Journey to the West: The Four Pilgrims · chapter 5 of 25
The Tiger's Den
老虎洞
The emperor sends Tang Seng west with two men, a white horse and a cup of wine with home earth in it. His first night in the wild goes very wrong.
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- Narrator 几天后的早上，在长安西边，唐王来送玄奘。
Jǐ tiān hòu de zǎoshang, zài Cháng'ān xībian, Táng Wáng lái sòng Xuánzàng.
A few days later, one morning on the west side of Chang'an, the Tang Emperor came to see Xuanzang off.
- the Tang Emperor 玄奘，从今天起，你是我的弟弟，就叫唐僧吧！
Xuánzàng, cóng jīntiān qǐ, nǐ shì wǒ de dìdi, jiù jiào Táng Sēng ba!
Xuanzang, from today you are my younger brother. You shall be called Tang Seng!
- Tang Seng 谢谢陛下！唐僧……我记住了。
Xièxie bìxià! Táng Sēng… wǒ jìzhù le.
Thank you, Your Majesty! Tang Seng... I'll remember.
- the Tang Emperor 这两个人，还有这匹白马，跟你一起去西天。
Zhè liǎng gè rén, hái yǒu zhè pǐ bái mǎ, gēn nǐ yìqǐ qù Xītiān.
These two men and this white horse will go west with you.
- Tang Seng 这匹马……好高啊。
Zhè pǐ mǎ… hǎo gāo a.
This horse... is very tall.
- the Tang Emperor 弟弟，你不会骑马吗？
Dìdi, nǐ bú huì qí mǎ ma?
Little brother, don't tell me you can't ride?
- Tang Seng 会……会一点儿。
Huì… huì yìdiǎnr.
I can... a little.
- the Tang Emperor 来，喝杯酒。我在酒里，放一点儿长安的土。
Lái, hē bēi jiǔ. Wǒ zài jiǔ lǐ, fàng yìdiǎnr Cháng'ān de tǔ.
Come, drink a cup of wine. I'm putting a pinch of Chang'an earth into it.
- Tang Seng 土？陛下，这是为什么？
Tǔ? Bìxià, zhè shì wèishénme?
Earth? Your Majesty, why?
- the Tang Emperor 走得再远，也别忘了这里的土。
Zǒu de zài yuǎn, yě bié wàng le zhèlǐ de tǔ.
However far you go, don't forget the earth of this place.
- the Tang Emperor 弟弟，你几时回来？
Dìdi, nǐ jǐshí huílai?
Little brother, when will you be back?
- Tang Seng 三年！三年就回来！
Sān nián! Sān nián jiù huílai!
Three years! I'll be back in three years!
- Tang Seng 西天很远，可是我一步一步走，一定能走到。
Xītiān hěn yuǎn, kěshì wǒ yí bù yí bù zǒu, yídìng néng zǒu dào.
The Western Heaven is far, but I'll walk it step by step, and I'll get there.
- the Tang Emperor 好！三年后，我在这里等你。拿回真经，你就会成佛了！
Hǎo! Sān nián hòu, wǒ zài zhèlǐ děng nǐ. Ná huí zhēnjīng, nǐ jiù huì chéngfó le!
Good! In three years, I'll be waiting right here. Bring back the scriptures, and you'll become a Buddha!
- Tang Seng 走了这么多天，这里是大唐最西边的地方了。
Zǒu le zhème duō tiān, zhèlǐ shì Dà Táng zuì xībian de dìfang le.
All these days on the road, and now we've reached the far west of the Great Tang.
- Tang Seng 天还没亮？没关系，起来，我们赶路！早一点儿走，就早一点儿到！
Tiān hái méi liàng? Méi guānxi, qǐlai, wǒmen gǎnlù! Zǎo yìdiǎnr zǒu, jiù zǎo yìdiǎnr dào!
Not light yet? Never mind, get up, we're going! The sooner we leave, the sooner we arrive!
- Tang Seng 好黑啊……这里没有路了。大家小心，慢一点儿走！
Hǎo hēi a… zhèlǐ méiyǒu lù le. Dàjiā xiǎoxīn, màn yìdiǎnr zǒu!
