理解“五行”Understanding the Five Elements

五行学说是中国古人根据事物的不同形态、性质和作用所进行的分类，将其归属为木、火、土、金、水“五行”之中，用以解释人体生理、病理、病因的理论，构成了中医的学术基础。

The Five Elements are a classification by the ancient Chinese who categorized the world’s substances into wood， fire， earth， metal and water based on their types， nature and functions， laying the theoretical foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） to explain human physiology， pathology and etiology.

五行学说在中医学的应用，主要体现在以五行的特性来分析归纳人体脏腑、经络、形体、官窍等组织器官和精神情志等各种功能活动，构建以五脏为中心的生理病理系统，进而与自然环境相联系，建立天人一体的五脏系统。同时，以五行的生克制化规律来分析五脏之间的生理联系及其相互影响，从而指导疾病的诊断、治疗及预防。1

The application of the Five Elements in TCM is mainly reflected in analyses of various functional activities of organs， meridians， body shapes， organ-viscera and emotions， formulating a physiological and pathological system centered on the five viscera. Correlating with the natural environment， a more comprehensive five viscera system was founded. Based on their mutual physiological functions and influences of wu xing （Five Elements） they guided TCM’s medical diagnosis， treatment and prevention.

以五行配五脏的内容是：肝木，心火，脾土，肺金，肾水。其主要功能是在五脏为中心的基础上，通过经络以联系全身，说明人体的整体性，并通过自然现象的观察与医学实践联系到五方、四时等，说明人与自然界的统一性2。

The combinations of the Five Elements and five viscera are liver-wood， heart-fire， spleen-earth， lung-metal and kidney-water. Based on the theory of the five viscera， by combining the meridian system and five orientations and four seasons in medical practice， and clarifying the body’s holism， the unity of man and nature is perfected.

五行相生的次序是：木生火，火生土，土生金，金生水，水生木。在五行相生关系中，任何一行都具有“生我”和“我生”两个方面，即“生我”者为母，“我生”者为子，因此五行相生关系又称为母子关系。如木生火，火生土，故木为火之“母”，火为木之“子”，火为土之“母”，土为火之“子”——木和火是母子关系，火和土也是母子关系；就火而言，“生我”者为木，“我生”者为土。

The Five Elements generate one another in the order of wood， fire， earth， metal， water and wood again. Each has dual identities： mother and child， meaning they are in a mother-child relationship. For example， wood gives birth to fire， fire gives birth to earth， in that way wood is the “mother” of fire， fire is the “child” of wood; meanwhile， fire is the “mother” of earth， earth is the “child” of fire. Consequently， wood and fire， fire and earth form mother-child relationships. As far as fire is concerned， wood is the creator and earth is the product.

五行之间递相克制的次序是：木克土，土克水，水克火，火克金，金克木。在相克关系中，任何一行都具有“克我”和“我克”两方面的关系。《内经》把这种相克关系称为“所胜”与“所不胜”的关系。“克我”者是我的“所不胜”；“我克”者是我的“所胜”。如金克木、木克土，就木而言，“我克”者为土，土为木之“所胜”；“克我”者为金，金为木之“所不胜”3。

In terms of their mutual restrictions， the order is as follows： wood—earth， earth—water， water—fire， fire—metal， metal—wood， in which every single one is twofold—both restricting and under restriction. The Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor defines these relations as those of the “conqueror” and the “conquered”. Taking wood as the example， the “conqueror” is metal and the “conquered” is earth， so their natures are innately defined.

五行学说除以五行特性类比五脏的生理特点，确定五脏的五行属性外，还以五脏为中心，将自然界的五方、五气、五色、五味等与人体的五脏联系起来，建立了以五脏为中心的天人一体的五脏系统，将人体内外环境联结成一个密切联系的整体。

Apart from its physiological features， the theory of the Five Elements also links up the five natural orientations， five qi， five colors and five flavors with the five viscera of the human body to establish a unitary nature-man five viscera system， integrating the internal and external conditions of the human body as an organic whole.

在古希腊哲学里，人们也试图将世界划分为不同的细小微粒子，但没有形成知识系统。五行学说的完整、严密体系不仅为中医，也为世界哲学提供了独特的思维方式与材料。

In ancient Greece， philosophers tried to classify the world into different tiny particles， but failed to establish a knowledge system. The theory of the Five Elements， with its sophistication and perfection， presents a unique way of thinking and food for thought not only to TCM but also to the philosophical world.

* 博士，杭州师范大学外国语学院翻译研究所特聘教授。

1“构建以五脏为中心的生理病理系统，……同时，以五行的生克制化规律来分析五脏之间的生理联系及其相互影响，……”没有按原文语序翻译，而是将意思分解——“centered on the five viscera…， a more comprehensive five viscera system was founded. Based on their mutual physiological functions and influences of wu xing …”——以更通顺。

2“说明人与自然界的统一性”并非其字面的describing the unity of man and nature，而是“通过自然现象的观察与医学实践联系到五方、四时等”，使得这种关系更加和谐，故译为“… the unity of man and nature is perfected”。

3“‘克我’者为金，金为木之‘所不胜’”，因前文已有叙述，若再按原文译出，不免重复，故可省略不译。