在许多人心中，中医艰涩难懂，许多名词和原理更蕴藏了特有的东方智慧。 　　

　　

　　老外来学中医推拿……？这会不会是个不可能的任务？ 　　

　　

　　上海中医药大学有一位李征宇教授。几年来，他在英语教授中医课程，向外国学生传播中国医学文化。 　　

　　

　　“过完年，下学期要用英语查房了。”在上海中医药大学，八年制临床专业的20多名学生刚刚通过推拿疗法学期课程的考试，考验他们实战能力的中医英语临床实习等着他们。 　　

　　

　　本课程讲师、上海中医药大学教授李正雨说，已经安排好他熟悉的老外来当“病人模特”，“学中医不能只给中国人看病”。 　　

　　

　　医学生对李正雨竖起大拇指，不仅是因为他在近30年的英语中医教学中有一技之长，更是因为他曾经用大拇指给出“一指禅”等推法，课后通过“推拿”得到疾病的解决。校园内外，这位在英语圈传播中国传统医学文化的著名中医，让留学生、外籍医生、外国病人爱上中医，“桃李”和“粉丝”遍及天下。. 　　

　　

　　上海中医药大学教授李正雨用英语授课，传播中国传统医学文化(来自《解放日报》) 　　

　　

　　前不久，《环球时报》的朋友们还拜访了李教授和他的留学生们。来听听他们的故事― 　　

　　

　　Translating traditional Chinese medicine 　　

　　

　　由于语言障碍和文化差异，中医作为中国文化不可或缺的一部分，过去在海外国家的推广受到阻碍。然而，近几十年来，中国经济和现代中医科学的引人注目的进步使中医重新成为全球媒体关注的焦点。59岁的李正雨教授来自上海中医药大学针灸推拿学院，在过去的30年里，他一直致力于通过英语讲座和治疗示范在世界范围内推广具有2000年历史的推拿疗法。 　　

　　

　　由于语言和文化的差异，作为中国传统文化组成部分的中医药的推广和普及在过去遇到了许多困难。随着中国经济和现代医学技术的发展，中医逐渐受到世界媒体的关注。与此同时，上海中医药大学针灸推拿学院59岁的李正雨教授，用他30多年娴熟的全英文教学和中医推拿手法，向世界各地展示了具有2000年历史的中医文化的传播。 　　

　　

　　上周，我校附属岳阳中西医结合医院成功实施了三例冠状动脉造影手术，开创了针刺麻醉在此类手术中应用的先河。 　　

　　

　　5月22日至25日，上海中医药大学附属岳阳中西医结合医院心内科和针灸科在针刺麻醉下完成了3例冠状动脉造影，开创了针刺麻醉在冠状动脉造影中的应用。 　　

　　

　　中医推拿也可以代替阿片类镇痛药产生镇痛作用 　　

effects. It is more effective, more comfortable and more convenient than acupuncture, which requires needles. And it is safer than Western chemical medicine, which may have side-effects," Li said.

　　

“而中医的推拿同样也可以用于替代阿片类阵痛药物起到阵痛作用。相比针灸需要用到针，推拿方便，有效，让人感到舒服。而且它比具有副作用的西医更安全，”李征宇说。

　　

Based on TCM's medical principles which have a history of two millennia, tuina involves using the hand, palm, knuckles and fingers to apply pressure in meridian and acupressure points to remove blockages along meridian points and stimulate specific areas with qi (body's energy flow) to promote healing.

　　

It is often used in conjunction with acupuncture, fire cupping, herbalism and qigong (Chinese breathing exercise). The therapy can be traced back to China's primitive period, when people used the techniques to treat accidental injuries caused by natural disasters or animal attacks.

　　

As a form of TCM, the knowledge of tuina is extensive and profound. However, with Li's precise and proficient English explanations and demonstrations, even foreign students can easily understand difficult TCM concepts.

　　

Last Thursday, around 20 students from the US attended Li's lecture as a part of their study-abroad trip program. Li introduced several basic skills of the manipulative therapy at the lecture. The students listened to Li with great interest and attentiveness.

