【精英翻譯】的部落格

You Need a Doctor, so Why a Snake on a Stick?

為何醫學標誌上有蛇？

精英翻譯社轉自https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0058/357984/web/

You see it in hospitals and doctor’s offices: an image of snakes on a stick. Since these animals can be dangerous, why are they part of a symbol for medicine?

你會在醫院和診療室看到它：蛇攀爬在一根棍子上的圖像。由於這些動物可能有危險性，為什麼牠們會成為醫學符號的一部分呢？

To begin with, there are actually two medical symbols with snakes. One is the Rod of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, and it shows a snake wrapped around a stick. For the ancient Greeks, a snake’s shedding of its skin represented rebirth. That’s partly how a snake became a symbol of healing and a supposed cure for various diseases.

首先，其實有兩個有蛇的醫學符號。一個是希臘醫藥之神阿斯克勒庇俄斯之杖，它顯示一條蛇纏繞在一根手杖上。對古希臘人來說，蛇蛻皮代表了重生。那就是蛇成為治療的象徵以及據說是各種疾病療法的部分原因。

The other symbol, the Staff of Hermes, has two snakes wrapped around a stick. Hermes was a Greek god who protected travelers. He’s connected with medicine because doctors in ancient times often had to walk long distances to see patients. In one story, Hermes tried to break up a fight between two snakes by throwing a stick at them. The snakes wrapped themselves around the stick and stayed there. Hermes liked the stick and made it his staff. As these stories show, snakes may be dangerous, but they’ve long been linked to saving lives.

另一個符號（荷米斯之杖）有兩條蛇纏繞在一根手杖上。荷米斯是保護旅人的希臘神祇。祂與醫學有關連是因為古代的醫生經常得長途跋涉去看病人。在一個故事中，荷米斯把一根手杖丟向兩條蛇以試圖制止牠們爭鬥。這兩條蛇把自己纏繞在那根手杖上而留在那裡。荷米斯喜歡這根手杖於是讓它成為祂的手杖。正如這些故事顯示的，蛇也許危險，但牠們早就跟拯救生命有所關連。