“画龙未睛”:催化概念东传中国的初始历程

The Preliminary Cognition of the Chemical Conception of“Catalysis”in Modern China

催化(英文为catalysis)概念在晚清时的化学译著如《格物入门》《化学初阶》《化学鉴原》等书中已有介绍,但各书均未能将catalysis一词译出对应的中文术语。好比“画龙未点睛”。1869年出版的《英华字典》贡献了catalysis的最早译法“消者”等词,但并没有引起注意。之后至20世纪初,才有借自日本的译词“接触作用”,以及国人自创的“渡化”等,而“催化”一词的出现更迟至1930年代初。

The concept of catalysis was introduced in the earliest chemistry books in modern China.However,no book translated the word of catalysis into a specific Chinese word,which indicated that there were obstacles in understanding the concept of catalysis during that period.In the beginning of 20th century,catalysis was translated as Jiechu Zuoyong for the first time and Duhua,Cuihua in the 1930s.