第四十一回 · 搥鼻噴火 The Nose-Punch and the Fire — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

搥鼻噴火 The Nose-Punch and the Fire

二èr人rén趕gǎn到dào他tā洞dòng門mén前qián，只zhǐ見jiàn妖yāo精jīng一yì隻zhī手shǒu舉jǔ著zhe火huǒ尖jiān槍qiāng，站zhàn在zài那nà中zhōng間jiān一yí輛liàng小xiǎo車chē兒er上shàng；一yì隻zhī手shǒu捏niē著zhe拳quán頭tóu，往wǎng自zì家jiā鼻bí子zi上shàng搥chuí了le兩liǎng拳quán。八bā戒jiè笑xiào道dào：「這zhè廝sī放fàng賴lài不bù羞xiū。你nǐ好hǎo道dào搥chuí破pò鼻bí子zi，淌tǎng出chū些xiē血xuè來lái，搽chá紅hóng了le臉liǎn，往wǎng那nǎ裡lǐ告gào我wǒ們men去qù耶yé？」那nà妖yāo魔mó搥chuí了le兩liǎng拳quán，念niàn個gè咒zhòu語yǔ，口kǒu裡lǐ噴pēn出chū火huǒ來lái，鼻bí子zi裡lǐ濃nóng煙yān迸bèng出chū，閘zhá閘zhá眼yǎn，火huǒ焰yàn齊qí生shēng，那nà五wǔ輛liàng車chē子zi上shàng火huǒ光guāng湧yǒng出chū。連lián噴pēn了le幾jǐ口kǒu，只zhǐ見jiàn那nà紅hóng焰yàn焰yàn大dà火huǒ燒shāo空kōng，把bǎ一yí座zuò火huǒ雲yún洞dòng被bèi那nà煙yān火huǒ迷mí漫màn，真zhēn個gè是shì熯hàn天tiān熾chì地dì。二èr人rén赶gǎn到dào他tā洞dòng门mén前qián，只zhǐ见jiàn妖yāo精jīng一yì只zhī手shǒu举jǔ着zhe火huǒ尖jiān枪qiāng，站zhàn在zài那nà中zhōng间jiān一yí辆liàng小xiǎo车chē儿er上shàng；一yì只zhī手shǒu捏niē着zhe拳quán头tóu，往wǎng自zì家jiā鼻bí子zi上shàng搥chuí了le两liǎng拳quán。八bā戒jiè笑xiào道dào：「这zhè厮sī放fàng赖lài不bù羞xiū。你nǐ好hǎo道dào搥chuí破pò鼻bí子zi，淌tǎng出chū些xiē血xuè来lái，搽chá红hóng了le脸liǎn，往wǎng那nǎ里lǐ告gào我wǒ们men去qù耶yé？」那nà妖yāo魔mó搥chuí了le两liǎng拳quán，念niàn个gè咒zhòu语yǔ，口kǒu里lǐ喷pēn出chū火huǒ来lái，鼻bí子zi里lǐ浓nóng烟yān迸bèng出chū，闸zhá闸zhá眼yǎn，火huǒ焰yàn齐qí生shēng，那nà五wǔ辆liàng车chē子zi上shàng火huǒ光guāng涌yǒng出chū。连lián喷pēn了le几jǐ口kǒu，只zhǐ见jiàn那nà红hóng焰yàn焰yàn大dà火huǒ烧shāo空kōng，把bǎ一yí座zuò火huǒ云yún洞dòng被bèi那nà烟yān火huǒ迷mí漫màn，真zhēn个gè是shì熯hàn天tiān炽chì地dì。

逐句解 Line by line

二èr人rén趕gǎn到dào他tā洞dòng門mén前qián，只zhǐ見jiàn妖yāo精jīng一yì隻zhī手shǒu舉jǔ著zhe火huǒ尖jiān槍qiāng，站zhàn在zài那nà中zhōng間jiān一yí輛liàng小xiǎo車chē兒er上shàng；二èr人rén赶gǎn到dào他tā洞dòng门mén前qián，只zhǐ见jiàn妖yāo精jīng一yì只zhī手shǒu举jǔ着zhe火huǒ尖jiān枪qiāng，站zhàn在zài那nà中zhōng间jiān一yí辆liàng小xiǎo车chē儿er上shàng；

The two chased him to the gate of his cave, where they saw the monster, one hand raising the fire-tipped spear, standing on the middle cart of the row;

舉著 ‘raising’: 著 zhe (durative). 站在那中間 ‘standing in the middle’: 那 nà (deictic), 中 zhōng, 中間 jiān. 一輛小車兒: 兒 er, diminutive suffix (‘cart’); 一 before 隻/輛 → yì/yí.

一yì隻zhī手shǒu捏niē著zhe拳quán頭tóu，往wǎng自zì家jiā鼻bí子zi上shàng搥chuí了le兩liǎng拳quán。一yì只zhī手shǒu捏niē着zhe拳quán头tóu，往wǎng自zì家jiā鼻bí子zi上shàng搥chuí了le两liǎng拳quán。

with the other hand he clenched a fist and struck himself two blows upon his own nose.

