第四十一回 · 沙僧發笑 Sha Monk's Laughter — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

沙僧發笑 Sha Monk's Laughter

他tā兩liǎng個gè只zhǐ管guǎn論lùn那nà妖yāo精jīng的de手shǒu段duàn，講jiǎng那nà妖yāo精jīng的de火huǒ毒dú。沙shā和hé尚shàng倚yǐ著zhe松sōng根gēn，笑xiào得de騃ái了le。行xíng者zhě看kàn見jiàn道dào：「兄xiōng弟dì，你nǐ笑xiào怎zěn麼me？你nǐ好hǎo道dào有yǒu甚shén手shǒu段duàn，擒qín得dé那nà妖yāo魔mó，破pò得dé那nà火huǒ陣zhèn？這zhè樁zhuāng事shì，也yě是shì大dà家jiā有yǒu益yì的de事shì。常cháng言yán道dào：『眾zhòng毛máo攢cuán毬qiú。』你nǐ若ruò拿ná得dé妖yāo魔mó，救jiù了le師shī父fù，也yě是shì你nǐ的de一yí件jiàn大dà功gōng績jì。」沙shā僧sēng道dào：「我wǒ也yě沒méi甚shèn手shǒu段duàn，也yě不bù能néng降xiáng妖yāo。我wǒ笑xiào你nǐ兩liǎng個gè都dōu著zháo了le忙máng也yě。」他tā两liǎng个gè只zhǐ管guǎn论lùn那nà妖yāo精jīng的de手shǒu段duàn，讲jiǎng那nà妖yāo精jīng的de火huǒ毒dú。沙shā和hé尚shàng倚yǐ着zhe松sōng根gēn，笑xiào得de騃ái了le。行xíng者zhě看kàn见jiàn道dào：「兄xiōng弟dì，你nǐ笑xiào怎zěn么me？你nǐ好hǎo道dào有yǒu甚shén手shǒu段duàn，擒qín得dé那nà妖yāo魔mó，破pò得dé那nà火huǒ阵zhèn？这zhè桩zhuāng事shì，也yě是shì大dà家jiā有yǒu益yì的de事shì。常cháng言yán道dào：『众zhòng毛máo攒cuán毬qiú。』你nǐ若ruò拿ná得dé妖yāo魔mó，救jiù了le师shī父fù，也yě是shì你nǐ的de一yí件jiàn大dà功gōng绩jì。」沙shā僧sēng道dào：「我wǒ也yě没méi甚shèn手shǒu段duàn，也yě不bù能néng降xiáng妖yāo。我wǒ笑xiào你nǐ两liǎng个gè都dōu着zháo了le忙máng也yě。」

逐句解 Line by line

他tā兩liǎng個gè只zhǐ管guǎn論lùn那nà妖yāo精jīng的de手shǒu段duàn，講jiǎng那nà妖yāo精jīng的de火huǒ毒dú。他tā两liǎng个gè只zhǐ管guǎn论lùn那nà妖yāo精jīng的de手shǒu段duàn，讲jiǎng那nà妖yāo精jīng的de火huǒ毒dú。

The two of them kept on debating the monster's fighting-skill and discoursing on the venom of his fire.

那妖精 nà ×2 (deictic). 只管論…講 ‘kept on debating and discoursing’; 火毒 ‘the venom of the fire’. The pair talk in circles, setting off Sha's silent amusement.

沙shā和hé尚shàng倚yǐ著zhe松sōng根gēn，笑xiào得de騃ái了le。沙shā和hé尚shàng倚yǐ着zhe松sōng根gēn，笑xiào得de騃ái了le。

Sha the Monk, leaning on a pine-root, laughed himself silly.

倚著松根 ‘leaning on a pine-root’: 著 zhe (durative). 笑得騃了 ‘laughed himself foolish’: 得 de (complement); 騃 ái ‘foolish, silly’; 了 le. His mirth prompts Wukong's question.

行xíng者zhě看kàn見jiàn道dào：「兄xiōng弟dì，你nǐ笑xiào怎zěn麼me？行xíng者zhě看kàn见jiàn道dào：「兄xiōng弟dì，你nǐ笑xiào怎zěn么me？

The Pilgrim, seeing it, said: ‘Brother, what are you laughing at?

