1
黄帝在明堂，雷公侍坐。黄帝曰：夫子所通書，受事衆多矣，試言得失之意，所以得之，所以失之。
黄帝在明堂，雷公侍坐。黄帝曰：夫子所通书，受事众多矣，试言得失之意，所以得之，所以失之。 Huáng dì zài míng táng, léi gōng shì zuò. Huáng dì yuē: fū zǐ suǒ tōng shū, shòu shì zhòng duō yǐ, shì yán dé shī zhī yì, suǒ yǐ dé zhī, suǒ yǐ shī zhī.
黄帝坐在明堂，雷公在旁陪坐。黄帝说：你所通晓的医书、所承受的医事已经很多了，试着谈谈得失的道理，为什么能得，为什么会失。
Huang Di was in the Hall of Light, and Lei Gong sat beside him. Huang Di said: The books you have mastered and the affairs of medicine you have taken on are many; try to speak of the meaning of gain and loss — how it is that one gets it, and how it is that one loses it.
2
雷公對曰：循經受業，皆言十全，其時有過失者，請聞其事解也。
雷公对曰：循经受业，皆言十全，其时有过失者，请闻其事解也。 Léi gōng duì yuē: xún jīng shòu yè, jiē yán shí quán, qí shí yǒu guò shī zhě, qǐng wén qí shì jiě yě.
雷公回答说：遵循经义接受学业，都说能十全，可是临床上有时出现过失，请让我听听其中的解释。
Lei Gong answered: Following the canon and receiving the teaching, all speak of ten cases in ten; yet at times there are failures. I beg to hear how these things are explained.
3
帝曰：子年少，智未及邪？將言以雜合耶？
帝曰：子年少，智未及邪？将言以杂合耶？ Dì yuē: zǐ nián shào, zhì wèi jí yé? Jiāng yán yǐ zá hé yé?
黄帝说：你年纪还轻，是智慧还不到呢，还是把话杂凑在一起说呢？
Huang Di said: You are young — is your wisdom not yet there, or are you joining words together at random?
4
夫經脉十二，絡脉三百六十五，此皆人之所明知，工之所循用也。
夫经脉十二，络脉三百六十五，此皆人之所明知，工之所循用也。 Fú jīng mài shí èr, luò mài sān bǎi liù shí wǔ, cǐ jiē rén zhī suǒ míng zhī, gōng zhī suǒ xún yòng yě.
经脉十二条、络脉三百六十五条，这些都是人们明明知道的，也是医工所遵循运用的。
The twelve channels and the three hundred and sixty-five network vessels are what people plainly know and what the physician follows and uses.
Suǒ yǐ bù shí quán zhě, jīng shén bù zhuān, zhì yì bù lǐ, wài nèi xiāng shī, gù shí yí dài. Zhěn bù zhī yīn yáng nì cóng zhī lǐ, cǐ zhì zhī yī shī yǐ.
之所以不能十全，是因为精神不专一、志意不理顺，外在和内在相互失调，所以时常疑惑危殆。诊病不懂得阴阳逆从的道理，这是医治的第一种过失。
The reason it is not ten in ten is that the spirit is not concentrated and the will and intent are not ordered; outer and inner lose each other, and so at times there is doubt and danger. To diagnose without knowing the principle of yin and yang, of going against and going with — this is the first failure of treatment.
6
受師不卒，妄作雜術，謬言爲道，更名自功，妄用砭石，後遺身咎，此治之二失也。
受师不卒，妄作杂术，谬言为道，更名自功，妄用砭石，后遗身咎，此治之二失也。 Shòu shī bù zú, wàng zuò zá shù, miù yán wéi dào, gēng míng zì gōng, wàng yòng biān shí, hòu yí shēn jiù, cǐ zhì zhī èr shī yě.
从师学习没有卒业，乱造杂术，把荒谬的话当作道理，改换名目自以为有功，乱用砭石，后来给自己留下罪咎，这是医治的第二种过失。
To leave the teacher’s course unfinished, to invent miscellaneous techniques, to set up false words as the way, to change the name and claim the merit as one’s own, to use the stone needle recklessly, and afterwards leave oneself a fault — this is the second failure of treatment.
7
不適貧富貴賤之居，坐之薄厚，形之寒温，不適飲食之宜，不别人之勇怯，不知比類，足以自亂，不足以自明，此治之三失也。
不适贫富贵贱之居，坐之薄厚，形之寒温，不适饮食之宜，不别人之勇怯，不知比类，足以自乱，不足以自明，此治之三失也。 Bù shì pín fù guì jiàn zhī jū, zuò zhī bó hòu, xíng zhī hán wēn, bù shì yǐn shí zhī yí, bù bié rén zhī yǒng qiè, bù zhī bǐ lèi, zú yǐ zì luàn, bù zú yǐ zì míng, cǐ zhì zhī sān shī yě.
