詩詞裡的藥草--人參(Ginseng)

 

人參(Ginseng Radix)是補元氣的養生珍品。有補脾益肺、生津安神、補氣血的功效。這首詩是蘇東坡的小圃五詠：人參、枸杞、地黃、甘菊、薏苡五首裡的第一首。原來他老人家對藥草十分熟悉，從詩句中就看得出他對醫學養生的瞭解喔!

上黨天下脊，遼東真井底。
玄泉傾海腴，白露灑天醴。
靈苗此孕毓，肩肢或具體。
移根到羅浮，越水灌清泚。
地殊風雨隔，臭味終祖禰。
青椏綴紫萼，圓實墮紅米。
窮年生意足，黃土手自啟。
上藥無炮炙，齕嚙盡根柢。
開心定魂魄，憂恚何足洗。
糜身輔吾生，既食首重稽。

——北宋·蘇軾《人參》

"人參" 這個名稱源於中文詞語 "rénshēn"（人參），其中"rén" 意指"人"，"shēn" 指的是 "根"。這個名稱是來自於該植物的根部，據說其形狀類似於人的形態。在中國傳統醫學中，人參因其被認為具有的保健功效而受到高度評價，而名稱反映了這種植物根部的形狀，被認為具有恢復活力的性質。

The name "ginseng" has its origin in the Chinese term "rénshēn" (人參), where "rén" means "man" or "human," and "shēn" refers to "root." The name is attributed to the plant's root, which is said to resemble the human form. In traditional Chinese medicine, ginseng has been highly regarded for its supposed health benefits, and the name reflects the belief that the plant's root, with its forked shape resembling human legs, possesses rejuvenating properties and provides vitality.

英文中"Ginseng"這個名稱的概念源自中文術語，並已被國際間廣泛接受作為這種植物的通用名稱。這個名稱強調了根在傳統草藥醫學中的重要性，並反映了與這種藥草相關的文化和歷史意義。

The concept of ginseng's name in English is derived from the Chinese term, and it has been adopted internationally as the common name for the plant. The name emphasizes the importance of the root in traditional herbal medicine and reflects the cultural and historical significance associated with this medicinal herb.

補充: 地黃(Rehmannia glutinosa)清熱生津，枸杞(Lycii Fructus)清肝明目、生津止渴，甘菊(Chrysanthemi Flos)清熱祛風，薏苡(Coicis Semen)則有止瀉健脾的效用。