Journey to the West: The Four Pilgrims · chapter 1 of 25
Three Golden Hoops
三个金箍
The Buddha needs a pilgrim to fetch his scriptures. Guanyin sets out east with three secret golden hoops, and reaches a river where nothing floats.
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- Narrator 很久很久以前，在西天的灵山上，住着如来佛祖。
Hěn jiǔ hěn jiǔ yǐqián, zài Xītiān de Líng Shān shàng, zhùzhe Rúlái Fózǔ.
Long, long ago, on Vulture Peak in the Western Heaven, there lived the Buddha.
- the Buddha 我这里有真经，能让人变好。可是东边的人，不来拿。
Wǒ zhèlǐ yǒu zhēnjīng, néng ràng rén biàn hǎo. Kěshì dōngbian de rén, bù lái ná.
I have the true scriptures here. They can make people good. But the people in the east never come for them.
- the Buddha 谁愿意去东边，帮我找一个取经人？
Shéi yuànyì qù dōngbian, bāng wǒ zhǎo yí gè qǔjīngrén?
Who will go east and find me a pilgrim to come and fetch them?
- Guanyin 佛祖，我去吧。
Fózǔ, wǒ qù ba.
Let me go, Lord Buddha.
- the Buddha 好，观音。大家都怕走远路，就你不怕。
Hǎo, Guānyīn. Dàjiā dōu pà zǒu yuǎn lù, jiù nǐ bú pà.
Good, Guanyin. Everyone else is afraid of the long walk. Only you aren't.
- the Buddha 这里有五件宝贝。这件袈裟给取经人，穿上它，什么坏事都不会有。
Zhèlǐ yǒu wǔ jiàn bǎobèi. Zhè jiàn jiāshā gěi qǔjīngrén, chuān shàng tā, shénme huàishì dōu bú huì yǒu.
Here are five treasures. This cassock is for the pilgrim. As long as he wears it, nothing bad can happen to him.
- the Buddha 这条锡杖，也给他。还有三个金箍，是给妖怪的。
Zhè tiáo xīzhàng, yě gěi tā. Hái yǒu sān gè jīn gū, shì gěi yāoguài de.
This nine-ring staff is his as well. And these three golden hoops are for demons.
- the Buddha 路上的妖怪不听话，就把金箍套在他头上。
Lù shàng de yāoguài bù tīnghuà, jiù bǎ jīn gū tào zài tā tóu shàng.
If a demon on the road won't listen, slip a hoop onto his head.
- the Buddha 你说几句话，他的头就会很疼，一直疼到他听话。
Nǐ shuō jǐ jù huà, tā de tóu jiù huì hěn téng, yìzhí téng dào tā tīnghuà.
Say a few words, and his head will ache and ache until he does as he's told.
- Guanyin 三个金箍……先放起来，谁也不给看。
Sān gè jīn gū… xiān fàng qǐlai, shéi yě bù gěi kàn.
Three golden hoops... I'll put them away for now, and show them to no one.
- Narrator 观音带着徒弟木叉，往东边赶路，走了很多天。
Guānyīn dàizhe túdì Mùchā, wǎng dōngbian gǎnlù, zǒu le hěn duō tiān.
Guanyin set off east with her disciple Muzha, and they walked for many days.
- Muzha 师父，你看！好大的一条河！
Shīfu, nǐ kàn! Hǎo dà de yì tiáo hé!
Master, look! What a huge river!
- Guanyin 这是流沙河，有八百里。很轻的东西掉进去，也会沉。
Zhè shì Liúshā Hé, yǒu bābǎi lǐ. Hěn qīng de dōngxi diào jìnqu, yě huì chén.
This is the Flowing Sand River, eight hundred li across. Even the lightest thing that falls in will sink.
- Narrator 忽然，一个红头发的妖怪从水里跳了出来！
Hūrán, yí gè hóng tóufa de yāoguài cóng shuǐ lǐ tiào le chūlai!
Suddenly a red-haired monster leapt out of the water!
- Sha Wujing 你们是哪里来的和尚？站住！让我抓一个吃！
Nǐmen shì nǎlǐ lái de héshang? Zhànzhù! Ràng wǒ zhuā yí gè chī!
Where did you monks come from? Stop right there! I'll grab one of you to eat!
- Muzha 你敢抓我师父？看我的！
Nǐ gǎn zhuā wǒ shīfu? Kàn wǒ de!
You dare grab my master? Take this!
- Narrator 木叉和妖怪在河边打了很久很久。
Mùchā hé yāoguài zài hé biān dǎ le hěn jiǔ hěn jiǔ.
