第四十五回 · 恐滅苗裔 A Show of Reluctance — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

恐滅苗裔 A Show of Reluctance

那nà道dào士shì吹chuī打dǎ已yǐ畢bì，行xíng者zhě開kāi言yán道dào：「那nà晚wǎn輩bèi小xiǎo仙xiān，不bù須xū拜bài伏fú。我wǒ欲yù不bù留liú些xiē聖shèng水shuǐ與yǔ你nǐ們men，恐kǒng滅miè了le苗miáo裔yì；若ruò要yào與yǔ你nǐ，又yòu忒tè容róng易yì了le。」那nà道dào士shì吹chuī打dǎ已yǐ毕bì，行xíng者zhě开kāi言yán道dào：「那nà晚wǎn辈bèi小xiǎo仙xiān，不bù须xū拜bài伏fú。我wǒ欲yù不bù留liú些xiē圣shèng水shuǐ与yǔ你nǐ们men，恐kǒng灭miè了le苗miáo裔yì；若ruò要yào与yǔ你nǐ，又yòu忒tè容róng易yì了le。」

逐句解 Line by line

那nà道dào士shì吹chuī打dǎ已yǐ畢bì，行xíng者zhě開kāi言yán道dào：「那nà晚wǎn輩bèi小xiǎo仙xiān，不bù須xū拜bài伏fú。那nà道dào士shì吹chuī打dǎ已yǐ毕bì，行xíng者zhě开kāi言yán道dào：「那nà晚wǎn辈bèi小xiǎo仙xiān，不bù须xū拜bài伏fú。

When the Daoists had finished their piping and drumming, Pilgrim spoke up: “You juniors of the immortal ranks, you need not prostrate yourselves.

Deictic 那道士 and 那晚輩: 那 = nà (×2). 吹打 “piping and drumming” (the ritual music). 不須: 不 = bù.

我wǒ欲yù不bù留liú些xiē聖shèng水shuǐ與yǔ你nǐ們men，恐kǒng滅miè了le苗miáo裔yì；我wǒ欲yù不bù留liú些xiē圣shèng水shuǐ与yǔ你nǐ们men，恐kǒng灭miè了le苗miáo裔yì；

I was of a mind not to leave you any holy water, fearing it might cut off your line;

我欲 “I was inclined to.” 不留: 不 = bù before 留 (2nd tone). 苗裔 “offspring, posterity, a lineage.”

若ruò要yào與yǔ你nǐ，又yòu忒tè容róng易yì了le。」若ruò要yào与yǔ你nǐ，又yòu忒tè容róng易yì了le。」

but were I to give it you, it would come too easily.”

忒容易: 忒 (tè) “too, excessively.” The mock-hesitation is Wukong drawing out the joke.

總評 Commentary

Wukong plays the reluctant benefactor, inventing a solemn reason to withhold and then to grant — pure comic delay. “It would come too easily” parodies the logic of scarcity that makes a boon precious; the audience knows the “boon” is urine, which sharpens every pious word into farce.