《西游记》英汉：第三章 唐玄奘出世 受命取经赴西天

《西游记》英汉：第三章 唐玄奘出世 受命取经赴西天

1.

The father of Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong issued an order to look for
worthy persons.
The notice soon came to Haizhou Province. Reading the notice and going
home, Chen Guangrui told his mother about this matter. Encouraged by his
mother, Chen sat for an examination and won Number One Scholar. According
to the then tradition, Chen had a three day parade on horse back in the
street.
Prime Minister Yin Kaishan had an unmarried daughter Mantang Jiao. That
day, he held an embroidered ball throwing activity to select a husband for
his daughter.
Much satisfied with the elegant young man passing by Yin’s house, the girl threw out her ball which just hit the hat of Chen Guangrui. Before realizing what happened,
Chen was stopped by several beautiful maids and then guided into the Prime
Minister’s home. A wedding ceremony was held immediately and Chen Guangrui
married Jiao.
Next day, the emperor asked what post Chen Guangrui should be entrusted
with. It was reported that a governor was needed in Jiangzhou Province.
Chen was therefore appointed the governor of Jiangzhou Province.

时值唐太宗皇帝颁布招贤文榜。
文榜行至海州地方。有一人，姓陈名萼，表字光蕊，见了此榜，即时回家，与母张氏商议此事。受母亲鼓励，陈光蕊应试，一举夺魁，中了状元。按传统，跨马游街三日。
当朝丞相殷开山，生有一女满堂娇，未曾婚配，正高结彩楼，抛打绣球卜婿。
适值陈光蕊经过此地，小姐一见心内十分欢喜，就将绣球抛下，恰打着光蕊的乌纱帽。陈光蕊还未理解发生何事，早被十数个婢妾把马头挽住，迎状元入相府成婚。婚礼随即举行，光蕊与小姐满堂娇遂拜了天地，结为夫妻。
次日太宗问新科状元陈光蕊应授何官。有官员报江州正缺州主。太宗就命陈光蕊为江州州主。


2.

Parting with his parents-in-law and setting out together with his bride
Jiao, Chen went to Jiangzhou Province to take up his post without any
delay. Chen called on his mother on the way. Learning she was to go with
his son, the old lady was delighted.
Several days later, the family came to a place named Wanjiadian. They
rented a room in Liu Xiaoer’s home. Unfortunately, the old lady suddenly
fell ill and decided to stay a few days. Next morning, Chen found a
fisherman selling a golden carp in front of the house and bought it for his
mother. Just at the moment he was going to cook, he found the carp which
was twinkling.
“I was told,” Chen said. “If a fish or a snake can twinkle, they mustn’
t be ordinary ones.” He asked the fisherman, “Where did you get it?”
“I got it in the river,” replied the fisherman.
Setting the carp free into the river, Chen told it to his mother.
“It’s good for you to release it.” The old lady was very happy.
“We’ve already stayed here three days,” Chen said to his mother. “The
time limit is near at hand for me to take up my post. I’m going to set out
tomorrow morning. But I don’t know whether you’ve recovered from illness
or not.”
“Not yet,” the mother told her son. “It has become much warmer. I’m
afraid my illness will get worse and worse. You may rent a room for me to
stay in for the time being. Leave me some money and go with your wife to
take up your post first. Come over and fetch me when it’s getting cool in
autumn.”
Having everything done accordingly, Chen Guangrui set out to Jiangzhou
Province with his wife.

拜辞岳父母，光蕊同妻立即前赴江州之任。离了长安登途。途中光蕊回家探母。得知随儿同去赴任，老母喜出望外。
在路数日，前至万花店刘小二家安下，张氏身体忽然染病，决定小住数日。至次日早晨，见店门前有一人提着个金色鲤鱼叫卖，光蕊即买了，欲待烹与母亲吃，只见鲤鱼闪闪眨眼。
光蕊惊异道：“闻说鱼蛇眨眼，必不是等闲之物！”遂问渔人道：“这鱼那里打来的？”
渔人道：“从江内打来的。”
光蕊就把鱼送在洪江里去放了生。回店对母亲道知此事。
张氏道：“放生好事，我心甚喜。”
光蕊道：“此店已住三日了，钦限紧急，孩儿意欲明日起身，不知母亲身体好否？”
张氏道：“我身子不快，此时路上炎热，恐添疾病。你可这里赁间房屋，与我暂住。付些盘缠在此，你两口儿先上任去，候秋凉却来接我。”
一切料理妥当，光蕊便偕妻前往江州赴任。


After a tired and long journey, they came to the ferry of Hongjiang River.
Shortly, he saw two boatmen Liu Hong and Li Biao poling a boat towards the
rive bank. Chen asked the two men to help him cross the river. Letting his
servant move his luggage into the boat, Chen and his wife went aboard the
boat.
Finding the young lady extremely beautiful, Liu Hong had a wicked idea at
once. Then they poled the boat to a very out-of-the-way place. In the dead
of night, they killed the servant first and then hit Chen to death and
pushed his body into the river.
Finding that her husband had been murdered, Jiao wanted to throw herself
into the river but stopped by Liu Hong.
“If you obey me, everything will be O.K.” Liu Hong said. “Otherwise, you
’ll be killed, too.”
Without knowing what to do, Chen’s wife could do nothing but obey Liu
Hong as a temporary measure.
Poling the boat to the south bank, Liu left the boat with Li Biao. Putting
on Chen Guangrui’s clothes and hat with the official documents in hands, Liu
Hong went to Jiangzhou Province together with Jiao to take up the post.

