第四十回 · 山神訴苦 The Mountain Spirits' Plaint — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

山神訴苦 The Mountain Spirits' Plaint

那nà行xíng者zhě打dǎ了le一yí會huì，打dǎ出chū一yì夥huǒ窮qióng神shén來lái，都dōu披pī一yí片piàn、掛guà一yí片piàn，褌kūn無wú襠dāng、褲kù無wú口kǒu的de跪guì在zài山shān前qián，叫jiào：「大dà聖shèng，山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì來lái見jiàn。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「怎zěn麼me就jiù有yǒu許xǔ多duō山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì？」眾zhòng神shén叩kòu頭tóu道dào：「上shàng告gào大dà聖shèng：此cǐ山shān喚huàn做zuò六liù百bǎi里lǐ鑽zuān頭tóu號hào山shān。我wǒ等děng是shì十shí里lǐ一yì山shān神shén，十shí里lǐ一yì土tǔ地dì，共gòng該gāi三sān十shí名míng山shān神shén、三sān十shí名míng土tǔ地dì。昨zuó日rì已yǐ此cǐ聞wén大dà聖shèng來lái了le，只zhǐ因yīn一yì時shí會huì不bù齊qí，故gù此cǐ接jiē遲chí，致zhì令lìng大dà聖shèng發fā怒nù，萬wàn望wàng恕shù罪zuì。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ且qiě饒ráo你nǐ罪zuì名míng。我wǒ問wèn你nǐ：這zhè山shān上shàng有yǒu多duō少shǎo妖yāo精jīng？」眾zhòng神shén道dào：「爺yé爺yé呀ya！只zhǐ有yǒu得dé一yí個gè妖yāo精jīng，把bǎ我wǒ們men頭tóu也yě摩mó光guāng了le，弄nòng得de我wǒ們men少shǎo香xiāng沒méi紙zhǐ，血xuè食shí全quán無wú，一yí個gè個gè衣yī不bù充chōng身shēn，食shí不bù充chōng口kǒu，還hái吃chī得dé有yǒu多duō少shǎo妖yāo精jīng哩lī。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「這zhè妖yāo精jīng在zài山shān前qián住zhù，是shì山shān後hòu住zhù？」眾zhòng神shén道dào：「他tā也yě不bú在zài山shān前qián山shān後hòu。這zhè山shān中zhōng有yǒu一yì條tiáo澗jiàn，叫jiào做zuò枯kū松sōng澗jiàn。澗jiàn邊biān有yǒu一yí座zuò洞dòng，叫jiào做zuò火huǒ雲yún洞dòng。那nà洞dòng裡lǐ有yǒu一yí個gè魔mó王wáng，神shén通tōng廣guǎng大dà，常cháng常cháng的de把bǎ我wǒ們men山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì拿ná了le去qù，燒shāo火huǒ頂dǐng門mén，黑hēi夜yè與yǔ他tā提tí鈴líng喝hē號hào。小xiǎo妖yāo兒er又yòu討tǎo甚shén麼me常cháng例lì錢qián。」那nà行xíng者zhě打dǎ了le一yí会huì，打dǎ出chū一yì伙huǒ穷qióng神shén来lái，都dōu披pī一yí片piàn、挂guà一yí片piàn，裈kūn无wú裆dāng、裤kù无wú口kǒu的de跪guì在zài山shān前qián，叫jiào：「大dà圣shèng，山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì来lái见jiàn。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「怎zěn么me就jiù有yǒu许xǔ多duō山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì？」众zhòng神shén叩kòu头tóu道dào：「上shàng告gào大dà圣shèng：此cǐ山shān唤huàn做zuò六liù百bǎi里lǐ钻zuān头tóu号hào山shān。我wǒ等děng是shì十shí里lǐ一yì山shān神shén，十shí里lǐ一yì土tǔ地dì，共gòng该gāi三sān十shí名míng山shān神shén、三sān十shí名míng土tǔ地dì。昨zuó日rì已yǐ此cǐ闻wén大dà圣shèng来lái了le，只zhǐ因yīn一yì时shí会huì不bù齐qí，故gù此cǐ接jiē迟chí，致zhì令lìng大dà圣shèng发fā怒nù，万wàn望wàng恕shù罪zuì。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ且qiě饶ráo你nǐ罪zuì名míng。我wǒ问wèn你nǐ：这zhè山shān上shàng有yǒu多duō少shǎo妖yāo精jīng？」众zhòng神shén道dào：「爷yé爷yé呀ya！只zhǐ有yǒu得dé一yí个gè妖yāo精jīng，把bǎ我wǒ们men头tóu也yě摩mó光guāng了le，弄nòng得de我wǒ们men少shǎo香xiāng没méi纸zhǐ，血xuè食shí全quán无wú，一yí个gè个gè衣yī不bù充chōng身shēn，食shí不bù充chōng口kǒu，还hái吃chī得dé有yǒu多duō少shǎo妖yāo精jīng哩lī。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「这zhè妖yāo精jīng在zài山shān前qián住zhù，是shì山shān后hòu住zhù？」众zhòng神shén道dào：「他tā也yě不bú在zài山shān前qián山shān后hòu。这zhè山shān中zhōng有yǒu一yì条tiáo涧jiàn，叫jiào做zuò枯kū松sōng涧jiàn。涧jiàn边biān有yǒu一yí座zuò洞dòng，叫jiào做zuò火huǒ云yún洞dòng。那nà洞dòng里lǐ有yǒu一yí个gè魔mó王wáng，神shén通tōng广guǎng大dà，常cháng常cháng的de把bǎ我wǒ们men山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì拿ná了le去qù，烧shāo火huǒ顶dǐng门mén，黑hēi夜yè与yǔ他tā提tí铃líng喝hē号hào。小xiǎo妖yāo儿er又yòu讨tǎo甚shén么me常cháng例lì钱qián。」

