第四十一回 · 敗出火中 Driven from the Flames — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

敗出火中 Driven from the Flames

行xíng者zhě被bèi他tā煙yān火huǒ飛fēi騰téng，不bù能néng尋xún怪guài，看kàn不bú見jiàn他tā洞dòng門mén前qián路lù徑jìng，抽chōu身shēn跳tiào出chū火huǒ中zhōng。那nà妖yāo精jīng在zài門mén首shǒu看kàn得de明míng白bái，他tā見jiàn行xíng者zhě走zǒu了le，卻què才cái收shōu了le火huǒ具jù，帥shuài群qún妖yāo，轉zhuǎn於yú洞dòng內nèi，閉bì了le石shí門mén，以yǐ為wéi得dé勝shèng，著zhuó小xiǎo的de排pái宴yàn奏zòu樂yuè，歡huān笑xiào不bù題tí。行xíng者zhě被bèi他tā烟yān火huǒ飞fēi腾téng，不bù能néng寻xún怪guài，看kàn不bú见jiàn他tā洞dòng门mén前qián路lù径jìng，抽chōu身shēn跳tiào出chū火huǒ中zhōng。那nà妖yāo精jīng在zài门mén首shǒu看kàn得de明míng白bái，他tā见jiàn行xíng者zhě走zǒu了le，却què才cái收shōu了le火huǒ具jù，帅shuài群qún妖yāo，转zhuǎn于yú洞dòng内nèi，闭bì了le石shí门mén，以yǐ为wéi得dé胜shèng，着zhuó小xiǎo的de排pái宴yàn奏zòu乐yuè，欢huān笑xiào不bù题tí。

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng者zhě被bèi他tā煙yān火huǒ飛fēi騰téng，不bù能néng尋xún怪guài，看kàn不bú見jiàn他tā洞dòng門mén前qián路lù徑jìng，抽chōu身shēn跳tiào出chū火huǒ中zhōng。行xíng者zhě被bèi他tā烟yān火huǒ飞fēi腾téng，不bù能néng寻xún怪guài，看kàn不bú见jiàn他tā洞dòng门mén前qián路lù径jìng，抽chōu身shēn跳tiào出chū火huǒ中zhōng。

The Pilgrim, with the smoke and fire whirling upon him, could not find the monster, could not even see the path before the cave gate, and drew back with a leap out of the flames.

行者 xíng. 不能尋怪 / 看不見 ‘could not find… could not see’: 看 kàn (不 before 能 t2 → bù; 不 before 見 t4 → bú). 跳出火中中 zhōng. Wukong's first repulse by the samādhi fire.

那nà妖yāo精jīng在zài門mén首shǒu看kàn得de明míng白bái，他tā見jiàn行xíng者zhě走zǒu了le，卻què才cái收shōu了le火huǒ具jù，帥shuài群qún妖yāo，轉zhuǎn於yú洞dòng內nèi，閉bì了le石shí門mén，以yǐ為wéi得dé勝shèng，著zhuó小xiǎo的de排pái宴yàn奏zòu樂yuè，歡huān笑xiào不bù題tí。那nà妖yāo精jīng在zài门mén首shǒu看kàn得de明míng白bái，他tā见jiàn行xíng者zhě走zǒu了le，却què才cái收shōu了le火huǒ具jù，帅shuài群qún妖yāo，转zhuǎn于yú洞dòng内nèi，闭bì了le石shí门mén，以yǐ为wéi得dé胜shèng，着zhuó小xiǎo的de排pái宴yàn奏zòu乐yuè，欢huān笑xiào不bù题tí。

The monster, watching clearly from the gate, saw that the Pilgrim had gone, and only then put away his fire-gear, led his horde of imps, turned back within the cave, shut the stone door, and — reckoning himself the victor — had the little ones set out a feast and strike up music, laughing merrily; of which no more.

那妖精 nà (deictic). 看得明白: 看 kàn, 得 de (complement). 以為得勝: positional 得 — 看得 de (#1) then 得勝 dé (#2, ‘gained the victory’); 以為為 wéi (‘supposed’). 帥群妖 ‘led the horde’: 帥 shuài. 著小的排宴 ‘had the imps lay a feast’: 著 zhuó (causative). 奏樂 ‘struck up music’: 樂 yuè (music, not lè). 了 le ×3; 不題 ‘no more of this’ (不 before 題 t2 → bù). The demon's premature triumph.

總評 Commentary

The samādhi fire does exactly what its rhapsody promised: Wukong, blinded by the whirling smoke, cannot even find the monster, let alone strike him, and must leap clear. The demon, mistaking a tactical withdrawal for a rout, shuts his gate and throws a victory feast — a complacency that will cost him. The chapter's title, 心猿遭火敗 (‘the Mind-Ape suffers defeat by fire’), is now literally fulfilled.