李约瑟《中国科学技术史》写作系统探幽

Explore Joseph Needham’s Authoring System of Science and Civilisation in China

李约瑟在编写《中国科学技术史》(Science and Civilisation in China,简称SCC)的过程中,建立起了一套颇具特色的写作系统。这套系统从1948年李约瑟返回剑桥开始建立,到1995年他去世为止,在跨越半个多世纪的SCC出版过程中,一直发挥着重要作用。通过分析李约瑟SCC写作系统建立的原因,介绍其构成、操作流程,以及发挥的作用和带来的问题,并将SCC与中国人自己编写的《中国科学技术史》丛书进行对比,指出李约瑟的方法对中国科学技术史学科的建设与发展、对个人的学术研究与写作方法都有一定的借鉴意义和参考价值。

To prepare Science and Civilisation in China(SCC), Joseph Needham established a unique authoring system for this book. He built the system when he came back to Cambridge in 1948 and used it in the SCC publishing process until he died in 1995. Through the analysis of the SCC authoring system, this paper introduces its composition, operating process, advantages and problems. Through comparison to SCC with The History of Chinese Science and Technology written by Chinese, this paper shows that Needham’s method still has specific referential significance today for the discipline construction and development of the History of Science and Technology in China. And it also has inspiration for scholars’ research and writing.