第四十四回 · 影圖難逃 No Escape from the Posted Portraits — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

影圖難逃 No Escape from the Posted Portraits

行xíng者zhě道dào：「原yuán來lái這zhè般bān。你nǐ們men都dōu走zǒu了le便biàn罷bà。」眾zhòng僧sēng道dào：「老lǎo爺yé，走zǒu不bù脫tuō。那nà仙xiān長zhǎng奏zòu准zhǔn君jūn王wáng，把bǎ我wǒ們men畫huà了le影yǐng身shēn圖tú，四sì下xià裡lǐ長cháng川chuān張zhāng掛guà。他tā這zhè車chē遲chí國guó地dì界jiè也yě寬kuān，各gè府fǔ州zhōu縣xiàn鄉xiāng村cūn店diàn集jí之zhī方fāng，都dōu有yǒu一yì張zhāng和hé尚shàng圖tú，上shàng面miàn是shì御yù筆bǐ親qīn題tí。若ruò有yǒu官guān職zhí的de，拿ná得dé一yí個gè和hé尚shàng，高gāo陞shēng三sān級jí；無wú官guān職zhí的de，拿ná得dé一yí個gè和hé尚shàng，就jiù賞shǎng白bái銀yín五wǔ十shí兩liǎng：所suǒ以yǐ走zǒu不bù脫tuō。且qiě莫mò說shuō是shì和hé尚shàng，就jiù是shì剪jiǎn鬃zōng、禿tū子zi、毛máo稀xī的de，都dōu也yě難nán逃táo。四sì下xià裡lǐ快kuài手shǒu又yòu多duō，緝jī事shì的de又yòu廣guǎng，憑píng你nǐ怎zěn麼me也yě是shì難nán脫tuō。我wǒ們men沒méi奈nài何hé，只zhǐ得dé在zài此cǐ苦kǔ捱ái。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「原yuán来lái这zhè般bān。你nǐ们men都dōu走zǒu了le便biàn罢bà。」众zhòng僧sēng道dào：「老lǎo爷yé，走zǒu不bù脱tuō。那nà仙xiān长zhǎng奏zòu准zhǔn君jūn王wáng，把bǎ我wǒ们men画huà了le影yǐng身shēn图tú，四sì下xià里lǐ长cháng川chuān张zhāng挂guà。他tā这zhè车chē迟chí国guó地dì界jiè也yě宽kuān，各gè府fǔ州zhōu县xiàn乡xiāng村cūn店diàn集jí之zhī方fāng，都dōu有yǒu一yì张zhāng和hé尚shàng图tú，上shàng面miàn是shì御yù笔bǐ亲qīn题tí。若ruò有yǒu官guān职zhí的de，拿ná得dé一yí个gè和hé尚shàng，高gāo升shēng三sān级jí；无wú官guān职zhí的de，拿ná得dé一yí个gè和hé尚shàng，就jiù赏shǎng白bái银yín五wǔ十shí两liǎng：所suǒ以yǐ走zǒu不bù脱tuō。且qiě莫mò说shuō是shì和hé尚shàng，就jiù是shì剪jiǎn鬃zōng、秃tū子zi、毛máo稀xī的de，都dōu也yě难nán逃táo。四sì下xià里lǐ快kuài手shǒu又yòu多duō，缉jī事shì的de又yòu广guǎng，凭píng你nǐ怎zěn么me也yě是shì难nán脱tuō。我wǒ们men没méi奈nài何hé，只zhǐ得dé在zài此cǐ苦kǔ挨ái。」

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng者zhě道dào：「原yuán來lái這zhè般bān。行xíng者zhě道dào：「原yuán来lái这zhè般bān。

Pilgrim said: “So that’s how it is.

原來這般 = “so that is how it is.”

你nǐ們men都dōu走zǒu了le便biàn罷bà。」你nǐ们men都dōu走zǒu了le便biàn罢bà。」

You might all just leave, then.”

都走了: 都 = dōu. 便罷: 罷 = bà, the “that will do” sense.

眾zhòng僧sēng道dào：「老lǎo爺yé，走zǒu不bù脫tuō。众zhòng僧sēng道dào：「老lǎo爷yé，走zǒu不bù脱tuō。

The monks said: “Your Honor, there’s no getting away.

走不脫: 不 = bù before tuō.

那nà仙xiān長zhǎng奏zòu准zhǔn君jūn王wáng，把bǎ我wǒ們men畫huà了le影yǐng身shēn圖tú，四sì下xià裡lǐ長cháng川chuān張zhāng掛guà。那nà仙xiān长zhǎng奏zòu准zhǔn君jūn王wáng，把bǎ我wǒ们men画huà了le影yǐng身shēn图tú，四sì下xià里lǐ长cháng川chuān张zhāng挂guà。

Those immortal-elders got the king’s assent to have our portraits drawn and posted up everywhere, all the time.

