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Reader's edition
虎力強辯
Tiger-Power's Argument
虎力大仙道:「我上壇發了文書,燒了符檄,擊了令牌,那龍王誰敢不來?想是別方召請,風、雲、雷、雨五司俱不在,一聞我令,隨趕而來,適遇著我下他上,一時撞著這個機會,所以就雨。從根算來,還是我請的龍,下的雨,怎麼算作他的功果?」虎力大仙道:「我上坛发了文书,烧了符檄,击了令牌,那龙王谁敢不来?想是别方召请,风、云、雷、雨五司俱不在,一闻我令,随赶而来,适遇着我下他上,一时撞着这个机会,所以就雨。从根算来,还是我请的龙,下的雨,怎么算作他的功果?」
逐句解 Line by line
虎力大仙道:「我上壇發了文書,燒了符檄,擊了令牌,那龍王誰敢不來?
虎力大仙道:「我上坛发了文书,烧了符檄,击了令牌,那龙王谁敢不来?
Tiger-Power the Immortal said, “I went up to the altar, sent up a document, burned a talisman-writ, and struck the command-tablet — what Dragon King would dare not come?
Deictic 那龍王: 那 = nà. 發了、燒了、擊了: 了 = le. 誰敢不來: 不 = bù before 來 (2nd tone).
想是別方召請,風、雲、雷、雨五司俱不在,一聞我令,隨趕而來,適遇著我下他上,一時撞著這個機會,所以就雨。
想是别方召请,风、云、雷、雨五司俱不在,一闻我令,随赶而来,适遇着我下他上,一时撞着这个机会,所以就雨。
It must be that they had been summoned elsewhere, and the five bureaus of wind, cloud, thunder and rain were all away; at one hearing of my order they came rushing over, and it happened I was coming down just as he was going up — for a moment the two chanced to meet, and so it rained.
五司俱不在: 不 = bú before 在 (4th tone). 一聞 / 一時: 一 = yì. 適遇著 / 撞著: 著 = zháo (resultative, “to meet, run into”).
從根算來,還是我請的龍,下的雨,怎麼算作他的功果?」
从根算来,还是我请的龙,下的雨,怎么算作他的功果?」
Reckoning from the root, it was still I who called the dragons and I who brought the rain — how can it be counted as his achievement?”
從根算來 “reckoning from the source.” 還是: 還 = hái, “after all.” 算作 “to reckon as.”
總評 Commentary
Tiger-Power's argument is a masterpiece of face-saving casuistry: the gods came for his summons, and the monk merely happened to be on the altar when they arrived. It is nonsense — the reader knows the dragons obeyed Wukong — but it is plausible enough to sway the muddle-headed king, and clever enough to require not a denial but a decisive test to refute, which is exactly what Wukong will now propose.