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YIN AND YANG-THE LAW OF NATURE | |
| Yin and yang, which come from ancient Chinese philosophy, are a general term for two opposites of interrelated things or phenomena in the natural world. At first, their connotations were quite simple, referring to the two opposite sides of an object. The side facing the sun is yang and the reverse side is yin in the course of long practice and observation, the ancient Chinese people came to understand that the opposition and wax-wane of yin and yang are inherent in all things. Yi Zhuan says, "Yin and yang are what is called Dao", (Dao means the basic law of the unity of opposites in the universe). In other words, "Everything in the universe contains yin and yang." And they further believed that yin and yang can not only represent two opposite objects but also be used to analyze two opposite aspects existing in a single entity. Generally speaking, things or phenomena which are dynamic, bright, hot, functional, etc..., pertain to the category of yang, while those that are static, dark, cold, substantial, etc. , pertain to that of yin. The yin-yang theory holds that the development and changes of everything in the universe result from the unity of opposites be tween yin and yang. Su Wen says: "yin and yang are the law of heaven and earth, the principles of all things, the parents of all changes, the origin of life and death... " The yin-yang theory is an important constituent of the theoretical system of TCM and runs through every aspect of the system. It is used to explain physiology and pathology of the body and to guide clinical diagnosis and treatment. The basic content of yin-yang theory can be summarized as follows. | 阴阳来自古代中国哲学，是自然界中相联系的事物和现象中相互对立面的总称。最初，它们的内涵很简单，指的是事物的对立两方。向阳为阳，背阳则为阴。在长期的观察实践中，古代中国人民开始认识到阴阳的对立和消长存在于一切事物中。《易传》曰：一阳一阴谓之道（道代表宇宙中对立统一的基本规律)。换言之，“宇宙中的每个事物都包含阴阳两方面”。并且他们进一步认为阴阳不仅代表两个对立的事物而且可用于分析一个单独实体中存在的两个对立面。总之，动态的、明亮的、热的、功能的事物或现象属于阳；反之静止的、黑暗的、冷的、实质的事物和现象属于阴。阴阳理论认为宇宙中一切事物的变化发展来自于阴阳的对立统一。《素问》曰：阴阳者，天地之道也，万物之纲纪，变化之父母，生杀之本始。阴阳理论是中医理论系统的重要组成部分并贯穿于该系统的各个方面。它用于解释人体的生理和病理现象并指导临床的诊治。阴阳理论的基本内容可总结为以下几方面。 |
| l. The Unity of Opposition Between Yin and Yang | 1.阴阳的对立统一 |
| By the opposition between yin and yang is meant that all things or phenomena in nature have two opposite aspects-yin and yang, such as heaven and earth, motion and quiescence, ascending and descending, exiting and entering, day and night, heat and coldness and so on. The former being yang and the latter yin（P29) in every pair above. The unity is the outcome of mutual opposition and restriction between yin and yang. Without opposition, there would be no unity; Without mutual opposition, there would be no mutual complement. It is only through this kind of opposition and restriction that the dynamic equilibrium can be established. For instance, in the nature world, the motions of celestial bodies, the variations of the four seasons, the alternations of days and nights, as well as sprouting in spring, growing in summer, reaping in autunm and storing in winter, are all the concrete manifestations of the unity of opposites between yin and yang. | 阴阳对立指的是自然界中所有的事物和现象都存在对立两面—阴阳，如天地、动静、升降、进出、日月、寒热等等。以上的每对现象中前者为阳，后者为阴。统一是阴阳对立制约的结果。没有对立就没有统一，没有相互对立就没有相互补充。正是这种对立统一，阴阳才能达到动态平衡。例如，天体运动、四季变迁、昼夜交替、以及春生、夏长、秋收、冬藏的变化，皆为阴阳对立统一的具体表现。 |
| TCM believes that the normal physiological functions of the human body result from the opposite and unified relationship between yin and yang. Both of them are always in a state of dynamic balance. Even under normal physiological conditions of the human body, yin and yang can not be in a state of absolute balance, but in a state of relative balance. If, for any reason, the relative balance is destroyed, there is bound to be excess or deficiency of yin or yang, and then a disease will arise. As is stated in Su Wen , "Yin in excess causing yang disease, while yang in excess leading to yin disease." It is precisely due to the unity of opposites between yin and yang that all things can develop and change ceaselessly and the natural world is perpetually full of life.医 学 全在线www.med126.com | 中医认为人体的正常生理功能是阴阳对立统一的结果。阴阳总是处在动态平衡的状态。甚至在人体正常的生理条件下，阴阳也不可能达到绝对平衡，而是处于相对平衡的状态。一旦阴阳的相对平衡被打破就一定会导致阴阳的偏实偏虚，疾病也就随之产生了。正如《素问》所指出的“阴胜则阳病，阳胜则阴病”。也正是由于阴阳的对立统一万物才得以发展变化，自然界才得以永生。 |
| 2. Interdependence between yin and yang | 2.阴阳相互依存 |