那仙長: 那 = nà; 仙長長 = zhǎng. 長川: here 長 = cháng, the adverbial “constantly, all along” (=常川) — a third sense of 長 in this chapter, beside zhǎng (仙長) and the cháng of 長揖/長壽. 影身圖, a portrait.

他tā這zhè車chē遲chí國guó地dì界jiè也yě寬kuān，各gè府fǔ州zhōu縣xiàn鄉xiāng村cūn店diàn集jí之zhī方fāng，都dōu有yǒu一yì張zhāng和hé尚shàng圖tú，上shàng面miàn是shì御yù筆bǐ親qīn題tí。他tā这zhè车chē迟chí国guó地dì界jiè也yě宽kuān，各gè府fǔ州zhōu县xiàn乡xiāng村cūn店diàn集jí之zhī方fāng，都dōu有yǒu一yì张zhāng和hé尚shàng图tú，上shàng面miàn是shì御yù笔bǐ亲qīn题tí。

This Cart-Slow Kingdom’s territory is broad; in every prefecture, department, county, village, hamlet, shop, and market-town there hangs a monk-portrait, and above it the king’s own brush has inscribed the order.

都有: 都 = dōu. 一張: 一 = yì before zhāng. 御筆親題, inscribed by the royal brush.

若ruò有yǒu官guān職zhí的de，拿ná得dé一yí個gè和hé尚shàng，高gāo陞shēng三sān級jí；若ruò有yǒu官guān职zhí的de，拿ná得dé一yí个gè和hé尚shàng，高gāo升shēng三sān级jí；

Anyone holding office who catches a single monk is promoted three grades;

拿得: 得 = dé, “to catch.” 一個: 一 = yí before gè.

無wú官guān職zhí的de，拿ná得dé一yí個gè和hé尚shàng，就jiù賞shǎng白bái銀yín五wǔ十shí兩liǎng：所suǒ以yǐ走zǒu不bù脫tuō。无wú官guān职zhí的de，拿ná得dé一yí个gè和hé尚shàng，就jiù赏shǎng白bái银yín五wǔ十shí两liǎng：所suǒ以yǐ走zǒu不bù脱tuō。

anyone without office who catches a single monk is rewarded fifty taels of silver — and so there’s no getting away.

拿得: 得 = dé. 一個: 一 = yí. 走不脫: 不 = bù before tuō.

且qiě莫mò說shuō是shì和hé尚shàng，就jiù是shì剪jiǎn鬃zōng、禿tū子zi、毛máo稀xī的de，都dōu也yě難nán逃táo。且qiě莫mò说shuō是shì和hé尚shàng，就jiù是shì剪jiǎn鬃zōng、秃tū子zi、毛máo稀xī的de，都dōu也yě难nán逃táo。

Never mind actual monks — even a man with cropped mane, a bald pate, or thinning hair can hardly escape.

禿子: 子 = zi, suffix. 都也難逃: 都 = dōu; 難 = nán.

四sì下xià裡lǐ快kuài手shǒu又yòu多duō，緝jī事shì的de又yòu廣guǎng，憑píng你nǐ怎zěn麼me也yě是shì難nán脫tuō。四sì下xià里lǐ快kuài手shǒu又yòu多duō，缉jī事shì的de又yòu广guǎng，凭píng你nǐ怎zěn么me也yě是shì难nán脱tuō。

Runners are many on every side, and informers wider still; do what you will, there’s no slipping away.

快手, runners, thief-takers. 緝事, informers. 難脫: 難 = nán.

我wǒ們men沒méi奈nài何hé，只zhǐ得dé在zài此cǐ苦kǔ捱ái。」我wǒ们men没méi奈nài何hé，只zhǐ得dé在zài此cǐ苦kǔ挨ái。」

We have no help for it, and can only endure our bitterness here.”

只得: 得 = dé, “can only.” 沒奈何: 沒 = méi, “no help for it.”

總評 Commentary

The monks’ answer to “why not simply leave” turns the persecution into a police state: their likenesses (影身圖) are posted 長川, “constantly,” in every administrative unit of a wide realm, under the king’s own inscription, with three-grade promotions for officials and fifty-tael bounties for commoners who take a monk. The net is so fine that “even a man with cropped mane or thinning hair” is at risk. The passage completes the picture of a kingdom in which being a Buddhist is itself a crime, and endurance the monks’ only remaining option — the desperation the prophecy will answer.