THE ROOT OF LIFE-Qi
元氣之根
In TCM books, qi is always mentioned in the same breath with blood and body fluid, for they are all the fundamental substances constituting the human body and maintaining its life activities. However, among them qi is particularly important for the human body. That is why TCM often explains the life activities of the human body in the viewpoint of qi. For this reason, ZhangJingyue said: "Man's life relies entirely upon this qi." Classic onMedical Problems states:"qi is ihe root of the human body; once the root is damaged, the stem and leaves would turn withered". And, also, Basic Questions points out : "One's life is the combination of qi of heaven and earth".		在中醫(yī)書中，氣總是與血和津液相提并論，因為它們都是構(gòu)成人體和維持生命活動的基本物質(zhì)。然而，它們之中，氣對于人體尤為重要。這就是中醫(yī)為什么要用氣的觀點來解釋生命活動。因此，張景岳說：“人之有生，全賴此氣”�！峨y經(jīng)》則指出：“氣者，人之根本也；根絕則莖葉枯矣”�！端貑枴愤�指出：“天地合氣，命之曰人”。
Qi in the human body is composed of congenital qi and acquired qi. The former is inherited from one's parents before birth,the latter is derived from cereal essence transformed by the spleen and stomach and fresh air inhaled from the natural world by the lung. Therefore, qi is a combination of three kinds of factors. It is easy to see that the source or production of qi is related to innate endowment, acquired nutrition and environmental conditions, and the actions of the kidney, spleen, stomach, lung as well.		人體之氣由先天之氣和后天之氣組成。前者為出生之前秉承父母之氣，后者來自與脾胃生化的水谷精微及肺從自然界吸入的清氣。因此，氣是以上三種因素的結(jié)合。很顯然氣的根源與產(chǎn)生與先天稟賦、后天營養(yǎng)和周圍的環(huán)境有關(guān)，也與腎、脾、胃、肺共同活動有關(guān)。
Congenital qi and acquired qi complement each other. Congenital qi is the material foundation for the production of acquired qi, and acquired qi continuously supplements congenital qi with nourishments. Both of them are, therefore, described as an interdependent relation-congenital qi promoting acquired qi,which, in turn, nourishing congenital qi. There are all kinds of qi and, their functions are too intricate to be expounded in a few words .To provide a precise exposition, let's discuss them under six heads.		先天之氣與后天之氣互相補充。先天之氣是后天之氣產(chǎn)生的物質(zhì)基礎(chǔ)，后天之氣則補充和營養(yǎng)先天之氣。因此，兩者之間是互相依賴的關(guān)系—先天之氣是后天之氣的基礎(chǔ)，后天之氣營養(yǎng)先天之氣。各種氣和它們之間的功能極其復(fù)雜，不是三言兩語可以講清的。讓我們用以下的六個標(biāo)題來討論，以提供一個精確的解釋。
1 . Promoting Action of Qi		1.氣的推動功能
Qi, as a sort of refined substance full of vigour, plays a promoting and activating role in the growth and development of the human body, the physiological activities of the zang-fu organs and meridians, the production and circulation of blood, as well as the production, distribution and excretion of body fluid. If the above functions are weakened due to qi-deficiency, the following pathologic changes will occur: tardy growth and development of the human body, hypofunction of the zang-fu organs and meridians, stagnation of blood, fluid retention, etc.		氣，一種充滿活性的精微物質(zhì)，對人體的生長發(fā)育、臟腑經(jīng)絡(luò)的生理活動、血液的產(chǎn)生和循環(huán)、津液的產(chǎn)生、散布和排泄都起到促進和推動作用。如果因為氣虛而使以上的功能減弱，就會發(fā)生以下的病理改變：人體生長發(fā)育的停滯、臟腑經(jīng)絡(luò)功能減弱、血液凝滯和津液停滯等。
2. Warming Action of Qi		2.氣的溫煦功能
