第四十回 · 摜碎屍骸 Smashing the False Corpse — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

摜碎屍骸 Smashing the False Corpse

孫sūn大dà聖shèng馱tuó著zhe妖yāo魔mó，心xīn中zhōng埋mán怨yuàn唐táng僧sēng不bù知zhī艱jiān苦kǔ：「行xíng此cǐ險xiǎn峻jùn山shān場chǎng，空kōng身shēn也yě難nán走zǒu，卻què教jiào老lǎo孫sūn馱tuó人rén。這zhè廝sī莫mò說shuō他tā是shì妖yāo怪guài，就jiù是shì好hǎo人rén，他tā沒méi了le父fù母mǔ，不bù知zhī將jiāng他tā馱tuó與yǔ何hé人rén，倒dào不bù如rú摜guàn殺shā他tā罷ba。」那nà怪guài物wù卻què早zǎo知zhī覺jué了le，便biàn就jiù使shǐ個gè神shén通tōng，往wǎng四sì下xià裡lǐ吸xī了le四sì口kǒu氣qì，吹chuī在zài行xíng者zhě背bèi上shàng，便biàn覺jué重zhòng有yǒu千qiān斤jīn。行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「我wǒ兒ér啊a，你nǐ弄nòng重zhòng身shēn法fǎ壓yā我wǒ老lǎo爺yé哩lī。」那nà怪guài聞wén言yán，恐kǒng怕pà大dà聖shèng傷shāng他tā，卻què就jiù解jiě尸shī，出chū了le元yuán神shén，跳tiào將jiāng起qǐ去qù，佇zhù立lì在zài九jiǔ霄xiāo空kōng裡lǐ。這zhè行xíng者zhě背bèi上shàng越yuè重zhòng了le。猴hóu王wáng發fā怒nù，抓zhuā過guò他tā來lái，往wǎng那nà路lù傍bàng邊biān賴lài石shí頭tóu上shàng滑huá辣là的de一yí摜guàn，將jiāng屍shī骸hái摜guàn得de像xiàng個gè肉ròu餅bǐng一yì般bān。還hái恐kǒng他tā又yòu無wú禮lǐ，索suǒ性xìng將jiāng四sì肢zhī扯chě下xià，丟diū在zài路lù兩liǎng邊biān，俱jù粉fěn碎suì了le。孙sūn大dà圣shèng驮tuó着zhe妖yāo魔mó，心xīn中zhōng埋mán怨yuàn唐táng僧sēng不bù知zhī艰jiān苦kǔ：「行xíng此cǐ险xiǎn峻jùn山shān场chǎng，空kōng身shēn也yě难nán走zǒu，却què教jiào老lǎo孙sūn驮tuó人rén。这zhè厮sī莫mò说shuō他tā是shì妖yāo怪guài，就jiù是shì好hǎo人rén，他tā没méi了le父fù母mǔ，不bù知zhī将jiāng他tā驮tuó与yǔ何hé人rén，倒dào不bù如rú掼guàn杀shā他tā罢ba。」那nà怪guài物wù却què早zǎo知zhī觉jué了le，便biàn就jiù使shǐ个gè神shén通tōng，往wǎng四sì下xià里lǐ吸xī了le四sì口kǒu气qì，吹chuī在zài行xíng者zhě背bèi上shàng，便biàn觉jué重zhòng有yǒu千qiān斤jīn。行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「我wǒ儿ér啊a，你nǐ弄nòng重zhòng身shēn法fǎ压yā我wǒ老lǎo爷yé哩lī。」那nà怪guài闻wén言yán，恐kǒng怕pà大dà圣shèng伤shāng他tā，却què就jiù解jiě尸shī，出chū了le元yuán神shén，跳tiào将jiāng起qǐ去qù，伫zhù立lì在zài九jiǔ霄xiāo空kōng里lǐ。这zhè行xíng者zhě背bèi上shàng越yuè重zhòng了le。猴hóu王wáng发fā怒nù，抓zhuā过guò他tā来lái，往wǎng那nà路lù傍bàng边biān赖lài石shí头tóu上shàng滑huá辣là的de一yí掼guàn，将jiāng尸shī骸hái掼guàn得de像xiàng个gè肉ròu饼bǐng一yì般bān。还hái恐kǒng他tā又yòu无wú礼lǐ，索suǒ性xìng将jiāng四sì肢zhī扯chě下xià，丢diū在zài路lù两liǎng边biān，俱jù粉fěn碎suì了le。

