女演員徐婷之死引發了新一輪"中西醫大戰"
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is caught in the crossfires of China's netizens again.
近日，中醫又一次陷入了中國網民的爭論當中。After the tragic death of the young actress Xu Ting, who publicly announced her decision to choose TCM over western medicine, many are calling into question the actual effectiveness of TCM.
年輕女演員徐婷曾公開宣佈，選擇中醫治療而非西醫化療，隨後不幸去世，這引起了許多人對中醫治療效果的質疑。The 26-year-old actress didn't want to go through the pain of chemotherapy and refused treatment. Two months later, when her immune system had all but collapsed, she accepted chemo. It was too late by then, and Xu passed away.
這位26歲的女演員不想承受化療的痛苦，拒絕接受化療。兩個月後，她的免疫系統幾近崩潰，才選擇化療，不過爲時過晚，最終她不治而逝。
China's online community has since criticized Traditional Chinese Medicine, blaming it for her death. Others have noted that chemo often fails as well, yet it's still widely used.
隨後，中國的網民們開始羣起攻擊中醫，他們指責中醫應當爲徐婷的死負責。而其他人則表示，化療也常常無效，卻還是被廣泛使用。
Feng Li, Head of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing, believes that the problem lies within an incorrect public understanding of TCM.
北京中國醫學科學院中醫科主任馮力認爲，問題在於公衆對中醫的理解有偏頗。Here's a translation of his piece in the People's Daily:
人民網對他的著作中的幾段翻譯如下：Is it that TCM is bad at treating tumors? Regardless of whether it's Western medicine or TCM, malignant tumors are not something that can simply be treated using a single method. They require a synthesized approach, combining both eastern and western methodology.
是否中醫治療腫瘤就是無效？且不說不管是中醫還是西醫，惡性腫瘤原本就不是一種單一的方法就可以治好的。它需要一種中西結合的合成方法。For example, while western approaches like radiology, chemotherapy, and surgery are effective in shrinking the tumor. TCM is effective in reducing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, edema, and pain that comes with western treatment.
比如說，西醫的放射、化療和手術能有效的控制腫痛的擴散，而中醫則能減緩由西醫治療引起的諸如噁心、嘔吐，水腫，疼痛等症狀。Moreover, after the tumor is under control, TCM helps to repair the immune system, accelerate the body's recovery, and minimize the chance of the tumor returning.
此外，在腫瘤可控後，中醫可以幫助修復免疫系統，加速康復過程，並降低腫瘤復發的機率。It's irrational to blindly reject one treatment in complete favor of another. No medical professional would say with certainty that TCM or western medicine is superior.
這種盲目反對一種療法而完全支持另一種療法是不理性的。沒有任何醫學人士能武斷的說中醫或者西醫哪個更好。They both have their own advantages and shortcomings. Each case requires specifically tailored treatment according to the stage and pathology.
它們各有優缺點，每個病例都需要根據階段和病理對症下藥。Therefore, in treating malignant tumors, solely relying on acupuncture and fire cupping is not enough.
因此，在治療惡性腫瘤時，單純依靠鍼灸和拔火罐療法是不夠的。It's not that acupuncture and fire cupping are useless. Rather, the treatment was used on the incorrect area.
這並不是說鍼灸和火罐沒用，而是這個療法使用的範圍不當。This incident reflects the mindset of some patients when considering treatment options.
這一事件反映了一些患者在考慮治療方案時的心態。Some fear the agony and suffering felt by those undergoing chemo and radiation therapy. Out of a psychological fear, they choose to completely pursue the less painful option offered by Traditional Chinese Medicine.
一些人擔心接受化療和放射治療會帶來極大的痛苦，出於一種心理上的恐懼，他們選擇完全依賴傳統中醫提供的、相對不是那麼痛苦的療法。Some even feel that TCM has mystical powers, able to cure any illness.
甚至有人認爲，中醫有神祕的力量，能夠治癒任何疾病。I recommend that once patients discover their illness, they go to a regulated, prestigious hospital and seek medical advice.
我建議，一旦患者發現自己的病情，應當去一個規範的、有聲望的醫院，尋求治療。On a national level, there needs to be an increase in regulation and supervision so that patients can receive a standardized level of treatment.
從國家層面講，應當加強管制與監督，使患者能接受標準化的治療水平。
