第四十回 · 妖精再變 The Demon Transforms Once More — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

妖精再變 The Demon Transforms Once More

卻què說shuō那nà妖yāo精jīng在zài山shān坡pō裡lǐ連lián叫jiào了le三sān四sì聲shēng，更gèng無wú人rén到dào。他tā心xīn中zhōng思sī量liáng道dào：「我wǒ等děng唐táng僧sēng在zài此cǐ，望wàng見jiàn他tā離lí不bú上shàng三sān里lǐ，卻què怎zěn麼me這zhè半bàn晌shǎng還hái不bú到dào？想xiǎng是shì抄chāo下xià路lù去qù了le。」他tā抖dǒu一yì抖dǒu身shēn軀qū，脫tuō了le繩shéng索suǒ，又yòu縱zòng紅hóng光guāng，上shàng空kōng再zài看kàn。不bù覺jué孫sūn大dà聖shèng仰yǎng面miàn回huí觀guān，識shí得dé是shì妖yāo怪guài，又yòu把bǎ唐táng僧sēng撮cuō著zhe腳jiǎo推tuī下xià馬mǎ來lái道dào：「兄xiōng弟dì們men，仔zǐ細xì，仔zǐ細xì，那nà妖yāo精jīng又yòu來lái也yě。」慌huāng得de那nà八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng各gè持chí鈀pá、棍gùn，將jiāng唐táng僧sēng又yòu圍wéi護hù在zài中zhōng間jiān。却què说shuō那nà妖yāo精jīng在zài山shān坡pō里lǐ连lián叫jiào了le三sān四sì声shēng，更gèng无wú人rén到dào。他tā心xīn中zhōng思sī量liáng道dào：「我wǒ等děng唐táng僧sēng在zài此cǐ，望wàng见jiàn他tā离lí不bú上shàng三sān里lǐ，却què怎zěn么me这zhè半bàn晌shǎng还hái不bú到dào？想xiǎng是shì抄chāo下xià路lù去qù了le。」他tā抖dǒu一yì抖dǒu身shēn躯qū，脱tuō了le绳shéng索suǒ，又yòu纵zòng红hóng光guāng，上shàng空kōng再zài看kàn。不bù觉jué孙sūn大dà圣shèng仰yǎng面miàn回huí观guān，识shí得dé是shì妖yāo怪guài，又yòu把bǎ唐táng僧sēng撮cuō着zhe脚jiǎo推tuī下xià马mǎ来lái道dào：「兄xiōng弟dì们men，仔zǐ细xì，仔zǐ细xì，那nà妖yāo精jīng又yòu来lái也yě。」慌huāng得de那nà八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng各gè持chí钯pá、棍gùn，将jiāng唐táng僧sēng又yòu围wéi护hù在zài中zhōng间jiān。

逐句解 Line by line

卻què說shuō那nà妖yāo精jīng在zài山shān坡pō裡lǐ連lián叫jiào了le三sān四sì聲shēng，更gèng無wú人rén到dào。却què说shuō那nà妖yāo精jīng在zài山shān坡pō里lǐ连lián叫jiào了le三sān四sì声shēng，更gèng无wú人rén到dào。

Now that demon, having called out three or four times in a row from the mountain slope, found that no one came at all.

那妖精: deictic 那 = nà. 連叫了三四聲: aspect 了 = le. 更無人到: 更 = gèng ("still, at all").

他tā心xīn中zhōng思sī量liáng道dào：「我wǒ等děng唐táng僧sēng在zài此cǐ，望wàng見jiàn他tā離lí不bú上shàng三sān里lǐ，卻què怎zěn麼me這zhè半bàn晌shǎng還hái不bú到dào？他tā心xīn中zhōng思sī量liáng道dào：「我wǒ等děng唐táng僧sēng在zài此cǐ，望wàng见jiàn他tā离lí不bú上shàng三sān里lǐ，却què怎zěn么me这zhè半bàn晌shǎng还hái不bú到dào？

He pondered in his heart: "I've been waiting for the Tang Monk right here — I watched him come within less than three li — so how is it that after all this while he still hasn't arrived?

