HSK 5 · Chapter 9 · 862 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-monk-sets-out-journey-to-the-west-intermediate-chinese-9

唐僧取经

The Monk Sets Out

Name: ________________ Date: ________

那个nàge从cóng东方dōngfāng来lái的de和尚héshang是shì谁shéi呢ne？这zhè件jiàn事shì，还hái要yào从cóng西天xītiān说起shuōqǐ。

孙悟空sūnwùkōng被bèi压yā在zài五行wǔxíng山shān下面xiàmiàn以后yǐhòu，天上tiānshàng和hé地上dìshang都dōu安静ānjìng了le很hěn多年duōnián。有yǒu一天yìtiān，如来rúlái佛祖fózǔ对duì菩萨púsà们men说shuō：“我wǒ这里zhèlǐ有yǒu三藏sānzàng真经zhēnjīng，能néng教人rén做zuò好人hǎorén。我wǒ想xiǎng把bǎ它们tāmen送sòng到dào东方dōngfāng去qù，可是kěshì东方dōngfāng的de人rén不bù一定yídìng会huì珍惜zhēnxī。最好zuìhǎo是shì让ràng一个yígè东方dōngfāng人rén走过zǒuguò千山万水qiānshān-wànshuǐ，亲自qīnzì到dào西天xītiān来lái取qǔ。谁shéi愿意yuànyì去qù东方dōngfāng，找zhǎo一个yígè取经qǔjīng的de人rén？”

观音菩萨guānyīn-púsà站zhàn出来chūlái说shuō：“我wǒ愿意yuànyì去qù。”如来rúlái很hěn高兴gāoxìng，交给jiāogěi她tā一yí件jiàn宝贝bǎobèi袈裟jiāshā、一yì根gēn锡杖xīzhàng和hé三sān个gè金jīn箍gū，说shuō：“路上lùshang要是yàoshì遇到yùdào本领bénlǐng大dà的de妖怪yāoguài，就jiù劝quàn他tā做zuò取经qǔjīng人rén的de徒弟túdi。他tā要是yàoshì不bù听话tīnghuà，就jiù把bǎ金jīn箍gū放fàng到dào他tā的de头上tóushang，他tā就jiù不bù敢gǎn不bù听tīng了le。”

观音guānyīn带dài着zhe徒弟túdi惠岸，一路yílù向xiàng东dōng走zǒu去qù。路上lùshang，她tā遇到yùdào了le好几háojǐ个gè做zuò了le坏事huàishì、正在zhèngzài受罚shòufá的de妖怪yāoguài：流沙河里一个yígè吃chī人rén的de妖怪yāoguài，福陵山上shàng一个yígè长zhǎng着zhe猪zhū脸liǎn的de妖怪yāoguài，一yì条tiáo快要kuàiyào被bèi处死chúsǐ的de小白龙xiǎobáilóng，还有háiyǒu压yā在zài五行wǔxíng山shān下面xiàmiàn的de那nà只zhī老lǎo猴子hóuzi。观音guānyīn对duì他们tāmen每měi一个yígè都dōu这样zhèyàng说shuō：“你nǐ在zài这里zhèlǐ等děng着zhe。将来jiānglái会huì有yǒu一个yígè从cóng东方dōngfāng来lái的de和尚héshang经过jīngguò这里zhèlǐ，你nǐ跟着gēnzhe他tā去qù西天xītiān取经qǔjīng，就jiù能néng重新做人chóngxīn-zuòrén。”

观音guānyīn来到láidào了le大唐dàtáng的de都城dūchéng长安cháng’ān。这时zhèshí，唐太宗tángtàizōng正在zhèngzài举办jǔbàn一yì场很hěn大dà的de法会fǎhuì，请qǐng来lái一千多yìqiānduō个gè和尚héshang念经niànjīng。主持zhǔchí法会fǎhuì的de，是shì一个yígè年轻niánqīng的de和尚héshang，名叫míngjiào玄奘xuánzàng。他tā从小cóngxiǎo就jiù出家chūjiā了le，读dú过guò很hěn多duō书shū，大家dàjiā都dōu说shuō他tā是shì最zuì了不起liǎobuqǐ的de和尚héshang。