Muzha and the monster fought on the riverbank for a long, long time.
- Sha Wujing 你这个和尚，怎么这么能打？你是谁？
Nǐ zhège héshang, zěnme zhème néng dǎ? Nǐ shì shéi?
Monk, how can you fight like this? Who are you?
- Muzha 我是观音菩萨的徒弟！那是我师父！
Wǒ shì Guānyīn Púsà de túdì! Nà shì wǒ shīfu!
I'm Guanyin's disciple! That's my master!
- Sha Wujing 观音菩萨？我不知道是您！菩萨，我给您跪下了！
Guānyīn Púsà? Wǒ bù zhīdào shì nín! Púsà, wǒ gěi nín guìxià le!
Guanyin? I didn't know it was you! Bodhisattva, I kneel before you!
- Guanyin 你是谁？为什么在这里吃人？
Nǐ shì shéi? Wèishénme zài zhèlǐ chī rén?
Who are you? And why do you eat people here?
- Sha Wujing 我以前是天上的卷帘大将。在蟠桃会上，我打坏了一个杯子。
Wǒ yǐqián shì tiānshàng de Juǎnlián Dàjiàng. Zài Pántáo Huì shàng, wǒ dǎ huài le yí gè bēizi.
I used to be the Curtain-Lifting General in heaven. At the Peach Banquet, I broke a cup.
- Muzha 一个杯子？那又怎么了？
Yí gè bēizi? Nà yòu zěnme le?
A cup? So what?
- Sha Wujing 玉帝让人打了我八百下，让我到这条河里来。一下一下，我都记得。
Yùdì ràng rén dǎ le wǒ bābǎi xià, ràng wǒ dào zhè tiáo hé lǐ lái. Yí xià yí xià, wǒ dōu jìde.
The Jade Emperor had me beaten eight hundred times and sent me down to this river. I remember every single blow.
- Sha Wujing 我饿了，就吃过路的人。九个取经的和尚，我也吃了。
Wǒ è le, jiù chī guòlù de rén. Jiǔ gè qǔjīng de héshang, wǒ yě chī le.
When I'm hungry, I eat travelers. I even ate nine monks on their way to fetch the scriptures.
- Sha Wujing 可是他们的骷髅，怎么也不沉。
Kěshì tāmen de kūlóu, zěnme yě bù chén.
But their skulls just won't sink.
- Guanyin 这九个骷髅，你挂在身上，在这里等取经人。
Zhè jiǔ gè kūlóu, nǐ guà zài shēnshang, zài zhèlǐ děng qǔjīngrén.
Hang these nine skulls on yourself, and wait here for the pilgrim.
- Guanyin 他来了，你就做他的徒弟。从今天起，你叫沙悟净。
Tā lái le, nǐ jiù zuò tā de túdì. Cóng jīntiān qǐ, nǐ jiào Shā Wùjìng.
When he comes, you will be his disciple. From today, your name is Sha Wujing.
- Sha Wujing 沙悟净……好！我等取经人！菩萨，我送你们过河！
Shā Wùjìng… hǎo! Wǒ děng qǔjīngrén! Púsà, wǒ sòng nǐmen guò hé!
Sha Wujing... yes! I'll wait for the pilgrim! Bodhisattva, let me take you across the river!
- Narrator 过了河，到了福陵山，一个长嘴的妖怪跑了过来。
Guò le hé, dào le Fúlíng Shān, yí gè cháng zuǐ de yāoguài pǎo le guòlai.
Across the river, at Fuling Mountain, a long-snouted monster came charging at them.
- Narrator 他拿着钉耙，大叫：“你这个和尚！看我的钉耙！”
Tā názhe dīngpá, dà jiào: “Nǐ zhège héshang! Kàn wǒ de dīngpá!”
Rake in hand, he roared, “You there, monk! Here comes my rake!”
- Muzha 师父，小心！
Shīfu, xiǎoxīn!
Master, look out!
What changed in the story?
- What does the Buddha want someone to do?
“谁愿意去东边，帮我找一个取经人？”
- What are the three golden hoops for?
“还有三个金箍，是给妖怪的……路上的妖怪不听话，就把金箍套在他头上”
- Why was the Curtain-Lifting General sent down from heaven?
“在蟠桃会上，我打坏了一个杯子”
- What is strange about the nine pilgrims' skulls?
“可是他们的骷髅，怎么也不沉”
- What does Guanyin tell the river monster to do?
“这九个骷髅，你挂在身上，在这里等取经人”