第六十九回 · 中虛心痛 What Each Pulse Declares — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

中虛心痛 What Each Pulse Declares

夫fú左zuǒ寸cùn強qiáng而ér緊jǐn者zhě，中zhōng虛xū心xīn痛tòng也yě；關guān濇sè而ér緩huǎn者zhě，汗hàn出chū肌jī麻má也yě；尺chǐ芤kōu而ér沉chén者zhě，小xiǎo便biàn赤chì而ér大dà便biàn帶dài血xuè也yě。右yòu手shǒu寸cùn脈mài浮fú而ér滑huá者zhě，內nèi結jié經jīng閉bì也yě；關guān遲chí而ér結jié者zhě，宿sù食shí留liú飲yǐn也yě；尺chǐ數shuò而ér牢láo者zhě，煩fán滿mǎn虛xū寒hán相xiāng持chí也yě。夫fú左zuǒ寸cùn强qiáng而ér紧jǐn者zhě，中zhōng虚xū心xīn痛tòng也yě；关guān濇sè而ér缓huǎn者zhě，汗hàn出chū肌jī麻má也yě；尺chǐ芤kōu而ér沉chén者zhě，小xiǎo便biàn赤chì而ér大dà便biàn带dài血xuè也yě。右yòu手shǒu寸cùn脉mài浮fú而ér滑huá者zhě，内nèi结jié经jīng闭bì也yě；关guān迟chí而ér结jié者zhě，宿sù食shí留liú饮yǐn也yě；尺chǐ数shuò而ér牢láo者zhě，烦fán满mǎn虚xū寒hán相xiāng持chí也yě。

逐句解 Line by line

夫fú左zuǒ寸cùn強qiáng而ér緊jǐn者zhě，中zhōng虛xū心xīn痛tòng也yě；關guān濇sè而ér緩huǎn者zhě，汗hàn出chū肌jī麻má也yě；尺chǐ芤kōu而ér沉chén者zhě，小xiǎo便biàn赤chì而ér大dà便biàn帶dài血xuè也yě。夫fú左zuǒ寸cùn强qiáng而ér紧jǐn者zhě，中zhōng虚xū心xīn痛tòng也yě；关guān濇sè而ér缓huǎn者zhě，汗hàn出chū肌jī麻má也yě；尺chǐ芤kōu而ér沉chén者zhě，小xiǎo便biàn赤chì而ér大dà便biàn带dài血xuè也yě。

"Now, where the left cùn is forceful and taut, the centre is depleted and the heart pains; where the guān is rough and slack, there is sweating and numbness of the flesh; where the chǐ is hollow and sunken, the water passes red and the stool carries blood.

Same six pulses, second time round, with a condition hung on each. The pattern is the oldest one in Chinese exposition: 夫 to open, then a topic marked with 者, then the verdict marked with 也. Three of them in a row, all built the same way. 夫 is fú in that opening use — a throat-clearing "now, then" — and not the fū of 夫人, a lady, which this chapter will need later when the demon sends for one.

右yòu手shǒu寸cùn脈mài浮fú而ér滑huá者zhě，內nèi結jié經jīng閉bì也yě；關guān遲chí而ér結jié者zhě，宿sù食shí留liú飲yǐn也yě；尺chǐ數shuò而ér牢láo者zhě，煩fán滿mǎn虛xū寒hán相xiāng持chí也yě。右yòu手shǒu寸cùn脉mài浮fú而ér滑huá者zhě，内nèi结jié经jīng闭bì也yě；关guān迟chí而ér结jié者zhě，宿sù食shí留liú饮yǐn也yě；尺chǐ数shuò而ér牢láo者zhě，烦fán满mǎn虚xū寒hán相xiāng持chí也yě。

"Where the right cùn is floating and slippery, there is binding within and the channels are stopped; where the guān is slow and knotted, food lodges undigested and drink stands; where the chǐ is rapid and firm, vexation and fullness contend with depletion and cold."

And the right hand again, to the same formula. 數 is shuò once more. 宿 is sù, kept overnight — so 宿食 is food that has sat undigested. 相 is xiāng, mutually, which makes 相持 two conditions gripping each other in a deadlock, neither able to give way.

總評 Commentary

Now the same six pulses again, this time with a condition hung on each. The second recital shortens the first as it goes — 左手寸脈 becomes 左寸, and the 且 of 芤且沉 becomes 而 — so you are carried through the argument instead of being made to hold two lists at once.

None of the medicine here is invented. The pulse qualities, the paired stations, the conditions read off them all come from the standing vocabulary of Chinese diagnosis, and a Ming reader with any schooling would have found the passage competent rather than fanciful. That soundness is what makes the joke possible later. The frame has to hold before the contents can be absurd.