晚清科学译著《电学》初探

Study on Scientific Translation of The Students' Textbook of Electricity(Dianxue) in the Late Qing

《电学》是我国近代第一部较系统、全面地介绍西方19世纪电磁学的中文译著,在中国近代物理学史和科学传播史上占有重要地位.对《电学》的英文底本和中译本进行了比较研究,首先介绍了《电学》译书的时代背景及原著者、译者的情况;梳理了中英文版本的《电学》章节和内容,并进行了对比分析,对书中涉及的电磁学知识和实用技术进行归类整理并择要介绍,对电磁学专业名词的翻译方法进行归纳和分析,对本书的翻译水平也给予了评价;最后,将《电学》与其前后出版的同类翻译著作做了比较,指出《电学》一书在电磁学专业翻译方面的开创性以及对其后诸多同类译著的示范和借鉴作用.

The Students＇ Textbook of Electricity,which was translated into Chinese in the late Qing period ,was the first full-scale and systemic book as we know intending to introduce the history and actuality of western electromagnetism. This book took an important part in the Chinese modern history of Physics and Science communication. Considering that there are not any special research on this book, this paper is going to make some study on the The Students＇ Textbook of Electricity and its Chinese version for the first time. Firstly, the thesis will introduce the background of that age and the general situation of the writers of the book. Then it will compare the two version of the book to summarize the various knowledge and techniques in the book. The method of translation will beconcerned as well as a proper evaluation. Finally, it will make a comparison between this book and other translated scientific books before or after it to find some creative fruits and directive effect for latter works,and summarize its effect on the history of science during the late Qing period.