中英雙語話中國歷史名人 第92期:神農

Shen Nong, sometimes known as the Yan Emperor or the Emperor of the five grains, is a legendary Emperor of China and culture hero of Chinese mythology who is believed to have lived some 5 000 years ago and who taught ancient Chinese the practices of agriculture.

神農，有時也叫炎帝或五穀先帝。中國傳說中的君主和神話裏的耕種英雄。人們認爲神農生活在大概5000年前，教會了中國古代人民如何耕作。

Appropriately, his name means "the Divine Farmer". Considered to be the father of Chinese agriculture, this legendary emperor taught his people how to cultivate grains as food, so as to avoid killing animals.

神農的名字和他的身份很相配，這位被人們尊爲中國“農業之父”的傳說中的君主教會他的臣民如何種植穀類以獲取糧食從而不再獵殺動物。

He is said to have tasted hundreds of herbs to test their medicinal value, and is assumed to be the author of Shen-nung pen ts'ao ching (Divine Husbandman's Materia Medica), the earliest extant Chinese pharmacopoeia.

據說神農嚐遍百草以試驗它們的療效，並且寫了《神農本草經》。《神農本草經》是中國現存最早的藥典。

This text includes 365 medicines derived from minerals, plants, and animals.

這本書裏涵蓋了礦物、植物、動物共365種藥材。

The true authorship of this work is also unknown.

這本書真正的作者是誰無從得知。

He is credited with identifying hundreds of medicinal (and poisonous) herbs by personally testing their properties, which was crucial towards the development of Traditional Chinese medicine.

據說神農通過親自試驗草藥的性質確定了數百種(有毒的)草藥。這對中國傳統醫藥的發展是非常重要的。

Tea, which acts as an antidote after being poisoned by some seventy herbs, is also said to be his discovery.

據說，神農還發現中了70餘種草藥的毒之後可以通過喝茶來解毒。

Chinese legend places this occurrence in 2737 B. C., and states that the leaves from burning tea twigs blew upwards from the fire and landed in his cauldron of boiling water.

傳說認爲這件事發生在公元前2737年，還說正在燃燒的茶樹枝上的葉子飛了起來落到了神農的開水鍋裏。

Shen Nong is venerated as the Father of Chinese medicine.

神農被尊爲中國的“醫藥之父”。

He is believed to have introduced the technique of acupuncture.

人們認爲鍼灸療法也是他提出的。