Guest guest Posted July 30, 2002 Report Share Posted July 30, 2002 Barbara, I appreciate your input on the discussion about Chinese language and have a couple of questions, if you have time to reply. I very much agree with Bob und Todd. After 20 years in practice I spend 1997 in China, observing many different doctors. In this time I learnt to read chinese. I'm working on a project to develop materials for non-Chinese students to use to learn to read Chinese. I'd be interested to know how long you spent in learning to read Chinese. Did you learn to read the classical language? the modern language? fanti? jianti? Were there any particular texts you used that you would recommend? This was only possible, because I was away from my practice and other responsiblities. Although I enjoyed the learning of the characters and reading texts by myself, I did and do not feel that it enhanced my understanding of chinese medicine. Aside from learning to read Chinese, how much time and attention did you devote to study of classical texts? Did you have a teacher or mentor in this study? In many ways I was also quite disappointed concerning the ability to diagnose and prescribe by the native chinese doctors, especially those who were not as long in practice as myself and my collegue Walter Geiger, who speaks chinese fairly well. This makes sense to me. There is no substitute for clinical experience when it comes to developing clinical expertise. This of course means that to speak or read chinese is not enough to comprehend the complexties of chinese medicine. I thoroughly agree with this statement. There are many levels of these complexities and the literature is only one. And indeed I agree with that a " middle way " should be the aim. As I said, I'm currently working on a project to design and construct such a middle way. Any ideas or suggestions as to what it should consist of would be greatly appreciated. By the way, it was a pleasure to meet you in Rothenburg. I hope our paths will cross again in the not-too- distant future so we can talk about this and other things as well. All the best, Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2002 Report Share Posted July 30, 2002 Ray, Welcome to the party. ....I am looking at how Chinese medicine practice can 'translate' symmetrically with biomedicial practice and vice-versa. My research also is looking at developing a clinical evaluation system that suits the practice of TCM i.e. the practice of or " proposing treatment principles in accordance with the patterns of clinical phenomena " bian zheng lun zhi . I am very interested in this. In October of 2003 there will be a meeting in Beijing on the topic of Complexity and Chinese Medicine hosted by the China Academy of TCM there. I am helping to organize the foreign, i.e., non-Chinese participation. The topic you mention here is one of the key points that the meeting will address, and if you are interested in attending, please get in touch with me directly. Again, welcome. I look forward to your input to the ongoing discussions. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2002 Report Share Posted July 30, 2002 Dear Ken, Altough I am not Barbara here are my two quitzales: with regard to your question about didactical material for learning medical Chinese sound and text please. As well as, possible writings for currently material that is not available in the Spanish language and Swedish:-) and the English language maybe something from Qin Bo Wei contemporise and contributors of the so call first and founding drafts of TCM. I am trying to learn from Unschulds to volume book and the general lay out is good, still something which plays i.e. makes use of rhymes and similar sound but different meaning would be interesting specially as some writing in the pas was at times more "poetical" structure then now I imagine Marco Bergh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 1, 2002 Report Share Posted August 1, 2002 In einer eMail vom 31.07.02 02:19:33 (MEZ) - Mitteleurop. Sommerzeit schreibt yulong: Hi ken, Ihope my answers will be of help to you: Did you learn to read the classical language? the modern language Were there any particular texts you used that you would recommend? I used Paul Unschuld, chinesisch lesen und schreiben lernen. I don`t know if this is available in english. For me those two volumes were a great introduction.I would very much recommen it. Aside from learning to read Chinese, how much time and attention did you devote to study of classical texts? I studied chinese charcters and modern texts for 10 month about 6-7 hours daily. I am concentrating in the moment on translating texts concerning tongue diagnosisis (surprise, surprise) and als on treatment of specific illness. Did you have a teacher or mentor in this study? Yes, only for 2 months We did Shang Han Lun By the way, it was a pleasure to meet you in Rothenburg. I hope our paths will cross again in the not-too- distant future so we can talk about this and other things as well. Same here, from previous e-mails it sounds that you had a good time All the best to you Barbara All the best, Ken >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 2, 2002 Report Share Posted August 2, 2002 Dear Ken and list, With regard to Chinese Language I think Unschuld book is genially very good. Sound and text is now a gold standard in "home" didactic learning. Maybe it is was possible to make some historical connection between the actual classical Chinese and the modern one. For example a text written twice once in classical and once in modern Chinese and if the logic of translating the two could be emphasise, compare and contrast difference of shades of meaning or what one may or may not miss. This would obviously be on an introductory level but still an idea for those like my self that really have no grasp on how translation actually also has a life on its own and thus by its very nature is not static (also it would maybe open up the field for books that are more specifically related to classical Chinese "a building block" -"steeping stone" (why the expression stepping stone? I also think if it is possible to show examples of some verse-song-poet of medicine which less I am mistaking was a form of devising mnemonic material, because if this is/was the case it is generally an excepted factor that artistically writing makes use of words and wording in its very own ingenious way. This I tell the class this and if it is drastically wrong I would appreciate a correction, at the end of each month we are going to try to devise a mnemonics about that which we have studied (Spanish language). If it was possible to peg relate the characters to some of the words I think it might inspire further in-depth study, at least that is the objective. Marco Bergh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.