途路艰苦，晓行夜宿，不觉已到洪江渡口。只见稍水刘洪、李彪二人，撑船到岸迎接。光蕊请二人帮他过江，又令家僮将行李搬上船去，夫妻正齐齐上船。
那刘洪睁眼看见殷小姐有沉鱼落雁之容，闭月羞花之貌，陡起狼心，遂与李彪设计，将船撑至没人烟处，候至夜静三更，先将家僮杀死，次将光蕊打死，把尸首都推在水里去了。
小姐见他打死了丈夫，也便将身赴水，刘洪一把拦住。
“你若从我，万事皆休；若不从时，一刀两断！”刘洪说。
那小姐寻思无计，只得权时应承，顺了刘洪。
那贼把船渡到南岸，将船付与李彪自管，他就穿了光蕊衣冠，带了官凭，同小姐往江州上任去了。知


3.

The servant’s body floated downstream, while the one of Chen Guangrui
sank to the bottom of the river and stayed there without moving.
On patrol, the water demon Ye Cha came to the mouth of Hongjiang River and
found Chen’s body. Ye Cha went back to the dragon palace immediately and
gave a report to Dragon King.
“A scholar was killed,” Ye Cha said. “His body was thrown to the river
bottom.”
According to Dragon King’s order, Chen’s body was taken into the dragon
palace.
Scrutinizing a moment, Dragon King exclaimed, “It’s my savior! How could
he be murdered?” Dragon Kind said continuously. “There is a saying goes:
Return good for good. I must save him so as to repay his previous kindness
to me.”
Dragon King wrote a letter and asked Ye Cha to send it to the city god of Jiangzhou
asking for Chen’s soul. The city god gave Chen’s soul to Ye Cha who came
back immediately to the dragon palace together with Chen’s soul.

却说刘洪杀死的家僮尸首，顺水流去，惟有陈光蕊的尸首，沉在水底不动。
有洪江口巡海夜叉见了，立即回龙宫向龙王报告。
“今洪江口不知甚人把一个读书士子打死，”夜叉说，“将尸撇在水底。”
龙王叫将尸抬来，放在面前，仔细一看道：“此人正是救我的恩人，如何被人谋死？常言道，恩将恩报。我今日须索救他性命，以报日前之恩。”
即写下牒文一道，差夜叉径往洪州城隍土地处投下，要取秀才魂魄来，救他的性命。城隍土地遂唤小鬼把陈光蕊的魂魄交付与夜叉去。夜叉带了魂魄到水晶宫，禀见了龙王。


Dragon King asked Chen Guangrui’s soul, “You’re a scholar, aren’t you?
What’s your name? Where do you come from? Why do you come here? Who killed
you?”
“My name is Chen Guangrui,” replied Chen. “I come from Hong Nong
County, Haizhou Province. As Number One Scholar, I was appointed the
governor of Jiangzhou Province. On the way to take my post, my wife and I
went aboard a boat at the river side. Unexpectedly, Liu Hong wanted to
forcibly occupy my wife and killed me and threw my body into the river.
Save me, please!”
“So that’s how things stand,” said Dragon King. “Sir, do you still
remember the golden carp you set free? That’s me. So you’re my savior. You
’ve met with disaster. How can I just stand by with fold arms?”
Setting Chen Guangrui’s body in a proper place, Dragon King put an
appearance-fixing pearl in Chen’s mouth and asked him not to have it
broken so as to save him later on.
“Your true soul can be a leader in a certain office of my water crystal
palace for the time being,” said Dragon King.
Chen kowtowed to Dragon King expressing his heartfelt thanks. And Dragon
King held a dinner to entertain his savior cordially.

龙王问道：“你这秀才，姓甚名谁？何方人氏？因甚到此，被人打死？”
光蕊施礼道：“小生陈萼，表字光蕊，系海州弘农县人。忝中新科状元，叨授江州州主，同妻赴任，行至江边上船，不料稍子刘洪，贪谋我妻，将我打死抛尸，乞大王救我一救！”
“原来如此，”龙王闻言道。“先生，你前者所放金色鲤鱼即我也，你是救我的恩人，你今有难，我岂有不救你之理？”
龙王把光蕊尸身安置一壁，口内含一颗定颜珠，休教损坏了，日后好还魂报仇。
“汝今真魂，权且在我水府中做个都领，”龙王说。
光蕊叩头拜谢，龙王设宴相待。


4.

Although deeply hating the evil doer Liu Hong, Chen’s wife had to act
according to his words because she was already in pregnancy without knowing
whether it was a boy or a girl.
Shortly they came to Jiangzhou Province. All the relative officials
welcomed them and held a banquet to entertain them cordially.
“I completely depend on your backing.” Liu Hong said at the banquest.
“You have remarkable talent,” said the officials. “It’s natural that
you’ll regard the ordinary people as your children and it will be fair and
just in your dealings. We can depend on you. Don’t be too modest.”
The banquet finished and the officials left.

