第四十一回 · 抄近設伏 The Demon Takes the Shortcut — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

抄近設伏 The Demon Takes the Shortcut

卻què說shuō那nà妖yāo王wáng久jiǔ居jū於yú此cǐ，俱jù是shì熟shú遊yóu之zhī地dì，他tā曉xiǎo得de那nǎ條tiáo路lù上shàng南nán海hǎi去qù近jìn，那nǎ條tiáo路lù去qù遠yuǎn。他tā從cóng那nà近jìn路lù上shàng，一yí駕jià雲yún頭tóu，趕gǎn過guò了le八bā戒jiè，端duān坐zuò在zài壁bì巖yán之zhī上shàng，變biàn作zuò一yí個gè假jiǎ觀guān世shì音yīn模mó樣yàng，等děng候hòu著zhe八bā戒jiè。却què说shuō那nà妖yāo王wáng久jiǔ居jū于yú此cǐ，俱jù是shì熟shú游yóu之zhī地dì，他tā晓xiǎo得de那nǎ条tiáo路lù上shàng南nán海hǎi去qù近jìn，那nǎ条tiáo路lù去qù远yuǎn。他tā从cóng那nà近jìn路lù上shàng，一yí驾jià云yún头tóu，赶gǎn过guò了le八bā戒jiè，端duān坐zuò在zài壁bì岩yán之zhī上shàng，变biàn作zuò一yí个gè假jiǎ观guān世shì音yīn模mó样yàng，等děng候hòu着zhe八bā戒jiè。

逐句解 Line by line

卻què說shuō那nà妖yāo王wáng久jiǔ居jū於yú此cǐ，俱jù是shì熟shú遊yóu之zhī地dì，他tā曉xiǎo得de那nǎ條tiáo路lù上shàng南nán海hǎi去qù近jìn，那nǎ條tiáo路lù去qù遠yuǎn。却què说shuō那nà妖yāo王wáng久jiǔ居jū于yú此cǐ，俱jù是shì熟shú游yóu之zhī地dì，他tā晓xiǎo得de那nǎ条tiáo路lù上shàng南nán海hǎi去qù近jìn，那nǎ条tiáo路lù去qù远yuǎn。

Now the demon king had long dwelt in this place, and all the ground was familiar to him; he knew which road toward the South Sea was the short way and which was the long.

卻說那妖王 nà (deictic). 曉得 ‘knew’: 得 de (complement). 那條路上南海去近，那條路去遠: the two 那條路 read nǎ (indirect-interrogative ‘which road’, paralleling near/far) — the first 那 (那妖王) is the deictic nà.

他tā從cóng那nà近jìn路lù上shàng，一yí駕jià雲yún頭tóu，趕gǎn過guò了le八bā戒jiè，端duān坐zuò在zài壁bì巖yán之zhī上shàng，變biàn作zuò一yí個gè假jiǎ觀guān世shì音yīn模mó樣yàng，等děng候hòu著zhe八bā戒jiè。他tā从cóng那nà近jìn路lù上shàng，一yí驾jià云yún头tóu，赶gǎn过guò了le八bā戒jiè，端duān坐zuò在zài壁bì岩yán之zhī上shàng，变biàn作zuò一yí个gè假jiǎ观guān世shì音yīn模mó样yàng，等děng候hòu着zhe八bā戒jiè。

By that short road he loosed his cloud, overtook Eight Rules, seated himself upright upon a cliff-face, changed into the semblance of a false Guanyin, and waited for Eight Rules.

從那近路上 nà (deictic ‘that near road’). 一駕雲頭 (一 before 駕 t4 → yí). 趕過了 le. 變作一個假觀世音 ‘changed into a false Guanyin (觀世音)’: 觀 guān; 一 before 個 t4 → yí. 等候著八戒 ‘waited for Bajie’: 著 zhe (durative). The demon lays his ambush by impersonating the very Bodhisattva Bajie seeks.

總評 Commentary

The demon's stratagem is elegant and cruel: knowing the roads better than the pilgrims, he takes the short way, overtakes Bajie, and transforms himself into a false Guanyin — the very Bodhisattva Bajie is being sent to fetch. The impersonation of a holy figure to deceive is a favourite demonic tactic in the novel, and here it turns the pilgrims' one hope directly against them. Bajie, guileless, is about to bow to his enemy.