While Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) expands its market all over the world, it has always been doubted whether the treatment can work for people in western countries.
尽管中医药在全球范围内拓展市场，但这种治疗方法是否适用于西方国家的人们一直受到质疑。
It is of little doubt that TCM works well for Chinese people, partly on account that they already know some basic concepts of how it works; drinking hot water being a good example. On the contrary, it is a common opinion amongst the Chinese that westerners drink icy-cold drinks too often, and this is viewed in TCM circles as leading to a hoarse voice, inflamed throat and upset stomach. With such big culture differences, can TCM really work for Westerners?
毫无疑问，中医对中国人很有效，部分原因是他们已经了解中医的一些基本概念；喝热水就是一个很好的例子。相反，中国人普遍认为西方人经常喝冰镇饮料，中医界认为这会导致声音嘶哑、喉咙发炎和胃部不适。文化差异如此之大，中医真的适合西方人吗？
The answer is Yes. Xu Guojie, as doctor of acupuncture in the 2nd Affliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, explained to The Nanjinger. “It all depends on people’s lifestyle, as TCM sees the human body as a system that needs constant fine-tuning and medico-chemical measures to help avoid diseases”. That is to say, TCM identifies a person’s body condition first, then implements the appropriate treatment.
答案是肯定的。南方医科大学附属第二医院针灸科医生徐国杰向《南京人》解释道。 “这完全取决于人们的生活方式，因为中医认为人体是一个需要不断微调和药物化学措施来帮助避免疾病的系统”。也就是说，中医先识别一个人的身体状况，然后再实施相应的治疗。
“It is not the difference between Westerners and Chinese, but the difference from every individual,” said Dr. Xu. A large amount of young women from western countries who suffer from irregular menstrual cycles, for example, cannot be cured by western pills, and it is the same case in China. Xu argues, “Irregular menstrual cycles result from irregular lifestyles, such as staying up too late or an unhealthy diet. TCM helps adapt every part of their body to run regularly”.
“这不是西方人和中国人之间的差异，而是每个人的差异，”徐博士说。例如，西方国家大量年轻女性的月经周期不规律，西药无法治愈，在中国也是如此。徐认为，“月经周期不规律是由不规律的生活方式造成的，例如熬夜或不健康的饮食。中医可以帮助身体的各个部位适应规律的跑步”。
Indeed, Xu is going to Malta this summer with her medical group to help local women with period problems through the use of TCM, sponsored by the Jiangsu Health Commission, in order to promote TCM abroad.
事实上，在江苏省卫生健康委员会的资助下，徐女士今年夏天将带领医疗团队前往马耳他，通过使用中医药帮助当地有月经问题的妇女，以在海外推广中医药。
Chinese people are also arguably better treated by TCM than westerners on account that they are more likely to be aware of the connection between health and food, through their observance of “cold” or “hot” warnings for food.
可以说，中国人比西方人受到中医的更好对待，因为他们通过遵守食物的“冷”或“热”警告，更有可能意识到健康与食物之间的联系。
According to bodily reaction after eating, TCM divides food into four kinds; cold, cool, warm or hot. Cold and cool foods can be used to cure fever, thirst, cough, phlegm and other symptoms, functioning by clearing heat, purging fire, detoxifying and cooling the blood. Common cold foods include coix, mung beans, winter melon, tomatoes, apples, pears, crabs, duck blood, honeysuckle and balsam pear tea. Warm or hot food is suitable for ailments relating to constitution and disease, such as cold, runny nose, abdominal pain, vomiting and rheumatic arthralgia. Common warm foods include chestnut, glutinous rice, coriander, pepper, litchi, carrot and leek.
中医根据食后身体反应，将食物分为四类：冷、凉、暖或热。寒凉食物可用于治疗发热、口渴、咳嗽、痰多等症状，具有清热泻火、解毒凉血的作用。常见的寒性食物有薏苡仁、绿豆、冬瓜、西红柿、苹果、梨、螃蟹、鸭血、金银花、苦瓜茶等。温热食物适用于体质疾病，如感冒、流鼻涕、腹痛、呕吐、风湿痹痛等。常见的温热食物有板栗、糯米、香菜、辣椒、荔枝、胡萝卜、韭菜等。
In addition, TCM belief also links emotion to body parts. For example, did you know anger can result in liver problems? Such a concept is generally known by Chinese people. Xu backs up this argument by citing the example of one of her patients, a Korean in his 30’s, who had serious insomnia caused by anxiety, and was cured by Xu’s acupuncture.
此外，中医信仰还将情绪与身体部位联系起来。例如，您知道愤怒会导致肝脏问题吗？这样的观念是中国人普遍知道的。徐引用了她的一位患者的例子来支持这一论点，这位患者是一位30多岁的韩国人，因焦虑引起严重失眠，通过徐的针灸治愈了。
Thus the theory behind Traditional Chinese Medicine relates a great deal to emotional treatment. Foreign or Chinese, we are all, at the end of the day, emotional beings.
因此，中医背后的理论与情绪治疗有很大关系。无论是外国人还是中国人，归根结底，我们都是情感动物。
