第四十七回 · 屏後老翁 The Old Man Behind the Screen — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

屏後老翁 The Old Man Behind the Screen

行xíng者zhě拿ná起qǐ火huǒ把bǎ，點diǎn上shàng燈dēng燭zhú，扯chě過guò一yì張zhāng交jiāo椅yǐ，請qǐng唐táng僧sēng坐zuò在zài上shàng面miàn；他tā兄xiōng弟dì們men坐zuò在zài兩liǎng傍bàng，那nà老lǎo者zhě坐zuò在zài前qián面miàn。正zhèng敘xù坐zuò間jiān，只zhǐ聽tīng得dé裡lǐ面miàn門mén開kāi處chù，又yòu走zǒu出chū一yí個gè老lǎo者zhě，拄zhǔ著zhe拐guǎi杖zhàng道dào：「是shì甚shén麼me邪xié魔mó，黑hēi夜yè裡lǐ來lái我wǒ善shàn門mén之zhī家jiā？」前qián面miàn坐zuò的de老lǎo者zhě，急jí起qǐ身shēn迎yíng到dào屏píng門mén後hòu道dào：「哥gē哥gē莫mò嚷rǎng，不bú是shì邪xié魔mó，乃nǎi東dōng土tǔ大dà唐táng取qǔ經jīng的de羅luó漢hàn。徒tú弟dì們men相xiàng貌mào雖suī兇xiōng，果guǒ然rán是shì相xiàng惡è人rén善shàn。」那nà老lǎo者zhě方fāng才cái放fàng下xià拄zhǔ杖zhàng，與yǔ他tā四sì位wèi行xíng禮lǐ。禮lǐ畢bì，也yě坐zuò了le面miàn前qián，叫jiào：「看kàn茶chá來lái。排pái齋zhāi。」連lián叫jiào數shù聲shēng，幾jǐ個gè僮tóng僕pú戰zhàn戰zhàn兢jīng兢jīng，不bù敢gǎn攏lǒng帳zhàng。行xíng者zhě拿ná起qǐ火huǒ把bǎ，点diǎn上shàng灯dēng烛zhú，扯chě过guò一yì张zhāng交jiāo椅yǐ，请qǐng唐táng僧sēng坐zuò在zài上shàng面miàn；他tā兄xiōng弟dì们men坐zuò在zài两liǎng傍bàng，那nà老lǎo者zhě坐zuò在zài前qián面miàn。正zhèng叙xù坐zuò间jiān，只zhǐ听tīng得dé里lǐ面miàn门mén开kāi处chù，又yòu走zǒu出chū一yí个gè老lǎo者zhě，拄zhǔ着zhe拐guǎi杖zhàng道dào：「是shì甚shén么me邪xié魔mó，黑hēi夜yè里lǐ来lái我wǒ善shàn门mén之zhī家jiā？」前qián面miàn坐zuò的de老lǎo者zhě，急jí起qǐ身shēn迎yíng到dào屏píng门mén后hòu道dào：「哥gē哥gē莫mò嚷rǎng，不bú是shì邪xié魔mó，乃nǎi东dōng土tǔ大dà唐táng取qǔ经jīng的de罗luó汉hàn。徒tú弟dì们men相xiàng貌mào虽suī凶xiōng，果guǒ然rán是shì相xiàng恶è人rén善shàn。」那nà老lǎo者zhě方fāng才cái放fàng下xià拄zhǔ杖zhàng，与yǔ他tā四sì位wèi行xíng礼lǐ。礼lǐ毕bì，也yě坐zuò了le面miàn前qián，叫jiào：「看kàn茶chá来lái。排pái斋zhāi。」连lián叫jiào数shù声shēng，几jǐ个gè僮tóng仆pú战zhàn战zhàn兢jīng兢jīng，不bù敢gǎn拢lǒng帐zhàng。

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng者zhě拿ná起qǐ火huǒ把bǎ，點diǎn上shàng燈dēng燭zhú，扯chě過guò一yì張zhāng交jiāo椅yǐ，請qǐng唐táng僧sēng坐zuò在zài上shàng面miàn；行xíng者zhě拿ná起qǐ火huǒ把bǎ，点diǎn上shàng灯dēng烛zhú，扯chě过guò一yì张zhāng交jiāo椅yǐ，请qǐng唐táng僧sēng坐zuò在zài上shàng面miàn；

Pilgrim took up a torch, lit the lamps and candles, drew over a folding chair, and invited the Tang Monk to sit above;

交椅 = a folding armchair, the seat of honor.

他tā兄xiōng弟dì們men坐zuò在zài兩liǎng傍bàng，那nà老lǎo者zhě坐zuò在zài前qián面miàn。他tā兄xiōng弟dì们men坐zuò在zài两liǎng傍bàng，那nà老lǎo者zhě坐zuò在zài前qián面miàn。

his brothers sat to either side, and the old man sat in front.

