比丘引入 The Nun Brings Him In
那行者正然點看山景，忽聽得有人叫道：「孫悟空，從那裡來？往何處去？」急回頭看，原來是比丘尼尊者。大聖作禮道：「正有一事，欲見如來。」比丘尼道：「你這個頑皮。既然要見如來，怎麼不登寶剎，且在這裡看山？」行者道：「初來貴地，故此大膽。」比丘尼道：「你快跟我來也。」這行者緊隨至雷音寺山門下，又見那八大金剛雄糾糾的，兩邊擋住。比丘尼道：「悟空，暫候片時，等我與你奏上去來。」行者只得住立門外。那比丘尼至佛前合掌道：「孫悟空有事，要見如來。」如來傳旨令入，金剛才閃路放行。那行者正然点看山景，忽听得有人叫道：「孙悟空，从那里来？往何处去？」急回头看，原来是比丘尼尊者。大圣作礼道：「正有一事，欲见如来。」比丘尼道：「你这个顽皮。既然要见如来，怎么不登宝刹，且在这里看山？」行者道：「初来贵地，故此大胆。」比丘尼道：「你快跟我来也。」这行者紧随至雷音寺山门下，又见那八大金刚雄纠纠的，两边挡住。比丘尼道：「悟空，暂候片时，等我与你奏上去来。」行者只得住立门外。那比丘尼至佛前合掌道：「孙悟空有事，要见如来。」如来传旨令入，金刚才闪路放行。
逐句解 Line by line
Pilgrim was just taking stock of the mountain scenery when he suddenly heard someone call: "Sun Wukong, where have you come from? Where are you going?"
Deictic 那行者 (那 = nà) and interrogative 從那裡來 (那 = nǎ) stand in one segment and are specified positionally — the clearest minimal pair for the two readings in the chapter. 聽得: 得 = dé; 何處: 處 = chù.
He turned his head quickly to look, and it was the Venerable Bhikṣuṇī.
比丘尼尊者 — bhikṣuṇī, the fully ordained nun; 尊者 renders ārya or sthavira, the title of a venerable one. She serves here as the gatekeeper of the mountain.
The Great Sage made his bow and said: "There is a matter in hand, and I wish to see the Tathāgata."
作禮 is the formal salutation on entering a monastery. Pilgrim, who called a pitched battle an outing two passages ago, is punctilious here.
The Bhikṣuṇī said: "What a rogue you are. If you want to see the Tathāgata, why do you not go up to the precious monastery, instead of stopping here to look at the hills?"
看山: 看 = kàn. 寶剎: 剎 = chà, the graph transcribing Sanskrit kṣetra and standing for a monastery (as in 古剎); pypinyin gives shā, which belongs only to 剎車. 頑皮 is affectionate scolding — the sort of thing said to a child — and it is the register in which the Buddha's establishment addresses the Great Sage throughout the novel.
Pilgrim said: "I have only just come to this honoured place, and so I made bold."
初來貴地，故此大膽 — a polite formula of self-excuse: a newcomer presumes because he does not yet know the forms.
The Bhikṣuṇī said: "Come along with me, quickly."
你快跟我來也 — the sentence-final 也 here is the vernacular particle of urging, not the classical copula.
Pilgrim followed close on her to the foot of the mountain gate of the Thunderclap Monastery, and saw the eight great Vajra guardians there, formidable creatures, blocking the way on either side.
Deictic 那八大金剛: 那 = nà. 雷音寺 is the Thunderclap Monastery; the 八大金剛 are the eight vajra-holders who guard the gate. Their name is the same 金剛 that stands in 金剛琢, the ring — the word means adamant, diamond, and it has been in front of the reader all chapter.
The Bhikṣuṇī said: "Wukong, wait here a little while, and let me go up and announce you."
暫候片時 = "wait a short space"; 奏上去 is the language of memorializing a throne, used of approaching the Buddha.
Pilgrim had no choice but to stand outside the gate.
只得: 得 = dé ("could only, had no choice but"). One flat sentence, and a good deal is in it.
The Bhikṣuṇī came before the Buddha, put her palms together and said: "Sun Wukong has a matter in hand and wishes to see the Tathāgata."
Deictic 那比丘尼: 那 = nà; 佛 = fó (GLOBAL_PY; pypinyin gives fú before 前). 合掌 is the añjali, palms joined in salutation.
The Tathāgata passed down the order to let him in, and only then did the Vajra guardians stand aside from the road and let him pass.
傳旨令入 is again the vocabulary of a court. 才閃路放行: the 才 is doing work — the guardians move only on the order, and not before.
The whole passage is about protocol, and it is quietly funny. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, who broke into the Jasper Pool and drank the wine of immortality uninvited, arrives at Vulture Peak, is caught loitering to admire the view, is called a rogue by a nun, apologizes for presuming as a newcomer, follows her to the gate, is told to wait, and waits. Eight vajra-holders stand across the road and do not move until the order comes down from inside. Fifty chapters ago he would have gone straight over them.
The one word to notice is 金剛. The eight guardians of the gate are the 八大金剛, the vajra-holders — adamantine, diamond — and the object that has defeated him for three chapters is the 金剛琢, the diamond snare. The chapter has now used the word for the guardians of the Buddha's gate, for Lord Lao's weapon in Wukong's own recitation, and for the ring on the demon's arm. The answer he has come to ask for is standing on either side of the road he is waiting on.