡xiàn不bù已yǐ道dào：「好hǎo和hé尚shàng！

That sprite, seeing this, marveled without end from the middle air: "Fine monks!

那精靈: deictic 那 = nà. 半空中: 中 = zhōng. 稱羨不已: 稱 = chēng ("to express, voice"); mechanical sandhi leaves 不 as bù before 已 (3rd tone).

我wǒ才cái見jiàn那nà白bái面miàn和hé尚shàng坐zuò在zài馬mǎ上shàng，卻què怎zěn麼me又yòu被bèi他tā三sān人rén藏cáng了le？我wǒ才cái见jiàn那nà白bái面miàn和hé尚shàng坐zuò在zài马mǎ上shàng，却què怎zěn么me又yòu被bèi他tā三sān人rén藏cáng了le？

Just now I saw that white-faced monk sitting on the horse — but how has he come to be hidden away by those three again?

那白面和尚: deictic 那 = nà. 被他三人藏了: 藏 = cáng ("to hide"); aspect 了 = le.

這zhè一yí去qù見jiàn面miàn方fāng知zhī。这zhè一yí去qù见jiàn面miàn方fāng知zhī。

This time, when we meet face to face, I'll know for certain.

這一去見面方知: 一 sandhi → yí before the 4th-tone 去.

先xiān把bǎ那nà有yǒu眼yǎn力lì的de弄nòng倒dǎo了le，方fāng才cái捉zhuō得dé唐táng僧sēng；先xiān把bǎ那nà有yǒu眼yǎn力lì的de弄nòng倒dǎo了le，方fāng才cái捉zhuō得dé唐táng僧sēng；

First I'll knock down the one with the sharp eyes, and only then can I catch the Tang Monk;

那有眼力的: deictic 那 = nà. 弄倒了: 倒 = dǎo ("to knock down, topple"); aspect 了 = le. 捉得唐僧: 得 = dé ("manage to catch").

不bù然rán啊a，徒tú費fèi心xīn機jī難nán獲huò物wù，枉wǎng勞láo情qíng興xìng總zǒng成chéng空kōng。」不bù然rán啊a，徒tú费fèi心xīn机jī难nán获huò物wù，枉wǎng劳láo情qíng兴xìng总zǒng成chéng空kōng。」

otherwise, I'd only spend my wits in vain and fail to take my prey — squander all my zeal, and come to nothing."

難獲物: 難 = nán ("hard to," difficult). 枉勞情興: 興 = xìng ("zeal, mood"). mechanical sandhi leaves 不 as bù (none here — 不 absent).

卻què又yòu按àn下xià雲yún頭tóu，恰qià似sì前qián番fān變biàn化huà，高gāo吊diào在zài松sōng樹shù梢shāo頭tóu等děng候hòu。却què又yòu按àn下xià云yún头tóu，恰qià似sì前qián番fān变biàn化huà，高gāo吊diào在zài松sōng树shù梢shāo头tóu等děng候hòu。

So once more he brought his cloud-head down, and just as he had transformed the time before, hung himself high in the topmost boughs of the pine to wait.

恰似前番變化: 似 = sì ("just as," resemblance); 化 = huà ("to transform," 變化).

這zhè番fān卻què不bú上shàng半bàn里lǐ之zhī地dì。这zhè番fān却què不bú上shàng半bàn里lǐ之zhī地dì。

This time it was less than half a li away.

這番卻不上半里之地: mechanical sandhi leaves 不 as bù before 上 (3rd tone), correctly. 里 (a li) untranslated.

總評 Commentary

The demon's frustration sharpens into a clearer plan. Watching the pilgrims close ranks yet again, he now identifies the specific obstacle — 那有眼力的, "the one with the sharp eyes," the disciple who keeps recognizing him — and resolves that this one must be dealt with first: 先把那有眼力的弄倒了，方才捉得唐僧 ("first knock down the sharp-eyed one, and only then can I catch the Tang Monk"). He has correctly diagnosed that Wukong is the true barrier between him and his prize, a recognition that will govern the demon's strategy for the rest of the arc.

For the moment, though, he has no means to move against Wukong directly, and so he falls back on the only method that has brought him even close — the bound-child disguise, re-assumed 恰似前番變化 ("just as he had transformed before"). But the detail that closes the passage is telling: this time he hangs himself 不上半里之地, less than half a li off — far nearer than before. The demon is compressing the distance, forcing the encounter, unwilling to let Wukong's tricks keep buying separation. Each cycle has brought the false child closer to the road; now he waits almost within reach, and the reader understands that the war of evasion is nearly over — the next time the party rounds the slope, the crying child will be too near, and too pitiable, to pass by.