《WHO西太区传统医学国际标准名词术语》［1］中收录有关阴阳学说及其相关概念的术语有16条，“世界中医药学会联合会”（以下简称世中联）标准《中医基本名词术语中英对照国际标准》［2］中收录了39条，其翻译基本与现行译法一致，如将“阴中之阴”译作yin within yin，将“阴阳对立”译作opposition of yin and yang，将“阴阳平衡”译作yinyang balance等等。但也有一些有别于通行译法的翻译，如将“阴阳互根”译作mutual rooting of yin and yang，将“阴阳转化”译作yinyang conversion等。这些译法基本上反映了某些西方译者的思路与方法。

    
　　下面是该标准关于阴阳学说主要概念的英译。所列概念的英译之后所附加的内容，是该概念的附加定义，从中可以看出标准制定者对相关概念内涵的认识。为便于读者了解海外人士对中医基本理论和概念的理解，这些定义也一并附录于后。
    
　　阴阳学说yinyang theory — an ancient Chinese philosophical concept, dealing with two opposite aspects of matters in nature which are interrelated with each other. Its principle is widely applied to traditional Chinese medicine.
    
　　“阴阳学说”常译作theory of yin and yang，也有人译作doctrine of yin and yang。将“学说”译作theory或doctrine均可，只是doctrine含有一定的宗教色彩。在许多英语词典中，doctrine的首要释义便是“beliefs and teachings of a church”（教旨、教义）。例如，The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of EnglishChinese（《 现代 高级英汉双解辞典》）在doctrine一词的解释中所举的两个例子均与宗教有关：（1）a matter of doctrine教旨问题；（2）the doctrine that the pope is infallible教皇永不会错的说法
    
　　当然doctrine有时也用以指科学的“学说”或非宗教的理论或主义。例如《新英汉词典》在doctrine词条下所举的两个例子便是很典型的用法：（1）the reactionary Monroe doctrine反动的门罗主义；(2) the doctrine of evolution进化论。
    
　　由此看来，用doctrine翻译“阴阳学说”之“学说”也未尝不可，但从实际应用情况来看theory似乎使用得更广泛一些。
    
　　阴阳yin and yang — the general descriptive terms for the two opposite, complementary and interrelated cosmic forces found in all matter in nature. The ceaseless motion of both yin and yang gives rise to all changes seen in the world.
    
　　阴yin — In Chinese philosophy, the feminine, latent and passive principle (characterized by dark, cold, wetness, passivity, disintegration, etc.) of the two opposing cosmic forces into which creative energy divides and whose fusion in physical matter brings the phenomenal world into being.
    
　　阳yang－In Chinese philosophy, the masculine, active and positive principle (characterized by light, warmth, dryness, activity, etc.) of the two opposing cosmic forces into which creative energy divides and whose fusion in physical matter brings the phenomenal world into being.
    
　　“阴阳”是 中国 古代 哲学 中的一对概念，很早就传入了西方。最初，人们曾采用意译法将其译为sun and moon（日月），masculine and feminine（男女），negative and positive（阴极与阳极）等等。在实际运用中，人们总觉得这样的译文不能很好地揭示“阴阳”在中国哲学与文化中的内涵，于是逐步将其音译为yin and yang，这也符合“语言国情学”的理论要求。目前“阴阳”的音译形式yin and yang已普遍为海内外学者所接受并已收入《韦氏大词典》（Webster’s Dictionary）。
    
　　音译“阴阳”现在已为大家广泛接受，但在具体的拼写方式上仍有一定的差异。如有的采用大写，有的采用小写，有的采用斜体。从目前国内外的实践来看，这几种书写方式都较为流行。从交际的角度来看，小写似乎更 自然 一些。当“阴阳”作为两个独立概念使用时，我们可以将其译作yin and yang或Yin and Yang。但当“阴阳”作为一个统一概念使用时，也可以将其译作yinyang或Yinyang。
    
　　阴中之阳yang within yin — the yang aspect of the yin category, for example, the night is regarded as yin in relation to daytime, the period between midnight and dawn is the yang part within yin.
    
　　阴中之阴yin within yin — the yin aspect of the yin category, for example, the night is regarded as yin in relation to daytime, the period from nightfall to midnight is the yin part within yin阳中之阳yang within yang — the yang aspect of the yang category, for example, the daytime is regarded as yang in relation to night, and the period between dawn and noon is the yang part within yang.
    
　　阳中之阴yin within yang — the yin aspect of the yang category, for example, the daytime is regarded as yang in relation to night, and the period between midday and nightfall is the yin part of yang.
    
　　“阴中之阴”和“阳中之阳”等以前多译作a component part of yin within yin，a component part of yang within yang，比较冗长。这一译法后来逐步简化为yin within yin，yang within yang这样一些简洁的形式，就使得译文具有较强的回译性。WHO在制定标准化方案时采用了这一简洁而流行的译法，这是值得称道的。
    
　　阴阳对立opposition of yin and yang — the mutually opposing, repelling relationship between yin and yang and contending.
    
　　阴阳互根mutual rooting of yin and yang — the mutually dependent relationship between yin and yang, the same as interdependence between yin and yang.
    