行者 xíng. 看見 kàn. 你笑怎麼 ‘what are you laughing at?’ No NT graphs.

你nǐ好hǎo道dào有yǒu甚shén手shǒu段duàn，擒qín得dé那nà妖yāo魔mó，破pò得dé那nà火huǒ陣zhèn？你nǐ好hǎo道dào有yǒu甚shén手shǒu段duàn，擒qín得dé那nà妖yāo魔mó，破pò得dé那nà火huǒ阵zhèn？

Surely you don't have some skill to catch that demon and break that fire-array?

你好道 ‘surely you don't mean…’, rhetorical. 有甚手段 ‘what skill’: 甚 shén (interrogative, per 有甚 = shén). 擒得…破得: 得 dé ×2 (attainment ‘manage to catch / break’). 那妖魔…那火陣 nà ×2 (deictic). Contrast with 沒甚 below.

這zhè樁zhuāng事shì，也yě是shì大dà家jiā有yǒu益yì的de事shì。这zhè桩zhuāng事shì，也yě是shì大dà家jiā有yǒu益yì的de事shì。

This business, too, is a matter to everyone's good.

這樁事 ‘this matter (樁, measure-word)’; 大家有益 ‘to everyone's benefit’. Wukong flatters Sha toward offering his idea.

常cháng言yán道dào：『眾zhòng毛máo攢cuán毬qiú。』常cháng言yán道dào：『众zhòng毛máo攒cuán毬qiú。』

As the common saying goes: “Many hairs make a ball.”

眾毛攢毬 ‘many hairs gather into a ball’ (i.e. small contributions combine): 攢 cuán (‘to gather, cluster’, not the zǎn ‘hoard’ default); 毬 qiú ‘ball’. 常言 cháng ‘the common saying’. A proverb inviting Sha's help.

你nǐ若ruò拿ná得dé妖yāo魔mó，救jiù了le師shī父fù，也yě是shì你nǐ的de一yí件jiàn大dà功gōng績jì。」你nǐ若ruò拿ná得dé妖yāo魔mó，救jiù了le师shī父fù，也yě是shì你nǐ的de一yí件jiàn大dà功gōng绩jì。」

If you can seize the demon and save our master, that too is a great achievement of yours.’

拿得妖魔 ‘manage to seize the demon’: 得 dé (attainment). 救了 le; 一件大功績 ‘one great achievement’ (一 before 件 t4 → yí). Wukong's inducement.

沙shā僧sēng道dào：「我wǒ也yě沒méi甚shèn手shǒu段duàn，也yě不bù能néng降xiáng妖yāo。沙shā僧sēng道dào：「我wǒ也yě没méi甚shèn手shǒu段duàn，也yě不bù能néng降xiáng妖yāo。

Sha the Monk said: ‘I too have no skill to speak of, nor can I subdue demons.

沒甚手段 ‘no skill of any kind’: 甚 shèn (the ‘any-at-all’ indefinite, per 沒甚 = shèn — contrast 有甚 = shén above). 也不能降妖 ‘cannot subdue demons’: 降 xiáng (subdue); 不 before 能 t2 → bù.

我wǒ笑xiào你nǐ兩liǎng個gè都dōu著zháo了le忙máng也yě。」我wǒ笑xiào你nǐ两liǎng个gè都dōu着zháo了le忙máng也yě。」

I laugh because you two have both got yourselves into a fluster.’

你兩個都著了忙 ‘you two have both got flustered’: 都 dōu (both); 著忙 ‘to get flustered/anxious’ → 著 zháo (resultative); 了 le. Sha's real point: the panic, not the fire, is the problem.

總評 Commentary

Sha Monk, usually the quiet one, here holds the key. While Wukong and Bajie talk themselves in circles about the demon's skill and the fire's venom, he simply laughs — and diagnoses the trouble as panic rather than the fire itself (‘you two have both got into a fluster’). The scene turns on the two readings of 甚: Wukong's rhetorical 有甚手段 (‘what skill have you?’, shén) against Sha's self-deprecating 沒甚手段 (‘no skill of any kind’, shèn). The joke is that the disciple who claims no skill is the one about to solve the problem — with the principle of 相剋, which the next scene will supply.