第四十六回 · 蜈蚣叮敵 The Centipede's Sting — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

蜈蚣叮敵 The Centipede's Sting

好hǎo行xíng者zhě，嚶yīng的de一yì聲shēng，飛fēi在zài唐táng僧sēng頭tóu上shàng，只zhǐ見jiàn有yǒu豆dòu粒lì大dà小xiǎo一yí個gè臭chòu蟲chóng叮dīng他tā師shī父fù，慌huāng忙máng用yòng手shǒu捻niǎn下xià，替tì師shī父fù撓náo撓náo摸mō摸mō。那nà長zhǎng老lǎo不bù疼téng不bù癢yǎng，端duān坐zuò上shàng面miàn。行xíng者zhě暗àn想xiǎng道dào：「和hé尚shàng頭tóu光guāng，虱shī子zi也yě安ān不bù得de一yí個gè，如rú何hé有yǒu此cǐ臭chòu蟲chóng？想xiǎng是shì那nà道dào士shì弄nòng的de玄xuán虛xū，害hài我wǒ師shī父fù。哈hā哈hā，枉wǎng自zì也yě不bú見jiàn輸shū贏yíng，等děng老lǎo孫sūn去qù弄nòng他tā一yí弄nòng！」這zhè行xíng者zhě飛fēi將jiāng上shàng去qù，金jīn殿diàn獸shòu頭tóu上shàng落luò下xià，搖yáo身shēn一yí變biàn，變biàn作zuò一yì條tiáo七qī寸cùn長cháng的de蜈wú蚣gōng，徑jìng來lái道dào士shì鼻bí凹āo裡lǐ叮dīng了le一yí下xià。那nà道dào士shì坐zuò不bù穩wěn，一yí個gè觔jīn斗dǒu，翻fān將jiāng下xià去qù，幾jǐ乎hū喪sàng了le性xìng命mìng，幸xìng虧kuī大dà小xiǎo官guān員yuán人rén多duō救jiù起qǐ。國guó王wáng大dà驚jīng，即jí著zhuó當dāng駕jià太tài師shī領lǐng他tā往wǎng文wén華huá殿diàn裡lǐ梳shū洗xǐ去qù了le。行xíng者zhě仍réng駕jià祥xiáng雲yún，將jiāng師shī父fù馱tuó下xià階jiē前qián，已yǐ是shì長zhǎng老lǎo得dé勝shèng。好hǎo行xíng者zhě，嘤yīng的de一yì声shēng，飞fēi在zài唐táng僧sēng头tóu上shàng，只zhǐ见jiàn有yǒu豆dòu粒lì大dà小xiǎo一yí个gè臭chòu虫chóng叮dīng他tā师shī父fù，慌huāng忙máng用yòng手shǒu捻niǎn下xià，替tì师shī父fù挠náo挠náo摸mō摸mō。那nà长zhǎng老lǎo不bù疼téng不bù痒yǎng，端duān坐zuò上shàng面miàn。行xíng者zhě暗àn想xiǎng道dào：「和hé尚shàng头tóu光guāng，虱shī子zi也yě安ān不bù得de一yí个gè，如rú何hé有yǒu此cǐ臭chòu虫chóng？想xiǎng是shì那nà道dào士shì弄nòng的de玄xuán虚xū，害hài我wǒ师shī父fù。哈hā哈hā，枉wǎng自zì也yě不bú见jiàn输shū赢yíng，等děng老lǎo孙sūn去qù弄nòng他tā一yí弄nòng！」这zhè行xíng者zhě飞fēi将jiāng上shàng去qù，金jīn殿diàn兽shòu头tóu上shàng落luò下xià，摇yáo身shēn一yí变biàn，变biàn作zuò一yì条tiáo七qī寸cùn长cháng的de蜈wú蚣gōng，径jìng来lái道dào士shì鼻bí凹āo里lǐ叮dīng了le一yí下xià。那nà道dào士shì坐zuò不bù稳wěn，一yí个gè觔jīn斗dǒu，翻fān将jiāng下xià去qù，几jǐ乎hū丧sàng了le性xìng命mìng，幸xìng亏kuī大dà小xiǎo官guān员yuán人rén多duō救jiù起qǐ。国guó王wáng大dà惊jīng，即jí着zhuó当dāng驾jià太tài师shī领lǐng他tā往wǎng文wén华huá殿diàn里lǐ梳shū洗xǐ去qù了le。行xíng者zhě仍réng驾jià祥xiáng云yún，将jiāng师shī父fù驮tuó下xià阶jiē前qián，已yǐ是shì长zhǎng老lǎo得dé胜shèng。

