三藏在马上忙呼道："徒弟，你看那前边水势宽阔，怎不见船只行走，我们从那里过去？"
“Disciple,” called out Sanzang from his horse, “do you see that broad river in front of us?” Why are there no boats on it, and how are we going to get across?”
八戒见了道："果是狂澜，无舟可渡。"
“Those are really terrible waves,” said Pig when he saw the river, “and there aren't any boats to ferry us over.”
那行者跳在空中，用手搭凉篷而看。
Monkey sprang into the sky, shaded his eyes with his hand, and looked.
三藏道："我这里一望无边，端的有多少宽阔？"
“How wide is it, then?” Sanzang asked. “I can't see the other bank from here.”
八戒道："哥哥怎的定得个远近之数？"
“How can you be so sure of the distance, brother?” Pig asked.
行者道："不瞒贤弟说，老孙这双眼，白日里常看得千里路上的吉凶。
“These eyes of mine can see what's happening three hundred and fifty miles away in daytime,” Monkey replied.
却才在空中看出：此河上下不知多远，但只见这径过足有八百里。"
“When I took a look from up in the air just now I couldn't make out the length of the river, but I could see that it was a good three hundred and fifty miles wide.”
长老忧嗟烦恼，兜回马，忽见岸上有一通石碑。
Depressed and worried, Sanzang reined in his horse and noticed a stone tablet beside the river.
三众齐来看时，见上有三个篆字，乃“流沙河”；腹上有小小的四行真字云：§ 八百流沙界，三千弱水深。
The three of them went to look at it, and they saw the words FLOWING SANDS RIVER inscribed on it in the ancient curly style.
On the base of the tablet were four lines in the standard script: “Three hundred miles of flowing sands, Three thousand fathoms of weak water,
鹅毛飘不起，芦花定底沉。
On which a goose feather will not float, And the flower of a reed will sink.”
师徒们正看碑文，只听得那浪涌如山，波翻若岭，河当中滑辣的钻出一个妖精，十分凶丑：§ 一头红焰发蓬松，两只圆睛亮似灯。
As the three of them were looking at this tablet they heard the waves make a roar like a collapsing mountain as a most hideous evil spirit emerged from the water: A head of matted hair, as red as fire, A pair of staring eyes, gleaming like lamps.
不黑不青蓝靛脸，如雷如鼓老龙声。
An indigo face, neither black nor green, A dragon's voice like drums or thunder.
身披一领鹅黄氅，腰束双攒露白藤。
On his body a cloak of yellow goose-down, Tied at the waist with white creeper.
那怪一个旋风，奔上岸来，径抢唐僧，慌得行者把师父抱住，急登高岸，回身走脱。
The monster came to the bank in a whirlwind and rushed straight at the Tang Priest.
Monkey picked Sanzang up at once, turned, and made off up the high bank.
那八戒放下担子，掣出铁钯，望妖精便筑。
Pig dropped his carrying-pole, grabbed his rake, and struck at the evil spirit,
那怪使宝杖架住。
who parried the blow with his staff.
他两个在流沙河岸，各逞英雄。
Each of them showed his prowess on the banks of the Flowing Sands River,
这一场好斗：§ 九齿钯，降妖杖，二人相敌河岸上。
and it was a fine battle: The nine-pronged rake, And the ogre-quelling staff: Two men fighting on the banks of the river.
这个是总督大天蓬，那个是谪下卷帘将。
One was the great commander Tian Peng The other the banished Curtain-lifting General.
昔年曾会在灵霄，今日争持赌猛壮。
They used to meet in the Hall of Miraculous Mist, But now they were locked in ferocious combat.
这一个钯去探爪龙，那一个杖架磨牙象。
The rake had dug deep into clawed dragons, The staff had defeated tusked elephants.
伸开大四平，钻入迎风戗。
When either was held defensively, it was rock-solid; In attack they cut into the wind.
这个没头没脸抓，那个无乱无空放。
While one clawed at head and face, The other never panicked or left an opening.
这一场，来来往往，斗经三十回合，不见强弱。
The battle went on for thirty rounds, but neither emerged victorious.