捏著 ‘clenched’: 著 zhe (durative). 鼻子子 suffix. 搥了兩拳 ‘struck two blows’: 搥 chuí (to pound). 一隻手 (一 before 隻 t1 → yì). The self-inflicted nose-punch is the trigger for the samādhi fire.

八bā戒jiè笑xiào道dào：「這zhè廝sī放fàng賴lài不bù羞xiū。八bā戒jiè笑xiào道dào：「这zhè厮sī放fàng赖lài不bù羞xiū。

Eight Rules laughed: ‘The rogue plays foul without shame.

這廝 ‘this rogue (廝, pejorative)’. 放賴不羞 ‘shamelessly cheats’ (不 before 羞 t1 → bù). Bajie mistakes the ritual nose-punch for a con.

你nǐ好hǎo道dào搥chuí破pò鼻bí子zi，淌tǎng出chū些xiē血xuè來lái，搽chá紅hóng了le臉liǎn，往wǎng那nǎ裡lǐ告gào我wǒ們men去qù耶yé？」你nǐ好hǎo道dào搥chuí破pò鼻bí子zi，淌tǎng出chū些xiē血xuè来lái，搽chá红hóng了le脸liǎn，往wǎng那nǎ里lǐ告gào我wǒ们men去qù耶yé？」

What, will you punch your nose till it bleeds, smear your face red, and go off — to where? — to lodge a complaint against us?’

你好道 ‘surely you don't mean to…’, rhetorical. 往那裡告我們去 ‘go where to accuse us’: 那 nǎ (interrogative ‘where’). 血 xuè; 搽紅了 le; 耶 yé (final particle). Bajie's jeer, moments before the fire proves him wrong.

那nà妖yāo魔mó搥chuí了le兩liǎng拳quán，念niàn個gè咒zhòu語yǔ，口kǒu裡lǐ噴pēn出chū火huǒ來lái，鼻bí子zi裡lǐ濃nóng煙yān迸bèng出chū，閘zhá閘zhá眼yǎn，火huǒ焰yàn齊qí生shēng，那nà五wǔ輛liàng車chē子zi上shàng火huǒ光guāng湧yǒng出chū。那nà妖yāo魔mó搥chuí了le两liǎng拳quán，念niàn个gè咒zhòu语yǔ，口kǒu里lǐ喷pēn出chū火huǒ来lái，鼻bí子zi里lǐ浓nóng烟yān迸bèng出chū，闸zhá闸zhá眼yǎn，火huǒ焰yàn齐qí生shēng，那nà五wǔ辆liàng车chē子zi上shàng火huǒ光guāng涌yǒng出chū。

The demon, having struck those two blows, recited a spell; from his mouth fire spurted, from his nose thick smoke burst out, and with a blink of his eyes the flames sprang up together, while from the five carts light of fire came surging.

那妖魔…那五輛車子: 那 nà ×2 (deictic). 搥了 chuí + le. 閘閘眼 ‘blinked (閘 zhá)’. 火焰齊生 ‘flames sprang up together’. The 三昧真火 is raised — mouth, nose, and the five Five-Phase carts all igniting at once.

連lián噴pēn了le幾jǐ口kǒu，只zhǐ見jiàn那nà紅hóng焰yàn焰yàn大dà火huǒ燒shāo空kōng，把bǎ一yí座zuò火huǒ雲yún洞dòng被bèi那nà煙yān火huǒ迷mí漫màn，真zhēn個gè是shì熯hàn天tiān熾chì地dì。连lián喷pēn了le几jǐ口kǒu，只zhǐ见jiàn那nà红hóng焰yàn焰yàn大dà火huǒ烧shāo空kōng，把bǎ一yí座zuò火huǒ云yún洞dòng被bèi那nà烟yān火huǒ迷mí漫màn，真zhēn个gè是shì熯hàn天tiān炽chì地dì。

He blew several breaths more, and lo, a red-blazing great fire burned to the sky; the whole Fire-Cloud Cave was lost in that smoke and flame — truly it scorched the heavens and seared the earth.

那紅焰焰…那煙火: 那 nà ×2 (deictic). 熯天熾地 ‘scorched heaven and seared earth’ (熯 hàn ‘scorch by fire’, 熾 chì ‘blaze’). 一座 (一 before 座 t4 → yí); 了 le. The fire engulfs the cave — the 三昧真火 at full force.

總評 Commentary

The demon raises his signature weapon, the 三昧真火 (samādhi true-fire), by a grotesque ritual: he punches his own nose, recites a spell, and looses fire from mouth and nose while the five Five-Phase carts blaze up together. Bajie, watching, reads the nose-punch as mere trickery (‘will you smear your face and go complain?’) — a jeer the narrative immediately overturns as the fire scorches heaven and earth.

The fire's nature is the point of the whole episode: born of the demon's own body and mind (rather than struck from flint), it is the ‘true-fire of samādhi,’ which ordinary water cannot quench — as Wukong will discover to his cost. The chapter's opening lyric (五行蹬蹭破禪林) is now literal: the Five Phases, ranged as five carts, have become the engine of the fire.