逐句解 Line by line

好hǎo行xíng者zhě，嚶yīng的de一yì聲shēng，飛fēi在zài唐táng僧sēng頭tóu上shàng，只zhǐ見jiàn有yǒu豆dòu粒lì大dà小xiǎo一yí個gè臭chòu蟲chóng叮dīng他tā師shī父fù，慌huāng忙máng用yòng手shǒu捻niǎn下xià，替tì師shī父fù撓náo撓náo摸mō摸mō。好hǎo行xíng者zhě，嘤yīng的de一yì声shēng，飞fēi在zài唐táng僧sēng头tóu上shàng，只zhǐ见jiàn有yǒu豆dòu粒lì大dà小xiǎo一yí个gè臭chòu虫chóng叮dīng他tā师shī父fù，慌huāng忙máng用yòng手shǒu捻niǎn下xià，替tì师shī父fù挠náo挠náo摸mō摸mō。

The good Pilgrim, with a faint droning buzz, flew to the top of the Tang Monk's head, and there saw a bedbug the size of a bean feasting on his master; hurriedly he pinched it off with his hand and scratched and rubbed the spot for him.

嚶的一聲 = "with a thin whirring hum." 豆粒大小 = "the size of a bean." 撓撓摸摸 = "scratched and stroked," reduplicated for the fussing gesture.

那nà長zhǎng老lǎo不bù疼téng不bù癢yǎng，端duān坐zuò上shàng面miàn。那nà长zhǎng老lǎo不bù疼téng不bù痒yǎng，端duān坐zuò上shàng面miàn。

The elder, neither aching nor itching, sat bolt upright above.

那長老: 那 = nà, 長 = zhǎng. 端坐 = "to sit foursquare."

行xíng者zhě暗àn想xiǎng道dào：「和hé尚shàng頭tóu光guāng，虱shī子zi也yě安ān不bù得de一yí個gè，如rú何hé有yǒu此cǐ臭chòu蟲chóng？行xíng者zhě暗àn想xiǎng道dào：「和hé尚shàng头tóu光guāng，虱shī子zi也yě安ān不bù得de一yí个gè，如rú何hé有yǒu此cǐ臭chòu虫chóng？

The Pilgrim thought to himself: "A monk's pate is bald — not a louse could find a foothold on it, let alone this bedbug.

虱子: suffixal 子 = zi. 安不得一個: complement 得 = de ("cannot settle even one"). 頭光 = "a shaven, gleaming pate."

想xiǎng是shì那nà道dào士shì弄nòng的de玄xuán虛xū，害hài我wǒ師shī父fù。想xiǎng是shì那nà道dào士shì弄nòng的de玄xuán虚xū，害hài我wǒ师shī父fù。

It must be that Daoist working some sleight to harm my master.

那道士: 那 = nà. 弄的玄虛 = "conjured a bit of hocus-pocus."

哈hā哈hā，枉wǎng自zì也yě不bú見jiàn輸shū贏yíng，等děng老lǎo孫sūn去qù弄nòng他tā一yí弄nòng！」哈hā哈hā，枉wǎng自zì也yě不bú见jiàn输shū赢yíng，等děng老lǎo孙sūn去qù弄nòng他tā一yí弄nòng！」

Aha — it's a stalemate anyhow, with no telling win from loss; let old Sun go and give him a taste of it!"

枉自也不見輸贏 = "for all their sitting, no victory shows." 弄他一弄 = "to play him a trick," the doubled verb marking a light, deft turn.

