..續本文上一頁specially the first line-- has become a source of controversy and has lost its original meaning. If taken literally, how can we taste medicine before we give it to our parents

　　 Isn”t it dangerous to casually take medicine that is not prescribed for one

　　 Let us explain the meaning of the Chinese character “chang 嘗” for "taste," and then this verse will become easier to understand.

　　嘗，本來在中國是一種秋祭的名稱，就是秋天農作物收成後，用新谷來祭祀山林土地衆神，以表感恩；祭典之後，人家都吃一點祭過的新谷，看看味道好不好？這叫“嘗新”。因此，嘗就有“用舌頭辨別滋味”的意思，也引申出來“試一試”，或“鑒定”的意思。

　　The character chang was a term used in ancient China during harvest Lime. After the newly harvested crops were ritually offered to the mountain, forest, and earth spirit to give thanks, everyone would taste a little bit of the offering. That was known as chang xin 嘗新"tasting the new." Thus chang meant "using the tip of the tongue to distinguish the flavor," and it also came to mean "to taste" or "to give expert evidence. "

　　因爲古代中國的藥，是用天然藥草，加水熬成的一碗濃縮藥汁。在這兒，嘗藥的意思，便是用舌尖輕輕碰觸藥汁，以辨別這個藥；只是淺嘗，並不是叫你吃到肚子裏去。如果是今日的藥丸、藥片，當然就無法嘗了；就是嘗，除舔了到表面的糖衣外，也嘗不出個所以然，所以不需要去嘗它。

　　In ancient China, natural herbs were boiled and decocted to make medicine. Thus, chang meant to lightly taste the herbal decoction with the tip of the tongue, not to swallow it down. Of course, there is no way to taste modern medicines which come in the form of pills and capsules. All you would be able to taste is their sugar coating.

　　那麼嘗藥的作用，既然是爲了辨別，辨別什麼呢？第一，辨別藥汁的溫度；第二，辨別藥的正確性。因爲藥汁必須趁熱吃才有藥效；但也不可太燙，而燙傷了虛弱的病人。可是，手對溫度的感覺是不太能憑恃的，它會因人、因碗的質地，以及不同的藥性，而有些差別；唯一的方法，便是以舌尖淺嘗一下了。細心的孝子是不會冒冒失失地，就端一碗熱騰騰或涼兮兮的藥給父母的。

　　The purpose of tasting medicine is to determine (1) how hot it is, and (2) whether it is the correct prescription. Chinese herbal decoctions are effective only if taken warm. However, they cannot be too hot, for overly hot medicine can harm weak patients. Our hands are not reliable for measuring the temperature of the decoction, since the accuracy of the measurement would depend on the person measuring, the material of the container, and the properties of the medicine. The only way to do it is to lightly test the decoction with the tip of one”s tongue. A concerned filial child will not recklessly serve his parents a steaming hot or cold bowl of medicine.

　　那又怎麼辨別藥的正確性呢？中國藥草之多，較常用的，也有幾千種，卻不外酸、苦、甜、辣、鹹五味，主治心肝脾腎肺五髒。大略地說，味酸的治肝髒、風疾，味甜的治脾胃、郁悶等病，味苦的治心，味辛辣的治肺、氣管諸疾，味鹹的治腎；把藥汁一嘗，馬上可以試驗出醫生的藥方，或藥房抓的藥，有沒有被搞錯。

　　How can one determine whether the medicine is the correct one

　　 Among the numerous varieties of Chinese medicine, there are several thousand which are commonly used. Yet all of them can be classified according to the five flavors: sour, bitter, sweet, acidic, and salty. The five flavors are primarily used to treat the five organs: the heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, and lungs. Generally speaking, sour medicine”s are used to treat liver diseases and rheumatism. Medicines of a sweet nature are used to treat diseases of the spleen and stomach, depression, and other such ailments. Bitter medicinal herbs are for the heart, acidic herbs for the lungs and bronchial tube, and salty ones for the kidneys.

　　當然這只能試個大概，除非深谙醫理和藥性的人，無法驗得准確，不過這是孝子的一點心意。所以我們現在對這一段文字比較了解了，應該沒有可以非議的了吧？那麼對于今日的藥丸、藥片，我們的“嘗”，就是檢查，看看父母服用的時間、藥量對不對，有沒有拿錯了藥，因爲有的病人並不只吃一種藥。這是我們應該要謹慎服侍在病床邊的理由之一。

　　As soon as one tastes it, one can get a general idea of whether the medicine obtained is the correct one. Although only someone who is well-versed in medical lore and the properties of medicines can get a really accurate idea, tasting the medicine before giving it to his or her parents is a gesture of concern on the part of a filial child. Now that we have a better understanding of this verse, we should have no reason to criticize it. With regard to the pills and tablets of modern medicine, the word "taste" can be interpreted as "examine," that is, to make sure…

《弟子規淺釋 Standards for Students 第二章：孝 Chapter Two： FILIAL PIETY - 9》全文未完，請進入下頁繼續閱讀…