Nigel Wiseman

English Abstract: This paper offers criticism of English Translation of Common

Terms in Chinese Medicine(2004) by Professor Xie Zhufan. Criticisms of specific
term choices are listed under the following headings: 1. Selection of Chinese Terms;
2. Poor Term Choices; 3. Poor Grammar and Style; 4. One Term with Multiple Translations
(Inconsistency); 5. Multiple Terms with one Translation; 6. Overuse of Pinyin; 7.
Overuse of Modern Medical Terms.
2004 10 20~21 WHO

WHO

2004

[ ]
1.

2.

five elements [2]element five elements

five phases
five elements
monarch fire [3] sovereign fire
nutrient [4]

92~93
(thin) saliva(thick) saliva [5] drool spittle
saliva?
triple energizer [6]energizer energy
energy
triple energizer
triple energizer WHO

mental activity [7]

(1)blood vessel (2)blood circulation [7]
blood vessel blood circulation
blood and vessels
dispersion [8] dispersion

meridian [9]meridian

channel
meridian channel meridian
taiyangyangmingshaoyang [9]

muscle [11]
muscle flesh
tendon [11]
tendonmuscle muscle

lacrimal gland [14]gland spring

/ big/small canthus [14]big/small greater/lesser

 pathogen [16]pathogen
pathogen evil

deficiencyexcess [22]
deficiencyexcess

vacuityrepletion
prostration/collapse [2829]
prostration collapse
desertion outward desertion
cold retention in large intestine [39]retention
bind
predict the interior by inspecting the interior [45]predict
judge
nearby bleeding [47]nearby proximal
distant distal
proximal bleeding
cracked tongue [48]cracked

greasy coating [49]greasy slimy

interrogation [51]interrogation
interrogation inquiry
fever aggravated at night [52]aggravate aggravated
byworsening at night
cold hands and feet [52]
reversal cold of the extremities
coldness of the extremities
epigastric pain [54]epigastrium

paradoxical pulse [62] paradoxical

strange pulse
swift pulse [62] swift
racing
syndrome/pattern of yang deficiency and water diffusion [64]
diffusion
diffusion
[87] flood
fluid-retention syndrome/pattern [76109]


phlegm
fluid retentionfluid retention
phlegm fluid retention
phlegm and rheum
syndrome/pattern of heart insufficiency with timidity [78]

gallbladder[8822]
syndrome/pattern of spleen insufficiency with damp harassment [81]
harass
encumber 82
cold-induced taiyang syndrome/pattern [90]
cold damage cold-inducedcold-induced
disease
syndrome/pattern of damp-heat inflammation of the mouth [100]
inflammation damp-heat steaming into the mouth
dampness ailment [101] dampness ailment

dampness affliction [101] affliction

fulminant dysentery [101] fulminant

dysentery epidemic toxin dysentery
malarial splenomegaly [102]
mother of malaria

morning cough [103] morning

before dawn fifth-watch cough

amnesia [105]amnesia

splenic constipation [106]

chylous stranguria [108]chylous

up-rushing of qi [109]: running piglet
up-rushing of qi ()

flopping syncope [111]

Flop flopping syncope


crapulent syncope [111]crapulent food
thunder-headache [111] thunder head wind
agonizing arthralgia [111]agonize painful

plum-stone syndrome [113]plum-pit qi

chilblain [121] frostbite
scanty suppressed menstruation [123]suppressed menstruation
amenorrhea scant inhibited menstruation
prolonged menstruation/menostaxis [125] Dorlands Illustrated
Medical Dictionary (26th Edition)menostaxis excessively prolonged
menstruation Churchills Illustrated Medical dictionary (1989)menostaxis
Menostaxis
vicariousretrograde menstruation [125]
() retrograde menstruation

gravid cough [128]gravid pregnant ()

Gravidic

dyspepsiaindigestion [132]:
dyspepsia
syndrome/pattern of food stagnancy
vision-disturbed ophthalmopathy [138]
obstruction[138]

acute throat troubles [147]

troubles
throat wind
astragalus/talus dislocation [155]astragulus talus
treat yang for yin [166] seek yin in yang
clear nutrient (system) and let eruptions out [167]: let out
meridian tropism [205] channel entrytropism

mutual assistance [205]

mutual

3.

 entering of heat into the blood system [24] heat

entering the blood aspect
clouding of the pericardium by phlegm [31]phlegm clouding the
pericardium
failure of lung in purification [38]in purification

cold-heat in complexity [25]in complexity

prickled tongue [48] prickly
eye itching [55]itchy eyesitching of the eyes eye itching
143
evening vomiting of that eaten in previous morning [57] eaten in
previous morning vomiting in the morning of food
eaten in the morning ( eaten the previous morning)
syndrome/pattern of wind-cold invasion of lung [80]invasion of the
lung by wind-cold wind-cold invading the lung wind-cold
invasion of the lung wind-cold invasion
80~81 98~99 91

heat entering blood chamber

syndrome/pattern of yin impairment with yang involved [65]:with yang
involved involving affectingyang
attack of heart by retained water [29] attack on water
qi intimidating the heart
bird-pecking pulse [62]() bird-pecking
pulse +-++ing
fish-swimming pulse roof-leaking pulse rope-untying pulse
bean-rolling pulse 138 vision-disturbed ophthalmophathy

seven- or eight-years-old children [131] year s

cornea ulcer [141]corneal

bone sticking [147] stick stick
bone sticking
remove accumulation with purgative [169]purgatives s
excrete damp with bland drug/medicinal [172]drug/medicinal s
medicated ironing therapy [186]iron
1043
hot medicinal compress therapy

