Journey to the West: The Four Pilgrims · chapter 4 of 25
Who Will Go West?
谁去西天
The Tang Emperor holds a great prayer for the dead, led by Xuanzang, until a dirty beggar monk shouts that all this chanting can't save anyone.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 那年秋天，在长安，唐王死了，又活着回来了。他给死去的人烧了很多纸。
Nà nián qiūtiān, zài Cháng'ān, Táng Wáng sǐ le, yòu huózhe huílai le. Tā gěi sǐqù de rén shāo le hěn duō zhǐ.
That autumn in Chang'an, the Tang Emperor died and came back to life. He burned paper offerings for the dead.
- Narrator 念经的，是玄奘，那个睡在木板上，从河上漂来的孩子。
Niànjīng de, shì Xuánzàng, nàge shuì zài mùbǎn shàng, cóng hé shàng piāo lái de háizi.
And the one reading the scriptures was Xuanzang, the baby who once floated down a river, asleep on a plank.
- Tang Seng 死去的人啊，我给你们念经。你们好好走吧。
Sǐqù de rén a, wǒ gěi nǐmen niànjīng. Nǐmen hǎohǎo zǒu ba.
Souls of the dead, I read the scriptures for you. Go in peace.
- Guanyin 卖袈裟！卖锡杖！好宝贝，谁要买？
Mài jiāshā! Mài xīzhàng! Hǎo bǎobèi, shéi yào mǎi?
Cassock for sale! Staff for sale! Real treasures! Who'll buy?
- the Tang Emperor 那位老师父，请过来！这件金色的袈裟，好亮啊！要多少钱？
Nà wèi lǎo shīfu, qǐng guòlai! Zhè jiàn jīnsè de jiāshā, hǎo liàng a! Yào duōshao qián?
You there, old master, please come here! This golden cassock, how it shines! What's your price?
- Guanyin 穿上这件袈裟，妖怪都怕你。袈裟五千两，锡杖两千两。
Chuān shàng zhè jiàn jiāshā, yāoguài dōu pà nǐ. Jiāshā wǔqiān liǎng, xīzhàng liǎngqiān liǎng.
Wear this cassock, and demons will fear you. Five thousand taels for the cassock, two thousand for the staff.
- the Tang Emperor 七千两？太贵了！
Qīqiān liǎng? Tài guì le!
Seven thousand taels? That's far too much!
- Guanyin 坏和尚来买，一万两也不卖。好和尚来拿，一分钱也不要。
Huài héshang lái mǎi, yíwàn liǎng yě bú mài. Hǎo héshang lái ná, yì fēn qián yě bú yào.
A bad monk couldn't buy them for ten thousand taels. A good monk can have them for nothing.
- the Tang Emperor 那你为什么还要卖？
Nà nǐ wèishénme hái yào mài?
Then why are you selling them at all?
- Guanyin 我不要钱。我在找一个好和尚。
Wǒ bú yào qián. Wǒ zài zhǎo yí gè hǎo héshang.
I don't want money. I'm looking for a good monk.
- the Tang Emperor 好和尚？玄奘是长安最好的和尚！
Hǎo héshang? Xuánzàng shì Cháng'ān zuì hǎo de héshang!
A good monk? Xuanzang is the best monk in Chang'an!
- Guanyin 那就给他吧。他用得上。
Nà jiù gěi tā ba. Tā yòng de shàng.
Then let him have them. He'll need them.
- the Tang Emperor 玄奘，这件袈裟和这条锡杖，送给你！
Xuánzàng, zhè jiàn jiāshā hé zhè tiáo xīzhàng, sòng gěi nǐ!
Xuanzang, this cassock and this staff are yours!
- Tang Seng 谢谢陛下！谢谢师父！
Xièxie bìxià! Xièxie shīfu!
Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, master!
- Guanyin 小和尚！你念经，救不了死去的人！
Xiǎo héshang! Nǐ niànjīng, jiù bu liǎo sǐqù de rén!
Little monk! Your chanting can't save the dead!
- Tang Seng 师父，那……什么经能救他们？
Shīfu, nà… shénme jīng néng jiù tāmen?
Master, then... what scriptures can save them?
- Guanyin 真经！真经在西天！
Zhēnjīng! Zhēnjīng zài Xītiān!
The true scriptures! The true scriptures are in the Western Heaven!
- the Tang Emperor 你是什么和尚？敢在这里大叫！
Nǐ shì shénme héshang? Gǎn zài zhèlǐ dà jiào!
What kind of monk are you? How dare you shout in here!
- Guanyin 我是谁？你们好好看看！
Wǒ shì shéi? Nǐmen hǎohǎo kànkan!
Who am I? Take a good look!
- Narrator 那个和尚飞到了天上，变成了观音菩萨，身上都是金光。
Nàge héshang fēi dào le tiānshàng, biànchéng le Guānyīn Púsà, shēnshang dōu shì jīnguāng.
The beggar monk rose into the sky and became Guanyin, shining all over with golden light.
- Tang Seng 是观音菩萨！陛下，天上掉下一封信！
Shì Guānyīn Púsà! Bìxià, tiānshàng diào xià yì fēng xìn!
It's Guanyin! Your Majesty, a letter is falling from the sky!
- the Tang Emperor “真经在西天，有十万八千里。谁拿回真经，谁就会成佛。”
“Zhēnjīng zài Xītiān, yǒu shíwàn bāqiān lǐ. Shéi ná huí zhēnjīng, shéi jiù huì chéngfó.”
“The true scriptures are in the West, a hundred and eight thousand li away. Whoever brings them back will become a Buddha.”
- the Tang Emperor 十万八千里……谁去西天？
Shíwàn bāqiān lǐ… shéi qù Xītiān?
A hundred and eight thousand li... Who will go to the Western Heaven?
- Narrator 大家都不说话，也没有一个人动。
Dàjiā dōu bù shuōhuà, yě méiyǒu yí gè rén dòng.
No one spoke. Not one of them moved.
- the Tang Emperor 西天很远，路上有很多妖怪……没有人愿意去吗？
Xītiān hěn yuǎn, lù shàng yǒu hěn duō yāoguài… méiyǒu rén yuànyì qù ma?
The West is far, and the road is full of demons... Is no one willing to go?
- Tang Seng 十万八千里……成佛？我没想过。可是死去的人，在等真经。
Shíwàn bāqiān lǐ… chéngfó? Wǒ méi xiǎngguo. Kěshì sǐqù de rén, zài děng zhēnjīng.
A hundred and eight thousand li... Become a Buddha? I've never thought of that. But the dead are waiting for those scriptures.
- Tang Seng 我一个从河上漂来的人，还怕走路吗？
Wǒ yí gè cóng hé shàng piāo lái de rén, hái pà zǒulù ma?
I came floating down a river as a baby. Why should I be afraid of a long walk?
- Narrator 玄奘走上前，跪下了。
Xuánzàng zǒu shàng qián, guìxià le.
Xuanzang stepped forward and knelt.
- Tang Seng 陛下，我去！
Bìxià, wǒ qù!
Your Majesty, I will go!
What changed in the story?
- Who can have the cassock and staff for nothing?
“好和尚来拿，一分钱也不要”
- Why does the emperor give the cassock to Xuanzang?
“玄奘是长安最好的和尚”
- What does the beggar monk shout during the prayers?
“你念经，救不了死去的人”
- What does the letter from the sky say?
“真经在西天，有十万八千里”
- What happens when the emperor asks who will go?
“没有一个人动……陛下，我去！”