Chinese and Western Culture: Hot Water vs Cold Water中西方文化差异：喝热水还是喝冷水？

For lots of Chinese people， nothing is more common than drinking hot water every day. But for most of the Westerners， the idea of drinking plain hot water is really odd since they drink cold water even in winter. Why do Chinese people drink hot water？ Hot water vs cold water， which one is better？ Let’s find an ideal answer.

对许多中国人来说，每天喝热水是再平常不过的事了。可对大多数西方人来说，喝白开水的想法真的很奇怪，西方人即使在冬天都喝冷水。那么为何中国人总是喝热水呢？喝热水还是冷水，哪个更利于健康？让我们来寻找一个最能释惑的答案吧。

Eating Habits

饮食习惯

It is well known that Chinese people prefer hot meals every day. Moreover， some parents always teach their children to drink hot water with meals， because they think mixing cold liquids with hot meals is really bad for the stomach， and cold liquids may solidify fats in your stomach， which can cause digestive problems， whereas hot liquids aid in digestion.

According to the eating habits in western countries， they prefer “raw” food， so they also prefer their water “raw”. At the same time， they are fond of hamburgers， cheese and fried stuff， which are all with high calorie. As a matter of fact， they need cold drinks to cool them off.

眾所周知，中国人喜欢每天吃热食。有的父母也总是教导孩子吃饭时喝热水，他们坚持认为冷水就热饭对胃不好，因为冷汤冷水会使胃里的脂肪凝固，从而引起消化不良，而热汤热水则有助于食物消化。

按照西方国家的饮食习惯，人们偏爱“未经加工”的食物，所以西方人也更喜欢喝“生”水。同时，他们又喜欢吃汉堡、奶酪和油炸食物，这些食物热量很高。因此，他们需要喝冷饮来降温。

Digestion

消化

Chinese people all believe that hot food is better for the stomach. Based on the traditional Chinese medicine， cold food may decrease the temperature of your internal organs which causes chill into your body， and makes you easily suffer from cold. Hot water can warm your internal organs， and keep the Yang in your body. Thus， hot water can warm your stomach. By this way， your stomach will function well， and it gives less chance to gastrointestinal diseases.

Since Chinese people prefer hot meals every day， they’re also used to having hot drinks with each meal， because it’s better for digestion. That’s the reason why waiters always serve you a glass of hot water or hot tea when you are in a Chinese restaurant.

中国人都认为热的食物有利于养胃。依据中医的说法，冷的食物会降低脏腑的温度，让寒气进入体内，使人易患感冒。热水则会温暖五脏六腑，保持体内的阳气。因此，热水可以暖胃，从而让胃更好地发挥功能，减少患肠胃病的机会。

中国人每天喜欢吃热食，也总是喝热饮，因为这更利于消化。这就是在中餐馆就餐时，服务员总会为你端上一杯热水或热茶的缘故。

Medical Basis

医学依据

Under the influence of traditional Chinese medicine， Chinese people consider drinking hot water as a kind of panacea. They think hot water increases blood circulation and helps decrease complications associated with cramps and indigestion. It washes away the coldness clogged up in one’s body， and thus eases pain.

On the contrary， for most westerners， the idea of drinking hot water is odd enough. They believe that drinking hot water may weaken your body immunity. If you are used to drinking hot water， the body is unable to stand water below your body temperature after a long period of time. That is to say， the body endurance and stress capability decline， which goes against the state of natural survival.

在中医的影响下，中国人视热水为灵丹妙药。他们认为热水会加快血液循环，帮助减少腹绞痛、消化不良等问题引起的并发症。此外热水还会将淤积在体内的寒气驱走，从而减轻病痛。

与此相反，对大多数西方人来说，喝热水的想法非常奇怪。他们认为，喝热水会导致身体的免疫力下降。如果习惯喝热水，喝的时间长了，身体就无法耐受低于体温的水。也就是说，身体的耐受力和承受力会下降，这不符合人自然生存的状态。

Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Cultivation

中医健康意识养成

Let’s talk about the main functions of drinking hot water from the standpoint of traditional Chinese medicine. According to the traditional Chinese medicine， health is due to an internal balance of Yin and Yang. In the Yin-Yang theory， water is Yin-type while hot stuff is Yang-type， drinking hot water can enrich Yin and tonify Yang in your body， keeping Yin and Yang in equilibrium. If you have cold symptoms or other Yin-type imbalances such as frequent chills， thirst， depression， hot water plays the role of the Yang and brings your body back into balance. Doctors of traditional Chinese medicine always tell patients to drink more hot water. They call it the method of resolving exterior.

讓我们从中医的角度来讨论一下热水的主要功能吧。依据中医的说法，人体健康是因为体内阴阳平衡。阴阳之说认为，水是阴，热的东西是阳，喝热水能滋阴补阳，从而保持阴阳平衡。如果你有寒证或是其他阴虚失衡的症状，如寒战、口渴、抑郁等，热水都可以发挥阳的作用，使身体重回平衡。中医大夫总是告诉病人多喝热水，他们称此为“解表法”。

Word Bank

solidify /sə'lɪdɪfaɪ/ v. （使）凝固，变硬

raw /rɔː/ adj. 未经加工的；生的

These fish are often eaten raw.

chill /tʃɪl/ n. 寒冷；寒意

circulation /'sɜːkjə'leɪʃn/ n. 血液循环

decline /dɪ'klaɪn/ v. 下降；衰弱

Her health was declining rapidly.

symptom /'sɪmptəm/ n. 症状