HSK 5 · Advanced stories

中医 · Traditional Chinese Medicine

Zhōngyī — Two thousand years of practice, and the argument that will not go away.

Read the story

Every word shows its pinyin above the characters. The English translation follows each line.

走进zǒu jìn一家yì jiā中药店,zhōngyào diàn你nǐ会huì闻到wén dào一种yì zhǒng很hěn特别tèbié的de味道。wèidào

Walk into a Chinese pharmacy and you meet a very particular smell.

那是nà shì几百种jǐ bǎi zhǒng草药cǎoyào混hùn在一起zài yìqǐ的de气味,qìwèi又苦yòu kǔ又香。yòu xiāng

It is hundreds of herbs mixed together, both bitter and fragrant.

中医zhōngyī有yǒu两千多年liǎng qiān duō nián的de历史,lìshǐ是shì中国Zhōngguó文化wénhuà的de重要zhòngyào部分。bùfen

Chinese medicine has over two thousand years of history and is a major part of the culture.

中医zhōngyī看病kàn bìng的de方法fāngfǎ和hé西医xīyī很hěn不一样。bù yíyàng

The way Chinese medicine examines a patient differs greatly from Western medicine.

医生yīshēng会huì看kàn你的nǐ de舌头,shétou听tīng你的nǐ de声音,shēngyīn还要hái yào摸mō你的nǐ de脉。mài

The doctor looks at your tongue, listens to your voice, and takes your pulse.

他tā关心guānxīn的de不只是bù zhǐshì病,bìng还有hái yǒu你nǐ整个人zhěnggè rén的de状态。zhuàngtài

What concerns him is not only the illness but the state of your whole person.

中医zhōngyī认为rènwéi身体shēntǐ讲究jiǎngjiu平衡,pínghéng太热tài rè或者huòzhě太寒tài hán都会dōu huì生病。shēngbìng

Chinese medicine holds that the body needs balance; too hot or too cold makes you ill.

所以suǒyǐ中医zhōngyī常说cháng shuō"调理",tiáolǐ而不是ér bú shì简单地jiǎndān de"治好"。zhì hǎo

So Chinese doctors speak of "regulating" rather than simply "curing".

今天jīntiān在zài中国,Zhōngguó中医zhōngyī和hé西医xīyī常常chángcháng一起yìqǐ使用。shǐyòng

In China today, Chinese and Western medicine are often used together.

感冒gǎnmào的时候,de shíhou有人yǒu rén吃chī西药,xīyào也yě有人yǒu rén先xiān喝hē一碗yì wǎn中药。zhōngyào

With a cold, some take Western pills, and some first drink a bowl of herbal decoction.

针灸zhēnjiǔ在zài很多hěn duō国家guójiā也yě越来越yuè lái yuè受欢迎。shòu huānyíng

Acupuncture is also growing more popular in many countries.

不过búguò关于guānyú中医zhōngyī的de争论zhēnglùn一直yìzhí没有méiyǒu停过。tíng guo

The argument about Chinese medicine has never stopped, though.

批评pīpíng的人de rén认为,rènwéi很多hěn duō方子fāngzi缺少quēshǎo现代xiàndài科学kēxué的de证明。zhèngmíng

Critics hold that many prescriptions lack modern scientific proof.

支持zhīchí的人de rén则zé说,shuō有效果yǒu xiàoguǒ几千年了,jǐ qiān nián le不能bù néng简单jiǎndān否定。fǒudìng

Supporters reply that it has worked for thousands of years and cannot be dismissed.

也许yěxǔ最zuì合理hélǐ的de态度,tàidù是shì既jì不bù盲目mángmù相信,xiāngxìn也yě不bù轻易qīngyì否定。fǒudìng

Perhaps the soundest attitude is neither blind faith nor easy dismissal.

让ràng证据zhèngjù说话,shuōhuà同时tóngshí尊重zūnzhòng经验jīngyàn留下来liú xiàlái的de东西。dōngxi

Let the evidence speak, while respecting what experience has left behind.

Vocabulary in this story (122 words)

WordPinyinMeaning
走进zǒu jìnwalking into
一家yì jiāa
中药店zhōngyào diànChinese pharmacy
你nǐyou
会huìwill
闻到wén dàosmell
一种yì zhǒnga
很hěnvery
特别tèbiéparticular
的de(of)
味道wèidàosmell
那是nà shìthat is
几百种jǐ bǎi zhǒnghundreds of
草药cǎoyàoherbs
混hùnmixed
在一起zài yìqǐtogether
气味qìwèithe scent
又苦yòu kǔboth bitter
又香yòu xiāngand fragrant
中医zhōngyīChinese medicine
有yǒuhas
两千多年liǎng qiān duō niánover two thousand years
历史lìshǐhistory
是shìis
中国ZhōngguóChinese
文化wénhuàculture's
重要zhòngyàoimportant
部分bùfena part
看病kàn bìngexamining patients
方法fāngfǎthe method
和héand
西医xīyīWestern medicine
不一样bù yíyàngdifferent
医生yīshēngthe doctor
看kànlook at
你的nǐ deyour
舌头shétoutongue
听tīnglisten to
声音shēngyīnvoice
还要hái yàoand also
摸mōfeel
脉màipulse
他tāhe
关心guānxīncares about
不只是bù zhǐshìis not only
病bìngthe illness
还有hái yǒubut also
整个人zhěnggè rénwhole person's
状态zhuàngtàistate
认为rènwéiholds that
身体shēntǐthe body
讲究jiǎngjiurequires
平衡pínghéngbalance
太热tài rètoo hot
或者huòzhěor
太寒tài hántoo cold
都会dōu huìwill both
生病shēngbìngcause illness
所以suǒyǐso
常说cháng shuōoften say
调理tiáolǐregulating
而不是ér bú shìrather than
简单地jiǎndān desimply
治好zhì hǎocuring
今天jīntiāntoday
在zàiin
常常chángchángoften
一起yìqǐtogether
使用shǐyòngare used
感冒gǎnmàoa cold
的时候de shíhouwhen they have
有人yǒu rénsome
吃chītake
西药xīyàoWestern medicine
也yěand
先xiānfirst
喝hēdrink
一碗yì wǎna bowl of
中药zhōngyàoherbal decoction
针灸zhēnjiǔacupuncture
很多hěn duōmany
国家guójiācountries
越来越yuè lái yuèmore and more
受欢迎shòu huānyíngpopular
不过búguòthough
关于guānyúabout
争论zhēnglùnthe argument
一直yìzhíhas never
没有méiyǒunot
停过tíng guostopped
批评pīpíngcriticizing
的人de rénthose
方子fāngziprescriptions
缺少quēshǎolack
现代xiàndàimodern
科学kēxuéscientific
证明zhèngmíngproof
支持zhīchísupporting
则zéhowever
说shuōsay
有效果yǒu xiàoguǒit has worked
几千年了jǐ qiān nián lefor thousands of years
不能bù néngcannot
简单jiǎndānsimply
否定fǒudìngbe dismissed
也许yěxǔperhaps
最zuìthe most
合理hélǐreasonable
态度tàidùattitude
既jìneither
不bùnot
盲目mángmùblindly
相信xiāngxìnbelieving
轻易qīngyìlightly
让rànglet
证据zhèngjùthe evidence
说话shuōhuàspeak
同时tóngshíat the same time
尊重zūnzhòngrespecting
经验jīngyànexperience
留下来liú xiàláihas left behind
东西dōngxithe things

More HSK 5 stories

Two short stories every week