第四十五回 · 強中強手 “A Stronger Than the Strong” — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

強中強手 “A Stronger Than the Strong”

只zhǐ見jiàn霎shà時shí間jiān，雷léi收shōu風fēng息xī，雨yǔ散sàn雲yún收shōu。國guó王wáng滿mǎn心xīn歡huān喜xǐ，文wén武wǔ盡jìn皆jiē稱chēng贊zàn道dào：「好hǎo和hé尚shàng！這zhè正zhèng是shì『強qiáng中zhōng更gèng有yǒu強qiáng中zhōng手shǒu』。只zhǐ见jiàn霎shà时shí间jiān，雷léi收shōu风fēng息xī，雨yǔ散sàn云yún收shōu。国guó王wáng满mǎn心xīn欢huān喜xǐ，文wén武wǔ尽jìn皆jiē称chēng赞zàn道dào：「好hǎo和hé尚shàng！这zhè正zhèng是shì『强qiáng中zhōng更gèng有yǒu强qiáng中zhōng手shǒu』。

逐句解 Line by line

只zhǐ見jiàn霎shà時shí間jiān，雷léi收shōu風fēng息xī，雨yǔ散sàn雲yún收shōu。只zhǐ见jiàn霎shà时shí间jiān，雷léi收shōu风fēng息xī，雨yǔ散sàn云yún收shōu。

In a flash the thunder ceased and the wind died, the rain scattered and the clouds drew in.

霎時間 “in an instant.” 雨散雲收: 散 = sàn, “to disperse.”

國guó王wáng滿mǎn心xīn歡huān喜xǐ，文wén武wǔ盡jìn皆jiē稱chēng贊zàn道dào：「好hǎo和hé尚shàng！国guó王wáng满mǎn心xīn欢huān喜xǐ，文wén武wǔ尽jìn皆jiē称chēng赞zàn道dào：「好hǎo和hé尚shàng！

The king was filled with joy, and the civil and military officers all praised him, saying, “A fine monk!

盡皆: 盡 = jìn. 稱贊: 稱 = chēng, “to praise.”

這zhè正zhèng是shì『強qiáng中zhōng更gèng有yǒu強qiáng中zhōng手shǒu』。这zhè正zhèng是shì『强qiáng中zhōng更gèng有yǒu强qiáng中zhōng手shǒu』。

This is truly a case of 'above the strong there is a stronger still.'

強中更有強中手: 中 = zhōng (×2); 更 = gèng — the proverb, “there is always a better man.”

總評 Commentary

The court's praise concedes the contest in a proverb — the monk has out-magicked the Preceptors at their own art. The saying 強中更有強中手 (“there is always a stronger hand”) frames the victory as one of degree rather than kind, which is precisely the opening the immortals will exploit: if it is only a matter of who is stronger, perhaps the credit is still disputable.