《势力不灭论》与能量守恒原理在中国的传播

Shi Li Bu Mie Lun and the early spread of the theory of conservation of energy in China

目的通过研究《势力不灭论》(1900年)探讨能量守恒原理、热力学第二定律等物理学知识最初在中国的传播情况。方法采用科学史研究的文献分析和比较的方法。结果该书是最早将能量守恒原理和热力学第二定律等宏观理论物理学知识介绍到中国的科学译著,其底本是德国大科学家赫耳姆霍兹的名著《通俗科学讲义》英译本中的一节。其中涉及第一类永动机、能的度量、能量的转换、宇宙热寂说、天体演化等许多科学问题。结论该书是最早由中国人独立从西文直接翻译的科学著作之一,译文的科学概念把握准确,名词术语处理得当,无论在中国近代物理学史上,还是科技翻译史上均应占有一席之地。

Aim To gain a clear idea of the spread of the theory of the conservation of energy in China based on the study of Shi Li Bu Mie Lun(势力不灭论,translated in 1900). Methods Textual research and comparative method of the History of Science.Results The book above was a Chinese abridged translation from the English version of Helmholtz′s Lecture on Popular Scientific Subject, concerning many scientific problems such as the perpetual motion machine of the first kind, the measuring of energy, energy transformation, the theory of heat death, and cosmogony. It was the first scientific translation that introduced into China the knowledge on theoretical macrophysics such as the theory of the conservation of energy and the second law of thermodynamics. Conclusion The book was one of the earliest scientific translations directly from occidental works, independently by Chinese scholars. The scientific concepts were well grasped, and the technical terms were appropriate in the Chinese translation. Therefore, it might be considered constituent part of the modem history of science and the history of scientific translation in China.