這zhè行xíng者zhě飛fēi將jiāng上shàng去qù，金jīn殿diàn獸shòu頭tóu上shàng落luò下xià，搖yáo身shēn一yí變biàn，變biàn作zuò一yì條tiáo七qī寸cùn長cháng的de蜈wú蚣gōng，徑jìng來lái道dào士shì鼻bí凹āo裡lǐ叮dīng了le一yí下xià。这zhè行xíng者zhě飞fēi将jiāng上shàng去qù，金jīn殿diàn兽shòu头tóu上shàng落luò下xià，摇yáo身shēn一yí变biàn，变biàn作zuò一yì条tiáo七qī寸cùn长cháng的de蜈wú蚣gōng，径jìng来lái道dào士shì鼻bí凹āo里lǐ叮dīng了le一yí下xià。

This Pilgrim flew up, alighted upon the beast-head atop the golden hall, gave his body a shake and a change, turned into a centipede seven cùn long, and went straight to sting the Daoist once in the hollow of his nose.

落下: 落 = luò ("to alight, to come down"), not the colloquial là. 七寸長: 長 here = cháng ("long," of length), not zhǎng; 寸 left as cùn. 飛將上去: directional 將 = jiāng.

那nà道dào士shì坐zuò不bù穩wěn，一yí個gè觔jīn斗dǒu，翻fān將jiāng下xià去qù，幾jǐ乎hū喪sàng了le性xìng命mìng，幸xìng虧kuī大dà小xiǎo官guān員yuán人rén多duō救jiù起qǐ。那nà道dào士shì坐zuò不bù稳wěn，一yí个gè觔jīn斗dǒu，翻fān将jiāng下xià去qù，几jǐ乎hū丧sàng了le性xìng命mìng，幸xìng亏kuī大dà小xiǎo官guān员yuán人rén多duō救jiù起qǐ。

The Daoist could not keep his seat: with a somersault he pitched down headlong and all but lost his life, saved only by the crowd of officials, high and low, who caught him up.

觔斗: 斗 = dǒu (a somersault; 觔 = 筋). 翻將下去: directional 將 = jiāng. 喪了性命 = "lost his life"; 了 the aspect particle le.

國guó王wáng大dà驚jīng，即jí著zhuó當dāng駕jià太tài師shī領lǐng他tā往wǎng文wén華huá殿diàn裡lǐ梳shū洗xǐ去qù了le。国guó王wáng大dà惊jīng，即jí着zhuó当dāng驾jià太tài师shī领lǐng他tā往wǎng文wén华huá殿diàn里lǐ梳shū洗xǐ去qù了le。

The king, greatly alarmed, at once ordered the Grand Preceptor then on carriage-duty to lead him off to the Hall of Literary Glory to wash and dress.

即著當駕太師: 著 = zhuó (causative, "ordered, dispatched"); 當駕 = dāng jià ("on carriage-duty"). 梳洗 = "to comb and wash."

行xíng者zhě仍réng駕jià祥xiáng雲yún，將jiāng師shī父fù馱tuó下xià階jiē前qián，已yǐ是shì長zhǎng老lǎo得dé勝shèng。行xíng者zhě仍réng驾jià祥xiáng云yún，将jiāng师shī父fù驮tuó下xià阶jiē前qián，已yǐ是shì长zhǎng老lǎo得dé胜shèng。

The Pilgrim, riding his auspicious cloud still, bore his master down before the steps — and so the elder had already won.

將師父馱下: disposal coverb 將 = jiāng. 已是長老得勝: 長 = zhǎng, 得 = dé ("had gained the victory").

總評 Commentary

The first ordeal resolves by exact reciprocity. Deer-Power's bedbug on Tripitaka's scalp is answered by Wukong's centipede in Tiger-Power's nostril — sabotage for sabotage, the smaller and more precise transformation winning out. The scene keeps the novel's characteristic scale-play: the mind-monkey, who elsewhere fights armies, here decides a contest of saints by shrinking to a stinging insect and striking a single nerve.

The narrator is careful to certify the outcome as legitimate on the contest's own terms — 已是長老得勝, "the elder had already won" — even though it was won by a trick. This is the chapter's running irony: the pilgrims out-cheat the cheats and the ledger still reads fair, because the 外道 struck first. The king's continued gullibility, whisking his fallen preceptor off to bathe rather than questioning the fall, keeps the satire of weak sovereignty in view.