突然之间，孙悟空上了全球的热搜榜，并且惊动了外交部。21日的外交部例行记者会上，有记者提及，中国国产游戏《黑神话：悟空》受到国际玩家青睐。发言人毛宁表示，这反映了中国文化的吸引力。
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that although she did not know much about video games, she can tell from the name that the game was based on the famous Chinese classical literature Journey to the West, and she believes that this reflects the appeal of Chinese culture.
据了解，不少外国玩家们为了更深入地理解游戏的文化内涵，开始集体阅读《西游记》。更有外国玩家直言“我就是孙悟空”，用一个西方谚语来形容这种上瘾且不可戒断的状态，那就是“被一只猴子缠住了”（a monkey on my back，重负缠身）。
有网友曾讨论，如果美国的超级英雄代表是超人，日本是奥特曼，中国是什么？很多人都答出了那个名字：孙悟空。孙悟空这个中国超级IP，究竟有着怎样的魔力，历经岁月的洗礼而依旧熠熠生辉，始终散发着无穷的魅力？
中国超级IP孙悟空炼成记
我们这一代人回忆起孙悟空，能把他的生平事迹、武艺能耐倒背如流。
孙悟空，为天父地母所生，他破石而出（born from a stone），“不伏麒麟管，不受凤凰辖，又不伏人间王位所拘束。”
他神通广大，能七十二变。
He was a shape-shifter capable of taking on 72 different forms.
他一个跟斗十万八千里。
He could travel 108,000 Li (54,000 km) in one somersault.
他闯龙宫取如意金箍棒。
He acquired Ruyi Jingu Bang from the undersea palace of the Dragon King of the East Sea.
在花果山自在称王，自封“齐天大圣”。
He proclaimed himself "Great Sage Equal to Heaven" at the Mountain of Flower and Fruit.
他桀骜不驯，大闹天宫，被镇压在五行山下五百年。
He caused havoc in the Heavenly Kingdom, and was imprisoned for five centuries under the Five Elements Mountain.
他护送唐僧西天取经，途经九九八十一难，终于修成正果。
He embarked on a pilgrimage to the Western Heaven for the Buddhist sutras.
他是所有中国人心中的盖世英雄。
孙悟空的形象其实经过了漫长的演变，才化作了如今我们熟知的模样，犹如在炼丹炉里经历了七七四十九天的神火淬炼，而玄奘取经故事的流变则是太上老君的神火。在近千年时光里，玄奘西行取经的故事犹如一个“开放源代码”，经过不断修改、完善，逐渐定型为百回本《西游记》。
《西游记》绘画插图 图源：视觉中国
先是玄奘口述、弟子辩机编纂的地理史籍《大唐西域记》，如同一颗种子，埋下了传奇的根基。接着是玄奘弟子慧立及彦悰共同撰写的玄奘传记《大慈恩寺三藏法师传》，为故事增添了更多的文化色彩。
到晚唐五代，一部神异化的取经故事《大唐三藏取经诗话》悄然诞生，孙悟空第一次闪亮登场，那时它还叫“猴行者”，是一位白衣秀士，自称是“花果山紫云洞八万四千铜头铁额猕猴王”，宛如一位神秘的侠客，自愿踏上帮助唐僧取经的征程。取经成功后，猴行者被唐太宗封为“铜筋铁骨大圣”，虽形象尚显单薄，却已然成为故事的主角。
孙悟空漫画形象 图源：视觉中国
时光流转至元代，杨景贤的《西游记杂剧》更是西游故事演变的关键一环。在这部剧中，唐僧身世故事和猪八戒首次出现，故事人物基本定型，情节丰满曲折。从此，西游故事开始走进寻常百姓家，孙悟空神通广大、行侠仗义的形象也逐渐深入人心。
终于到了明朝，感谢吴承恩先生，集前代传说、戏曲、文艺之大成的百回本《西游记》现世，取经故事完成了儒释道文化的深度过滤，汇入中华文化的浩瀚汪洋，并成为其中的深海明珠。孙悟空也一扫之前“猴精”的顽劣形象，摇身一变，成为至仁至义、人见人爱的美猴王。
Journey to the West (one of the four great classics of Chinese literature), by Wu Cheng'en, depicts the adventures of a traveling monk sent by the Tang Emperor of the East on a long trek to the Western Heaven to seek the "true scriptures". He's accompanied by three disciples, including Sun Wukong and a gluttonous bodyguard with a pig's head.
