《西游記》(Journey to the West)是中國四大名著之一。16世紀90年代,明朝時期,《西游記》匿名出版,雖然沒有現(xiàn)存證據(jù)直接證明該書作者,但20世紀以來,人們一直認為作者是學(xué)者吳承恩。這部小說是關(guān)于唐朝佛教和尚玄奘,為取得佛教經(jīng)書(Buddhist scriptures),前往印度的朝圣之旅。觀音菩薩(the Bodhisattva Guanyin)受佛祖指令,將西行取經(jīng)的任務(wù)交給玄奘和三個負責(zé)保護玄奘的徒弟—孫悟空、豬八戒、沙悟凈,還有一個龍?zhí)幼冏鲂实淖T。這四人同意幫助玄奘西行,也是為他們犯下的罪行進行懺悔。
【參考譯文】
Journey to the West is one of the Four Great Classical Novels in China.Published first anonymously in the 1590s during the Ming Dynasty,and even though there is no direct evidence of its authorship, it has been said that the author is Wu Cheng'en since the 20th century.The novel is about the legends of the Buddhist monk Xuanzang's pilgrimage to India during the Tang dynasty in order to obtain Buddhist scriptures.Instructed by the Buddha, the Bodhisattva Guanyin assigns this task to the monk and his three protectors in the form of disciples, namely Sunwukong, Zhubajie, Shawujing,together with a dragon prince who acts as Xuanzang's horse.These four characters have agreed to help Xuanzang go to the West as confession for their past sins.