科学与帝国相遇——英国博物学家坎宁安在华的科学实作

The Encounter between Science and Empire:British Naturalist Cuninghame's Scientific Practice in China

欧洲近代博物学的兴起和发展,与资本主义国家早期政治经济扩张形成二元"共生"的反馈机制。坎宁安作为大英帝国商贸船队的职业医师兼博物学家,依靠严谨的学术工作和伦敦科学共同体成员的放大性效应,最终成为欧洲范围内广泛采集中国地区特殊植物群的首位博物学家。坎宁安在厦门、舟山地区的植物采集活动和科学信息收集工作,得到英国学术界、商贸公司和政府的认可。大英帝国殖民活动与坎宁安的科学实作相互裨益彼此促进,科学在把知识转化为权力的同时,权力也把利益和愿望转变为科学。

The rise and development of modern European natural history,together with early capitalist countries＇ political and economic expansion,formed the binary symbiosis feedback mechanism. James Cuninghame,as a professional physician and a naturalist of the British Empire＇s trade fleet,was recognized as the first successful European plant hunter to collect a wide range of special flora in China owing to his rigorous scientific practice and the magnifying effect of London scientific community. Cuninghame＇s activities of plant-collection and scientific information in Xiamen and Zhoushan was recognized by British academics,commerce companies and the government. The colonial activities of the British Empire and Cuninghame＇s scientific practice mutually benefited each other. Science transformed knowledge into power,while power also transformed interests and aspirations into science.