4.

pattern syndrome

bind

dispersion/ventilation dispersion [8] ventilate lung [166]

obstruction obstruction of lung qi [39] 2.

prostration/collapse[2829]
2
viscus/zang organ viscus of fire and water viscus
zang organ.
tendon/muscle/sinew/soft tissue [11] tendon [11] muscle region [11]
(1)tendon; sinew (2) soft tissue [159] 2 [11]
reverse/adverse/counter-flow: reversed flow of qi[24] adverse
rising of lung qi [39]qi counter-flow syndrome/pattern [74]
counterflow
stasis, stagnant stagnant blood [19] blood stasis [28]
static blood blood stasis
rentention/stagnancy/constipation/combined/accumulation cold
retention in the large intestine [39] heat retention [42] dryness
constipation [43] dryness constipation syndrome/pattern [70]
syndrome/pattern of combined phlegm and qi [71] thoracic accumulation [110]
bind
vessel/meridian: vessel [6] eight extra meridians [10]
governor vesselconception vessel
thoroughfare vessel eight extra vessels
aversion to cold/chills [51]: aversion to cold
fever without chills

 (1)lateropectoral pain (2) hypochondriac pain [54107]

coagulate/congeal syndrome/pattern of yang deficiency with phlegm

coagulation [64] syndrome/pattern of congealing cold and qi stagnation
[74] coagulate congeal
depression/stagnancy/stagnation: six kinds of stagnancy [42]
liver depression with qi stagnation [85] syndrome/pattern of
gallbladder stagnancy with phlegm disturbance [86] depression [109]
depression
disturbance/agitation: syndrome/pattern of gallbladder stagnancy
with phlegm disturbance [86] syndrome/pattern of agitation of heart by
phlegm-fire [79] harass
deficiency/insufficiency: insufficiency [88]
deficiency 2. [22]
major reversal of qi; sudden loss of consciousness [111]

reversal

impedimentarthralgia (1)impediment disease (2)arthralgia(1)

; (2)
1627
arthralgia

arthralgia [111] chest impediment [105] angina

pectoris [105] scleroderma impediment impede.
purgecatharsislaxation drastic purgation [169] laxation
[169] expel water by catharsis [170]
induce diuresisexcreteremove induce diuresis and drain damp
[172] excrete damp with bland drug/medicinal [172]
dampness-removing formulas [215]
disperseeliminatecurerelieveresolve disperse and discharge
[172] eliminate phlegm and soften hardness [173] cure abscess
and dissipate nodulation [182] edema-relieving diuretic [208]
resolving swelling [] disperse
clearrelieve (heat)-clearing therapy [173] relieve dryness [173]
tonifyreinforce (1) tonificationtonifying therapy (2) reinforcement
reinforcing therapy
prohibitedcontraindication prohibited combination [205]
dietary contraindication

5.
retention: cold retention in the large intestine [39]
syndrome/pattern of qi stagnation and water retention [77] retention
of blood [91] retention of dampness [101]
retention retention

stagnancy/ stagnation in yin/yang [22] qi stagnation

[28] six kinds of stagnancy [42] syndrome/pattern of food stagnancy
[70] syndrome of gallbladder stagnancy with phlegm disturbance [86]
liver stagnancy
disperse dispersion [8] disperse wind [166]
stuffiness stuffiness[55] treat stuffiness with tonic [165]
[56] [133] anorexia

purge treat excess by purging [[165] clear

qi (system) and purge heat [167] purgation [169] remove accumulation
with purgative mild purgation [169]
obstruction/retention obstruction of defensive yang [24]
obstruction of the lung by phlegm turbidity [38] obstruction of
lung qi [39]
6.

Ephedra Decoction (ma huang tang)

On Cold Damage(Shang Han Lun)

Guizhi
Decoction Guizhi tang

7.

arthralgia
arthralgia
acute

thyroiditis [117]

deep-rooted boilpustule
whitlow/felon-itisgangreneanthrax [114]boil [146]

boilpustulewhitlow-itis

{Unschuld 1989}
, clove sore (clove clavus
nail sore nail )

dyscheziamenostaxis
polymenorrhea

difficult defecationprolonged menstruation

five sense organs [13] sense organ

hyperemia of bulbar conjunctiva [59]

hyperemia of bulbar
conjunctiva


abscess/-itis/phlegmon [115] abscess [115] acute mastitis [117]
throat-blocking phlegmon
carbuncle/deep abscess [115] carbuncle
deep abscess
[117~118] qi tumorsubcutaneous neurofibroma angiomahemangioma
varixvaricosity lipoma sebaceous cyst bone tumorosteoma

hydrocephalus [135]hydrocephalus
uninited skull
pseudopterygium [139]
pseudopterygium
coma [113]1182
coma clouded spirit
scleroderma [120]
475
scleroderma
bone atrophy [112] bone atrophy osteoporosis
1090
bone wilting
tinea manuum [119]:tinea
manuumfissured eczema tinea manuum
goose-foot wind
8.

native speaker competence in English

meridian five elements

acute thyroiditis
arthralgiaimpediment

WHO

1995
2004
1989
Wiseman, N.1995
Wiseman, N.2002
Unschuld P.U. Introductory RemarksTerminological problems encountered in
and experience gained in the process of editing a commentated Nan-Ching edition
Approaches to Chinese Medical Literature, Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers
1989