　　“阴阳互根”一般译作interdependence between yin and yang。但也有的译作yin and yang are rooted in each other，yin and yang have their roots in each other或mutual rooting of yin and yang。这样的译法虽然回译性较强，但在语义上略嫌生硬，不如interdependence between yin and yang自然易解。但WHO的方案采用了后者。这也反映了目前中医名词术语翻译通俗直白的 发展 趋势。
    
　　阴阳消长waxing and waning of yin and yang — alternation of strength and prevalence between the paired yin and yang, the same as natural flux of yin and yang or interconsumingsupporting relationship of yin and yang.
    
　　“阴阳消长”目前有两种较为流行的译法：即growth and decline between yin and yang及waxing and waning of yin and yang。前者属释义性翻译，后者属借喻性翻译。wax指月亮的渐圆，引申为增长；wane指月亮的亏缺，引申为衰落、衰退。
 

　阴阳平衡yinyang balance — the state in which yin and yang are balanced.
    
　　阴阳调和yinyang harmony — the state in which yin and yang are in harmonious coordination.

    
　　阴阳转化yinyang conversion — the property of the same thing can be transformed between yin and yang, also called intertransformation of yin and yang.
    
　　“阴阳转化”一般译作transformation between yin and yang，既有回译性，又能见词明意。译作yinyang conversion，反映了国外某些译者的思路与方法。另外，国外亦有人将“阴阳转化”译作mutual convertibility of yin and yang。
    
　　阴极似阳extreme yin resembling yang — a pathological change in which yang qi is extremely weakened while yin is exuberant in the interior, forcing the yang qi to float on the surface, forming a true cold and false heat pattern/syndrome.
    
　　阳极似阴extreme yang resembling yin — a pathological change in which extremely exuberant pathogenic heat makes yang qi depressed and deeply hidden in the interior, with yin restricted to the outside, giving rise to a true heat and false cold pattern/syndrome.
    
　　“世中联”标准中有关阴阳学说基本概念的翻译，有些与WHO相同或相近，如亦将“互根”译作mutual rooting，将“转化”译作conversion。同时，“世中联”标准中也有许多自己的特色，特别是在概念的选择方面，比WHO要多出许多。现将“世中联”标准中有别于WHO的一些阴阳学说概念的英译摘录于后，以作比较。有些概念是WHO方案中所没有收录的。
    
　　阴阳交感：interaction of yin and yang
    
　　阴生阳长：yin growing while yang generating
    
　　重阴必阳，重阳必阴：extreme yin turning into yang, extreme yang turning into yin
    
　　阴静阳躁：static yin and dynamic yang
    
　　阳化气，阴成形：yang transforming qi while yin constituting form.
    
　　阴平阳秘，精神乃治：Only when yin is at peace and yang is compact can essencespirit be normal.
    
　　“阴平阳秘，精神乃治”翻译的关键问题在于如何处理“阴平阳秘”一词。根据中医的理论，“阴平阳秘”指阴气和平，阳气固秘，两者相互调节而维持其相对平衡。所以这个用语可简单地译作balance between yin and yang。但目前国内外的翻译很不统一。国内的常见译法有Yang steadies while yin calms或Yin is in peace and yang in density。国外的译法有calm yin and sound yang等等。这里“世中联”将“阴平阳秘，精神乃治”译为一个句子，也是符合实际的，而且释义也基本符合原文之意阳胜则阴病：predominant yang making yin disorder.
    
　　阴阳离决，精气乃绝：If yin and yang separate from each other, essential qi will be exhausted.
    
　　阳者若天与日：Yang qi is just like the sun in the sky.
    
　　阳为气阴为味：Yang pertaining to qi and yin to flavor.
    
　　辛甘发散为阳：pungent and sweet with dispersing effect pertaining to yang.
    　　
　　酸苦涌泄为阴：sour and bitter with emetic and purgative effects pertaining to yin.
    
　　淡味渗泄为阳：bland taste with dampness excreting and diuretic effects pertaining to yang.
    
　　在上面罗列的这些译例中，有不少原语实际上属于句子而不是短语或名词术语，因此译为动名词形式显得有些拗口。在这些译例中，有些译文是句子，表达比较清楚。如“阴平阳秘，精神乃治”译作Only when yin is at peace and yang is compact can essencespirit be normal，“阴阳离决，精气乃绝”译作If yin and yang separate from each other, essential qi will be exhausted，“阳者若天与日”译作Yang qi is just like the sun in the sky，意思就比较清楚，表达也比较完整。
    
　　而“辛甘发散为阳”译作pungent and sweet with dispersing effect pertaining to yang，“酸苦涌泄为阴”译作sour and bitter with emetic and purgative effects pertaining to yin，“淡味渗泄为阳”译作bland taste with dampness excreting and diuretic effects pertaining to yang，就显得有些佶屈聱牙，意思也不是非常明确。对于这样一些中医经典用语，可能还是翻译成句子比较妥当一些。
    
　　以上概要地分析比较了WHO和“世中联”所制定的中医名词术语英译国际标准中有关阴阳学说用语的翻译问题。从中我们可以看出，两个标准在阴阳学说相关概念和术语的翻译方面，有很多相同或相近之处，反映了目前中医基本名词术语英译逐步趋同的国际大趋势。这也从另一个层面提示我们，中医用语英译“百花齐放、百家争鸣”的“战国时代”即将结束，统一已是大势所趋。