周厚坤及其技术思想探究

On Hou-Kun Chow and His Thoughts on Science and Technology

通过文本分析的方法,(1)本文梳理了中文打字机独立发明人周厚坤的生平轨迹,发现他学习西方科技知识的动机一部分是为了强国大业,但更多是个人兴趣和发展,特别是在留学后期。(2)本文解读了周用于阐述中文打字机发明的文本。可以看出,周对空谈改造中文以适应打字机的尝试颇为不齿。结合该部分内容以及该文中译本后王汝鼎的案语,可以说周厚坤发明该中文打字机对于中文文字的保存和发展具有重要意义,但是周自己却更喜欢被认为是中文打字机的独立发明者而非"中文打字机之父"。(3)本文通过对周的社会活动以及相关文本作品的分析,认为周厚坤技术思想的基础蕴含于中国传统儒释思想之中。基于此,本文从理论和实践两个层面总结了周的技术思想原则并认为它们对当今的技术科研工作具有很强的启发意义,这在技术科研活动开始前、技术科研过程中和获得技术成果后三个阶段中都分别有体现。

By adopting a comprehensive text analysis of the historical documentations,the paper follows a study of Hou-Kun Chow in the following aspects:(1) it schematically sorts out the track of Hou-Kun Chow's lifetime and finds that there are two motivations for Chow to study western knowledge of science and technology, one for the rejuvenation of China, and the other for his own interest and career,especially in the later years studying abroad.(2) it focuses on an analysis of a piece of treatise containing Chow's elaboration about his typewriter. This treatise also discusses three kinds of failure to invent a typewriter,among which Chow held in contempt to the attempt of tearing down Chinese characters. In contrast,Chow's invention has a significant importance on protecting Chinese characters and developing Chinese language. However,Chow preferred himself to be memorized as one of the Chinese typewriter's independent inventors rather than'The Father of Chinese Typewriter'.(3) the result of the analysis shows that the basis of Chow's technological thoughts lies in the Chinese traditional ideology of Confucianism and Buddhism implicated in Chinese language and character. Based on it,this paper generalizes his theoretical and empirical opinions on technical invention and believes that they are quite enlightening even today,which are embodied in either the beginning,proceeding or post period of a technological study.