Whether man's body temperature is normal or not depends on the warming action of qi. Classic on Medical Problerns says:" Qi is responsible for warming." Only through the warming action of qi can all zang-fu organs，meridiarns and other structures perform their normal functional activities, and can such liquid substances as blood and body fluid circulate normally. As the saying goes: " Blood flows in warmth, while it coagulates in cold."For example, the insufficiency of yang-qi may impair the warming action of qi, causing an aversion to cold, cold limbs. Lowered body temperature and so on. Conversely, qi excess may result in the failure of qi to disperse heat, marked by preference for cold, fever, etc. Basic Questions states, "Qi excess preduces heat, while qi deficiency produces cold."		人體體溫正常與否依賴于氣的溫煦作用�！峨y經(jīng)》曰：氣者，溫也。只有通過氣的溫煦作用，臟腑經(jīng)絡(luò)和其它組織結(jié)構(gòu)才能行使其正常的功能活動，血液和體液等津液物質(zhì)才能正常循環(huán)。語云：“血得溫而運，得寒而凝�！崩�如：陽氣不足會導(dǎo)致氣的溫煦作用減弱，引起惡寒、四肢冰冷、體溫降低等等。相反，如氣過剩則會導(dǎo)致氣無法散熱，引起喜冷、發(fā)熱等癥狀。《素問》指出：“氣實者，熱也；氣虛者，寒也”。
3. Defending Action of Qi		3.氣的防御功能
Qi has defending function to defend the body surface against the exogenous pathogens and to combat with the invaded exogenous pathogens to drive them out of the body. The book Basic Questions, therefore, states:" When vital qi exists in the body, the exogenous pathogens can not attack the body." And " If the pathogens invade and occupy the body, qi-deficiency is bound to ensue." Thereby leading to illness.		氣的防御功能為防衛(wèi)外邪襲表并將外邪驅(qū)除至體外。因此，《素問》指出：“正氣存內(nèi)，邪不可干”和“邪氣所湊，其氣必虛”疾病也隨之產(chǎn)生。
4. Controlling Action of Qi		4.氣的固攝功能
Qi also has controlling action, by which is meant the ability to control the liquid substances and fix the internal organs in the body. This is shown in the following aspects: (1) Keeping the blood flowing within the vessels to prevent it from extravasating without reason. (2) Controlling and regulating the secretion and excretion of sweat, urine, sperm, saliva, gastrointestinal juices, etc , to maintain a relative balance of water metabolism. (3) Firming the internal organs in their normal positions without prolapse.		氣也有固攝的作用，這意味著氣有固攝液體和人體內(nèi)臟器官的能力。這可以從以下幾方面體現(xiàn)：
		（1）維持血液在脈管中運行，防止其無故外溢。
		（2）控制和調(diào)節(jié)汗液、尿液、精液、唾液、膽汁等的儲存和排泄，以維持水液代謝的相對平衡。
		（3）維持內(nèi)臟器官在正常的位置不至于下垂。
If this action is impaired, hemorrhage, premature ejaculation, spontaneous sweating, urinary incontinence, and spermatorrhea will occur. If this action fails to work normally,such prolapses as gastroptosis, nephroptosis, hysteroptosis will be brought about.		如果此功能受損，將會出現(xiàn)出血、早泄、自汗、遺尿和遺精。如果該功能不能正常運行，則會出現(xiàn)胃下垂、腎下垂、子宮下垂等下垂癥狀。
The promoting and controlling actions of qi are the two aspects of mutual opposition and mutual complement. Provided these two actions work harmoniously, blood circulation and water metabolism can be normally carried on.		氣的促進和固攝功能是相互對立、相互補充的兩方面。如果這兩種功能能協(xié)調(diào)運行，則血液循環(huán)和水液代謝就會正常。
5 . Action of Qi Transformation		5.氣的氣化功能