　　

上月，大约20个参加海外游学项目的美国学生来到上海中医药大学，上了一堂李教授的全英文中医推拿课。在课上，李教授介绍了一些基本的推拿手法。学生们怀着极大的兴趣，专注的聆听。

　　

Every time Li introduced a new skill, he invited a student to come forward to be his model. Although tuina is a practical discipline which requires much practice, it also requires accurate descriptions of the key points of the skill.

　　

Hands-on learning

　　

Kristine Troutman is a nurse practitioner student from Florida, the US. She joined the study-abroad trip organized by the University of South Alabama to learn about Chinese culture and basic TCM knowledge. She wants to integrate traditional Chinese medicine into her practice.

　　

来自佛罗里达州的Kristine Troutman是一名护理专业的学生。她通过其所在的南阿拉巴马大学参加了这个游学项目，希望了解中国文化和基本的中医知识，并将她的所学运用到她今后的学习实践中。

　　

"This was really my first exposure to TCM, so I'm really interested in finding out the basic principles. I found it very fascinating," Troutman said. "I found it very difficult to do the manipulative therapy. But I can definitely see their worth in practice and how they can help."

　　

Rex Berry from the US state of Kentucky is a medical science student from Duquesne University. He thought it would be a good idea to gain knowledge of different kinds of medicine from around the world. "Seeing different types of practices elsewhere can probably help me in my own practice," Berry said.

　　

来自肯塔基州的Rex Berry是杜肯大学的一名医学系学生。他觉得了解世界各地不同的医学对他自己的学习会有益处。

　　

Berry had seen tuina therapies in videos but had never learned them in a classroom. "The concepts are easy to understand, though it's hard to put them into practice, which takes years. But Li did a good way of simplifying them for us," Berry said.

　　

Morgan Wimberry from the University of South Alabama also had her first practice of TCM at Li's lecture. She is a healthcare administration major who joined the program to experience different cultures and see how Eastern medicine is practiced compared with Western medicine.

　　

"I really like Professor Li's class. He's good at explaining things. He has some hands-on portions for us where we got to try different things," Wimberry said.

　　

TCM in English

　　

After SHUTCM set up an English language acupuncture-moxibustion and tuina major in 2003 to promote TCM overseas, Li, a doctor from Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine affiliated to SHUTCM, was invited to the university to give English lectures.

　　

His foreign students include those from short-term study-abroad TCM programs and also long-term foreign students who are furthering their studies at SHUTCM.

　　

Zhanar, 26, from Kazakhstan has been studying acupuncture and tuina at SHUTCM for the past five years. She prefers TCM to Western medicine because she thinks TCM uses more natural substances such as herbs. She thinks the biggest difficulty foreign students face when studying TCM is the language. But since Li's lecture is in English, she doesn't find it difficult to understand the concepts. "To study medicine, you must clearly understand it," Zhanar said.

　　

Different from many Chinese doctors of Western medication science who studied abroad, Li has given lectures to many foreign students even though he himself never studied abroad.

　　

尽管李教授的学生遍布世界，但他不像别的许多中国医生那样有过海外留学经历，他从未留过学。

　　

Influenced by his family members - his mother was a medical science professor at the former Shanghai Medical College and his wife is a current English professor from Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University - the TCM doctor obtained his bachelor's, master's and doctorial degrees at SHUTCM and is excellent at both medical science and English language skills.

　　

受到家庭成员的影响，他的母亲是原上海医科大学的医学教授，而他的爱人是复旦大学上海医学院的英语教授，他本人则是在上海中医药大学完成了本科，硕士和博士学位，且跨界精通中医和英语。

　　

Li's English talent was first revealed as early as 1988, when an American patient who could not speak Chinese was seeking treatment at Yueyang Hospital. No other doctor could speak English at that time except Li. Finally, Li interpreted for the patient and the president of the hospital.

　　

Since then, more and more foreign patients and guests come to the hospital for treatment or to study. Over the years, Li has demonstrated, taught and promoted tuina therapy in many overseas countries as a TCM doctor or as a teacher.

　　

Li once treated a White House doctor with his palm back rolling manipulation when he visited the US. He also treated a high-level executive of an American medication group with his "one finger" manipulation.