却说殷小姐痛恨刘贼，恨不食肉寝皮，只因身怀有孕，未知男女，万不得已，权且勉强相从。
转盼之间，不觉已到江州。吏书门皂，俱来迎接。所属官员，公堂设宴相叙。
刘洪道：“学生到此，全赖诸公大力匡持。”
属官答道：“堂尊大魁高才，自然视民如子，讼简刑清。我等合属有赖，何必过谦？”
公宴已罢，众人各散。


One day, Liu Hong went far away for business. Missing her husband and
mother-in-law, Jiao sat in the pavilion and sighed woefully. Tired and
painful in her belly, she fell down in a faint. But she gave birth to a
baby boy without realizing it.
“Listen to me, Jiao,” someone whispered to her ear. “I’m the god of
south pole. Guanyin Bodhisattva asked me to send you a son. Your son is not
an ordinary boy. He’ll become a very capable celebrity. Liu Hong will
certainly kill your boy when he comes back. You must take a good care of
him. Your husband was already saved by Dragon King. It’s definite that you
’ll meet with your husband again and have a reunion with your son. The day
is not far for you to revenge yourself on the bad egg for his evil doings.
Please remember my words. Wake up！Wake up!”
Finishing his words, the god left. Waking up, Jiao could remember every
single word of the god, but she could only hold her baby in arms without
knowing what to do next.
Just at this moment, Liu Hong suddenly came back. Seeing the baby, he
wanted to kill him.
“It’s too late today,” Jiao said. “I’ll throw him into the river
tomorrow.”

光阴迅速。一日，刘洪公事远出，小姐在衙思念婆婆、丈夫，在花亭上感叹，忽然身体困倦，腹内疼痛，晕闷在地，不觉生下一子。
耳边有人嘱曰：“满堂娇，听吾叮嘱。吾乃南极星君，奉观音菩萨法旨，特送此子与你。异日声名远大，非比等闲。刘贼若回，必害此子，汝可用心保护。汝夫已得龙王相救，日后夫妻相会，子母团圆，雪冤报仇有日也。谨记吾言。快醒，快醒！”

言讫而去。小姐醒来，句句记得，将子抱定，无计可施。
忽然刘洪回来，一见此子，便要淹杀.
小姐道：“今日天色已晚，容待明日抛去江中。”

It was so lucky that next day Liu Hong was to go far away again for an emergency.
“If the bad egg comes back, my baby is bound to die!” she thought
secretly. “I’d better throw him into the river as soon as possible and
leave things by chance. Maybe someone will see and adopt him. And I can
meet him again.”
Afraid it would be difficult for them to recognize with each other in the
future, Jiao bit her finger and wrote a letter with her blood. All
necessary information was clearly written, such as his parents’ names and
the reasons he was thrown into the river. She then bit off the little toe
of the baby’s left foot as a mark to distinguish truth from falsehood and
wrapped the baby with her underclothing.
Taking advantage of having no one around, she hurriedly carried the baby
and went to the river side. It was lucky the river wasn’t far.
Chocked with tears, Jiao was going to throw the baby into the water. Yet
she found a wood plank floating towards her.
Saying her prayers to the sky, she put her baby on the plank with the
blood letter tightly bound to his chest and tied him to the plank with a
lace and finally pushed the plank forward. She just left things as they
were. With tears in her eyes, she left the river.

幸喜次早刘洪忽有紧急公事远出。小姐暗思：“此子若待贼人回来，性命休矣！不如及早抛弃江中，听其生死。倘或皇天见怜，有人救得，收养此子，他日还得相逢……”但恐难以识认，即咬破手指，写下血书一纸，将父母姓名、跟脚原由，备细开载。又将此子左脚上一个小指，用口咬下，以为记验；取贴身汗衫一件，包裹此子，乘空抱出衙门。幸喜官衙离江不远。小姐到了江边，大哭一场。正欲抛弃，忽见江岸岸侧飘起一片木板，小姐即朝天拜祷，将此子安在板上，用带缚住，血书系在胸前，推放江中，听其所之。小姐含泪回衙.

5.

The wood plank floated downstream and stopped at last just in front of
Jinshan Temple.
The Buddhist abbot, Monk Faming, was sitting in meditation. Suddenly
hearing a baby crying, the abbot, promoted by an emotional impulse, went to
the river immediately. He found a baby sleeping on a floating wood plank
which had already stopped at the riverbank. Without any hesitation, the
abbot untied the baby and carried him in arms. Reading the blood letter, he
learned the whole story. He named the baby Jiangliu with the meanings of “
floating downstream” and then found a proper person to adopt the baby. But
he himself kept the blood letter.

却说此子在木板上，顺水流去，一直流到金山寺脚下停住。
那金山寺长老叫做法明和尚，正当打坐参禅。忽闻得小儿啼哭之声，一时心动，急到江边观看，只见江边一片木板上，睡着一个婴儿，长老慌忙救起。见了怀中血书，方知来历。取个乳名，叫做江流，托人抚养。血书紧紧收藏。


6.

How time flew! Eighteen years had elapsed in a flash. The abbot asked
Jiangliu to have his head shaved and to be a monk with a Buddhist name
Xuanzhuang.
One day in a late spring, all monks were sitting on a big pine tree and
discussed Buddhist ures. Frequently baffled by Xuanzhuang’s
questions, some good-for-nothing monks became angry with him.
“You evil creature!” one of them abused him. “You even neither know
your true name nor your parents, how can you have the cheek to speak
nonsense here?”
Feeling ashamed, Xuanzhuang went into the temple and knelt down before his
master.
With tears in his eyes, he said, “Everyone in the world has his parents.
How can I have no parents?”

