第四十五回 · 賭勝求雨 The Rain-Wager — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

賭勝求雨 The Rain-Wager

你nǐ今jīn遠yuǎn來lái，冒mào犯fàn國guó師shī，本běn當dāng即jí時shí問wèn罪zuì，姑gū且qiě恕shù你nǐ，敢gǎn與yǔ我wǒ國guó師shī賭dǔ勝shèng求qiú雨yǔ麼me？若ruò祈qí得dé一yì場cháng甘gān雨yǔ，濟jì度dù萬wàn民mín，朕zhèn即jí饒ráo你nǐ罪zuì名míng，倒dào換huàn關guān文wén，放fàng你nǐ西xī去qù，若ruò賭dǔ不bú過guò，無wú雨yǔ，就jiù將jiāng汝rǔ等děng推tuī赴fù殺shā場chǎng，典diǎn刑xíng示shì眾zhòng。」你nǐ今jīn远yuǎn来lái，冒mào犯fàn国guó师shī，本běn当dāng即jí时shí问wèn罪zuì，姑gū且qiě恕shù你nǐ，敢gǎn与yǔ我wǒ国guó师shī赌dǔ胜shèng求qiú雨yǔ么me？若ruò祈qí得dé一yì场cháng甘gān雨yǔ，济jì度dù万wàn民mín，朕zhèn即jí饶ráo你nǐ罪zuì名míng，倒dào换huàn关guān文wén，放fàng你nǐ西xī去qù，若ruò赌dǔ不bú过guò，无wú雨yǔ，就jiù将jiāng汝rǔ等děng推tuī赴fù杀shā场chǎng，典diǎn刑xíng示shì众zhòng。」

逐句解 Line by line

你nǐ今jīn遠yuǎn來lái，冒mào犯fàn國guó師shī，本běn當dāng即jí時shí問wèn罪zuì，姑gū且qiě恕shù你nǐ，敢gǎn與yǔ我wǒ國guó師shī賭dǔ勝shèng求qiú雨yǔ麼me？你nǐ今jīn远yuǎn来lái，冒mào犯fàn国guó师shī，本běn当dāng即jí时shí问wèn罪zuì，姑gū且qiě恕shù你nǐ，敢gǎn与yǔ我wǒ国guó师shī赌dǔ胜shèng求qiú雨yǔ么me？

You have now come from afar and affronted the Preceptors; by rights I ought to call you to account at once, but I will pardon you for the moment — do you dare wager a rain-making contest against my Preceptors?

本當即時問罪: 當 = dāng, “by rights ought to.” 姑且恕你 “for now I pardon you.” 賭勝求雨 “to contest for victory at praying rain.”

若ruò祈qí得dé一yì場cháng甘gān雨yǔ，濟jì度dù萬wàn民mín，朕zhèn即jí饒ráo你nǐ罪zuì名míng，倒dào換huàn關guān文wén，放fàng你nǐ西xī去qù，若ruò賭dǔ不bú過guò，無wú雨yǔ，就jiù將jiāng汝rǔ等děng推tuī赴fù殺shā場chǎng，典diǎn刑xíng示shì眾zhòng。」若ruò祈qí得dé一yì场cháng甘gān雨yǔ，济jì度dù万wàn民mín，朕zhèn即jí饶ráo你nǐ罪zuì名míng，倒dào换huàn关guān文wén，放fàng你nǐ西xī去qù，若ruò赌dǔ不bú过guò，无wú雨yǔ，就jiù将jiāng汝rǔ等děng推tuī赴fù杀shā场chǎng，典diǎn刑xíng示shì众zhòng。」

If you can pray down a fall of sweet rain and save the myriad people, I will pardon your offence, re-stamp your rescript, and let you go west; but if you lose the wager and there is no rain, then you shall be marched to the execution ground and put to death as a warning to all.”

祈得: 得 = dé. 一場甘雨: 場 = cháng (a spell of weather). 倒換關文: 倒 = dào. Disposal 將汝等: 將 = jiāng. 推赴殺場: 場 = chǎng (a venue) — the two readings of 場 side by side. 賭不過: 不 = bú before 4th tone.

總評 Commentary

The king converts the impasse into an ordeal with an all-or-nothing stake: rain buys the pilgrims their rescript and their freedom; failure buys them the execution ground. The passage also offers a clean minimal pair for 場 — the literary cháng of “a fall of rain” against the everyday chǎng of “execution ground.” The wager is what Wukong has been angling for: a public arena in which to humiliate the immortals.