《代数术》与其底本结构之比较

Comparison of the Structure of Daishu Shu and Its Original Text

华蘅芳与傅兰雅合译的《代数术》是晚清重要的代数学著作,其底本是《大英百科全书》中的“Algebra”条目。通过《代数术》与其英文底本的对比,发现了两者之间的结构差异,具体体现在底本前言部分的代数学史内容未予翻译以及章节调整两个方面。在讨论底本前言在各版本变化情况的基础上,概括了《代数术》未予翻译的内容,并分析了它与底本之间存在差异的原因,指出二人在译书过程中主观上存在重视实学、化繁为简的本土化选择倾向,客观上则存在术语体系不完备、数学知识储备不足的技术限制。

Daishu Shu,translated by Hua Hengfang and John Fryer,is an important algebraic book in the late Qing Dynasty,whose original text in English is listed in the entry of“Algebra”in the Encyclopedia Britannica.It was found through comparing the Daishu Shu with its original text in English that there were differences in structure between the two kinds of text,which were reflected specifically in two aspects,one was the un-translated part in the historical contents in the introduction;the other was the rearranging of the chapters.On the basis of the discussion about the changes in introduction of the different versions of the original text,the un-translated contents in Daishu Shu were summarized and the reasons for the differences between the two texts were analyzed in the paper.The analysis indicated that the two translators subjectively had a localization preference of prioritizing the practical knowledge and simplifying the complexity during the translation process of the book;and objectively,there were technical limitations such as incomplete terminology systems and insufficient mathematical knowledge.