Any good medical Chinese to English dictionaries online?

kelinsheng

March 12, 2010, 05:58 AM posted in General Discussion

I keep coming across these characters (性味归经:) when searching for the functions of certain herbs like 地耳草. So is there a good dictionary that people have found that has helped them? Are there any online? What does " 性味归经: " mean anyway?

Certain glossaries are quite good, but I've only ever found comprehensive information in the back of some books. So, have any of you found a dictionary that is quite comprehensive? I've found a lot of dictionaries that only seem to be of use to Chinese speakers learning English. Usually they are transliterations: 脱证 = abandoned/desertion syndrome.

Instead, I'm hoping that there are books, or online sources, with content like this: 脱证 = abandoned/desertion patterns: A presentation of continuous heavy sweating (called "sweating pearls"), frigid extremities, a jaw that sags, closed eyes, flaccid hands, incontinence, and a minute, thin pulse. This is usually due to severe injury to the qi, blood, yin, and yang such that the essential qi has drained out or "abandoned" the patient. This can be caused by wind-stroke, excessive sweating, excessive diarrhea, or a great loss of blood. (Pg 1139, Matria Medica 3rd Edition, Bensky, et al.)

Also, has anyone discovered a good reference for plant names? I've been looking for the latin name of 地耳草, but the sources I've found usually don't match.

So what has been your experience? Do you have good references? Can you find all the information you're looking for? Is searching for lesser known herbs or TCM terms like digging for a sliver embedded under your finger nail, or is that too much of an exaggeration?

changye

March 12, 2010, 06:47 AM

http://www.pharmnet.com.cn/tcm/knowledge/detail/100475.html

http://www.hudong.com/wiki/%E5%9C%B0%E8%80%B3%E8%8D%89

http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/4267142.html

http://club.xywy.com/htm/1641/820358.htm

kelinsheng

March 14, 2010, 12:28 AM

hmm . . . the first site is in Chinese (though I just found it and used google translate to figure out what was written. Awesome site, if you can read Chinese.)

Second one also in Chinese. . .

Third site Chinese . . .

Anrd fourth site, also Chinese.

Isn't there anything in English?

Thanks Changye for the links. ^_^

changye

Hi kelinsheng

You have to learn Chinese hard if you want to make a deep study of Chinese medicine. You can do it, 加油！

changye

March 14, 2010, 12:37 AM

Hi kelinsheng

You have to learn Chinese hard if you want to make a deep study of Chinese medicine. You can do it, 加油！

changye

March 14, 2010, 12:48 AM

You have to learn Mandarin hard if you want to make a deep study of Chinese medicine. You can do it, 加油！

bababardwan

yeah,加油朋友.It would be great to see you post vocab you learnt here as you go,or make a blog about it.If there really is nothing out there then you could be like the pioneer.Again,jiayou mate. :)

bababardwan

March 14, 2010, 12:58 AM

kelinsheng

March 14, 2010, 06:20 PM

Yes, I know Changye. That's why I joined this site and started this group. And the sites you linked to are only useful for people who already speak/read Chinese. Hence the problem I've been facing. It's like when I asked for an electronic dictionary for English to Mandarin. All the buttons were in Characters, so it was completely useless to me. Also, medical research in North America is only recogninzed if it is in Enlgish. If these terms are not properly defined in English then the researchers can't understand it and will conclude that Chinese medicine is a bunch of hogwash.

Also, licencing exams for Chinese medicine is done in both Chinese and Enlgish so there needs to be some sort of English resource.

I guess if there is no such resource then it's a great opportunity for someone.

eran

Hi Kelinsheng,

Not sure if you've found it yet, but there is an online (pdf) version of Wiseman's terminology. It is available for free and is pretty incredible. It's just over 900 pages and an incredible resource. If you can't find it, just send me your e-mail address and I can send it to you, as long as the file is not too big?

Also, where in BC are you? I am also a TCM doc, living and practicing in Port Moody.

theherbdoctor

April 30, 2010, 04:40 PM

@kelinsheng

性味归经 refers to the nature of the herbs as well as the channels that they go to within the body. The channels are related to certain organ systems such as the 心，肾，脾，肺，肝，etc. The nature of the herb is it's energetic temperatures and flavors such as: 热，寒，平（neutral), or 苦，酸.

In 中医 the flavor of an herb has functions as well. So when choosing herbs for treatment there are many factors to consider. If you are looking to learn more medical Chinese you may want to pick any dictionary from Nigel Wiseman.

http://www.paradigm-pubs.com/WisemanWork

kelinsheng

Awesome! I knew something was out there to learn medical Chinese! Thank you theherbdoctor.

Also I found an online source for some less common herbs:

tcmasssistant.com .

dedsall78

Yes, Wiseman is an excellent source for this. I am using his Practical Dictionary of Chinese Medicine currently to both learn all the Chinese Terminology as well as review what I learned a couple years ago when I was in school studying the medicine.

I highly recommend it for what you are looking for.

After having said this, I am going to agree with Changye on his point. If you want to be able to really be able to read or translate texts, you are going to need to have a good working knowledge of Chinese. I have been studying Chinese fairly vigorously for 5 semesters now and I finally feel able to start digging into reading modern medical texts and studies (and I should stress modern), although it is still can be difficult.

If your Chinese level is on a beginner or intermediate level, I would suggest trying to build that more before really digging into medical terminology.

Just my two cents. 加油 :)

kelinsheng

May 04, 2010, 04:04 AM

Awesome! I knew something was out there to learn medical Chinese! Thank you theherbdoctor.

Also I found an online source for some less common herbs:

tcmasssistant.com .