第三节 五行学说
在WHO的标准化方案中，一共收录了51条有关五行学说的术语，“世中联”的标准中则收录了103条。这些术语的翻译与通行译法一致，如将木、火、土、金、水译为wood，fire，earth，metal，water。但一些关键词语的翻译却多参照海外译法而行，如将“五行”译为five phases（同时也罗列出了five elements这一通行译法），将“生”译作engender，将“乘”译作overwhelming，将“侮”译作rebellion。“克”译作restrain，到与通行译法相近。下面是该标准中有关五行学说的主要概念及其定义。
五行 five phases －the five phases: wood, fire, earth, metal and water, and their movements and changes, also known as five elements
木wood —one of the five phases, with which the season spring, the color blue or green, the taste sourness, and the liver and gallbladder in the body are associated
火 fire －one of the five phases, with which the season summer, the color red, the taste bitterness, and the heart and small intestine in the body are associated
土 earth －one of the five phases, with which the season of late summer, the color yellow, the taste sweetness, and the spleen and stomach in the body are associated
金 metal －one of the five phases, with which the season autumn, the color white, the taste acridity-pungent, and the lung and large intestine in the body are associated
水 water －(1) one of the five phases, with which the season winter, the color black, the taste saltiness, and the kidney and bladder in the body are associated; (2) pathologic aspect of body fluid
“五行”一般有三种译法：five elements, five phases, wuxing。从目前的使用情况来看，five elements 最为流行，且有约定俗成之势，值得采用。“世中联”的标准中即将five elements作为首选译语，这与WHO的做法刚好相反。
“五行”中的“木、火、土、金、水”一般直译为wood, fire, earth, metal and water。对于“木”的翻译，以前也有过不同的意见。比如有的人认为，wood指木材，意即砍到的树木；而“五行”的“木”则是指生长中的“树木”，所以建议用tree来翻译“木”。其实wood在英语中并不一定就是指经过加工的木材。
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English给wood下的第一个定义就是“the material of which trunks and branches of trees are made, which is cut and dried in various forms for making material, for burning, for making paper or furniture, etc.”（构成树木主干和枝节的材料，可以用不同的方式砍到和凉干，用以制作材料、燃料、造纸或做家具，等等）。
五行归类 categorization according to the five phases－classification of material things and phenomena into five categories by comparing their structures, properties and actions with the five phases）
在“世中联”的标准中，无“五行归类”一词，但有“别异比类”，译作analogy。所谓“别异比类”，大约指的是中医学中“取象比类”吧。
相生 engendering －the relationship in which each phase and its associated phenomena give rise to or promote another sequential phase, also the same as generating
木生火 wood engenders fire －the category of wood generates or promotes the category of fire, also the same as wood generating fire
火生土 fire engenders earth －the category of fire generates or promotes the category of earth, also called fire generating earth
土生金 earth engenders metal－the category of earth generates or promotes the category of metal, also called earth generating metal
金生水 metal engenders water－the category of metal generates or promotes the category of water, also called metal generating water
水生木 water engenders wood－the category of water generates or promotes the category of wood, also called water generating wood
在“五行学说中”，“相生”指事物之间具有相互资生、相互促进的一面。常译作mutual promotion, mutual generation或inter-promotion, inter-generation。mutual 和inter-都表示相互的意思，只是mutual可以作为一个独立的词语来使用，而inter-则不能作为独立词语使用，只能作为一个构词成分使用。“相生”还有人译作engendering，WHO方案中即采用了这种译法。在“世中联”的标准中，“相生”则一律使用generate，反映了这一概念英语翻译的基本趋向。
相克 restraining－the relationship in which each phase and its associated phenomena restrict/check/control another phase
木克土 wood restrains earth －the category of wood restricts or checks the category of earth, also called wood controlling earth
火克金 fire restrains metal－the category of fire restricts or checks the category of metal, also called fire controlling metal
土克水 earth restrains water－the category of earth restricts or checks the category of water, also called earth controlling water
水克火 water restrains fire －the category of water restricts or checks the category of fire, also called water controlling fire
金克木 metal restrains wood－the category of metal restricts or checks the category of wood, also called metal controlling wood
在“五行学说”中，“相克”指事物间具有相互制约、相互排斥的一面，常译作mutual restraint, mutual restriction, mutual inhibition或inter-restraint, inter-restriction, inter-inhibition。从目前的使用情况来看，mutual (inter-) restraint和mutual (inter-) restriction使用的最为普遍，虽然mutual（inter-）inhibition在语义上也有可取之处，但其使用范围远不及前两种译法广泛。在实际应用中，也有人不用mutual和inter-，而直接使用restraint或restriction。在“世中联”的标准中，“相克”一概译作restrict。
相乘 overwhelming－abnormally severe restraining of the five phases in the same sequence as normal restraining, also known as over-acting
“相乘”指克制太过，超过了正常的制约程度，常见的译法有：over-restraint, over-restriction，也有译作subjugation。也有个别西方译者将“相乘”译作overwhelming。在“世中联”的标准中，“相乘”译为over-restriction，与现行流行译法一致。
