从徐光启到李善兰——以《几何原本》之完璧透视明清文化

From Xu Guangqi to Li Shanlan: An Analysis of the Culture of the Qing Dynasty in the Light of the Perfectness of Elements

在相当长的一段历史时期里,欧几里得(Euclid,330—275B.C)的十三卷《原本》被视为西方科学的典范。两千多年来,它被译成各种文字流传于世界各地,成为一代又一代人学习科学的“圣经”。在近代欧洲,“几何学家”即指数学家,“几何学精神”就是以严密的逻辑推理为特征的理性精神。1607年,利玛窦(1552—1610)和徐光启(1562—1633)以《几何原本》为名,将这一历史名著的前六卷翻译成中文。“几何”二字是中国固有词汇,冠诸于“原本”之前用以指代广义的数学,这与古希腊先哲的初衷是一致的;欧几里得的著作当然不仅仅囿于我们现在所理解的“几何学”。

On the basis of careful investigation and research on the process of Elements by Euclid coming into China and its influence, the paper points out such a phenomenon: Though Elements was the pioneer in the spread of Western science into China, the 'Spiril of Geometry' deemed high by Western academic circles found a process of spread slow and suffering. Therefore, the author put forward this question: Apart from the geographic factors and language difference, were there some deeper culturalfactors? The paper also illustrates that, in a period of two and a half centuries, how Elements was tested by the Chinese feudal literati and officialdom and, at the same time, how Elements tested the bearing capacity of the Chinese civalization towards foreign ideas and concepts.