Chinese and Western Culture: Hot Water vs Cold Water中西方文化差異：喝熱水還是喝冷水？

For lots of Chinese people， nothing is more common than drinking hot water every day. But for most of the Westerners， the idea of drinking plain hot water is really odd since they drink cold water even in winter. Why do Chinese people drink hot water？ Hot water vs cold water， which one is better？ Let’s find an ideal answer.

對許多中國人來說，每天喝熱水是再平常不過的事了。可對大多數西方人來說，喝白開水的想法真的很奇怪，西方人即使在冬天都喝冷水。那么為何中國人總是喝熱水呢？喝熱水還是冷水，哪個更利于健康？讓我們來尋找一個最能釋惑的答案吧。

Eating Habits

飲食習慣

It is well known that Chinese people prefer hot meals every day. Moreover， some parents always teach their children to drink hot water with meals， because they think mixing cold liquids with hot meals is really bad for the stomach， and cold liquids may solidify fats in your stomach， which can cause digestive problems， whereas hot liquids aid in digestion.

According to the eating habits in western countries， they prefer “raw” food， so they also prefer their water “raw”. At the same time， they are fond of hamburgers， cheese and fried stuff， which are all with high calorie. As a matter of fact， they need cold drinks to cool them off.

眾所周知，中國人喜歡每天吃熱食。有的父母也總是教導孩子吃飯時喝熱水，他們堅持認為冷水就熱飯對胃不好，因為冷湯冷水會使胃里的脂肪凝固，從而引起消化不良，而熱湯熱水則有助于食物消化。

按照西方國家的飲食習慣，人們偏愛“未經加工”的食物，所以西方人也更喜歡喝“生”水。同時，他們又喜歡吃漢堡、奶酪和油炸食物，這些食物熱量很高。因此，他們需要喝冷飲來降溫。

Digestion

消化

Chinese people all believe that hot food is better for the stomach. Based on the traditional Chinese medicine， cold food may decrease the temperature of your internal organs which causes chill into your body， and makes you easily suffer from cold. Hot water can warm your internal organs， and keep the Yang in your body. Thus， hot water can warm your stomach. By this way， your stomach will function well， and it gives less chance to gastrointestinal diseases.

Since Chinese people prefer hot meals every day， they’re also used to having hot drinks with each meal， because it’s better for digestion. That’s the reason why waiters always serve you a glass of hot water or hot tea when you are in a Chinese restaurant.

中國人都認為熱的食物有利于養胃。依據中醫的說法，冷的食物會降低臟腑的溫度，讓寒氣進入體內，使人易患感冒。熱水則會溫暖五臟六腑，保持體內的陽氣。因此，熱水可以暖胃，從而讓胃更好地發揮功能，減少患腸胃病的機會。

中國人每天喜歡吃熱食，也總是喝熱飲，因為這更利于消化。這就是在中餐館就餐時，服務員總會為你端上一杯熱水或熱茶的緣故。

Medical Basis

醫學依據

Under the influence of traditional Chinese medicine， Chinese people consider drinking hot water as a kind of panacea. They think hot water increases blood circulation and helps decrease complications associated with cramps and indigestion. It washes away the coldness clogged up in one’s body， and thus eases pain.

On the contrary， for most westerners， the idea of drinking hot water is odd enough. They believe that drinking hot water may weaken your body immunity. If you are used to drinking hot water， the body is unable to stand water below your body temperature after a long period of time. That is to say， the body endurance and stress capability decline， which goes against the state of natural survival.

在中醫的影響下，中國人視熱水為靈丹妙藥。他們認為熱水會加快血液循環，幫助減少腹絞痛、消化不良等問題引起的并發癥。此外熱水還會將淤積在體內的寒氣驅走，從而減輕病痛。

與此相反，對大多數西方人來說，喝熱水的想法非常奇怪。他們認為，喝熱水會導致身體的免疫力下降。如果習慣喝熱水，喝的時間長了，身體就無法耐受低于體溫的水。也就是說，身體的耐受力和承受力會下降，這不符合人自然生存的狀態。

Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Cultivation

中醫健康意識養成

Let’s talk about the main functions of drinking hot water from the standpoint of traditional Chinese medicine. According to the traditional Chinese medicine， health is due to an internal balance of Yin and Yang. In the Yin-Yang theory， water is Yin-type while hot stuff is Yang-type， drinking hot water can enrich Yin and tonify Yang in your body， keeping Yin and Yang in equilibrium. If you have cold symptoms or other Yin-type imbalances such as frequent chills， thirst， depression， hot water plays the role of the Yang and brings your body back into balance. Doctors of traditional Chinese medicine always tell patients to drink more hot water. They call it the method of resolving exterior.

讓我們從中醫的角度來討論一下熱水的主要功能吧。依據中醫的說法，人體健康是因為體內陰陽平衡。陰陽之說認為，水是陰，熱的東西是陽，喝熱水能滋陰補陽，從而保持陰陽平衡。如果你有寒證或是其他陰虛失衡的癥狀，如寒戰、口渴、抑郁等，熱水都可以發揮陽的作用，使身體重回平衡。中醫大夫總是告訴病人多喝熱水，他們稱此為“解表法”。

Word Bank

solidify /s?'l?d?fa?/ v. （使）凝固，變硬

raw /r??/ adj. 未經加工的；生的

These fish are often eaten raw.

chill /t??l/ n. 寒冷；寒意

circulation /'s??kj?'le??n/ n. 血液循環

decline /d?'kla?n/ v. 下降；衰弱

Her health was declining rapidly.

symptom /'s?mpt?m/ n. 癥狀