逐句解 Line by line

那nà行xíng者zhě打dǎ了le一yí會huì，打dǎ出chū一yì夥huǒ窮qióng神shén來lái，都dōu披pī一yí片piàn、掛guà一yí片piàn，褌kūn無wú襠dāng、褲kù無wú口kǒu的de跪guì在zài山shān前qián，叫jiào：「大dà聖shèng，山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì來lái見jiàn。」那nà行xíng者zhě打dǎ了le一yí会huì，打dǎ出chū一yì伙huǒ穷qióng神shén来lái，都dōu披pī一yí片piàn、挂guà一yí片piàn，裈kūn无wú裆dāng、裤kù无wú口kǒu的de跪guì在zài山shān前qián，叫jiào：「大dà圣shèng，山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì来lái见jiàn。」

When that Pilgrim had thrashed away a while, he beat out a crowd of ragged spirits, who — draped in a patch here and a patch there, breechclout with no seat and trousers with no waistband — knelt before the mountain and cried: "Great Sage, the mountain-gods and earth-spirits come to see you."

那行者: deictic 那 = nà. 打了一會: aspect 了 = le; 一 sandhi → yí before 會 (4th tone). 都披一片: 都 = dōu; two 一 sandhi → yí before 片 (4th tone).

行xíng者zhě道dào：「怎zěn麼me就jiù有yǒu許xǔ多duō山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「怎zěn么me就jiù有yǒu许xǔ多duō山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì？」

Pilgrim said: "How is it there are so many mountain-gods and earth-spirits?"

怎麼就有許多 — Wukong's surprise at the sheer number of local deities the thrashing has produced.

眾zhòng神shén叩kòu頭tóu道dào：「上shàng告gào大dà聖shèng：此cǐ山shān喚huàn做zuò六liù百bǎi里lǐ鑽zuān頭tóu號hào山shān。众zhòng神shén叩kòu头tóu道dào：「上shàng告gào大dà圣shèng：此cǐ山shān唤huàn做zuò六liù百bǎi里lǐ钻zuān头tóu号hào山shān。

The assembled spirits kowtowed and said: "We report to the Great Sage: this mountain is called the Six-Hundred-Li Auger-Head Sentinel Mountain.

六百里鑽頭號山: the mountain's name; 號 = hào ("styled, named"); 號山 (Sentinel-Horn / Auger Mountain). 里 (li) untranslated.