　　

Gaining popularity overseas

　　

As deputy director of manipulative therapy specialty commission of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, a non-governmental international academic organization which promotes TCM across the world, Li demonstrates and promotes tuina therapy overseas every two or three years during the World Congress of Chinese Medicine held by the organization.

　　

The congress is held in different countries across the world and is attended by people from all over the world who are interested or specialized in TCM.

　　

Last year, Li promoted tuina and acupuncture in Dubai, where China's State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine launched its Dubai center of TCM. His treatment was praised by some Dubai officials and their family members. Later this year, he will fly to either Canada or Germany to showcase the effectiveness of the TCM therapy.

　　

Veerachai Soottitantawat, 47, is a Chinese-Thai national who is doing his PhD at SHUTCM. He finished his undergraduate program of TCM in Thailand, where he first met Li, who was sent to his university to teach TCM. Inspired by Li, Soottitantawat continued his postgraduate studies at SHUTCM for three years then went back to Thailand to pursue his career.

　　

Two years ago, Soottitantawat returned to Shanghai to further his studies at SHUTCM. "Thailand also has its own massage therapy, but its techniques are different from TCM's tuina," Soottitantawat said.

　　

Sarah, a German student of Li, who took part in an exchange program in SHUTCM, did a part-time job at her German college mentor's clinic. Once, a patient was not willing to receive surgery for a backache and pains in the lower limb. Since she studied TCM in China, her mentor asked if she could do something for the patient with TCM therapies.

　　

Sarah used tuina to relieve the patient's pains. After graduation, her mentor asked her to work at the clinic. "A few years ago, she wrote to me and wanted to learn tuina for the treatment of cervical spondylosis," Li said. "The cost of surgeries is very expensive in overseas countries. If the problem is not serious, tuina can solve the problem without costing much. This is also why tuina is popular."

　　

Standardized terminology

　　

"Different from Western medicine, which is a chemical, tuina is a physical and natural therapy that is becoming very popular in Western countries," said Li, whose effective treatments and demonstrations overseas helped enhance TCM's popularization in overseas countries.

　　

Troutman thinks more Americans are gradually accepting TCM. "So I'm hoping to bring it to the forefront and hope to apply what I learned into my practice," Troutman said.

　　

"As China grows stronger, more Chinese culture is being exported. As an indispensable part of Chinese traditional culture, TCM can be used as a starting point to spread Chinese culture," Li said.

　　

Li thinks the promotion of TCM through tuina is easier than acupuncture because tuina is more easily accepted for its convenience and comfort. "Many overseas countries and regions demand licenses to practice acupuncture with needles," Li said. "And the comfortable feeling generated by beta-endorphins when receiving tuina treatment also makes the therapy increasingly popular."

　　

"Tuina used to be called anmo (Chinese for massage) in ancient China. But that type of massage is different from what is today conducted at roadside massage parlors. Ancient anmo used to be a part of Chinese medical science.

　　

"Tuina is a manipulative therapy for disease treatment and prevention, or health care under the guidance of TCM principles. So the standard name of the therapy should be tuina. Although roadside massages can also offer relaxation, it has no real medical effect."

　　

The popularization of TCM cannot be accomplished without a precise translation. According to Li, there is no standardization commission for the English translation of TCM in China. But over the years, English translations of some TCM terminologies have become fixed, such as yin, yang, qi, qigong and tuina.

　　

Li is involved in a project by the World Health Organization to develop a standardized terminology for TCM practices. Li is responsible for the Chinese and English translations of tuina terms.

　　

"Public English translators or translators who know only about Western medicine cannot translate TCM into English precisely. Since TCM is a part of Chinese traditional culture, TCM practitioners should first bring forward TCM concepts and translate them into English.

　　

"During the translation process, we can discuss this with foreigners. With the internationalization of China, there are more opportunities for TCM practitioners to communicate with foreigners," Li added.

　　

Li often discusses TCM translation with his wife, who graduated from Shanghai International Studies University and is now teaching English at Fudan.

　　

"It is impossible to find a completely equivalent English translation for every TCM concept. Sometimes we have to differentiate some concepts and persist to the Chinese elements. For example, I insist on using the pinyin word for tuina instead of the word 'massage' when translating the traditional Chinese massage."

　　

原文/翻译：Stella Du

　　

图：Stella Du、受访者

　　

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