光阴似箭，日月如梭，不觉江流年长一十八岁。长老就叫他削发修行，取法名为玄奘，摩顶受戒，坚心修道。
一日，暮春天气，众人同在松阴之下，讲经参禅，谈说奥妙。有个酒肉和尚恰被玄奘难倒。和尚大怒，
“你这业畜！”那和尚骂道。“姓名也不知，父母也不识，还在此捣什么鬼！”
玄奘被他骂出这般言语，备感受辱，随即入寺跪告师父。
玄奘眼泪双流道：“人生在世，尽有父生母。我为何无父无母？”


Time and again, he tried hard to implore his master to tell him his parents’
names.
“If you really want to look for your parents,” said his master. “I’d
like to ask you to go to my living quarters.”
Following his master to a hall, he found the Buddhist abbot take down a
small box from the beam. Opening the box and taking out a blood letter and
a sweater, the old man gave them to Xuanzhuang.
Reading the blood letter, he learned all about his parent’s names and the
whole tragedy. Chocked with tears, he fell down onto the ground.
“Facing such a huge debt of blood, I must do something,” said he. “If I
cannot avenge my parents’ death upon the murderer, how can I conduct
myself?” he said continuously. “During these eighteen years, I know
nothing about my parents. It’s only today that I know my mother is still
alive. Without your rescue and support there can be no my today. Let me go
and look for my mother. I’ll rebuild the temple to repay your kindness.”
“If you want to look for your mother,” said the master. “you may take
the blood letter and sweater with you. Just pretend to ask for alms. Go
directly to the office of the governor of Jiangzhou Province. Only by doing
so, can you meet with your mother?”



他再三哀告，求问父母姓名。
长老道：“你真个要寻父母，可随我到方丈里来。”
玄奘就跟到方丈，长老到重梁之上，取下一个小匣儿，打开来，取出血书一纸，汗衫一件，付与玄奘。
玄奘将血书拆开读之，才备细晓得父母姓名，并冤仇事迹。玄奘读罢，不觉哭倒在地。
“父母之仇，不能报复，何以为人？十八年来，不识生身父母，至今日方知有母亲。此身若非师父捞救抚养，安有今日？容弟子去寻见母亲，然后重建殿宇，报答师父之深恩也！”
师父道：“你要去寻母，可带这血书与汗衫前去，只做化缘，径往江州私衙，才得你母亲相见。”



7.

Following his master’s instruction, Xuanzhuang pretended to be a monk
asking for alms and directly went to Jiangzhou Province. Liu Hong chanced
to be out for business when Xuanzhuang came.
Chen Guangrui’s wife had a dream at night that an eclipsed moon became
bright again. This strange dream made her think secretly.
“I’ve heard nothing of my mother-in-law. My husband was murdered by this
evil doer. My son had been thrown into the river.” She thought. “If he’s
still alive, my son should be eighteen years old. Maybe today is just the
right time for us to meet again.”
While whispering to herself, she suddenly heard someone chanting
ures and asking for alms repeatedly at the doorway.
She came out and asked Xuanzhuang, “Where do you come from?”
“I’m a disciple of the Buddhist abbot of Jinshan Temple,” replied he.
“Now that you’re a disciple of the Buddhist abbot of Jinshan Temple…”
she let him in and gave him something to eat before she could finish her
words.


玄奘领了师父言语，就做化缘的和尚，径至江州。适值刘洪有事出外。
陈光蕊之妻，也就是那殷小姐原来夜间得了一梦，梦见月缺再圆。
她暗想道：“我婆婆不知音信，我丈夫被这贼谋杀，我的儿子抛在江中，倘若有人收养，算来有十八岁矣，或今日天教相会，亦未可知。”
正沉吟间，忽听私衙前有人念经化缘。
小姐又乘便出来问道：“你是何处来的？”
玄奘答道：“贫僧乃是金山寺法明长老的徒弟。”
小姐道：“你既是金山寺长老的徒弟——”话未说完，她连忙叫玄奘进得衙来，将斋饭与他吃。


Carefully listening to his speech and scrutinizing his behavior, she found
he and her husband were very much alike. Sending the maids and servants
away on some pretext, she asked him continuously.
“You became a monk from childhood or at middle age?” she asked. “What’
s your name? You still have parents now?”
“I became a monk neither from childhood nor at middle age.” Said
Xuanzhuang. “There’s a long story. I have bitter and deep-seated hatred.
A bad egg murdered my father and forcibly occupied my mother. My master
asked me to look for my mother in the office of the governor of Jiangzhou
Province.”
“What’s your mother’s name?” she asked.
“My mother’s family name is Yin. Her first name is Jiao. My father’s
family name is Chen. His first name is Guangrui. My name is Jiangliu and my
Buddhist name is Xuanzhuang.”
“Jiao is me,” said she. “But what evidence do you have?”

仔细看他举止言谈，好似与丈夫一般。小姐将从婢打发开去，继续问玄奘。道
“你这小师父，还是自幼出家的？还是中年出家的？”她问。“姓甚名谁？可有父母否？”
玄奘答道：“我也不是自幼出家，我也不是中年出家，我说起来，冤有天来大，仇有海样深！我父被人谋死，我母亲被贼人占了。我师父法明长老教我在江州衙内寻取母亲。”
小姐问道：“你母姓甚？”
玄奘道：“我母姓殷，名唤温娇，我父姓陈，名光蕊。我小名叫做江流，法名取为玄奘。”
小姐道：“温娇就是我。但你今有何凭据？”


Learning she was his mother, Xuanzhuang knelt down immediately and cried
sorrowfully.
“Mother, if you don’t believe, I can show you a blood letter and sweater.
” Said he.
Taking over the blood letter and sweater and finding they were the true
things, Jiao held Xuanzhuang in her arms and cried bitterly.
“Leave here quickly!” she said to her son.
“I’ve not seen you for eighteen years!” he said. “But you ask me to
leave just at the moment of meeting with you. How can I have the heart to
part from you?”
“You must leave here as soon as possible!” she said. “If Liu Hong comes
back, he’ll definitely kill you!” the mother said continuously. “I’ll
pretend to be ill tomorrow and say that many years ago I promised to give a
hundred pairs of shoes to monks. I can go to your temple on the pretext to
carry out my promise. By doing this way, I can tell you something more.”
According his mother’s instruction, Xuanzhuang left without any delay.