观音guānyīn和hé惠岸变成biànchéng了le两liǎng个gè又yòu脏zāng又yòu破pò的de和尚héshang，拿ná着zhe袈裟jiāshā和hé锡杖xīzhàng在zài街jiē上shàng卖mài。有人yǒurén问wèn价钱jiàqián，观音guānyīn说shuō：“袈裟jiāshā要yào卖mài五千wǔqiān，锡杖xīzhàng要yào卖mài两千liǎngqiān。”大家dàjiā都dōu哈哈大笑hāhā-dàxiào，谁shéi也yě不bù买mǎi。这zhè件jiàn事shì后来hòulái传chuán到dào了le皇帝huángdì那里nàlǐ，皇帝huángdì想xiǎng给gěi她tā钱qián，可是kěshì观音guānyīn说shuō：“皇帝huángdì要是yàoshì真心zhēnxīn信佛xìnfó，我wǒ不要búyào钱qián，送给sònggěi你nǐ。”唐太宗tángtàizōng非常fēicháng高兴gāoxìng，就jiù把bǎ袈裟jiāshā和hé锡杖xīzhàng都dōu送给sònggěi了le玄奘xuánzàng。

法会fǎhuì上shàng，玄奘xuánzàng正在zhèngzài讲jiǎng经jīng，观音guānyīn走zǒu上前shàngqián，大声dàshēng说shuō：“你nǐ讲jiǎng的de佛法fófǎ，只能zhǐnéng让ràng自己zìjǐ修行xiūxíng，救不了jiùbuliǎo死去sǐqù的de人rén。西天xītiān还有háiyǒu大乘dàchéng佛法fófǎ，那nà才cái是shì能néng救人jiùrén的de佛法fófǎ！”说shuō完wán，她tā变biàn回huí了le本来běnlái的de样子yàngzi，站zhàn在zài一yì朵duǒ彩云cǎiyún上shàng，又yòu从cóng空中kōngzhōng落下luòxià一yì张zhāng纸zhǐ，上面shàngmiàn写xiě着zhe：请qǐng到dào西天xītiān取qǔ真经zhēnjīng。

唐太宗tángtàizōng问wèn大家dàjiā：“谁shéi愿意yuànyì去qù西天xītiān取经qǔjīng？”玄奘xuánzàng站zhàn出来chūlái说shuō：“我wǒ愿意yuànyì！取不到qǔbudào真经zhēnjīng，我wǒ就jiù永远yóngyuǎn不bù回来huílái。”唐太宗tángtàizōng非常fēicháng高兴gāoxìng，和hé他tā结拜jiébài为兄弟xiōngdì，又yòu说shuō：“西天xītiān有yǒu三藏sānzàng真经zhēnjīng，你nǐ就jiù叫jiào‘三藏sānzàng’吧ba。”从此cóngcǐ，人们rénmen都dōu叫jiào他tā唐三藏tángsānzàng，也yě叫jiào他tā唐僧tángsēng。

出发chūfā那天nàtiān，唐太宗tángtàizōng亲自qīnzì送sòng他tā出chū城chéng。皇帝huángdì给gěi他tā倒dào了le一yì杯bēi酒jiǔ，又yòu从cóng地上dìshang抓起zhuāqǐ一点儿yìdiǎnr土tǔ，放进fàngjìn酒jiǔ里，说shuō：“这zhè条tiáo路lù又yòu远yuǎn又yòu难nán。你nǐ要yào记住jìzhu：家乡jiāxiāng的de一把yìbǎ土tǔ，也yě比bǐ外地wàidì的de很hěn多duō黄金huángjīn更gèng珍贵zhēnguì。一定yídìng要yào早zǎo一点yìdiǎn回来huílái！”唐僧tángsēng明白míngbai了le皇帝huángdì的de意思yìsi，一口yìkǒu喝hē干了le酒jiǔ。他tā带dài着zhe两liǎng个gè随从suícóng，骑qí着zhe白马báimǎ，离开líkāi长安cháng’ān，向xiàng西xī走zǒu去qù。