我wǒ等děng是shì十shí里lǐ一yì山shān神shén，十shí里lǐ一yì土tǔ地dì，共gòng該gāi三sān十shí名míng山shān神shén、三sān十shí名míng土tǔ地dì。我wǒ等děng是shì十shí里lǐ一yì山shān神shén，十shí里lǐ一yì土tǔ地dì，共gòng该gāi三sān十shí名míng山shān神shén、三sān十shí名míng土tǔ地dì。

We are a mountain-god every ten li and an earth-spirit every ten li — thirty mountain-gods and thirty earth-spirits in all.

十里一山神: two 一 sandhi → yì before 山 / 土 (both non-4th tone: 山 1st, 土 3rd). 里 (li) untranslated.

昨zuó日rì已yǐ此cǐ聞wén大dà聖shèng來lái了le，只zhǐ因yīn一yì時shí會huì不bù齊qí，故gù此cǐ接jiē遲chí，致zhì令lìng大dà聖shèng發fā怒nù，萬wàn望wàng恕shù罪zuì。」昨zuó日rì已yǐ此cǐ闻wén大dà圣shèng来lái了le，只zhǐ因yīn一yì时shí会huì不bù齐qí，故gù此cǐ接jiē迟chí，致zhì令lìng大dà圣shèng发fā怒nù，万wàn望wàng恕shù罪zuì。」

Yesterday we already heard the Great Sage had come, but because we couldn't assemble in time, we were late to greet you and so provoked the Great Sage's wrath — we beg ten thousand pardons."

已此聞 = "already heard." 一時會不齊: 一 sandhi → yì before 時 (2nd tone); mechanical sandhi leaves 不 as bù before 齊 (2nd tone).

行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ且qiě饒ráo你nǐ罪zuì名míng。行xíng者zhě道dào：「我wǒ且qiě饶ráo你nǐ罪zuì名míng。

Pilgrim said: "I'll pardon your offense for now.

饒你罪名 = "pardon your fault."

我wǒ問wèn你nǐ：這zhè山shān上shàng有yǒu多duō少shǎo妖yāo精jīng？」我wǒ问wèn你nǐ：这zhè山shān上shàng有yǒu多duō少shǎo妖yāo精jīng？」

Let me ask you: how many demons are there on this mountain?"

多少妖精: 少 = shǎo.

眾zhòng神shén道dào：「爺yé爺yé呀ya！众zhòng神shén道dào：「爷yé爷yé呀ya！

The assembled spirits said: "Oh Father!

爺爺呀 — the spirits' cringing form of address to Wukong.

只zhǐ有yǒu得dé一yí個gè妖yāo精jīng，把bǎ我wǒ們men頭tóu也yě摩mó光guāng了le，弄nòng得de我wǒ們men少shǎo香xiāng沒méi紙zhǐ，血xuè食shí全quán無wú，一yí個gè個gè衣yī不bù充chōng身shēn，食shí不bù充chōng口kǒu，還hái吃chī得dé有yǒu多duō少shǎo妖yāo精jīng哩lī。」只zhǐ有yǒu得dé一yí个gè妖yāo精jīng，把bǎ我wǒ们men头tóu也yě摩mó光guāng了le，弄nòng得de我wǒ们men少shǎo香xiāng没méi纸zhǐ，血xuè食shí全quán无wú，一yí个gè个gè衣yī不bù充chōng身shēn，食shí不bù充chōng口kǒu，还hái吃chī得dé有yǒu多duō少shǎo妖yāo精jīng哩lī。」

There's but the one demon, who has rubbed our very heads bald, left us short of incense and paper, with no blood-offerings at all — every one of us with clothes that won't cover the body and food that won't fill the mouth — and you ask how many more demons there could be!"

只有得一個: 得 = dé; 一 sandhi → yí before 個 (4th tone). 弄得: complement 得 = de. 少香沒紙: 少 = shǎo; 沒 = méi. 還吃得: 還 = hái; 得 = dé. 多少妖精: 少 = shǎo.

行xíng者zhě道dào：「這zhè妖yāo精jīng在zài山shān前qián住zhù，是shì山shān後hòu住zhù？」行xíng者zhě道dào：「这zhè妖yāo精jīng在zài山shān前qián住zhù，是shì山shān后hòu住zhù？」

Pilgrim said: "Does this demon live before the mountain, or behind it?"

在山前住，是山後住 — Wukong pinning down the demon's whereabouts.