玄奘听说是他母亲，双膝跪下，哀哀大哭.
“我娘若不信，见有血书汗衫为证！”玄奘说。
满娇取过一看，果然是真，母子相抱而哭。
她叫道：“我儿快去！”
玄奘道：“十八年不识生身父母，今朝才见母亲，教孩儿如何割舍？”
小姐道：“我儿，你火速抽身前去！刘贼若回，他必害你性命！我明日假装一病，只说先年曾许舍百双僧鞋，来你寺中还愿。那时节，我有话与你说。”
玄奘立时依言拜别。

8.

Since meeting with her son, Jiao’s feelings had been mingled with joy and
anxiety. One day, she lay in bed without eating and drinking on the pretext
of illness. Liu Hong came back and asked why.
“When I was a child, I promised to give a hundred pairs of shoes to monks,”
she said. “Five days ago, I dreamt a monk came to ask for the shoes. He held a
knife in his hand. It’s terrible, so I feel quite uncomfortable.”
“It’s only a trifle.” Liu said. “Why don’t you tell me early?”
Liu issued an order that every family must make a pair of shoes for monks.
The time limit is five days. The people fulfilled the task accordingly.
“The people already made the shoes.” Jiao said to Liu. “Is there any
temples nearby for me to carry out my promise?”
“There are two in Jiangzhou. One is Jinshan Temple, another one is
Jiaoshan Temple. You can choose any as you like.”
“I heard Jinshan Temple is good,” she said. “I’d like to go there.”
Liu Hong asked his servants to find a boat immediately. Jiao went to
Jinshan Temple by boat together with her henchmen.


却说小姐自见儿子之后，心内一忧一喜。忽一日推病，茶饭不吃，卧于床上。刘洪归衙，问其原故。
小姐道：“我幼时曾许下一愿，许舍僧鞋一百双。五日之前，梦见个和尚，手执利刃，要索僧鞋，便觉身子不快。”
刘洪随即吩咐，江州城内百姓，每家要办僧鞋一双，限五日内完纳。百姓俱依派完纳讫。
小姐对刘洪道：“僧鞋做完，这里有什么寺院，好去还愿？”
刘洪道：“这江州有两处，一个金山寺，一个焦山寺，听你在那个寺里去。”
小姐道：“久闻金山寺好个寺院，我就往金山寺去。”
刘洪即唤下属办下船只。小姐带着心腹之人，一同上船前往金山寺去了。


9.

Xuanzhuang told his master about his mother’s plan. The old man was very
happy.
Next day, a maid came to the temple saying her mistress was coming to
carry out her promise. All monks came out to welcome her warmly. After
entering the temple, Jiao directly walked into the grand hall to worship
Buddha. She then asked the master to let the monks away one some pretext.
Seeing all the monks left, Xuanzhuang came in and knelt down. Jiao asked
him to take off his shoes and socks. She really found that he had lost the
little toe of his left foot. The mother and the son cried bitterly in each
other’s arms and thanked the master for his kindness to adopt Xuanzhuang.
“Since you’ve already met with each other,” said the master, “you’d
better go back immediately less the evil doer know and do harm to you.”

却说玄奘回寺，见法明长老，把其母计谋说了一遍，长老甚喜。
次日，只见一个丫鬟先到，说夫人来寺还愿。众僧都出寺迎接。小姐径进寺门，参了菩萨，随后就教长老找借口，吩咐众僧离开。
玄奘见众僧散了，法堂上更无一人，他却近前跪下。小姐叫他脱了鞋袜看时，那左脚上果然少了一个小指头。当时两个又抱住而哭，拜谢长老养育之恩。
长老道：“汝今母子相会，恐奸贼知之，可速速抽身回去，庶免其祸。”


“I give you a bracelet,” said Jiao to her son. “Go to the north-western
district of Hongzhou Province. There is a distance of one and half thousand
miles between these two places. There is a town named Wanhuadian. Your
grandma stayed there. She is the biological mother of your father,” said
his mother continuously. “I write a letter for you to take. Go to the
capital Chang An City and find the imperial palace. The prime minister Yin
Kaishan lived on the left side of the imperial palace. He is my father.
Give my letter to your grandpa and told him to ask the emperor to allow him
to command the army to kill Liu Hong so as to avenge your father’s death
upon the bad egg. Only on that day, can you rescue me. Now I don’t dare to
stay here long for fear Liu Hong should reproach me for going back too late.”
Finishing her words, Jiao left in a hurry.

