关于中国古代定量制图学史的问题

AS REGARDS THE HISTORY OF ANCIENT CHINESE QUANTATIVE CARTOGRAPHY

以使用直角网格座标绘制地图为标志的东方定量制图学,创始于一世纪时的古代中国,经三世纪时的中国裴秀的发展而完善,以致至少在公元一千年以前便成为中国古典制图学的重要传统的观点,对科学史界有很大的影响。本文对藉以建立上述观念的所有史料依据作了认真研究,指出前述观点之所以产生,是由于误解或曲解了各种古代文献的记载。本文认为,在公元一千年以前,中国并未产生和发展以直角网格座标的理论与方法为内容的地理制图学,所得以长足发展、并被广泛应用的,则是对地理及部分人文特征按比例缩小后在很大程度上作抽象描绘的制图学。

It is traditionally held that the oriental quantitative cartography marked with the application of rectangular coordinates system was founded in China in the first century, developed and perfected by Pei Xiu in the third century and finally formed the classical Chinese cartography at least one thousand years ago. This viewpoint has produced a telling influence among historians of science. By making a comprehensive study of all the historical data leading to the above-mentioned concept, the author of this paper discovers that the historical literature and records have been distorted and misinterpreted. He aims to show that the geographical cartography in China one thousand years ago was guided neither by the theory nor by the practical approaches of rectangular coordinates What was achieved with great success and extensively applied was a cartography of scaling down the geographical features and certain humane aspects and having them drawn to a great extent in an abstract way.