Qi transformation may be defined as various kinds of changes brought about by the movement of qi. Concretely speaking, it refers to the respective metabolism of essence, qi, blood and body fluid and their reciprocal transformation. For instance, food is transformed into qi, blood and body fluid; body fluid are converted into sweat and urine by metabolizing, and the residues of food,after digestion and absorption, are turned into feces to be discharged from the body. All these processes are all the specific manifeatations of the action of qi transformation. If qi transformation is out of order, it will affect the digestion, absorpiion of food, the metabolism and transformation of essence, blood and body fluid, the excretion of sweat, urine and feces and so on .To put it briefly, qi transformation is actually the process in which the substances in the body are metabolized and intertransformed. Although the above five actions of qi differ from one another, they are indispensable to maintaining human life. Their harmonious cooperation and mutual support ensure that the physiological activities are completed smoothly.		氣的氣化功能可以定義為各種不同的變化來自于氣的運動。具體的說，它指的是精、氣、血和體液的獨立代謝和它們彼此的相互轉(zhuǎn)化。例如，食物轉(zhuǎn)化成氣、血和體液；體液通過代謝轉(zhuǎn)化成汗和尿液，而食物殘渣經(jīng)過消化和吸收后則轉(zhuǎn)化成糞便排除體外。所有的這些過程都是氣化功能的特殊表現(xiàn)。如果氣化功能失常則會影響食物的消化和吸收，精、血、體液的代謝和轉(zhuǎn)化，汗液、尿液和糞便的排泄等等。簡要的說，氣化實際上是體內(nèi)物質(zhì)代謝和轉(zhuǎn)化的過程。雖然以上五種氣的功能各不相同，但它們在生命的維持上是不可分離的。它們之間的協(xié)調(diào)合作和相互支持是生理活動順利完成的保障。
The Movement of Qi is known as "qi ji", qi activity. Qi in the human body travels throughout the body and reach all the zang-fu organs and meridians to promote and activate the physiological activities of the human body.		氣的運動叫做“氣機”。氣運行于全身到達所有的臟腑組織和經(jīng)絡(luò)，促進和推動人體的生理活動。
Qi has four basic forms: ascending, descending, exiting and entering. These four forms are the basis of human's life activities.Once these movements stop, it means that the life activities ceaseand death ensues.		氣有四種運動形式：升、降、出、入。這四種形式是人類生命活動的基礎(chǔ)。一旦這些運動停止了，便意味這生命活動的終止和死亡的發(fā)生。
The ascending, descending, exiting and entering of qi are mainly embodied in the physiological activities of the zang-fu organs, meridians and other processes of metabolism. For example,the lung governs respiration, exhaling pertains to exiting, inhaling to entering; and dispersing pertains to ascending, lowering to descending. The spleen sends the clear upward and the stomach passes the turbid downward. So all kinds of physiological activities in the human body, essentially, are reflected in the four movements of qi.		氣的升、降、出、入具體表現(xiàn)在臟腑組織、經(jīng)絡(luò)和其它代謝過程的生理活動中。例如，肺主呼吸，呼氣為出，吸氣為入；宣發(fā)為升，肅降為降。脾的升清和胃的降濁。人體的各種生理活動都必將在氣的四種運動形式中體現(xiàn)。
According to the sources, functions and distributions, qi is divided into four types: primordial ( yuan qi), genuine qi (zhenqi) , pectoral qi (zong qi) , nutritive qi( ying qi) and defensive qi(wei ai) .		根據(jù)根源、功能和分布，可以將氣分為四類：元氣、真氣、宗氣、營氣和衛(wèi)氣。
l . Primordial qi, also known as genuine qi (zhen qi) is the most important of the four kinds of qi. It is the primary motive force of life activities. Primordial qi derives from the congenital essence stored in the kidney, and depends on the acquired essence regenerated by the spleen and stomach. The book Miraculous Pivot makes it clear by saying, "Genuine qi (Zhen qi) is inherited from heaven ( the parents) and combined with cereal essence to replenish the body."		1.元氣，也叫做真氣是四種氣中最重要的一種。它是人體活動的原動力。元氣源于先天之精，儲藏于腎中，依賴脾胃化生的后天之精滋養(yǎng)�！鹅`樞》中明確說：“真氣者，所受于天，與谷氣并而充身者也.。”
