1
黃帝問曰：余聞天爲陽，地爲陰，日爲陽，月爲陰，大小月三百六十日成一歲，人亦應之。今三陰三陽，不應陰陽，其故何也？
黄帝问曰：余闻天为阳，地为阴，日为阳，月为阴，大小月三百六十日成一岁，人亦应之。今三阴三阳，不应阴阳，其故何也？
huáng dì wèn yuē: yú wén tiān wéi yáng, dì wéi yīn, rì wéi yáng, yuè wéi yīn, dà xiǎo yuè sān bǎi liù shí rì chéng yī suì, rén yì yìng zhī. jīn sān yīn sān yáng, bù yìng yīn yáng, qí gù hé yě?
黄帝问道：我听说天属阳，地属阴，日属阳，月属阴，大月小月合计三百六十天成为一年，人也与之相应。可是如今讲三阴三阳，却与天地一阴一阳的数目不合，这是什么缘故呢？
The Yellow Emperor asks: I have heard that heaven is yang, earth is yin, the sun is yang and the moon is yin, and that the long and short months, three hundred and sixty days, make one year — and that the human being corresponds to this. Yet the three yin and the three yang do not correspond to yin and yang. What is the reason?
2
歧伯對曰：陰陽者，數之可十，推之可百，數之可千，推之可萬。萬之大不可勝數，然其要一也。
歧伯对曰：阴阳者，数之可十，推之可百，数之可千，推之可万。万之大不可胜数，然其要一也。
qí bó duì yuē: yīn yáng zhě, shǔ zhī kě shí, tuī zhī kě bǎi, shǔ zhī kě qiān, tuī zhī kě wàn. wàn zhī dà bù kě shèng shǔ, rán qí yào yī yě.
歧伯回答说：阴阳可以数到十，再推演可到百；可以数到千，再推演可到万。万之大，已经数不尽了，但其中的要领只有一个。
Qibo replies: yin and yang can be counted up to ten, and extended to a hundred; counted up to a thousand, and extended to ten thousand. Great as ten thousand is, it cannot be counted out — and yet its essential point is one.
3
天覆地載，萬物方生，未出地者，命曰陰處，名曰陰中之陰，則出地者，命曰陰中之陽。
天覆地载，万物方生，未出地者，命曰阴处，名曰阴中之阴，则出地者，命曰阴中之阳。
tiān fù dì zài, wàn wù fāng shēng, wèi chū dì zhě, mìng yuē yīn chù, míng yuē yīn zhōng zhī yīn, zé chū dì zhě, mìng yuē yīn zhōng zhī yáng.
天覆盖于上，地承载于下，万物才开始生长。还没有长出地面的，叫做居于阴处，称为阴中之阴；已经长出地面的，就叫做阴中之阳。
Heaven covers above and earth carries below, and the myriad things are just coming to life. That which has not yet emerged from the earth is called the yin place; it is named the yin within yin. That which has emerged from the earth is named the yang within yin.
4
陽予之正，陰爲之主，故生因春，長因夏，收因秋，藏因冬，失常則天地四塞。陰陽之變，其在人者，亦數之可數。
阳予之正，阴为之主，故生因春，长因夏，收因秋，藏因冬，失常则天地四塞。阴阳之变，其在人者，亦数之可数。
yáng yǔ zhī zhèng, yīn wéi zhī zhǔ, gù shēng yīn chūn, zhǎng yīn xià, shōu yīn qiū, cáng yīn dōng, shī cháng zé tiān dì sì sè. yīn yáng zhī biàn, qí zài rén zhě, yì shǔ zhī kě shǔ.
阳气给予万物生长的动力，阴气为万物成形的主宰。所以万物生发靠春，长养靠夏，收敛靠秋，闭藏靠冬；如果四时失常，天地之气就会四面闭塞不通。阴阳的变化，体现在人身上的，也是可以推数而知的。
Yang gives them their direction, yin serves as their master. Thus birth depends on spring, growth on summer, gathering on autumn, and storing on winter; when this order is lost, heaven and earth are blocked on all four sides. The changes of yin and yang, as they are in the human being, are likewise countable.
dì yuē: yuàn wén sān yīn sān yáng zhī lí hé yě.
黄帝说：我想听听三阴三阳的分离与相合。
The Emperor says: I should like to hear of the parting and coupling of the three yin and the three yang.
qí bó yuē: shèng rén nán miàn ér lì, qián yuē guǎng míng, hòu yuē tài chōng.
歧伯说：圣人面向南方站立，身前叫做广明，身后叫做太冲。
Qibo says: the sage stands facing south. What is before him is called broad brightness; what is behind him is called the great surge.
tài chōng zhī dì, míng yuē shào yīn. shào yīn zhī shàng, míng yuē tài yáng. tài yáng gēn qǐ yú zhì yīn, jié yú mìng mén, míng yuē yīn zhōng zhī yáng.
太冲所在的部位，叫做少阴。少阴的上面，叫做太阳。太阳经的根起始于足小趾外侧的至阴穴，上结于命门，所以称为阴中之阳。
The region of the great surge is named lesser yin; above lesser yin is named greater yang. Greater yang takes its root at Zhiyin, the well point on the outer side of the small toe, and is knotted at the gate of life — which Wang Bing takes to be the two eyes. It is named the yang within yin.
zhōng shēn ér shàng, míng yuē guǎng míng, guǎng míng zhī xià, míng yuē tài yīn, tài yīn zhī qián, míng yuē yáng míng. yáng míng gēn qǐ yú lì duì, míng yuē yīn zhōng zhī yáng.