心中思量: 中 = zhōng; 量 = liáng ("to reckon," 思量). 離不上三里: mechanical sandhi leaves 不 as bù before 上 (3rd tone), correctly. 這半晌還不到: 還 = hái; mechanical sandhi raises 不 to bú before 到 (4th tone).

想xiǎng是shì抄chāo下xià路lù去qù了le。」想xiǎng是shì抄chāo下xià路lù去qù了le。」

He must have taken a shortcut down some other road."

想是抄下路去了: aspect 了 = le. 抄下路 = "took a shortcut path."

他tā抖dǒu一yì抖dǒu身shēn軀qū，脫tuō了le繩shéng索suǒ，又yòu縱zòng紅hóng光guāng，上shàng空kōng再zài看kàn。他tā抖dǒu一yì抖dǒu身shēn躯qū，脱tuō了le绳shéng索suǒ，又yòu纵zòng红hóng光guāng，上shàng空kōng再zài看kàn。

He gave his body a shake, slipped free of the ropes, loosed the red glow once more, and rose into the air to look again.

抖一抖身軀: 一 sandhi → yì before 抖 (3rd tone). 脫了繩索: aspect 了 = le.

不bù覺jué孫sūn大dà聖shèng仰yǎng面miàn回huí觀guān，識shí得dé是shì妖yāo怪guài，又yòu把bǎ唐táng僧sēng撮cuō著zhe腳jiǎo推tuī下xià馬mǎ來lái道dào：「兄xiōng弟dì們men，仔zǐ細xì，仔zǐ細xì，那nà妖yāo精jīng又yòu來lái也yě。」不bù觉jué孙sūn大dà圣shèng仰yǎng面miàn回huí观guān，识shí得dé是shì妖yāo怪guài，又yòu把bǎ唐táng僧sēng撮cuō着zhe脚jiǎo推tuī下xià马mǎ来lái道dào：「兄xiōng弟dì们men，仔zǐ细xì，仔zǐ细xì，那nà妖yāo精jīng又yòu来lái也yě。」

Unawares, the Great Sage, turning his face up to look back, recognized him for a monster, and again seized the Tang Priest by the leg and pushed him down off the horse, saying: "Brothers, careful, careful — that demon has come again!"

不覺: 覺 = jué ("perceive," unawares). 回觀: 觀 = guān. 識得: 得 = dé ("recognize"). 撮著腳: durative 著 = zhe. 仔細 (x2): 仔 = zǐ. 那妖精: deictic 那 = nà.

慌huāng得de那nà八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng各gè持chí鈀pá、棍gùn，將jiāng唐táng僧sēng又yòu圍wéi護hù在zài中zhōng間jiān。慌huāng得de那nà八bā戒jiè、沙shā僧sēng各gè持chí钯pá、棍gùn，将jiāng唐táng僧sēng又yòu围wéi护hù在zài中zhōng间jiān。

In a fluster Eight Rules and Sha Monk, each gripping rake and staff, hemmed the Tang Priest round in their midst again.

慌得: complement 得 = de. 那八戒: deictic 那 = nà. 將唐僧: disposal coverb 將 = jiāng. 圍護在中間: 中 = zhōng.

總評 Commentary

The narrative crosses back to the demon, and the crossing is itself the joke: he has been calling into an empty mountain, baffled that his quarry, whom he watched approach within three li, has simply failed to arrive. His reasoning — the Tang Monk must have taken a shortcut — is wrong in its particulars (it was Wukong's spell, not a shortcut) but correct in its conclusion, that his prey has slipped him. The moment lets the reader enjoy, from the predator's side, the success of Wukong's trick that the previous passage conveyed only obliquely.

The demon's response is to escalate by repetition: shed the ropes, take to the air, find the party again, and re-hang himself for a fresh attempt. And on the pilgrims' side the scene replays almost verbatim — Wukong recognizing the monster mid-air, seizing the Master's leg, pushing him off the horse, the disciples closing ranks with rake and staff — the same defensive tableau as at the red cloud's first appearance in Batch 2. The near-repetition is deliberate craft: the cycle of cry, dodge, and re-approach is being wound tighter each turn, the demon undeterred, Wukong's tricks buying less and less time. The reader feels the pattern accelerating toward the point where the Master's patience, and Wukong's evasions, must finally give way.