逐句解 Line by line

孫sūn大dà聖shèng馱tuó著zhe妖yāo魔mó，心xīn中zhōng埋mán怨yuàn唐táng僧sēng不bù知zhī艱jiān苦kǔ：「行xíng此cǐ險xiǎn峻jùn山shān場chǎng，空kōng身shēn也yě難nán走zǒu，卻què教jiào老lǎo孫sūn馱tuó人rén。孙sūn大dà圣shèng驮tuó着zhe妖yāo魔mó，心xīn中zhōng埋mán怨yuàn唐táng僧sēng不bù知zhī艰jiān苦kǔ：「行xíng此cǐ险xiǎn峻jùn山shān场chǎng，空kōng身shēn也yě难nán走zǒu，却què教jiào老lǎo孙sūn驮tuó人rén。

The Great Sage, bearing the demon, grumbled in his heart at the Tang Priest's ignorance of hardship: "Traveling this steep and perilous mountain-country, even empty-handed one can hardly walk, and yet he has old Sun carry a person.

馱著妖魔: durative 著 = zhe. 心中: 中 = zhōng. 行此險峻: 行 = xíng. 空身也難走: 難 = nán. 卻教老孫: causative 教 = jiào.

這zhè廝sī莫mò說shuō他tā是shì妖yāo怪guài，就jiù是shì好hǎo人rén，他tā沒méi了le父fù母mǔ，不bù知zhī將jiāng他tā馱tuó與yǔ何hé人rén，倒dào不bù如rú摜guàn殺shā他tā罷ba。」这zhè厮sī莫mò说shuō他tā是shì妖yāo怪guài，就jiù是shì好hǎo人rén，他tā没méi了le父fù母mǔ，不bù知zhī将jiāng他tā驮tuó与yǔ何hé人rén，倒dào不bù如rú掼guàn杀shā他tā罢ba。」

Never mind that this fellow is a demon — even were he a real person, with no father or mother, and no telling to whom I'd deliver him, I'd rather just dash him dead and be done."

將他馱與何人: disposal 將 = jiāng. 倒不如: 倒 = dào ("rather, on the contrary"); mechanical sandhi leaves 不 as bù before 如 (2nd tone). 摜殺他罷: sentence-final 罷 = ba.

那nà怪guài物wù卻què早zǎo知zhī覺jué了le，便biàn就jiù使shǐ個gè神shén通tōng，往wǎng四sì下xià裡lǐ吸xī了le四sì口kǒu氣qì，吹chuī在zài行xíng者zhě背bèi上shàng，便biàn覺jué重zhòng有yǒu千qiān斤jīn。那nà怪guài物wù却què早zǎo知zhī觉jué了le，便biàn就jiù使shǐ个gè神shén通tōng，往wǎng四sì下xià里lǐ吸xī了le四sì口kǒu气qì，吹chuī在zài行xíng者zhě背bèi上shàng，便biàn觉jué重zhòng有yǒu千qiān斤jīn。

That monster already knew it beforehand, and at once worked a magic: from all four sides he drew in four breaths and blew them onto Pilgrim's back, so that it felt to weigh a thousand catties.

那怪物: deictic 那 = nà. 知覺了: 覺 = jué ("perceive"); aspect 了 = le. 吹在行者背上: 行 = xíng (pypinyin mis-defaults háng in this context — 行者 is always xíng). 便覺重: 覺 = jué; 重 = zhòng ("heavy").

行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「我wǒ兒ér啊a，你nǐ弄nòng重zhòng身shēn法fǎ壓yā我wǒ老lǎo爺yé哩lī。」行xíng者zhě笑xiào道dào：「我wǒ儿ér啊a，你nǐ弄nòng重zhòng身shēn法fǎ压yā我wǒ老lǎo爷yé哩lī。」

Pilgrim laughed: "My boy — you're working a weight-magic to crush your old sire!"

我兒啊: standalone 兒 = ér (Wukong's mocking "my boy"). 弄重身法: 重 = zhòng ("weight-").