2. Pectoral qi is formed from a combination of the fresh air inhaled by the lung and the cereal essence conveyed by the spleen and stornach. Pectoral qi performs two main functions. One is traveling through the respiratory tract to prormote respiration and the sufficiency or insufficiency of pectoral qi influences the conditions the voice. speech or breath and so on. The other is running through the heart-meridians to promote the circulation of qi and blood. The vicissitude of Pectoral qi is related to the flow of qi and blood, the body temperature and the activities of the trunk and limbs, the visual and aural perceptibility, as well as the strength and rhythm of the heart beat.		2.宗氣由肺吸入的清氣和脾胃化生的谷氣混合而成。宗氣主要執(zhí)行兩種功能。一種是走息道以行呼吸,宗氣的充足與否會影響到聲音、言語和呼吸的狀態(tài)。另一種是貫心脈以行氣血,宗氣的充足與否與氣血的運行、體溫、四肢活動、視覺、聽覺能力以及心臟搏動的力量和節(jié)律有關(guān)。
3.Nutritive qi is the qi that circulates together with blood in the vessels. Nutritive qi originates from the pure part of cereal essence transformed by the spleen and stomach and bears responsibility for the blood production and the nutrition of the whole body. Nutritive qi is considered as yin, so it is also called nutritive yin ( ying-yin) .		3.營氣是與血共同運行脈中的氣。營氣源于脾胃運化的水谷精微的純凈部分，并承擔(dān)著血液的產(chǎn)生和濡養(yǎng)全身的職責(zé)。營氣屬于陰，所以也稱作營陰。
4 . Defensive qi, like nutritive qi, comes from cereal essence,but, unlike nutritive qi, it runs outside the blood vessels. Defensive qi has the following functions: protecting the body surface against exogenous pathogens, controlling the opening and closing of the pores, adjusting the excretion of sweat, warming and nourishing the zang-fu organs. muscles and the skin with hairs, etc.,maintaining a relatively constant body temperature. It is given the name "defensive qi" precisely because of its antiexogenouspathogenic action. Defensive qi belongs to yang, so it has another name defensive yang ( wei-yang) ," which presents a strinking contrast with ying-yin as mentioned above.		4.衛(wèi)氣，如營氣一般，來自水谷精微，但是卻行于脈外，這與營氣不同。衛(wèi)氣有以下功能：保護體表免受外邪侵犯，司毛孔的開合，調(diào)節(jié)汗液排泄，溫養(yǎng)臟腑組織、肌膚毛發(fā)等和維持體溫的恒定�！靶l(wèi)氣”這一名字正是因為它有抗御外邪的功能。衛(wèi)氣屬陽，所以別名叫“衛(wèi)陽”,這正好與以上提及的營陰形成鮮明的對比。
THE TYPES OF QI AND THEIR MOVEMENTS		氣的分型與運動
Types of Qi	Movement	氣的分型	運動
Yuan Qi(Primordial Qi)	starting from between the two kidneys, passing through tri-energizer and circulating through the while body, inward to zang- and fu-organs and outward to the muscles and skin.	元氣	始于兩腎之間，行于三焦，周行全身，內(nèi)至臟腑，外達肌膚。
Zong Qi(Pectoral Qi)	stored in the chest and poured into the meridians of the heart and the lung.	宗氣	藏于胸中，注于心肺兩經(jīng)。
Ying Qi(Nutritive Qi)	originating from tri-energizer, entering the meridians by way of the lung, and circulating all over the body.	營氣	源于三焦，由肺入脈，周行全身。
Wei Qi(Defensive Qi	circulating outside but leaning against the meridians, vaporized to the diaphragm and scattered in the chest, travelling between the skin and flesh.	衛(wèi)氣	行于脈外，上行至膈，散于胸中，周行肌表。
Special phrases		特殊短語
As the saying goes, As=in the way that，as the story goes/runs		或云；相傳
as the matter stands		照目前情形
as the case may be		依照情況
as things are		照此情況
as things run		照通常順序、情形、性質(zhì)等