| Yin and yang are opposed to and yet, at the same time, depend on each other. Neither can exist in isolation without its Opponent's existence. In other words, without yin there would be no yang, and it's the same the other way round. So either yin or yang is the prerequisite for the other's existence. And this kind of coexistent relationship is stated in TCM, "solitary yin or yang failing to live." This interdependence is also reflected in the relationship between substances and functions. The substance corresponds to yin and the function, to yang. The function is the result of material motion, and nothing in the world is not in a state of motion. Thereby, there is not any substance which can't produce its function and there is also not any function which doesn't originate from the motion of its substance. Therefore, Neijing says: "Yin in the interior is the basis for yang; while yang in the exterior is the activity for yin." "Yin" refers to the material，basis of functional activity of yang and "yang" refers to functional activity. The substance and function are interdependent and inseparable. Here is just an imaginable and vivid figure of speech. However, when the interdependent relationships between substances, between functions as well as between substances and functions are abnormal, life activities will be broken, thus bringing about dissociation of yin and yang, depletion of essence-qi. and even an end of one's life. | 阴阳是对立的但同时又是相互依存的。缺了对立方，任何一方都不能独立存在。换言之，无阴则阳无以生，反之亦然。所以无论阴或阳都是其对立方存在的先决条件。这种共存关系中医称为“独阳则阴无以化，独阴则阳无以生”。这种相互依存也可在物质于功能的关系上被反映。物质对应阴，功能对应阳。功能是运动的结果，世上的万物都处于运动之中。从而，没有不能产生功能的物质，也没有不从物质产生的功能。因此，《内经》曰：阴在内，阳之守也；阳在外，阴之使也。“阴”指的是物质，是阳功能活动的基础；“阳”指的是功能活动。物质和功能之间是相互依存、不可分离的。这仅仅是一种可以想象的、逼真的言语表述。然而，当物质之间、动能之间或物质和功能之间相互依存的关系异常时，正常的生命活动就会被破坏，从而导致阴阳离绝、元气损耗，甚至生命的终结。 |
| 3. Waning and waxing of yin and yang | 3.阴阳消长 |
| Yin and yang always coexist in a dynamic eqilibrium in which one waxes while the other wanes. In other words, waning of yin will lead to（因果关系的词：causing，inducing，leading to，bring on， give rise to， produce，make，generating) waxing of yang and vice versa. Take the seasonal and climatic variations for example, it gets warm from winter to spring, and hot from spring to sumner. This is the process of "yang waxing and yin waning," Conversely, it gets cool from summer to autumn, and cold from autumn to winter-the process known as "yin waxing and yang waning". Under normnl conditions, the waning-waxing relation of yin and yang is in a state of relative balance.If this relation goes beyond normal limits, the relativc balance of yin and yang will not be maintained, thus resulting in either excess or deficiency of yin or yang and the occurrence of diseasc, so far as to endanger one's life. |
阴阳总是共存于此消彼长的动态平衡中。换言之，阴消会导致阳长，反之亦然。以四季和天气的变化为例，冬去春暖、春去夏热是阳盛阴衰的过程。相反，夏去秋凉、秋去冬寒是阴盛阳衰的过程。在正常的条件下，阴阳的消长处于动态平衡的状态中。如果这种关系超出了正常范围，阴阳的相对平衡就无法维持，结果就会导致阴或阳的偏盛偏衰和疾病的发生，更甚者致危及生命。 |
| 4. Transformation of yin and yang | 4.阴阳转化 |
| In given conditions, either yin or yang may transform into its opposite, i. e. yin may be transformed into yang and yang into yin. If the waning-waxing of yin and yang is said to be a process of quantitative change, then that of their inter-transformation pertains to a qualitative change based on the quantitative chang. Such a process is mostly a gradual one from quantitative to qualitative change. Su Wen states: "Extreme yin gives rise to yang, while extreme yang gives rise to yin." "Extreme cold brings on heat, while extreme heat brings on cold". This is termed"Things will develop in the opposite direction when they become extreme." Pathologically, the yin syndromes can be transformmed into yang syndromes, and vice versa. It must be pointed out that the decisive factor of the mutual transformation is the conditions, including internal and external conditions, without which such transformation will be by no means likely to occur. | 在特定条件下，阴或阳都可以向其对立方转化。如阴可以转化成阳，阳也可以转化成阴。如果说阴阳消长是个量变的过程，那么阴阳的相互转化便属于基于量变上的质变。这种过程大多是由量变渐致质变的过程。《素问》曰：重阴必阳，重阳必阴。寒极生热，热极生寒。这就是物极必反。在病理上，阴证可以转化成阳证，反之亦然。必须指出的是阴阳相互转化的决定性因素是条件，包括内部和外部条件，不然，转化便不可能发生。 |
| The above statement is the basic content of yin-yang theory, which is also illustrated by "Taijitu" (Yin-Yang Diagram) below. In the diagram the white part indicates yang, and the black part yin. The relationships between the two are both opposite and complementary to each other. The white spot within yin shows the yang within yin, while the black spot does yin within yang. Meanwhile, they contain the potential for Intertransformation and inter-wane-wax between yin and yang. | 以上所述为阴阳理论的基本内容，它也可以用以下的太极图来说明。在图中，白色部分代表阳 ，黑色代表阴。他们之间存在相互对立、相互补充的关系。阴中的白点表示阴中之阳，黑点表示阳中之阴。同时，他们还包含了阴阳相互转化、此消彼长的意义。 |
| From the above, we can see that the content of yin-yang theory is composed of four aspects, among which the opposition and waxing-waning contain the opposite of contradiction; the interdependence and transformation contain the unity of contradiction; waxing-waning and transformation contain quantitative change and qualitative change. The former is the precondition for the latter, the latter is the outcome of the former. | 从以上我们可以知道阴阳理论的内容由四部分组成。其中阴阳对立和消长代表矛盾对立面，阴阳的相互依存和转化代表矛盾的统一面。消长和转化代表量变和质变。前者为后者的前提，后者为前者的结果。 |
