外揣/Wai Chuai

(Determination from Outside)

黄帝日:余闻九针九篇，余亲授其调[余亲授其调:《太素》卷十九《要知道》“授”作“受”]，颇得其意。夫九针者，始于一而终于九，然未得其要道也。夫九针者，小之[之:《甲乙》卷五第七无此字]则无内，大之则无外，深不可为下，高不可为盖[深不可为下，高不可以盖:《甲乙》卷五第七无“深不”十字]，恍惚无穷，流溢无极，余知其合于天道人事四时之变也，然余愿[愿:《太素》卷十九《要知道》“愿”下有“闻”字]杂之毫毛，浑束为一，可乎?岐伯日:明乎哉问也，非独针道焉，夫治国亦然。

Yellow Emperor said: "I have heard the nine-chapter about the nine kinds of needle, I have grasped its meaning personlly and know the meaning from the first kind to the ninth kind of needles approximately, but I do not understand its meaning thoroughly. In the principle of the nine kinds of needle, its meticulousness contained inside can not be smaller, and its extensiveness involved outside can not be larger. Its profoundness seem dim and boundless, and its applications are overflowing without end. I know its conditions are changing along with the law of heaven, the affairs of man and the variations of the four seasons, but I want to know whether it is possible to sum up the details which are as fine as the fine hair into a general programme?" Qibo said: "You are asking a brilliant question, it is not only necessary to have a general programme in acupuncture, but also necessary to have one in ruling a country."

黄帝日:余愿闻针道，非国事也。岐伯日:夫治国者，夫惟道焉，非道，何可小大深浅，杂合而为一乎?

Yellow Emperor said:"What I want to hear is about the principle of acupuncture, not ruling a country." Qibo said:"When ruling a country, it must base on a principle, if there is no principle, how can one sum up the tremendous small and large, complex and simple things into a general programme?"

黄帝日:愿卒闻之。岐伯日:日与月焉，水与镜焉，鼓与响焉。夫日月之明，不失其影，水镜之察，不失其形，鼓响之应，不后其声，动摇则应和，尽得其情。

Yellow Emperor said: "I hope to hear the details about it." Qibo said: "It can be analogized with the sun and moon, water and the mirror and the drum and the sound of the drumbeat; the sun and moon are bright, but they can by no means without shadow, the water and the mirror are limpid and clear, but they can by no means remove their physical form, the responding sound of the drum can by no means later than the drumstick hitting the drum, and one will know the existence whenever there is a response. When one understands all of them, he will be able to master the therapy of acupuncture."

黄帝日:窘乎哉!昭昭之明不可蔽。其不可蔽，不失阴阳也。合而察之，切而验之，见而得之，若清水明镜之不失其形也。五音不彰，五色不明，五藏波荡，若是则内外相袭，若鼓之应桴，响之应声，影之似形。故远者司外揣内，近者司内揣外，是谓阴阳之极，天地之盖，请藏之灵兰之室，弗敢使泄也。

Yellow Emperor said: "How critical! The illuminating light can not be concealed as it can not be divorced from the principle of Yin and Yang opposing each other. In treating, one should examine the overall conditions of the patient, verify it through palpation and obtain the condition of the disease by inspection, in this way, the condition of the discase will be as clear as the water and mirror without distortion. The voice and the complexion of the patient are the reflections of the functions of the internal organs, when the five tones are not resounding, the five colours are not distinct, it shows the five solid organs are wavering: it is the case of the interior and the exterior affecting each other, the reflection outside will like the drum responding to the drumbeat, and like the shadow appearing simultaneously with the body. Therefore, when observing the voice and complexion of the patient from outside, one can determine the syndrome of the organ inside; when inspecting the conditions of internal organ from inside, one can determine the changes of the voice and complexion outside. It can be considered to be the extreme of Yin and Yang changes, and the principle involving heaven and earth. I will keep it in the library of orchid chamber and be careful not to lose it."

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