舌尖上的美食 第7期:天麻 Tianma Gastrodia elata

Tianma - Gastrodia elata (Latin name)

天麻

Tianma is a very precious Chinese herb growing in the valleys and is classified into single group Tianma.

天麻是一種珍貴的中藥材，生長在深山峽谷之中，一株只長一個天麻的，叫獨麻；一株長一窩天麻的，叫窩麻。

The major function of Tianma is to cure liver wind, dizziness and infantile convulsions of children, etc. with distinct effect. In China, Tianma grows in many remote mountain areas but the best are in Baokang county of northwest region of Hubei province. Legend has it that there lived a clan of hundreds of families deep in Jingshan mountain living and laboring in peace and contentment. But somehow in a year, the clan was shocked by a queer disease. Patients would have splitting headache, serious limb twitch, or even paralysis. People resorted to medicine and divine but all efforts turned out in vain.

天麻主治肝風頭痛、眩暈、小兒驚風等症，功效顯著。中國不少深山都產天麻，但保康出的藥效最好，這裏還有個傳說故事。在很古的時候，荊山深處有一個部落，住着百十戶人家，過着安居樂業的生活。這一年，部落裏突然流行起一種奇怪的疾病。這種病一旦纏身，頭痛得像裂開似的，嚴重的會四肢抽搐，半身癱瘓。部落裏的人們占卜求醫，但都不見效果。

The tribe leader was baffled by his people’s sufferings and was resolved to pay a visit to a renowned doctor in the hope of finding the cure.

部落首領平時弄點草藥給人們治治頭痛腦熱。他見人們被病魔折磨而自己又束手無策，心中十分難受，就決心去訪求名醫，尋找治癒這種病的藥物和方法。

Having heard of a skilled doctor in Wudao Valley who was able to cure this disease, he started for the doctor immediately with enough food. Wudao Valley was situated among deep and sparsely populated mountains. Could he get to the skilled doctor?

這位首領聽說五道峽有一個神醫能治療這種病，於是帶了乾糧披星戴月，向五道峽進發。五道峽是山中蜿蜒曲折的大峽谷，四周崇山峻嶺環繞，人跡稀少，到哪裏去尋找神醫呢？

Having tramped over hills and dales, the chief finally met an old man gathering firewood in a forest. He asked about the skilled doctor and was told the doctor was in a village called Shuangti.

這位首領翻越了一座座山峯，走遍了每道山坡終於在一片樹林裏遇到了一位打柴的老漢。他想從老漢那裏打聽神醫住在什麼地方，老漢打量了部落首領一下，說神醫這幾天到雙梯寨去了，讓他到那裏找一找。

The chief bid farewell to the old man and continued his way to Shuangti village which was actually a natural stone village built on precipitous cliffs. He climbed up arduously and reached at last. The moment he entered the village gate, he felt dizzy and fell down. But in a few moments, he awoke and stopped twitching finding himself in a cave. Looking up and down his eyes fell on some plant roots on a stone table.

這位首領辭別了老漢，又急急忙忙地向雙梯寨趕去。這雙梯寨，實爲聳立在萬仞絕壁上的天然石寨。一路上山道崎嶇，奇峯插雲，這位首領吃盡千萬苦，終於攀上了雙梯寨。沒想到他剛進寨門就感到頭暈目眩，一頭栽進一洞中，沒過多久，四肢也不再抽搐了。他起身打量洞內的東西，發現石桌上堆着一些植物塊莖。

At that time, an old man came inside with a bow of medicine in his hands ready for him to drink. The tribe leader recognized the old man as the one who he had previously met in the mountains. He was about to say something but was stopped by the old man. “You were infected with the same disease that had been haunting your people and the herb you need is on the stone table over there.” said the old man “and they should be preserved in the shadow buried under decayed leaves.” The tribe leader took deep bows to express his profound gratitude to the old man, but when he looked up the old man was already gone. The chief knew clearly that encountered a miracle doctor as well as miracle herb.

正在這時，洞外走進來一位老漢，手中端着一碗藥，讓部落首領喝下去。這位首領一看，眼前的老漢正是在五道峽樹林裏遇到的那位打柴人。他剛要說話，老漢笑哈哈地攔住他，告訴他生的病和總落的人們生的病一樣，要靠一種藥材醫治。藥材已準備好，就放在石桌，讓他病好後帶回部落裏去。這位首領躬身下拜，感謝老漢的救命大恩。老漢告訴他說，這種"藥材" 如果吃完，就把它藏在背陰的爛樹葉裏，它就會永遠用不完。這位首領低身拜，待他擡起頭時，老漢已不見蹤影了。這位首領知道自己遇到的老漢是神醫，他的藥材是天賜之物。就把老漢備好的藥材放進口袋裏，揹回到部落裏去了。

Back home, the chief stewed the herb for all patients to drink. Shortly after, patients all recovered gradually. He hid the rest of herb under shady and rotten leafs as the old man advised. Since then, this herb grew prosperously year in year out.

回到部落，這道領把神醫賜的藥材熬了一大鍋，讓生病的人喝下，幾鍋藥水一喝，部落裏生病的人逐漸好了。他把剩下的藥材，依照神醫所囑，藏在背陰處的爛樹葉裏，從此，這藥材就一年年地繁殖下來。

ybody believed the herb to be panacea from the heaven to cure dizziness and hemiplegia . So people called it “Tianma”.

人們說這藥材是神醫所賜的上天之物，又專治頭暈目眩，半身麻痹癱瘓，就把這種藥材叫做天麻了。