小姐道：“我儿，我与你一只香环，你径到洪州西北地方，约有一千五百里之程，那里有个万花店，当时留下婆婆张氏在那里，是你父亲生身之母。我再写一封书与你，径到唐王皇城之内，金殿左边，殷开山丞相家，是你母生身之父母。你将我的书递与外公，叫外公奏上唐王，统领人马，擒杀此贼，与父报仇，那时才救得老娘的身子出来。我今不敢久停，诚恐贼汉怪我归迟。”
小姐说完便出寺登舟而去。


10

Back into the temple with tears in his eyes and parting with his master,
Xuanzhuang went to Hongzhou Province. After a tired and long journey, he
finally arrived at the little town of Wanhuadian.
“I come to see an old lady,” he told the owner of the hotel. “the
mother of an official of Jiangzhou. She once stayed in your hotel. She is
all right now?”
“She once stayed in my hotel at the beginning,” the owner said. “But
she became blind later on and hadn’t paid me any rent for three or four
years. Now she lives in a shabby kiln outside the south city gate. She begs
in the street everyday.” The owner told him. “And the official has left
for so long a time, but I’ve heard nothing from him. No one knows why.”
Xuanzhuang went to the kiln immediately and found the old lady.
“According to your voice, you and my son Chen Guangrui are very much
alike.” The old lady said.
“I’m not Chen Guangrui,” he told her. “But I’m his son. Jiao is my
mother.”
“Why don’t your parents come?” she asked.
“My father was murdered by an evil doer.” He said. “My mother was
forcibly occupied as the wife of that bad egg.”
“Why do you come here to look for me?” asked the old lady.
“It’s my mother that asks me to come here to look for you.” He said. “
I have a letter of my mother as well as a bracelet.”

玄奘哭回寺中，告过师父，即时拜别，径往洪州。来到万花店。
玄奘问那店主道：“昔年江州陈客官有一母亲住在你店中，如今好么？”
店主道：“他原在我店中。后来昏了眼，三四年并无店租还我，如今在南门头一个破瓦窑里，每日上街叫化度日。”店主继续说：“那客官一去许久，到如今杳无信息，不知为何。”
玄奘听罢，即时问到南门头破瓦窑，寻着婆婆。
婆婆道：“你声音好似我儿陈光蕊。”
玄奘道：“我不是陈光蕊，我是陈光蕊的儿子。温娇小姐是我的娘。”
婆婆道：“你爹娘怎么不来？”
玄奘道：“我爹爹被强盗打死了，我娘被强盗霸占为妻。”
婆婆道：“你怎么晓得来寻我？”
玄奘道：“是我娘着我来寻婆婆。我娘有书在此，又有香环一只。”


The old lady took over the letter and the bracelet and cried aloud.
“My son came here for his cause, but I’ve never heard anything about him
since he left here. I thought he bit the hand that fed him. Who knows he
was murdered!.” cried the old lady. “Thanks goodness! The heaven takes
pity on me. He doesn’t want me to have no offspring. My grandson comes to
see me today.”
“How did you become blind?” he asked.
“I miss your father but he doesn’t come to see. I am absolutely
disappointed and cry everyday. That why I’m blind,” cried the old lady.
Xuanzhuang knelt down and said his prayers to the heaven.
“Please take pity on me! I’m already eighteen years old but I’ve not
avenged my father’s death on the murderer,” said he. “Today I come here
to look for my grandma according to my mother’s instruction. If you pity
my sincerity, please let my grandma see light again.”
After his prayer, Xuanzhuang licked her eyes with his tongue tip. Shortly,
his grandma opened her eyes and could see light again as ever before.
Scrutinizing the young monk before her eyes, the old lady exclaimed, “You
’re really my grandson! You and my son Chen Guangrui are exactly alike!”
The old lady had mingled feelings of joy and sorrow. Supporting his
grandma with his hand, Xuanzhuang walked out of the kiln and came back to
the hotel. He rented a room for her and gave her some money.
“Wait for me,” he said to his grandma. “I’ll come back in a month.”

那婆婆接了书并香环，放声痛哭。
“我儿为功名到此，我只道他背义忘恩，那知他被人谋死！”婆婆哭道：“且喜得皇天怜念，不绝我儿之后，今日还有孙子来寻我。”
玄奘问：“婆婆的眼，如何都昏了？”
婆婆道：“我因思量你父亲，终日悬望，不见他来，因此上哭得两眼都昏了。”
玄奘便跪倒向天祷告。
“念玄奘一十八岁，父母之仇不能报复，”玄奘说。“今日领母命来寻婆婆，天若怜鉴弟子诚意，保我婆婆双眼复明！”
祝罢，玄奘就将舌尖与婆婆舔眼。须臾之间，双眼舔开，仍复如初。
婆婆觑了小和尚道：“你果是我的孙子！恰和我儿子光蕊形容无二！”
婆婆又喜又悲。玄奘就领婆婆出了窑门，还到刘小二店内，将些房钱赁屋一间与婆婆栖身，又将一些钱交与婆婆。
玄奘道：“我此去只月余就回。”


11.

Parting with his grandma, Xuanzhuang went directly to the capital city,
Chang An and finally arrived at the house of Prime Minister Yin Kaishan.
“I’m a relative of Prime Minister Yin,” he told the doorman. “I come
here to pay him a visit.”
To be reported, Yin said, “I don’t have any monk relatives.”
“Last night I dreamt that our daughter Jiao had come home.” Yin’s wife
said. “Could it be that our son-in-law sent us a letter?”
Yin asked the young monk to come into his hall. Seeing the old couple,
Xuanzhuang knelt down before them and cried immediately. He then took out a
letter from under his clothes and handed it to the prime minister.
Opening the letter and reading it from beginning to end, the old man was
chocked with tears.
“What happened?” the old lady asked her husband.
“This monk is our grandson.” Yin said. “Our son-in-law was murdered by
a bad egg and our daughter Jiao was forcible occupied as the wife of the
evil doer.”
Learning this, the old lady cried sorrowfully.
“Don’t worry,” Yin told his wife. “I’ll report it to the emperor
tomorrow and ask him to allow me to command some soldiers. I’ll definitely
avenge the death of our son-in-law upon the murderer!”