Deictic 那老者: 那 = nà. 兩傍 ("on both sides"): 傍 = bàng.

正zhèng敘xù坐zuò間jiān，只zhǐ聽tīng得dé裡lǐ面miàn門mén開kāi處chù，又yòu走zǒu出chū一yí個gè老lǎo者zhě，拄zhǔ著zhe拐guǎi杖zhàng道dào：「是shì甚shén麼me邪xié魔mó，黑hēi夜yè裡lǐ來lái我wǒ善shàn門mén之zhī家jiā？」正zhèng叙xù坐zuò间jiān，只zhǐ听tīng得dé里lǐ面miàn门mén开kāi处chù，又yòu走zǒu出chū一yí个gè老lǎo者zhě，拄zhǔ着zhe拐guǎi杖zhàng道dào：「是shì甚shén么me邪xié魔mó，黑hēi夜yè里lǐ来lái我wǒ善shàn门mén之zhī家jiā？」

Just as they were settling into their seats, they heard within the sound of a door opening, and out came another old man, leaning on a staff: "What evil spirits are these, come to my god-fearing house in the dead of night?"

聽得: 得 = dé. Durative 拄著: 著 = zhe. 甚麼: 甚 = shén. 善門之家 = "a household of piety."

前qián面miàn坐zuò的de老lǎo者zhě，急jí起qǐ身shēn迎yíng到dào屏píng門mén後hòu道dào：「哥gē哥gē莫mò嚷rǎng，不bú是shì邪xié魔mó，乃nǎi東dōng土tǔ大dà唐táng取qǔ經jīng的de羅luó漢hàn。前qián面miàn坐zuò的de老lǎo者zhě，急jí起qǐ身shēn迎yíng到dào屏píng门mén后hòu道dào：「哥gē哥gē莫mò嚷rǎng，不bú是shì邪xié魔mó，乃nǎi东dōng土tǔ大dà唐táng取qǔ经jīng的de罗luó汉hàn。

The old man seated in front rose hastily and went to meet him behind the screen-gate: "Brother, do not shout — they are no evil spirits, but arhats from the Land of the East, Great Tang, come to fetch the scriptures.

屏門 = the screening inner gate; 羅漢 = arhats. 不是 = "are not."

徒tú弟dì們men相xiàng貌mào雖suī兇xiōng，果guǒ然rán是shì相xiàng惡è人rén善shàn。」徒tú弟dì们men相xiàng貌mào虽suī凶xiōng，果guǒ然rán是shì相xiàng恶è人rén善shàn。」

Though the disciples are fierce of feature, they are truly a case of ugly looks and kindly hearts."

相貌 and 相惡人善 ("features fierce but the men good"): both 相 = xiàng (appearance).

那nà老lǎo者zhě方fāng才cái放fàng下xià拄zhǔ杖zhàng，與yǔ他tā四sì位wèi行xíng禮lǐ。那nà老lǎo者zhě方fāng才cái放fàng下xià拄zhǔ杖zhàng，与yǔ他tā四sì位wèi行xíng礼lǐ。

At this the old man set down his staff and made his courtesies to the four of them.

Deictic 那老者: 那 = nà. 行禮: 行 = xíng.

禮lǐ畢bì，也yě坐zuò了le面miàn前qián，叫jiào：「看kàn茶chá來lái。礼lǐ毕bì，也yě坐zuò了le面miàn前qián，叫jiào：「看kàn茶chá来lái。

The courtesies done, he too sat down in front, and called: "Bring tea.

禮畢 = "the courtesies finished."

排pái齋zhāi。」排pái斋zhāi。」

Lay out the meal."

排齋 = "to set out the maigre-meal."

連lián叫jiào數shù聲shēng，幾jǐ個gè僮tóng僕pú戰zhàn戰zhàn兢jīng兢jīng，不bù敢gǎn攏lǒng帳zhàng。连lián叫jiào数shù声shēng，几jǐ个gè僮tóng仆pú战zhàn战zhàn兢jīng兢jīng，不bù敢gǎn拢lǒng帐zhàng。

He called several times over, but the few serving-lads, trembling, dared not come near.

連叫數聲: 數 = shù ("several"). 攏帳 = "to draw near."

總評 Commentary

A second, older householder enters — leaning on a staff, alarmed by the night's uproar — and the passage briefly steadies the scene around him. His first cry takes the pilgrims for evil spirits "come to my god-fearing house," and it falls to his brother to vouch for them: they are arhats bound for the Western Heaven, and the disciples, for all their fierce faces, are "a case of ugly looks and kindly hearts." The formula, 相惡人善, crystallizes the arc's running theme of appearance against nature.

Reassured, the elder makes his courtesies and calls for tea and a meal — but the comedy quietly persists in the margins, for the serving-lads, still terrified, dare not come near to lay it out. The detail keeps the household's fright alive beneath the returning decorum and sets the stage for the feast to come, in which Eight Rules' appetite will overturn propriety once more.