灵枢·平人绝谷
Miraculous Pivot · The Normal Person and Fasting
黄帝曰：愿闻人之不食七日而死，何也？The Yellow Emperor said: I would like to hear about why a person would die after not eating for seven days.
黄帝说：我想要了解人不饮食，一过七天就会死亡，这是为什么？
伯高曰：“臣请言其故：胃大一尺五寸，径五寸，长二尺六寸，横屈受水榖三斗五升。Bo Gao said: "Let me explain the reason. The stomach is one chi and five cun in circumference, five cun in diameter, and two chi and six cun in length. When it is bent horizontally, it can receive three dou and five sheng of water and grains.
伯高说：”请让我来说明其中的道理。胃周长一尺五寸，直径五寸，长二尺六寸，折皱屈曲伸展开可容纳水谷三斗五升。
其中之榖，长留二斗，水一斗五升而满，上焦泄气，出其精微，栗悍滑疾，下焦下溉诸肠；Among them, the grains usually remain about two dou, and with one dou and five sheng of water, it gets full. The upper energizer disperses qi and sends out its essential substances, which are swift, fierce, slippery, and rapid. The lower energizer irrigates the various intestines downward.
其中存留谷物常常为二斗，水为一斗五升，这样胃已经是满的了。上焦运动散发的精气，要靠胃输出水谷的精微来补充，这些水谷的精微迅速强有力地供应全身各部位，而下焦则向下清洗排泄水谷中的杂质到大小肠。
小肠大二寸半，径八分分之少半，长三丈二尺，受榖二斗四升，水六升三合合之大半；The small intestine is two and a half cun in circumference, a little less than eight fen in diameter, and three zhang and two chi in length. It can receive two dou and four sheng of grains and six sheng and a little more than three ge of water;
小肠周长二寸半，直径八又三分之一分，长三丈二尺，可以容纳谷物二斗四升，水六升三又三分之二合。
回肠大四寸，径一寸寸之少半，长二丈一尺，受榖一斗，水七升半；The ileum is four cun in circumference, a little more than one cun in diameter, and two zhang and one chi in length. It can receive one dou of grains and seven sheng and a half of water.
回肠周长四寸，直径一又三分之一寸，长二丈一尺，可以容纳谷物一斗，水七升半。
广肠大八寸，径二寸寸之大半，长二尺八寸，受榖九升三合八分合之一；The Rectum is eight cun in circumference, a little more than two cun in diameter, and two chi and eight cun in length. It can receive nine sheng, three ge, and one eighth of a ge of grains.
直肠周长八寸，直径二又三分之二寸，长二尺八寸，可以容纳谷物九升三又八分之一合。
肠胃之长凡五丈八尺四寸，受水榖九斗二升一合合之大半，此肠胃所受水榖之数也。The total length of the stomach and intestines is five zhang, eight chi, and four cun. They can receive nine dou, two sheng, and a little more than one ge of water and grains. These are the amounts of water and grains that the stomach and intestines can receive.
肠胃总长度共五丈八尺四寸，总共能容纳水谷九斗二升一又三分之二合，这就是肠胃所能容纳水谷的总数。
平人则不然，胃满则肠虚，肠满则胃虚、更虚、更满，故气得上下。For a normal person, it is not like this. When the stomach is full, the intestines are empty. When the intestines are full, the stomach is empty. They alternate between being empty and full, so qi can move up and down.
但一般人却不是肠胃中都充满水谷，因为胃中充满水谷时，肠中是空虚的，而当肠中充满胃中排出的水谷时，胃中空虚了，肠胃交替地虚和满，才使得气机上下升降正常。
五藏安定，血脉和利，精神乃居，故神者，水榖之精气也；The five zang-organs are stable, the blood vessels are harmonious and smooth, and the spirit resides. Therefore, the spirit is the essential qi of water and grains.
五脏安定，气血和脉络协调通畅，人们精神正常安定。所以，所谓人的神气，就是水谷的精气。
故肠胃之中，当留榖二斗，水一斗五升，故平人日再后，后二升半，一日中五升，七日五七三斗五升，而留水榖尽矣！So, in the stomach and intestines, there should be about two dou of grains and one dou and five sheng of water remaining. A normal person defecates twice a day, with two and a half sheng each time, that is, five sheng in a day. After seven days, seven times five is three dou and five sheng, and then the remaining water and grains are exhausted!
因此，肠胃之中应常存谷物二斗，水一斗五升。一般人每天大便两次，每次排便二升半，一天中共排便五升，七天共排便三斗五升，这样就将留在肠胃中的水谷都排尽了。
故平人不食饮七日而死者，水榖、精气、津液皆尽故也。”Therefore, a normal person who does not eat or drink for seven days will die because the water and grains, essential qi, and body fluids are all exhausted."
所以，一般人不吃不喝七天就死的原因，是因为水谷精气和津液都竭尽的缘故。”