You might be tempted to think that the holy monk and his not-always-upright companions are an allegory for the conflicting parts of our personality that, only through teamwork, can get us through the adventures of this mortal realm.
对文化最好的传承是创新。1986年电视连续剧《西游记》成为了几代人的共同记忆，美猴王的形象妇孺皆知。六小龄童接过前辈衣钵，将传统戏曲猴儿戏和电视艺术融合，不仅在模仿猴儿时惟妙惟肖，且更加注意使用眼神，表演大气洒脱，给我们成功塑造了融动物、人、神于一体的美猴王形象。
The cunning and courageous talking monkey, played to perfection by Zhang Jinlai (stage name Liu Xiao Ling Tong), can fly into the heavens and return in a flash, change shape at will, execute backflips and kung fu moves with ease, and expertly use a range of weapons in insanely imaginative ways — all to protect his master.
六小龄童塑造的孙悟空形象已成经典
当时，《西游记》的拍摄条件极为艰苦，特效技术在今天看来也十分“五毛”，但很多人认为这也是它的魅力所在。2014年，《西游记》已经重播了3000多次，是世界上重播率和收视率最高的电视剧。
The show's bare-bones budget and hilariously cheesy effects are just part of its charm, as are the bad guys' schlocky costumes.
Sun Wukong, the impish lead character from Journey to the West, is featured in the Chinese television series with English subtitles that was launched in 1986 (and has been rebroadcast approximately 3,000 times since).
86版《西游记》拍摄花絮
此后，《西游记》和孙悟空被无数次改编，如《西游记动画》、周星驰的《大话西游》系列、《西游记之大圣归来》，甚至国外也加入到了改编与戏说的队伍中。日本《七龙珠》的男主角孙悟空，《宠物小精灵》中从小火焰猴、猛火猴到烈焰猴的进化，《数码宝贝》中的悟空兽、猪八戒兽和沙悟净兽，甚至还有《我的世界》中的孙悟空同款皮肤，都少不了《西游记》的灵感启发。
还有科幻美剧《穷山恶水》（Into the Badlands）在人物和剧情上，也都对《西游记》有所借鉴。全世界不断有创作者通过不同的媒介，以《西游记》故事为灵感，编织出属于自己的英雄史诗。
The influence that Journey to the West has had on pop culture is quite incredible and the story and the characters across so many mediums have inspired artists and creators to dream up their own epic tales of heroism.
而对于中国人来说，孙悟空是共同的童年记忆，是中华文化的象征符号。只要提到孙悟空，不论身处何处，都会勾起每个中国人的文化记忆和身份认同，让中华民族永远凝聚成一体。
《西游记》经典台词
最后，让我们一起来复习一遍《西游记》中“刻进DNA”里的高频词汇和经典台词吧。部分译文来自余国藩译本。
With his piercing eye, Sun Wukong was able to tell monsters from an ordinary human being at the first glance. 孙悟空火眼金睛，妖魔鬼怪辨得清。
神通广大
Sun Wukong had vast magic powers. 孙悟空神通广大。
俺乃是五百年前大闹天宫的齐天大圣孙悟空！
I'm Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven who made havoc in Heaven five hundred years ago.
小的们，老孙回来了！
Little ones, I'm back.
悟空，救我！
Rescue me, Wukong.
贫僧从东土大唐而来，去往西天取经。
I am a priest from the Tang country in the East, and I am going to the Western Heaven to ask for holy scriptures.
我叫你一声，你敢答应我么？
Do you have the guts to answer if I call your name?
大王叫我来巡山！
His Majesty sent me to patrol the mountains.
你这泼猴，又胡说！
Impudent ape, talking nonsense again!
妖精！哪里走！
Evil spirit, where do you think you're going?
你是猴子请来的救兵么？
Hey! Are you reinforcements sent for by Monkey?
大圣，收了神通罢。
Great Sage, give your magic powers a rest.
