第四十五回 · 眾神歸去 The Gods Depart — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition 含詞賦 With rhapsody

眾神歸去 The Gods Depart

那nà國guó王wáng在zài殿diàn上shàng焚fén香xiāng，眾zhòng公gōng卿qīng在zài階jiē前qián禮lǐ拜bài。國guó王wáng道dào：「有yǒu勞láo貴guì體tǐ降jiàng臨lín，請qǐng回huí。寡guǎ人rén改gǎi日rì醮jiào謝xiè。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「列liè位wèi眾zhòng神shén各gè自zì歸guī去qù，這zhè國guó王wáng改gǎi日rì醮jiào謝xiè。」那nà龍lóng王wáng徑jìng自zì歸guī海hǎi，眾zhòng神shén各gè各gè回huí天tiān。這zhè正zhèng是shì：那nà国guó王wáng在zài殿diàn上shàng焚fén香xiāng，众zhòng公gōng卿qīng在zài阶jiē前qián礼lǐ拜bài。国guó王wáng道dào：「有yǒu劳láo贵guì体tǐ降jiàng临lín，请qǐng回huí。寡guǎ人rén改gǎi日rì醮jiào谢xiè。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「列liè位wèi众zhòng神shén各gè自zì归guī去qù，这zhè国guó王wáng改gǎi日rì醮jiào谢xiè。」那nà龙lóng王wáng径jìng自zì归guī海hǎi，众zhòng神shén各gè各gè回huí天tiān。这zhè正zhèng是shì：

廣guǎng大dà無wú邊biān真zhēn妙miào法fǎ，至zhì真zhēn了liǎo性xìng劈pī傍páng門mén。广guǎng大dà无wú边biān真zhēn妙miào法fǎ，至zhì真zhēn了liǎo性xìng劈pī傍páng门mén。

逐句解 Line by line

那nà國guó王wáng在zài殿diàn上shàng焚fén香xiāng，眾zhòng公gōng卿qīng在zài階jiē前qián禮lǐ拜bài。那nà国guó王wáng在zài殿diàn上shàng焚fén香xiāng，众zhòng公gōng卿qīng在zài阶jiē前qián礼lǐ拜bài。

That king burned incense up in the hall, and the assembled nobles bowed in worship before the steps.

Deictic 那國王: 那 = nà. 眾公卿 the assembled lords. 禮拜 “to do reverence.”

國guó王wáng道dào：「有yǒu勞láo貴guì體tǐ降jiàng臨lín，請qǐng回huí。国guó王wáng道dào：「有yǒu劳láo贵guì体tǐ降jiàng临lín，请qǐng回huí。

The king said, “We are obliged for your honoured presence in descending here; pray return.

有勞貴體 “we trouble your noble persons.” 降臨: 降 = jiàng, “to descend, come down.”

寡guǎ人rén改gǎi日rì醮jiào謝xiè。」寡guǎ人rén改gǎi日rì醮jiào谢xiè。」

On another day We shall offer a thanksgiving rite.”

寡人 “We” (the royal self-reference). 醮謝 (jiàoxiè) “to give thanks with a 醮 (jiào) offering-rite.”

行xíng者zhě道dào：「列liè位wèi眾zhòng神shén各gè自zì歸guī去qù，這zhè國guó王wáng改gǎi日rì醮jiào謝xiè。」行xíng者zhě道dào：「列liè位wèi众zhòng神shén各gè自zì归guī去qù，这zhè国guó王wáng改gǎi日rì醮jiào谢xiè。」

Pilgrim said, “You assembled gods may each return; this king will offer a thanksgiving rite on another day.”

行者: 行 = xíng. 列位眾神 “you gods, one and all.” 各自歸去 “each go home.”

那nà龍lóng王wáng徑jìng自zì歸guī海hǎi，眾zhòng神shén各gè各gè回huí天tiān。那nà龙lóng王wáng径jìng自zì归guī海hǎi，众zhòng神shén各gè各gè回huí天tiān。

Those Dragon Kings went straight back to the sea, and the assembled gods each returned to Heaven.

Deictic 那龍王: 那 = nà. 徑自歸海 “went straight back to the sea.” 各各回天 “each returned to Heaven.”

這zhè正zhèng是shì：这zhè正zhèng是shì：

This is precisely:

這正是 — the tag introducing the closing regulated couplet.

Vast and boundless, the true and wondrous Dharma; utterly real, it realizes the nature and cleaves the heterodox gate.

廣大無邊真妙法 “the boundless, truly marvellous Dharma.” 至真了性: 了 = liǎo (“to realize, bring to completion” one's 性, true nature). 劈傍門: 傍 = páng (“to split the heterodox gate”).

總評 Commentary

With the marvel accomplished, the machinery of heaven is dismissed with courtly ceremony — incense, bows, a promised thanksgiving 醮 — and the dragons and gods withdraw. The chapter then seals itself with its regulated closing couplet, whose two lines name the episode's meaning in doctrinal terms: the “true and wondrous Dharma” (真妙法) that “realizes the nature” (了性) and “cleaves the heterodox gate” (劈傍門). The couplet's 傍門 (heterodoxy) answers the 傍門 Wukong named a few passages earlier, framing the whole rain-contest as the orthodox Way splitting apart the false — the allegorical reading the novel invites throughout the 車遲國 arc.