百回本《西遊記》「流沙河」故事考論

A Discussion＂The River of Quicksand＂in the 100th-Chapter of The Journey to the West

本文針對百回本《西遊記》第22回之「流沙河」故事進行檢視，主要是從流沙河畔旁石碑所刻之五言絕句切入，詩中的幾個關鍵詞語皆有其出處，這關係到此一故事的創作歷程。事實上，流沙河故事是唐僧西天取經眾多魔難考驗中，較早出現的一個重要單元，在中國早期的文獻資料中，已經出現「弱水」、「流沙」等名詞，從史傳、僧傳、筆記小說一類的紀錄可以看出，此一故事「由史到文」之文學化轉化過程；其次，通過《大唐三藏取經詩話》、《西遊記》（雜劇）及百回本《西遊記》等書，更可窺見不同文學作品在「西遊」演進過程中的重要關鍵所在。

This paper examines the story of ＂The River of Quicksand＂ in the 22nd chapter of the 100th chapter in The Journey to the West through the five-character poem inscribed on a stone tablet beside the River of Quicksand, where many allusions lead to the story had been composed. The story of the River of Quicksand is a critical ordeal in the pilgrimage. However, ＂Quicksand＂ and ＂Weak Water＂ had been appeared in historical biography, hagiography, and literary sketches. It carefully shows how the significance of sources had been transformed into a literary novel. Secondly, through the perusal of The Story with Poems of How Tripitaka of the Great Tang Fetched Sutra, The Journey to the West's Drama and novel, shows how stories in different genres could function and form in the development of the pilgrimage story.