催化概念在近代中国的传入与初步发展

The Transmission and Preliminary Development of the Chemical Concept Catalysis in Modern China

“催化”作为化学概念是随清末西学东渐的洪流传入中国的。最早一批化学译著如《格物入门·化学》、《化学初阶》、《化学鉴原》中对催化概念的介绍,均只做了解释性陈述,而未将“催化”译成一个对应的名词。在早期关于催化应用如氧气实验室制法、硫酸制造法等典型案例的介绍内容中,也同样如此。不过,即使“无名”,围绕催化现象的特性、机理等方面的探讨已有不少。至20世纪初叶,催化概念始有借自日本的译法“接触作用”,再至20世纪30年代初终于出现“催化”一词,并沿用至今。这一时期催化概念通过中小学、大学教学以及学术团体、实业公司技术部门等所做的研究工作而获得更广泛传播,从而在教育和学术层面初步发展。

Catalysis,in Chinese“cuihua”(催化),was transmitted to China in the second half of the 19th century.In the earliest chemistry books,like Huaxue chujie(化学初阶,Wells's Principle and Application of Chemistry)and Huaxue jianyuan(化学鉴原,Wells's Principle and Application of Chemistry),it was merely introduced through a description of the concept,but not translated using a specific Chinese term.The same situation occurred with the preparation methods for oxygen and sulfuric acid.However,much observation was conducted on the properties and mechanisms of catalysis.The first Chinese term for catalysis was“jiechu zuoyong”(接触作用),which arrived from Japan at the beginning of 20th century.Then,in 1930’s,“cuihua”became the final translation,and is still used today.The concept of catalysis also became known and developed in modern China through elementary/middle school and college education as well as academic research.