明清之际西方光学知识在中国的传播及其影响——孙云球《镜史》研究

The Diffusion and Impact of Western Optical Knowledge in Late Ming and Early Qing: A Study of Sun Yunqiu's Jingshi

由于文献的限制,西方光学知识在明清之际的影响一直难以厘清。综合新发现的《镜史》一书及其他相关材料,对孙云球的生平及交游作了进一步的探讨,指出《镜史》为国人撰写的第一部光学著作,其中很多内容来源于汤若望的《远镜说》。孙云球在吸取西方光学知识的基础上,以水晶为材料磨制成各种光学器具,对后来的民间制镜业产生重要的影响。此外,李渔的小说《十二楼》中关于各种光学器具的记载完全来自于《镜史》,对孙氏所制各种光学器具的推广起到不小的作用。

Due to the lack of sources, the influence of Western optical knowledge in late Ming and early Qing China has not been fully studied until now. Based on the newly found book Jingshi by Sun Yunqiu and also on other related materials, this paper analyses Sun Yunqiu＇s life and academic circle in depth, and points out that Jingshi, mostly derived from Johann Adam Schall yon Bell＇s Yuanjing shuo, is the first optical work written by the Chinese. By employing Western optical knowledge, Sun Yunqiu successfully made different kinds of optical instruments with a variety of crystals. His craft played an important role in stimulating the development of lens making. In addition, the description of many kinds of optical instruments in Li Yu＇s fiction Shier lou, which promoted greatly the distribution of these sophisticated tools, originated entirely from Jingshi.