“氣”的實質

∷ 林巍 文/ 譯

原 文

[1]不知道“氣”，便不懂得中醫，乃至中國哲學與文化。那么，到底什么是“氣”？

[2]最早，古人能夠看見有形的物體便是“氣”，如云霧、熱水產生的水汽等，或是那些雖無形但可感知的氣態，如空氣流動產生的風。后來，“氣”逐漸演化為一個哲學概念，指存在于宇宙中不斷運動的極細微的本源物質。《易經》說，“天地氤氳，萬物化生”；東漢的哲學家王充也認為，“天地合氣，萬物自生”，即宇宙萬物都是由天地之氣所構成。

譯 文

[1]Without any knowledge ofqi,it will be hard to really get into Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM),let alone Chinese philosophy and culture.So what exactly isqithen?

[2]In ancient times,people could perceive some tangible objects ofqi,such as clouds vapor and hot steam,or certain invisible though touchable things,such as the flow of air (wind).Later,qievolved into a philosophical concept,referring to a subtle original substance that constantly moves in the universe.The Book of Changesstates that“The heavy fog between heaven and earth bred everything in the universe.”The philosopher Wang Chong in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25—220) possessed the same view:“When the world was amalgamated withqi,myriad substances came into being,”meaning the universe is composed of theqiof heaven and earth.

譯 注

[1]這里的“（不）知道”是動詞，可譯為名詞（without any）knowledge。

[2]“萬物（自生）”譯為myriad substances，還可為all things on earth 等。

原 文

[3]具體而言，正如人體的受精卵由男子的陽氣（精子）與女子的陰氣（卵子）結合而成；如同受精卵通過不斷分裂形成各種細胞，構成各種組織器官乃至整個人體，“氣”也是通過不同屬性的表達構成了不同的物質，正如老子所言：“道生一，一生二，二生三，三生萬物。”

[4]這個哲學概念又被引入了中醫理論——認為氣是維持人體生命活動的基本組成部分，具有“生命力”，可儲存生命器官內的能量。于是，氣成為物質和功能的統一體。這一點與愛因斯坦的物質與能量可相互轉化的理論相吻合。

[5]根據來源、功能、位置的不同，中醫理論又有元氣、宗氣、營氣、衛氣；心氣、胃氣、肺氣等等，其作用在于推動體內血液、津液及消化的運行，為人體組織攜帶營養物質，預防諸如風、寒等外邪的侵襲，把食物轉化為有營養作用的精微物質，幫助排泄廢物，同時通過循行于經脈和絡脈之氣來聯系、協調不同臟腑、組織、器官在身體內部和表層的功能。

譯 文

[3]More particularly,just as a human being is produced by the combination of a man'syang qi(sperm) and a woman'syin qi(ovum) (the fertilized eggs continuously split into cells,form various organs and finally constitute a human body),qihas also been transformed into different substances through evolution.As Lao Zi said,“Dao begets one,one begets two,two begets three and three begets all things on earth.”

[4]This philosophical concept was then introduced into the theory of TCM,holding thatqicomprises essential restorative energies for sustaining organs and lives.In a way,qibecame a unity of material and function,which is very much in line with Einstein's theory of matter-energy mutual transformation.

[5]There are different kinds ofqiin TCM according to their different sources,functions and locations,such as vitalqi,pectoralqi,nutrientqi,defensiveqi,heartqi,stomachqi,lungqiamong many others,to improve blood circulation,the flow of body fluids and digestion；to provide nutrition for body tissues；to prevent the invasion of“external evils”(such as wind and cold)；to transform foods into nourishing substances and help excrete wastes；to coordinate functions among different channels connecting various viscera,organs and body parts internally and externally.

譯 注

[5]“宗氣”指積于胸之氣，由脾上輸于肺的水谷精氣和肺吸入的自然界的清氣相合成。其功能主要有兩個方面：一是走息道以行呼吸，凡語言、聲音、呼吸的強弱，都與宗氣的盛衰有關；二是慣心脈以行氣血，凡氣血的運行，肢體的寒溫和活動能力、視聽的能力，心搏的強弱及其節律等，皆與宗氣的盛衰有關（It refers toqistored in the chest.It is a combination of the essence of food and water in the lungs,which comes from the spleen and the fresh air in the lungs.It has two main functions：First,pectoralqipromotes the respiratory movement through the respiratory tracts and,therefore,has something to do with speaking,voice and respiration；Second,it promotes and adjusts the circulation of blood andqiand,therefore,is associated with the circulation of blood andqi,the temperature and activities of the limbs,visual and auditory ability and heart beat and rhythm.）（原一祥等，2000年版）。“營氣”來源于脾胃運化的水谷精氣，有化生血液與營養全身的作用（theqiflowing in the blood vessels,which comes from the essence of food and has the functions of generating blood and nourishing the whole body），有的譯成ying qi，但譯者認為此處用nutrientqi更確切。“津液”指人體一切正常水液的總稱，包括各臟腑、組織、器官的內在體液及其正常的分泌物，如涕、淚、胃液、腸液等，是構成人體和維持人體生命活動的基本物質（It is a collective term of all normal liquids including the fluid and normal secretions in all viscera,organs and body parts,such as nasal discharge,tear and gastric and intestinal juice,the necessary make-up of the body.It is the essential substance to maintain vital activities.）。

原 文

[6]特別是中醫里的“正氣”觀念，使人得以培養各種形式的氣，增強抵御病菌侵襲和恢復身體健康狀態的功能，正如《黃帝內經》所說：“正氣存內，邪不可干。”

[7]因此，“氣”為人們認識自己的身體、健康提供了獨特的視角與能量。

譯 文

[6]In particular,the“righteousqi”of TCM enables people to cultivate various forms ofqiand enhance their strength to resist the invasion of germs and restore their health.“When righteousqiis sufficient in the body,no pathogenic factors can hurt it,”as theInner Canon of the Yellow Emperorput it.

[7]Therefore,in this wayqiprovides people with a unique perspective and vigor for them to appreciate their bodies.