相侮 rebellion－restraining opposite to that of the normal restraining sequence of the five phases, also known as insulting
“相侮” 指相反方向的克制，常译作counter-restraint, counter-restriction或reverse restraint, reverse restriction。国外也有译作rebellion，显然是意译了。还有译作inter-insult，有点质直了。在“世中联”的标准中，“相侮”的译文是counter-restriction，与现行译法保持一致。
五常 five constants－a collective term referring to wood, fire, earth, metal and water in normal movement
“五常”指木、火、土、金、水五类物质得正常运动，所以常译作motion of the five elements或normal motion of the five elements。这里译作five constants（五个常数）似乎有些不太恰当。因为在英语中，constant指数学中得常数和物理学中的恒量，很难用以表达五行的正常运动。
制化inhibition and generation －the engendering and restraining for maintaining a relative balance coordination in the five phase theory relationships and normal
“制化”指五行之间既相互制约，有相互生化的关系，常译作restriction and generation, restraint and promotion, inhibition and generation等，意思基本一致。“世中联”采用了restriction and generation来翻译“制化”。
亢害承制 harmful hyperactivity and responding inhibition－one of the principles of the five phase theory indicating that hyperactivity of any phase is harmful, and its restriction will restore the normal balance
“所谓”亢害承制“，指五行有相互促进的一面，也有制约的一面。如只有促进而无制约的一面。就会造成亢盛为害。因此必须抵御亢盛令其克制，才能维持五行的正常运动。所以早期的译者将其译作hyperactivity of the five elements causing damages should be suippressed，意思自然是比较准确的。有的词典也将将其译作Because excess brings harm, it should be restrained, 语义上略微有点泛。WHO和”始终里“将其译作harmful hyperactivity and responding inhibition，含义似乎也不是非常明确。“亢害承制”中的“害”和“制”都是动词，“亢”和“承”则是名词，即《内经·六微旨大论》所说的“亢则害，承则制”。按照《内经》的解释，“亢害承制”的意思是Hyperactivity among the five elements will bring on harm and therefore has to be inhibited。对于这样的中医经典成语，译作名词短语，有时很难说得清楚。
母气 mother qi－qi of the viscus that engenders in the engendering sequential relationship of the five phases
子气 child qi－qi of the viscus that is engendered in the engendering sequential relationship of the five phases
在“世中联”的标准中，“母气”和“子气”分别译作mother element/phase qi和child element/phase qi，似不及WHO的译法简洁。另外，“子气”还有另外一层含义，即孕妇腿部水肿（edema of legs in pregnancy）。
母子相及 mother and child affecting each other－influence of one phase exerted on the phase that it engenders or that engenders it sequentially
“世中联”标准中有关五行学说及其相关概念的翻译，多与通行译法一致（如将“生”译作generating，将“克”译作restricting，将“乘”译作over-restriction，将“侮”译作counter-restriction等），且在数量上多于WHO标准中所罗列的用语。有些概念是WHO方案中所没有收录的，如“木曰曲直”（wood characterized by bending and straightening）、“火曰炎上”（fire characterized by flaring up）、“土爰稼穑”（earth characterized by sowing and reaping）、“土生万物”（earth producing myriads of things）、“金曰从革”（metal characterized by changing）、“金气萧杀”（metal characterized by clearing and downward）、“水曰润下”（water characterized by moistening and descending）
前文我曾谈到标准化的“概念”问题。根据对标准化“概念”的分析，似乎可以不必将“目曰曲直”这样一些中医常用语作为名词术语去翻译并对其翻译进行标准化。因为这些常用语其实就是一个个陈述句或判断句，不大容易按名词术语的要求去翻译。如“目曰曲直”虽然在“世中联”的标准中被译为wood characterized by bending and straightening，但也完全可以翻译成Wood tends to grow freely这样一个句子。另外，“金气萧杀”译作metal characterized by clearing and downward，似乎不是很完整，因为downward可以作形容词或副词，但却不能作名词。
天人相应 correspondence between nature and human－one of the basic concepts in traditional Chinese medicine which emphasizes that humans are in adaptive conformity with the natural environment）
“天人相应”指人体组织结构、生理现象以及疾病同自然界的相应关系（the corresponding relation between nature and the structure, physiological phenomena and diseases），早期的译文是the relationship between human body and environment，以后逐步简化为correspondence between nature and man。
整体观念 holism －one of the philosophical ideas regarding the human body as an organic whole, which is integrated with the external environment
“整体观念”的译法不是很统一，常见的是organic wholeness或concept of organic wholeness。而holism则是近年来开始使用的一个较为modern的词语，因其简洁，所以逐步为大家所采用。
辨证论治 pattern identification/ syndrome differentiation and treatment－diagnosis of the pattern/syndrome, through comprehensive analysis of symptoms and signs, which has implications for determining the cause, nature and location of the illness and the patient’s physical condition, and their treatment
“辨证论治”的翻译曾经很不一致，而且比较繁琐。早期的常见的译法有differential diagnosis in accordance with the eight principal syndromes; analyzing and differentiating pathological conditions in accordance with the eight principal syndromes 等。与中文原文相比，译文显然过于冗长。目前“辨证论治”已基本简洁为treatment based on syndrome differentiation 或syndrome differentiation and treatment或differentiating syndrome to decide treatment。有人还干脆将其简化为 differentiation and treatment。
中西方译者在“辨证论治”的翻译方面，思路与方法已基本趋同，只是在个别词语的使用方面存在一定的差异。如中国译者（包括很多西方译者）多倾向于将“辨”和“证“译作differentation 和syndrome，而一些西方译者则倾向于将其译作identification和pattern。WHO所提供的译文，实际上就反映了这一差异。
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