眾zhòng神shén道dào：「他tā也yě不bú在zài山shān前qián山shān後hòu。众zhòng神shén道dào：「他tā也yě不bú在zài山shān前qián山shān后hòu。

The assembled spirits said: "He's neither before the mountain nor behind it.

不在山前山後: mechanical sandhi leaves 不 as bù before 在 (4th... 在 zài is 4th tone → 不 raised to bú)

這zhè山shān中zhōng有yǒu一yì條tiáo澗jiàn，叫jiào做zuò枯kū松sōng澗jiàn。这zhè山shān中zhōng有yǒu一yì条tiáo涧jiàn，叫jiào做zuò枯kū松sōng涧jiàn。

In this mountain there is a gully, called the Withered Pine Gully.

這山中: 中 = zhōng. 枯松澗 — the very place the false child had named as his home.

澗jiàn邊biān有yǒu一yí座zuò洞dòng，叫jiào做zuò火huǒ雲yún洞dòng。涧jiàn边biān有yǒu一yí座zuò洞dòng，叫jiào做zuò火huǒ云yún洞dòng。

By the gully there is a cave, called the Fire-Cloud Cave.

火雲洞 (Fire-Cloud Cave): the demon's true lair, its name marking his fire-element power.

那nà洞dòng裡lǐ有yǒu一yí個gè魔mó王wáng，神shén通tōng廣guǎng大dà，常cháng常cháng的de把bǎ我wǒ們men山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì拿ná了le去qù，燒shāo火huǒ頂dǐng門mén，黑hēi夜yè與yǔ他tā提tí鈴líng喝hē號hào。那nà洞dòng里lǐ有yǒu一yí个gè魔mó王wáng，神shén通tōng广guǎng大dà，常cháng常cháng的de把bǎ我wǒ们men山shān神shén、土tǔ地dì拿ná了le去qù，烧shāo火huǒ顶dǐng门mén，黑hēi夜yè与yǔ他tā提tí铃líng喝hē号hào。

In that cave there is a demon-king of vast magic powers, who is forever seizing us mountain-gods and earth-spirits, making us stoke his fires and tend his gate, and in the black of night ring his bell and call his watches for him.

那洞裡: deictic 那 = nà. 拿了去: aspect 了 = le. 提鈴喝號: 號 = hào ("to cry the watch").

小xiǎo妖yāo兒er又yòu討tǎo甚shén麼me常cháng例lì錢qián。」小xiǎo妖yāo儿er又yòu讨tǎo甚shén么me常cháng例lì钱qián。」

And the little imps keep dunning us for some 'customary fee' besides."

小妖兒: retroflex suffix 兒 = er. 甚麼常例錢: 甚 = shén; 常例錢 = "a customary levy."

總評 Commentary

Wukong's thrashing bears fruit in a piece of pure Wu Cheng'en comedy: the local pantheon dragged out of hiding, thirty mountain-gods and thirty earth-spirits, a whole bureaucracy of minor deities reduced to rags — breechclouts without seats, trousers without waistbands, heads rubbed bald — by their subjection to a single demon. The novel's satire of the celestial administration is never sharper than in these ragged spirits, who cringe and beg pardon of the Great Sage for the crime of arriving late, and whose plaint is a small masterpiece of aggrieved bureaucratic self-pity: no incense, no paper offerings, no blood-sacrifice, clothes that won't cover them and food that won't fill them, and now this monkey asking how many more demons there might be.

Beneath the comedy the passage delivers the search's crucial intelligence, and delivers it with a chilling confirmation. The demon's lair is the Fire-Cloud Cave (火雲洞) by the Withered Pine Gully (枯松澗) — and the Withered Pine Gully is precisely the home the false child had invented for himself in his sob-story. The lie, as the reader suspected, was stitched from the truth: the demon named his own actual ravine, trusting that a real place would make a false tale credible. The mountain's name, too, is given here — the Six-Hundred-Li Auger-Head Sentinel Mountain — and the cave's fire-name quietly foreshadows the 三昧真火 (samādhi true-fire) that the next passage will attach to the demon by name. The geography of the coming ordeal is now fixed; what remains is to learn who the demon is, and the spirits, in the passage that follows, will supply the answer that transforms Wukong's grim search into unexpected delight.