Did your doctor say those magic words: Mei shenme (may shummuh; It’s nothing)? Yeah, neither did mine. Too bad. Maybe you’re just now checking your old wvnduji (one doo jee; thermometer) and finding out, “Wo f. sh.o le!” (waw fah shaow luh; I have a fever!) .iya! (eye yah; Oh my goodness!) Time to figure out what the problem is. Whether you make a sudden trip to the jizhenshi (jee jun shir; emergency room) or take a normal visit to a private doctor’s office, you’ll probably field the same basic questions about insurance and your symptoms. Table 16-2 lists some symptoms you may have.
Table 16-2 Common Medical Symptoms Chinese Phrase Pronunciation English Phrase pangle pahng luh Put on weight shoule show luh Lose weight f.sh.o fah shaow To have a fever l.duzi lah doo dzuh Diarrhea bianmi byan mee Constipation ex.n uh sheen Nauseous houlong teng ho loong tung Sore throat touteng toe tung Headache wei tong way toong Stomachache bei tong bay toong Backache er tong are toong Earache ya tong yah toong Toothache xianti zhongle shyan tee joong luh Swollen glands
Your doctor has a laundry list of inspections she must perform when you hit the check-up table:
Qing juanqi nide xiuzi. (cheeng jwan chee nee duh shyo dzuh; Please roll up your sleeve.) Wo yong t.ngzhenqi t.ng yixia nide x.nzang. (waw yoong teeng jun chee teeng ee shyah nee duh shin dzahng; I’m going to use a stethoscope to listen to your heart.) Shvn h.x.. (shun hoo she; Take a deep breath.) Ba zui zh.ngk.i. (bah dzway jahng kye; Open your mouth.) Ba shetou shvn ch.lai. (bah shuh toe shun choo lye; Stick out your tongue.) Women huayan yixia xiaobian. (waw men hwah yan ee shyah shyaow byan; Let’s have your urine tested.)