以人身中部以上来说，叫做广明；广明之下，叫做太阴；太阴的前面，叫做阳明。阳明经的根起始于足次趾端的厉兑穴，所以也称为阴中之阳。
Above the middle of the body is named broad brightness; below broad brightness is named the greater yin; in front of the greater yin is named the yang brightness. The yang brightness takes its root at Lidui, the well point at the tip of the second toe. It is named the yang within yin.
jué yīn zhī biǎo, míng yuē shào yáng, shào yáng gēn qǐ yú qiào yīn, míng yuē yīn zhōng zhī shào yáng.
厥阴的外表，叫做少阳。少阳经的根起始于足第四趾端的窍阴穴，所以称为阴中之少阳。
The exterior of the ceasing yin is named lesser yang. Lesser yang takes its root at Qiaoyin, the well point on the fourth toe. It is named the lesser yang within yin.
shì gù sān yáng zhī lí hé yě, tài yáng wéi kāi, yáng míng wéi hé, shào yáng wéi shū.
所以三阳的离合关系是：太阳主开，阳明主阖，少阳主枢。
Thus, as to the parting and coupling of the three yang: the greater yang is the open, the yang brightness is the closed, and the lesser yang is the pivot.
11
三經者，不得相失也，搏而勿浮，命曰一陽。
三经者，不得相失也，搏而勿浮，命曰一阳。
sān jīng zhě, bù dé xiāng shī yě, bó ér wù fú, mìng yuē yī yáng.
这三条经脉，彼此不能失调；其气搏聚而不浮越，合起来就叫做一阳。
These three channels may not be lost to one another; beating, they do not float. This is named the one yang.
12
帝曰：願聞三陰。
帝曰：愿闻三阴。
dì yuē: yuàn wén sān yīn.
黄帝说：我想听听三阴。
The Emperor says: I should like to hear of the three yin.
13
歧伯曰：外者爲陽，内者爲陰，然則中爲陰，其衝在下，名曰太陰。太陰根起於隱白，名曰陰中之陰。
歧伯曰：外者为阳，内者为阴，然则中为阴，其冲在下，名曰太阴。太阴根起于隐白，名曰阴中之阴。
qí bó yuē: wài zhě wéi yáng, nèi zhě wéi yīn, rán zé zhōng wéi yīn, qí chōng zài xià, míng yuē tài yīn. tài yīn gēn qǐ yú yǐn bái, míng yuē yīn zhōng zhī yīn.
歧伯说：在外的属阳，在内的属阴。既然在内的属阴，那么人体中部冲要之处就在下面，叫做太阴。太阴经的根起始于足大趾内侧的隐白穴，所以称为阴中之阴。
Qibo says: what is outer is yang, what is inner is yin. Thus the middle is yin, and its surge lies below; it is named the greater yin. The greater yin takes its root at Yinbai, the well point on the inner side of the great toe. It is named the yin within yin.
tài yīn zhī hòu, míng yuē shào yīn. shào yīn gēn qǐ yú yǒng quán, míng yuē yīn zhōng zhī shào yīn.
太阴的后面，叫做少阴。少阴经的根起始于足心的涌泉穴，所以称为阴中之少阴。
Behind the greater yin is named lesser yin. Lesser yin takes its root at Yongquan, the well point in the sole. It is named the lesser yin within yin.
15
少陰之前，名曰厥陰，厥陰根起於大敦，陰之絶陽，名曰陰之絶陰。
少阴之前，名曰厥阴，厥阴根起于大敦，阴之绝阳，名曰阴之绝阴。
shào yīn zhī qián, míng yuē jué yīn, jué yīn gēn qǐ yú dà dūn, yīn zhī jué yáng, míng yuē yīn zhī jué yīn.
少阴的前面，叫做厥阴。厥阴经的根起始于足大趾端的大敦穴。厥阴是阴气发展到尽头、阳气将从此复生的一经，既称为阴之绝阳，又称为阴之绝阴。
In front of lesser yin is named the ceasing yin. The ceasing yin takes its root at Dadun, the well point on the outer side of the great toe. It is the yin in which yang is cut off; it is named the ultimate yin.
shì gù sān yīn zhī lí hé yě, tài yīn wéi kāi, jué yīn wéi hé, shào yīn wéi shū.
所以三阴的离合关系是：太阴主开，厥阴主阖，少阴主枢。
Thus, as to the parting and coupling of the three yin: the greater yin is the open, the ceasing yin is the closed, and the lesser yin is the pivot.
17
三經者，不得相失也，搏而勿沈，名曰一陰。
三经者，不得相失也，搏而勿沉，名曰一阴。
sān jīng zhě, bù dé xiāng shī yě, bó ér wù chén, mìng yuē yī yīn.
这三条经脉，彼此不能失调；其气搏聚而不沉伏，合起来就叫做一阴。
These three channels may not be lost to one another; beating, they do not sink. This is named the one yin.
18
陰陽𩅞𩅞，積傳爲一周，氣裏形表，而爲相成也。
阴阳𩅞𩅞，积传为一周，气里形表，而为相成也。
yīn yáng chōng chōng, jī chuán wéi yī zhōu, qì lǐ xíng biǎo, ér wéi xiāng chéng yě.
阴阳之气往来不息，积聚传布，周行人身一周；气行于内，形立于外，二者相互成就。
Yin and yang flow on and on; accumulating and passing on, they complete one circuit. Qi is within and form is without, and so the two complete each other.