中医 英语简介

TraditionalChineseMedicine1.Philosophicalbackground:principleshumanbodyisaself-regulatinguniversewithasetofsophisticatedclosely-relatedsubsystems.Philosophically,humanbodyisoperatedonthemovementof①yinandyang(阴阳)and②fiveelements(五行).Subsystemsinclude①qi(气)②xuĕ(血)③bodyfluid(津液)④zàng-fǔ(脏腑bodyorgans)⑤meridians(经络circulationchannels)etc.Healthisperceivedasharmoniousinteractionofentitiesofthesesubsystemsandtheoutsideworld;diseaseisinterpretedasadisharmonyorimbalanceininteractionbetweenthehumanbodyandtheenvironment(outsideworld).HypothesisonTCM2.Philosophicalperceptions1）yinandyang(asinTaoism)representtwoabstractandcomplementaryaspectsthateveryphenomenonintheuniversecanbedividedinto.Theconceptofyinandyangisalsoapplicabletothehumanbody;forexample,theupperpartofthebodyandthebackareassignedtoyang,whilethelowerpartofthebodyarebelievedtohavetheyincharacter.2）FiveElements(五行)Fiveelementtheorypresumesthatallphenomenaoftheuniverseandnaturecanbebrokendownintofiveelementalqualities–representedbywood(木,mù),fire(火,huǒ),earth(土,tǔ),metal(金,jīn),andwater(水,shuǐ),whichareinter-generativeandinter-contractive.3.Subsystemsofthebody1)Qi(气)Qiisamediumflowinginsidethebloodvesselsandisdistributedintheskin,muscles,andtissuestransportingandcirculatingbalancedyinandyanginthemeridians(经络).JustastheQiheldbyeachofthezang-fuorgans(脏腑器官),itisalsoconsideredtobepartofthe‘’principaloressential‘’qi(元气、真气)ofthebody.ConsiderablepartofQiisinheritedfromtheparentsandwillbeconsumedinthecourseoflife;otherpartisbelievedtobepartiallygeneratedfromfoodanddrink,andpartiallyfromair(bybreathing).Qiinheritedfromparentsstoredinthe丹田(about3寸underthenavel)isusedtonourishthemind(brain).Generally,Qiissaidtohavefivecardinalfunctions,whichare:①Actuation(推动)–ofallphysicalprocessesinthebody,especiallythecirculationofallbodyfluidssuchasbloodintheirvessels.Thisincludesactuationofthefunctionsofthezang-fuorgansandmeridians(pathwaysofQi).②Warming(温煦)–thebody,especiallythelimbs.③Defense(防御)–againstExogenousPathogenicFactors(外源病因)④Containment(固摄)–ofbodyfluids,i.e.keepingblood,sweat,urine,semenetc.fromleakageorexcessiveemission.⑤Transformation(汽化)–offood,drink,andbreathintoqi,xue(blood血),andjinye(“bodyfluids”津液),and/ortransformationofallofthelatterintoeachother.2)Xue(blood血)Incontrasttothemajorityofotherfunctionalentities,xuě(血,blood)iscorrelatedwithaphysicalform–theredliquidrunninginthebloodvessels.Itsconceptis,nevertheless,definedbyitsfunctions:nourishingallpartsandtissuesofthebody,safeguardinganadequatedegreeofmoisture,andsustainingandsoothingbothconsciousnessandsleep.Typicalsymptomsofalackofxuě(usuallytermed“bloodvacuity”[血虚,xuěxū])aredescribedas:pale-whiteorwithered-yellowcomplexion,dizziness,floweryvision,palpitations(心悸),insomnia,numbnessoftheextremities;paletongue;finepulse.3）jīnyė津液bodyfluidCloselyrelatedtobloodarethejīnyė(津液,usuallytranslatedasbodyfluids),andjustlikeblood,theyareconsideredtobeyininnature,anddefinedfirstandforemostbythefunctionsofnurturingandmoisturizingthedifferentstructuresofthebody.Theirotherfunctionsaretoharmonizeyinandyang,andtohelpwiththesecretionofwasteproducts.津液areultimatelyextractedfromfoodanddrink,andconstitutetherawmaterialfortheproductionofblood;conversely,bloodcanalsobetransformedinto津液.Theirpalpable(易觉察的)manifestationsareallbodilyfluids:tears(泪),sputum(痰),saliva(唾液),gastricjuice(胃液),jointfluid,sweat,urine,etc.4)Zang-fu(脏腑bodyorgans)Zang-fuconstitutethecentrepieceofTCM‘ssystematizationofbodilyfunctions.Bearingthenamesoforgans,theyare,however,onlysecondarilytiedto(rudimentary)anatomicalassumptions(the腑alittlemore,the脏muchless).Astheyareprimarilydefinedbytheirfunctions,theyarenotequivalenttotheanatomicalorgans–tohighlightthisfact,theirnamesareusuallycapitalized.Thetermzàng(脏)referstothefiveentitiesconsideredtobeyininnature–Heart(心,)Liver(肝),Spleen(脾),Lung(肺),Kidney(肾)–,whilefǔ(腑)referstothesixyangorgans–SmallIntestine(小肠),LargeIntestine(大肠),Gallbladder(胆),UrinaryBladder(膀胱),Stomach(胃)and三焦(Sānjiaō).The脏zàng‘sessentialfunctionsconsistinproductionandstorageof(气)qìandblood(血);inawidersensetheyarestipulatedtoregulatedigestion,breathing,watermetabolism,themusculoskeletalsystem,theskin,thesenseorgans,aging,emotionalprocesses,mentalactivityetc.Thefǔorgans’mainpurposeismerelytotransmitanddigest(传化,chuán-huà)substanceslikewaste,food,etc.Sincetheirconceptwasdevelopedonthebasisoffiveelementphilosophy,eachzàngispairedwithafǔ,andeachzàng-fǔpairisassignedtooneoffiveelementalqualities(i.e.,theFiveElementsorFivePhases).Thesecorrespondencesarestipulatedas:Fire(火)→Heart(心)andSmallIntestine(小肠)(and,secondarily,Sānjiaō(三焦)andPericardium(心包)Earth(土)→Spleen(脾)andStomach(胃)Metal(金)→Lung(肺)andLargeIntestine(大肠)Water(水)→Kidney(肾)andBladder(膀胱)Wood(木)→Liver(肝)andGallbladder(胆)Thezàng-fǔarealsoconnectedtothetwelvestandardmeridians十二经脉–eachyangmeridianisattachedtoafǔorganandfiveoftheyinmeridiansareattachedtoazàng.Asthereareonlyfivezàngbutsixyinmeridians,thesixthisassignedtothePericardium心包,apeculiarentityalmostsimilartotheHeartzàng.5)Jing-luo