Translate the passage into English: 《西游记》(Journey to the West) 也许是中国文学四大经典小说中最具影响力的一部，当然也是在国外最广为人知的一部小说。这部小说描绘了著名僧侣玄奘在三个随从的陪同下穿越中国西部地区前往印度取经 (Buddhist scripture) 的艰难历程。虽然故事的主题基于佛教，但这部小说采用了大量中国民间故事和神话的素材，创造了各种栩栩如生的人物和动物形象。其中最著名的是孙悟空，他与各种各样妖魔作斗争的故事几乎为每个中国孩子所熟知。

"Journey to the West" (西游记) is perhaps the most influential of the four great classic novels of Chinese literature and is also one of the most widely known novels abroad. The novel depicts the arduous journey of the renowned monk Xuanzang, accompanied by three followers, as they traverse the western regions of China to India to obtain Buddhist scriptures. Although the theme of the story is based on Buddhism, the novel draws heavily from a wealth of Chinese folk tales and mythology, creating a variety of vivid characters and animal figures. The most famous among them is Sun Wukong, whose stories of battling various demons are well-known to almost every Chinese child.6 The novel has been interpreted as a Taoist allegory due to its core idea of spiritual transformation, which is central to Taoism, despite the overlay of Buddhist themes and the interspersion of Confucian ideals within the text.9 Furthermore, the novel has been recognized as a Chinese cultural symbol and brand with global popularity and influence.10 The translation and dissemination of "Journey to the West" have been significant efforts to facilitate its worldwide circulation, with various English translations contributing to its international recognition.2 The novel is based on the actual 7th-century pilgrimage of the Buddhist monk Xuanzang to India in search of sacred texts, and it has been a popular subject for storytellers since the late Tang dynasty.5 3