Cognitive Deviation of TCM Caused by the Early Chinese Translation of Western Medicine

摘要

In the early Chinese translation of western medicine, translators borrowed some terminologies from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Their inappropriate translation led to the confusion of terminological concepts and connotations of the two different theoretical systems. These loanwords resulted in people's misunderstanding towards TCM to some extent. Nowadays, in a world of western medicine's dominance, western medicine is regarded as the symbol of scientific medicine, and TCM is required to close up to the standard of it. However, the two different kinds of medicine differ largely in cultural connotations and theoretical systems, thus neither can be the standard of the other. The author holds that it's crucial to clarify the misunderstanding, to avoid the mistranslation, and to spread the cultural quintessence of the TCM to the world.