HSK 3 · Article · 253 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-is-cupping-in-chinese-medicine

身上的红圆圈

What is cupping in Chinese medicine?

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二零一六年èrlíngyīliùnián奥运会àoyùnhuì的de时候shíhou，很hěn多duō人rén在zài电视diànshì上shàng看kàn游泳yóuyǒng比赛bǐsài。他们tāmen看到kàndào一个yígè美国měiguó运动员yùndòngyuán的de身上shēnshang有yǒu很hěn多duō红色hóngsè的de圆圈yuánquān。大家dàjiā都dōu问wèn：这zhè是shì什么shénme？

很hěn多duō中国zhōngguó人rén一yí看kàn就jiù知道zhīdào：这zhè是shì“拔罐báguàn”以后yǐhòu会huì有yǒu的de。这zhè是shì中医zhōngyī的de一种yìzhǒng方法fāngfǎ，已经yǐjīng有yǒu很hěn长cháng的de历史lìshǐ了le。

拔罐báguàn是shì怎么zěnme做zuò的de？医生yīshēng先xiān用yòng火huǒ让ràng一个yígè小xiǎo杯子bēizi里面lǐmiàn变biàn热rè，然后ránhòu很hěn快kuài把bǎ杯子bēizi放fàng在zài人rén的de背bèi上shàng。杯子bēizi会huì“吸xī”住zhù皮肤pífū，十几shíjǐ分钟fēnzhōng以后yǐhòu再zài拿ná下来xiàlai。

为什么wèishénme会huì有yǒu这些zhèxiē圆圈yuánquān？因为yīnwèi杯子bēizi把bǎ皮肤pífū往wǎng上shàng拉lā，皮肤pífū下面xiàmiàn会huì出来chūlái一些yìxiē血xuè，所以suóyǐ颜色yánsè就jiù变biàn了le。过guò几jǐ天tiān，它们tāmen就jiù没有méiyǒu了le。

在zài中国zhōngguó，很hěn多duō医院yīyuàn都dōu能néng看kàn中医zhōngyī，街jiē上shàng也yě有yǒu不少bùshǎo能néng拔罐báguàn的de店diàn。有的yǒude人rén说shuō，做zuò完wán以后yǐhòu身体shēntǐ很hěn舒服shūfu。可是kěshì很hěn多duō医生yīshēng说shuō，现在xiànzài还hái不能bùnéng说shuō它tā真的zhēnde能néng治病zhìbìng。

如果rúguǒ有yǒu机会jīhuì，你nǐ想xiǎng试一试shìyíshì吗ma？

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
游泳yóuyǒngto swim; swimming
红色hóngsèred
长chánglong; length
里面lǐmiàninside; interior
快kuàifast; quick
拿náto take; to hold; to carry
下面xiàmiànnext; following
出来chūláito come out; to emerge
颜色yánsècolor
身体shēntǐbody
舒服shūfucomfortable
比赛bǐsàimatch; competition; game; to compete

English (for the teacher)

During the 2016 Olympics, many people watched the swimming on TV. They saw lots of red circles on an American athlete’s body. Everyone asked: what’s that?

Many Chinese people knew at a glance: those come after “baguan”, cupping. It’s one of the methods of traditional Chinese medicine, and it has a long history.

How is cupping done? First the practitioner uses a flame to heat the inside of a small cup, then quickly puts the cup on a person’s back. The cup “sucks” onto the skin, and after ten minutes or so it is taken off.

Why are there circles? Because the cup pulls the skin upwards, a little blood leaks out under the skin, so its colour changes. After a few days, they go away.

In China, many hospitals offer traditional Chinese medicine, and there are quite a few shops on the street that do cupping. Some people say their body feels great afterwards. But many doctors say that for now no one can say it really cures illness.

If you had the chance, would you like to try it?