玄奘随即辞了婆婆，径往京城。寻到皇城东街殷丞相府上。
玄奘与门上人道：“小僧是亲戚，来探相公。”
门上人禀知丞相，丞相道：“我与和尚并无亲眷。”
夫人道：“我昨夜梦见我女儿满堂娇来家，莫不是女婿有书信回来也。”
丞相便教请小和尚来到厅上。小和尚见了丞相与夫人，哭拜在地，就怀中取出一封书来，递与丞相。
丞相拆开，从头读罢，放声痛哭。
夫人问道：“相公，有何事故？”
丞相道：“这和尚是我与你的外甥。女婿陈光蕊被贼谋死，满堂娇被贼强占为妻。”
夫人听罢，亦痛哭不止。
丞相道：“夫人休得烦恼，来朝奏知主上，亲自统兵，定要与女婿报仇。”



12.


Next morning, Yin submitted a memorial to the throne.
The full text read as follows: “Several years ago, my son-in-law Chen
Guangrui, Number One Scholar, went to Jiangzhou Province to take up his
post together with his family including his mother, wife and son. But he
was murdered on the way by a boatman named Liu Hong. The evil doer forcibly
occupied my daughter Jiao as his wife and then passed himself off as my
son-in-law to take up the post of governor of Jiangzhou Province. From then
on, he’s been an illegal official for so many years. It’s really the
worst offense of rebellion. Your Majesty are earnestly requested to
dispatch some troops to wipe out the evil man!”
Reading the memorial, the emperor burst into anger and dispatched an army
of sixty thousand strong with Yin as the supreme commander. And the villain
Liu Hong was swiftly arrested and sent to the execution ground.

次日，丞相入朝，启奏唐王曰：“今有臣婿状元陈光蕊，带领家小
江州赴任，被稍水刘洪打死，占女为妻；假冒臣婿，为官多年。事属
异变。乞陛下立发人马，剿除贼寇。”
唐王见奏大怒，就发御林军六万，着殷丞相督兵前去。刘洪迅速被擒，
绑赴刑场。


Sitting in the great hall of the governmental building of Jiangzhou
Province, Yin asked his daughter Jiao to come over. But Jiao was too
ashamed to meet her father. And worse of all, she was going to hang
herself.
Learning this, Xuanzhuang rushed over immediately to dissuade his mother
from committing suicide.
Kneeling before his mother, he said, “My grandpa and I headed troops to
come here to avenge my father’s death upon the evil doer. The bad egg has
already been arrested. Why are you going to die? If you die, how can I live?”


丞相直入衙内正厅坐下，请小姐出来相见。小姐欲待要出，羞见
父亲，就要自缢。
玄奘闻知，急急将母解救。
玄奘双膝跪下，对母道：“儿与外公，统兵至此，与父报仇。今日贼已
擒捉，母亲何故反要寻死？母亲若死，孩儿岂能存乎？”


To be told about this, Yin stood up and went in to comfort his daughter.
“I heard that a woman should follow only one man in her whole life,”
said Jiao to her father. “Since my husband has already been murdered by
the evil man, how can I have the cheek to follow the murderer? It’s only
because I was in pregnancy that I forced myself to submit to humiliation
and lived with the bad egg. Now that my son has already grown into a good
man, and moreover, you’ve headed troops to come here and wiped out the
murderer, as your daughter, I’d rather die. I think death is the best way
for me to repay the kindness of you and my husband.”
“It’s not your fault,” said the old father. “I know you had no choice
under that condition. No need to feel ashamed!”
The father and the daughter cried bitterly in each other’s arms. Xuanzhuang
was also very sorrowful.
Then the father rushed to the execution ground and let Liu Hong beheaded.
And finally, going to the riverside, the three of them held a memorial service
for Chen Guangrui, burning a written funeral oration.

闻听此言，丞相亦进衙劝解。
“吾闻妇人从一而终，”小姐对父亲说。“痛夫已被贼人所杀，岂可
面见颜从贼？止因遗腹在身，只得忍耻偷生。今幸儿已长大，又见老父
提兵报仇，为女儿者，有何面目相见！惟有一死以报丈夫耳！”
丞相道：“此非我儿以盛衰改节，皆因出乎不得已，何得为耻！”
父女相抱而哭。玄奘亦哀哀不止。
丞相随即亲临法场，下令将刘洪枭首示众。随后，丞相与小姐、玄奘，
三人亲到江边，焚烧祭文，祭奠光蕊。



13.

Their bitterly crying created a great sensation in the dragon palace in
the sea. The sea-patrol water demon Ye Cha submitted the written funeral
oration to Dragon King. After reading, Dragon King asked the turtle general
to take over Chen Guangrui.
“Congratulations! Congratulations! ” said Dragon King to Chen Guangrui.
“Your wife, your son and your father-in-law are holding a funeral service
for you at the riverside. I’d like to have you restored to life and give you three
pearls, a jade belt and ten pieces of silk. Today you can meet with your wife, your
son and your mother.”
Chen Gurangrui thanked Dragon King time and again. And Dragon King asked Ye
Cha to send Chen’s dead body to the riverside for resurrection without any delay.