那nà怪guài聞wén言yán，恐kǒng怕pà大dà聖shèng傷shāng他tā，卻què就jiù解jiě尸shī，出chū了le元yuán神shén，跳tiào將jiāng起qǐ去qù，佇zhù立lì在zài九jiǔ霄xiāo空kōng裡lǐ。那nà怪guài闻wén言yán，恐kǒng怕pà大dà圣shèng伤shāng他tā，却què就jiù解jiě尸shī，出chū了le元yuán神shén，跳tiào将jiāng起qǐ去qù，伫zhù立lì在zài九jiǔ霄xiāo空kōng里lǐ。

That monster, hearing this, and fearing the Great Sage would harm him, at once loosed the corpse — sent out his primal spirit, sprang up and away, and stood poised in the ninefold empyrean.

那怪: deictic 那 = nà. 解尸 = "to loose/quit the corpse-form" (a shed-body technique). 跳將起去: directional 將 = jiāng.

這zhè行xíng者zhě背bèi上shàng越yuè重zhòng了le。这zhè行xíng者zhě背bèi上shàng越yuè重zhòng了le。

And Pilgrim's back grew heavier still.

越重了: 重 = zhòng ("heavier"); aspect 了 = le.

猴hóu王wáng發fā怒nù，抓zhuā過guò他tā來lái，往wǎng那nà路lù傍bàng邊biān賴lài石shí頭tóu上shàng滑huá辣là的de一yí摜guàn，將jiāng屍shī骸hái摜guàn得de像xiàng個gè肉ròu餅bǐng一yì般bān。猴hóu王wáng发fā怒nù，抓zhuā过guò他tā来lái，往wǎng那nà路lù傍bàng边biān赖lài石shí头tóu上shàng滑huá辣là的de一yí掼guàn，将jiāng尸shī骸hái掼guàn得de像xiàng个gè肉ròu饼bǐng一yì般bān。

The Monkey King, flaring into rage, snatched him up and, on a slick flat stone by the roadside, smashed him down with a slap — dashing the corpse-frame into something like a meat-patty.

那路傍邊: deictic 那 = nà; 傍 = bàng. 一摜: 一 sandhi → yí before 摜 (4th tone). 將屍骸: disposal 將 = jiāng. 摜得: complement 得 = de. 一般: 一 sandhi → yì before 般 (1st tone).

還hái恐kǒng他tā又yòu無wú禮lǐ，索suǒ性xìng將jiāng四sì肢zhī扯chě下xià，丟diū在zài路lù兩liǎng邊biān，俱jù粉fěn碎suì了le。还hái恐kǒng他tā又yòu无wú礼lǐ，索suǒ性xìng将jiāng四sì肢zhī扯chě下xià，丢diū在zài路lù两liǎng边biān，俱jù粉fěn碎suì了le。

Still fearing he might again make trouble, he tore off all four limbs for good measure, flung them to both sides of the road, and reduced the whole to fragments.

還恐他: 還 = hái ("still"). 索性將四肢: disposal 將 = jiāng. 俱粉碎了: aspect 了 = le.

總評 Commentary

Wukong's counterstroke is decisive and, on its surface, brutally successful. Grumbling at having to carry the false child at all, he resolves to be rid of it — and when the demon retaliates with a weight-magic, piling a thousand catties onto his back to crush him, Wukong simply smashes the body on a stone and tears it to fragments. The scene reads, for a moment, as a clean victory: the monster reduced to a meat-patty, dismembered and scattered, the threat apparently ended before it could do worse.

But the passage's craft lies in a single technical detail that the reader is given and the Master is not: the demon 解尸，出了元神 — "loosed the corpse and sent out his primal spirit" — before Wukong ever struck. What Wukong destroys is only a shed husk; the demon himself stands untouched in the empyrean, watching. This is the arc's recurring structure in miniature: Wukong acts on what is real to his eyes, and is right about the nature of the thing (it was indeed a demon) yet wrong about the outcome (he has killed nothing). The out-of-body escape (解尸, a technique of the accomplished adept) marks the Red Boy as an adversary of a higher order than the ordinary mountain-sprite, one who cannot be dispatched by force applied to his visible form. Wukong's grim thoroughness — tearing off the limbs, scattering the pieces — is thus rendered futile in advance, and the demon's freedom to retaliate, now with real fury, sets up the windstorm and the abduction that follow.