It's so dark... There's no path here anymore. Careful, everyone, go slowly!
- Tang Seng 啊！我们掉进了一个洞里！你们没事吧？那匹马呢？
A! Wǒmen diào jìn le yí gè dòng lǐ! Nǐmen méi shì ba? Nà pǐ mǎ ne?
Ah! We've fallen into a pit! Are you all right? Where's the horse?
- Narrator 很多妖怪跳到洞里，抓了他们，拉着就走。
Hěn duō yāoguài tiào dào dòng lǐ, zhuā le tāmen, lāzhe jiù zǒu.
A crowd of demons jumped down into the pit, seized them all and dragged them away.
- Tang Seng 那个大王……是一只老虎！他站着，像人一样……他在笑！
Nàge dàwáng… shì yì zhī lǎohǔ! Tā zhànzhe, xiàng rén yíyàng… tā zài xiào!
Their king... is a tiger! He stands up like a man... and he's smiling!
- Tang Seng 又来了两个客人……一个全身黑毛，一个头上有两只角……
Yòu lái le liǎng gè kèrén… yí gè quánshēn hēi máo, yí gè tóu shàng yǒu liǎng zhī jiǎo…
Two more guests have arrived... one covered in black fur, one with two horns on his head...
- Narrator 两个客人笑着说：“吃两个，留一个。”
Liǎng gè kèrén xiàozhe shuō: “Chī liǎng gè, liú yí gè.”
The two guests said with a grin, “Eat two. Keep one.”
- Tang Seng 不！不要吃他们！求求你们！
Bù! Bú yào chī tāmen! Qiúqiu nǐmen!
No! Don't eat them! I beg you!
- Narrator 那天夜里，妖怪吃了跟着唐僧的两个人。
Nà tiān yèlǐ, yāoguài chī le gēnzhe Táng Sēng de liǎng gè rén.
That night, the demons ate the two men who had come with Tang Seng.
- Tang Seng 天亮了……那两个客人走了。是我……是我带他们来的……
Tiān liàng le… nà liǎng gè kèrén zǒu le. Shì wǒ… shì wǒ dài tāmen lái de…
It's morning... The two guests have gone. It was me... I'm the one who brought them here...
- Narrator 老虎大王看着唐僧，说：“这个和尚，先绑在这里，留着以后吃。”
Lǎohǔ dàwáng kànzhe Táng Sēng, shuō: “Zhège héshang, xiān bǎng zài zhèlǐ, liúzhe yǐhòu chī.”
The tiger king looked at Tang Seng and said, “Tie this monk up here. We'll keep him for later.”
- Tang Seng 都走了……就我一个人了。手和脚都绑着，动不了……
Dōu zǒu le… jiù wǒ yí gè rén le. Shǒu hé jiǎo dōu bǎngzhe, dòng bu liǎo…
They've all gone... It's just me now. My hands and feet are tied. I can't move...
- Tang Seng 妈妈用血写信，咬掉我的小脚指头，是要我好好活着……
Māma yòng xuè xiě xìn, yǎo diào wǒ de xiǎo jiǎozhǐtou, shì yào wǒ hǎohǎo huózhe…
Mother wrote in her own blood and bit off my little toe, all so that I would live...
- Tang Seng 进山才一个晚上……我就要在这里死了吗？
Jìn shān cái yí gè wǎnshang… wǒ jiù yào zài zhèlǐ sǐ le ma?
Just one night in the mountains... and I'm going to die here?
- Tang Seng 菩萨……救救我……
Púsà… jiùjiu wǒ…
Bodhisattva... save me...
What changed in the story?
- What new name does the emperor give Xuanzang?
“你是我的弟弟，就叫唐僧吧”
- What does the emperor put into the farewell wine?
“我在酒里，放一点儿长安的土”
- When does Tang Seng promise to come back?
“三年就回来”
- What do the tiger king's two guests say?
“吃两个，留一个”
- Why is Tang Seng still alive in the morning?
“这个和尚，先绑在这里，留着以后吃”