山水学堂今后会尝试让同学们在网络上，或者在我们的美国游学基地和西方人交流关于中国文化的内容，其中很有可能会聊到针灸。下面这段话节选自两篇和针灸有关的文章：真心想学好英语的同学们可以尝试把这些英文自己翻译一遍，然后和我的翻译对照，直到你能准确地在不查单词的基础上把所有的英文理解。再将中文翻译成英文，再对照，如果还能够不出错地将英文写出来，那你就掌握了很多词汇和语法。这种翻译的学习方式效率很高。
学英语并不难，用心就好。大部分人是不愿意花时间或者做完作业就没时间了。
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There is a single, irrefutable fact that Western medicine recognizes but virtually ignores when it comes to healing: That is, that the body is nothing more than a ball of energy, with interactive frequencies and amplitudes determining the relative “health” of a human being. Happily, Eastern medicine doesn’t overlook that.
在治疗方面，西医承认但实际上忽视了一个无可辩驳的事实：那就是，身体只不过是一个能量球，其交互频率和振幅决定了人类的相对“健康”。但幸运的是，东方医学并没有忽视这一点。
Both Traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic tradition make full use of the energetic approach and do so with sustained success. One of the most obvious modalities that has become apparent to Americans and the West in general is acupuncture.
中医和印度的阿育吠陀传统都充分利用了这种基于能量的方法，并且一直以来都取得了成功。对美国人和整个西方来说，理解这点最明显的方式之一就是针灸。
Classic acupuncture is done by a trained practitioner using sterile, extremely light gauge needles to interact with that energy field that is a human being.
传统的针灸疗法是由训练有素的医生使用无菌、极细的针头与人类的能量场进行互动。
Though other modified approaches are seen, using lasers and such, they are barely connected to the acupuncture associated with Traditional Chinese medicine described in The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, a book that dates to 2600 B.C.1
尽管现在也开始使用激光等改良方法，但它们与《黄帝医经》中描述的与中医相关的针灸几乎没有联系，这本书可追溯到公元前2600年。
Juiced. 好玩的来了
I was enrapt as a physiology student when I read how nerve transmission works in the human body. What an amazing technique. Ions of sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) cross the nerve cell membrane, literally lightning-fast, changing the electrical potential of the cell. The nerve cell becomes like a telephone wire, with electrons pulsing through it. A nerve cell impulse is (ta-da!) energy.2
作为一名生理学学生，当我读到神经传递在人体内的工作原理时，我非常激动。多么神奇的技术啊。钠（Na+）和钾（K+）离子以闪电般的速度穿过神经细胞膜，改变细胞的电位。神经细胞就像一根电话线，电子脉冲通过它。神经细胞冲动其实就是（哇塞！）能量.
This energy of the body is “on” constantly, just as there is electricity flowing through the wires in your house all the time. In physics that is called “resting potential.” It’s just that it’s not doing anything until you ask it; sorta like if you tell your arm to move or your fingers to type.
身体的这种能量一直在“开启状态”，就像你家里的电线一直通电一样。在物理学中，这被称为“静息势”，就是说除非你问它，否则它什么都不做；有点像你让你的手臂移动，或者让你的手指打字。
(Another very interesting reality is that there is a part of your mind, the subconscious part, that also can direct nerve activity without you being fully aware of it.
（另一个非常有趣的现实是，你的大脑中有一部分，潜意识，也可以在你没有完全意识到的情况下去指导神经的活动。
Thankfully. That’s how nerve impulses are sent that have to do with nearly every important function of your body, like heartbeat, respiration, metabolism, temperature regulation, immune response and on and on. Even typing is done by that part of the mind to an extent. Mull that over.)
谢天谢地！这就是神经冲动的发送方式，它几乎与你身体的每一个重要功能有关，比如心跳、呼吸、新陈代谢、温度调节、免疫反应等等。甚至打字在一定程度上也是由大脑的这一部分完成的。仔细想想。）
So, how does this relate to acupuncture? Simple. If the body is made of energy (which it is,) and energy in the form of nerve cells regulate or modulate the performance of bodily functions, interacting with those channels of communication would have an effect.
那么，这与针灸有什么关系呢？易于理解的如果身体是由能量构成的（事实就是如此），而以神经细胞形式存在的能量调节或调节身体功能的表现，那么与这些沟通渠道的互动就会产生影响。
Let’s go back to the “house” analogy. If the wiring in your house is in good shape, there is no problem when you turn on a light switch in the attic. The flow of energy (electricity) is unrestricted and that light comes on. But what if you have a short circuit somewhere in the back bedroom?
让我们回到“房子”这个类比。如果你家的电线状况良好，打开阁楼上的电灯开关就没有问题。能量（电）的流动是不受限制的，灯是亮着的。但是如果你在后卧室的某个地方短路了怎么办？
The electrical energy becomes blocked by whatever factor is interrupting it. With a short, the electricity stagnates, which is a common term acupuncturists use when describing the flow of chi (Chinese word for the kind of energy we’re dealing with here.)
电能被任何因素阻断。在短时间内，电会停滞，这是针灸师在描述气的流动时常用的一个术语（中文中的“气”是指我们在这里处理的那种能量）
The acupuncturist’s job is to diagnose the location of that chi stagnation in the body, usually with a combination of pulse diagnosis and visual observation, and then free up that energy flow by using a conductive needle somewhere along that transmission line.
针灸师的工作是诊断气滞在体内的位置，通常结合脉搏诊断和视觉观察，然后使用传导针沿着传输线的某处释放能量流。
Those “transmission” lines are called meridians by the acupuncturist. Bear in mind, though meridians generally follow nerve pathways, nerves are not meridians.
这些“传输”线被针灸师称为经络。请记住，虽然经络通常遵循神经通路，但神经不是经络。
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Doctors learn more about acupuncture each year. 医生们每年都会学习到更多关于针灸的知识。
But still, no one fully understands how acupuncture works. 但是，仍然没有人完全理解针灸是如何工作的。
Does it boost your body’s painkilling ability? 它能提高你身体的止痛能力吗？
Does it affect your blood flow? 它会影响你的血液流动吗？
Can it help your body manage depression to promote further healing? 它能帮助你的身体控制抑郁，促进进一步的康复吗？
Scientists continue to study — and debate — the issues. 科学家们继续研究和辩论这些问题。
But those who practice acupuncture say that’s no reason to stop doing it. 但是那些练习针灸的人说，这并不是停止针灸的理由。
Danesh suggests we remember how aspirin became accepted as more than an over-the-counter painkiller. Danesh建议我们记住阿司匹林是如何被接受的，而不仅仅是一种非处方止痛药。
“It took years and years for us to figure out the exact molecular mechanisms, but we were [still] giving aspirin,” “我们花了很多年才弄清楚确切的分子机制，但我们（仍）在服用阿司匹林。”
Danesh says. 达内什说。
‘You have a headache? Take aspirin.’ “你头痛吗？吃阿司匹林吧
‘You have back pain? Take aspirin.’ “你背痛吗？吃阿司匹林吧
You have heart problems? …’ 你有心脏病吗？…’
We accepted that aspirin was used. 我们同意使用阿司匹林。
“Acupuncture has good evidence [supporting it]. “针灸有很好的证据（支持它）。
Just because we can’t necessarily explain it down to the molecular level doesn’t mean we need to abandon it.” 仅仅因为我们不能从分子水平解释它，并不意味着我们需要放弃它。”