三人望江痛哭，早已惊动水府。有巡海夜叉，将祭文呈与龙王。龙王看罢，就差鳖元帅去请光蕊来.
“先生，恭喜，恭喜！”龙王对陈光蕊说。“今有先生夫人、公子同岳丈俱在江边祭你。我今送你还魂去也。再有如意珠一颗，走盘珠二颗，绞绡十端，明珠玉带一条奉送。你今日便可夫妻子母相会也。”
光蕊再三拜谢。龙王就令夜叉将光蕊身尸送出江口还魂，夜叉领命而去。



14.

Crying sorrowfully for the death of her husband, Jiao, once again, wanted
to throw herself into the river. Xuanzhuang rushed up and held his mother.
Just at this moment, they saw a dead body floating toward the river bank.
Jiao stepped up hurriedly and found it was his husband’s remains. She
cried bitterly. All the people around came over to have a look. Stretching
his arms and legs, Chen Guangrui began to move his body and then climbed up
to the river bank and at last sat up there. All the people were startled.

却说殷小姐哭奠丈夫一番，又欲将身赴水而死，慌得玄奘拚命扯住。
正在仓皇之际，忽见水面上一个死尸浮来，靠近江岸之旁。小姐忙向前认看，认得是丈夫的尸首，一发嚎啕大哭不已。众人俱来观看，只见光蕊舒拳伸脚，身子渐渐展动，忽地爬将起来坐下，众人不胜惊骇。


Opening his eyes, Chen found his wife, his father-in-law and a young monk
crying beside him.
“Why are you here?” Chen asked.
“You were murdered by the evil doer Liu Hong.” Jiao said. “Then I gave
birth to your son. It was lucky that our son was rescued and adopted by the
master of Jin Shan Temple. After growing up, he tried to meet with me
again. I asked him to look for help from his grandpa. Learning the whole
story, my father asked the emperor to let him head troops to come here and
wipe out the bad egg. Just now, we were holding a funeral service for you.
But we don’t know why you can be restored to life!”
“Do you still remember the golden carp which I bought for you and then
let free?” Chen Guangrui asked his wife. “Who knows the carp should be
Dragon King? Later on, I was pushed into the river by the villain. Thanks
to his rescue, I can be restored to life. He also gave me some treasured
objects. Now I have them with me.” He said continuously. “Unexpectedly
you has already given birth to a son! Moreover, you avenged yourselves on
the evil doer for our disaster. The bitter gave place to sweet at last. It’
s really a great happy event for us.”


光蕊睁开眼，早见殷小姐与丈人殷丞相同着小和尚俱在身边啼哭。
光蕊道：“你们为何在此？”
小姐道：“因汝被贼人打死，后来妾身生下此子，幸遇金山寺长老抚养长大，寻我相会。我教他去寻外公，父亲得知，奏闻朝廷，统兵到此，拿住贼人。适才一家在江边望空祭奠我夫，不知我夫怎生又得还魂。”
光蕊道：“可记得那条金色鲤鱼？谁知那鲤鱼就是此处龙王。后来逆贼把我推在水中，全亏得他救我，方才又赐我还魂，送我宝物，俱在身上。更不想你生下这儿子，又得岳丈为我报仇。真是苦尽甘来，莫大之喜！”


15.

Under the help of Xuanzhuang’s grandpa, the prime minister Yin Kaishan,
they arrived at the little town Wanhuadian. Chen Guangrui and his son
Xuanzhuang went to the hotel where Chen’s mother stayed before.
The old lady had a dream that night. She saw in her dream that a withered
tree came back to life with many flowers blooming.
“Could it be that my grandson has come to see me?” thought the old lady.
Just at this moment, she found Chen Guangrui and his son Xuanzhuang coming
into her room.
“It’s my grandma, isn’t it?” the young monk said to his father.
Seeing his mother, Chen Guangrui hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed to the
old lady. The mother and the son cried bitterly in each other’s arms.


在丞相殷开山的帮助下，一家人来到万花店。光蕊便同玄奘到客店寻婆婆。
那婆婆当夜得了一梦，梦见枯木开花。
婆婆窃想道：“莫不是我孙儿来也？”
说犹未了，只见店门外，光蕊父子齐到。
小和尚指道：“这不是俺婆婆？”
光蕊见了老母，连忙拜倒。母子抱头痛哭一场。


After paying rental to the owner of the hotel, all of them went back to
the capital city. Together with his mother, his wife and his son, Chen
Guangrui went to see his mother-in-law and told her the whole story. The
old lady was very happy and held a grand banquet to congratulate the
reunion.
Next day, Yin reported all these to the emperor. According to Yin’s
recommendation, Chen Guangrui was given an important post to participate in
political affairs. And Xuanzhuang was willing to be a monk in Hongfu
Temple. But Xuanzhuang’s mother unflinchingly committed suicide at last.
Later on, the young monk went back to Jinshan Temple again on the purpose
to repay the kindness of his master.
Not long before, Xuanzhuang became a great master.

算还了店钱，起程回到京城。进入相府，光蕊同小姐与婆婆、玄奘都来见了夫人，备述前因。夫人不胜之喜，吩咐家僮，大排筵宴庆贺。
次日早朝，殷丞相向唐王将前后事情备细启奏。在丞相举荐之下，光蕊晋升为学士之职，随朝理政。玄奘立意安禅，送在洪福寺内修行。后殷小姐毕竟从容自尽，玄奘自到金山寺中报答法明长老。
不久，玄奘便成为一名大法师。