几jǐ个gè星期xīngqī以后yǐhòu，他tā走zǒu在zài一yì条tiáo没有méiyǒu人rén的de山路shānlù上shàng，忽然hūrán听见tīngjiàn一yí座zuò大山dàshān下面xiàmiàn传来chuánlái一yí个gè声音shēngyīn：“师父shīfu！你nǐ终于zhōngyú来lái了le！”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
压yāto press; to push down; pressure (as in 压力)
将来jiāngláifuture; in the future
举办jǔbànto hold; to host (an event)
破pòto break; to split; broken; damaged; torn
价钱jiàqiánprice
要是yàoshìif; in case
本来běnláioriginally; at first; of course (it goes without saying)
样子yàngziappearance; look
永远yóngyuǎnforever; always; eternally
兄弟xiōngdìbrother; bro (friendly address among men)
从此cóngcǐfrom now on; from then on; henceforth
城chéngcity; town

English (for the teacher)

Who was this monk from the east? To find out, we have to start in the Western Heaven.

After Sun Wukong was pinned under Five-Element Mountain, heaven and earth were quiet for many years. One day the Buddha said to the bodhisattvas: "I have here the scriptures in three baskets, which can teach people to be good. I want to send them to the East, but the people there might not value them. It would be best for someone from the East to cross a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers and come to the Western Heaven to fetch them himself. Who will go east and find a pilgrim to fetch the scriptures?"

Guanyin stepped forward and said: "I will go." The Buddha was pleased, and gave her a cassock, a monk's staff and three golden hoops, saying: "If you meet demons with great powers on the way, persuade them to become the pilgrim's disciples. If one won't behave, put a golden hoop on his head, and he won't dare disobey."

Guanyin set off east with her disciple Huian. On the way she met several demons who had done wrong and were being punished: a man-eating monster in the Flowing Sand River, a pig-faced monster on Fuling Mountain, a little white dragon about to be put to death, and the old monkey under Five-Element Mountain. To each of them Guanyin said: "Wait here. One day a monk from the East will pass this way. Go with him to the West to fetch the scriptures, and you can start your life again."

Guanyin came to Chang'an, the capital of the great Tang. At that time Emperor Taizong was holding a great ceremony and had invited over a thousand monks to chant the scriptures. The one leading the ceremony was a young monk named Xuanzang. He had become a monk as a child and had read a great many books, and everyone said he was the finest monk of all.

Guanyin and Huian turned themselves into two dirty, ragged monks and went to sell the cassock and staff in the street. When someone asked the price, Guanyin said: "Five thousand for the cassock, two thousand for the staff." Everyone roared with laughter, and nobody bought them. Word of this later reached the emperor, and he wanted to pay her, but Guanyin said: "If Your Majesty truly believes in the Buddha, I won't take any money. They're yours." Emperor Taizong was delighted and gave the cassock and the staff to Xuanzang.

At the ceremony, as Xuanzang was preaching, Guanyin stepped forward and said loudly: "The teaching you preach can only help yourself; it cannot save the dead. In the Western Heaven there is the Great Vehicle teaching, and that is the teaching that saves people!" With that she changed back into her true form, standing on a coloured cloud, and a sheet of paper floated down from the sky. On it was written: Come to the Western Heaven to fetch the true scriptures.

Emperor Taizong asked everyone: "Who is willing to go to the Western Heaven for the scriptures?" Xuanzang stepped forward and said: "I am! If I don't get the true scriptures, I will never come back." Emperor Taizong was overjoyed. He made Xuanzang his sworn brother and said: "In the West there are the scriptures in three baskets, so you shall be called Sanzang, 'Three Baskets'." From then on people called him Tang Sanzang, or the Tang Monk.

On the day he left, Emperor Taizong saw him out of the city himself. The emperor poured him a cup of wine, picked up a pinch of earth from the ground and dropped it into the wine, saying: "This road is long and hard. Remember: a handful of earth from home is worth more than piles of gold abroad. Be sure to come back soon!" The Tang Monk understood what the emperor meant, and drank the wine down in one go. With two servants and riding a white horse, he left Chang'an and headed west.

Weeks later, as he walked along a lonely mountain road, he suddenly heard a voice shouting from under a great mountain: "Master! You've come at last!"