不察病人贫富贵贱的居处、居所的厚薄、形体的寒温，不审饮食是否适宜，不辨别病人性情的勇怯，不懂得比类，这就足以使自己混乱，不足以使自己明白，这是医治的第三种过失。
Not to take account of whether the patient’s dwelling suits poverty or wealth, high or low station, of whether his seat is thin or thick, of whether his form is cold or warm; not to suit his food and drink; not to distinguish the bold from the timid; not to know the matching of kinds — this is enough to throw oneself into confusion and not enough to see clearly. This is the third failure of treatment.
8
診病不問其始，憂患飲食之失節，起居之過度，或傷於毒，不先言此，卒持寸口，何病能中？妄言作名，爲粗所窮，此治之四失也。
诊病不问其始，忧患饮食之失节，起居之过度，或伤于毒，不先言此，卒持寸口，何病能中？妄言作名，为粗所穷，此治之四失也。 Zhěn bìng bù wèn qí shǐ, yōu huàn yǐn shí zhī shī jié, qǐ jū zhī guò dù, huò shāng yú dú, bù xiān yán cǐ, cù chí cùn kǒu, hé bìng néng zhòng? Wàng yán zuò míng, wéi cū suǒ qióng, cǐ zhì zhī sì shī yě.
诊病不问发病的起始，不问忧愁患难、饮食失节、起居过度，或者伤于毒；不先问这些，仓促地只按寸口，什么病能诊中呢？乱说病名，被粗工的做法逼到穷境，这是医治的第四种过失。
To diagnose without asking how the illness began — grief and hardship, food and drink out of measure, rest and activity beyond limit, or injury by poison; not to speak of these first, but suddenly to take the inch mouth — what illness can one hit? To speak at random and invent names, and be driven to the end by coarseness — this is the fourth failure of treatment.
9
是以世人之語者，馳千里之外，不明尺寸之論，診無人事。
是以世人之语者，驰千里之外，不明尺寸之论，诊无人事。 Shì yǐ shì rén zhī yǔ zhě, chí qiān lǐ zhī wài, bù míng chǐ cùn zhī lùn, zhěn wú rén shì.
所以世上谈论医道的人，驰骋到千里之外，却不明白尺寸之论，诊病不顾人事。
So those who talk of medicine in the world gallop a thousand li beyond the mark, and do not understand the discourse of the inch and the foot; they diagnose without the human affair.
Zhì shù zhī dào, cóng róng zhī bǎo, zuò chí cùn kǒu, zhěn bù zhòng wǔ mài, bǎi bìng suǒ qǐ, shǐ yǐ zì yuàn, yí shī qí jiù.
治疗法数的道理，是从容持守的宝贵所在；只坐着按寸口，诊不中五脏之脉，百病所起之处也不知道，于是开始埋怨自己，把过失推给老师。
The way of the numbers of treatment, the treasure of taking things at ease — to sit holding the inch mouth and miss the five vessels, not knowing whence the hundred illnesses arise, and then to blame oneself at first and leave the fault to one’s teacher.
11
是故治不能循理，棄術於市，妄治時愈，愚心自得。嗚呼！窈窈冥冥，熟知其道？道之大者，擬於天地，配於四海。
是故治不能循理，弃术于市，妄治时愈，愚心自得。呜呼！窈窈冥冥，熟知其道？道之大者，拟于天地，配于四海。 Shì gù zhì bù néng xún lǐ, qì shù yú shì, wàng zhì shí yù, yú xīn zì dé. Wū hū! Yǎo yǎo míng míng, shú zhī qí dào? Dào zhī dà zhě, nǐ yú tiān dì, pèi yú sì hǎi.
所以医治不能遵循道理，就把医术抛弃在集市上；胡乱治病，偶然治愈，愚笨的心就自以为得意。唉！深远幽暗，谁知道其中的道理？道的广大，可比拟天地，匹配四海。
Therefore when treatment cannot follow the principle, the art is thrown away in the marketplace; to treat at random and now and then have a cure, and the foolish heart is pleased with itself. Alas! Deep and dark — who knows its way? The greatness of the way is likened to heaven and earth and matched to the four seas.
12
汝不知道之諭，受以明爲晦。
汝不知道之谕，受以明为晦。
Rǔ bù zhī dào zhī yù, shòu yǐ míng wéi huì.
你不懂得道的告谕，把明白的东西接受成了晦暗。
You do not know what the way declares, and take what is clear and receive it as dark.