JOURNAL OF DIALECTICS OF NATURE
A Comprehensive, Academic Journal of the Philosophy, History, Sociology and Cultural Studies of Science and Technology
Author Information
JI Zhigang
Information
<p>School of History and Culture of Science</p><p>Shanghai Jiao Tong University<br/></p><p>jizg5611@163.com</p>
Research Articles
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From Latin to Chinese: Analysis on Chinese Translation of Definitions in the First Volume of Jihe Yuanben Abstract: Jihe Yuanben is the first Chinese translation of western famous mathematical work. It is generally recognized that due to the huge differences in grammatical structure, style, words and semantics between Chinese and Latin, and the translation should have been almost an ‘impossible mission' for Matteo Ricci and Xu Guangqi. Therefore, how to translate a Western scientific masterwork transcending the language barrier? And how to further transmit in an alien culture? To answer these questions, the first thing is to reveal how Ricci and Xu translated Clavius' Latin Euclidis Elementorum Libri ⅩⅤ into Chinese Jihe Yuanben. This paper has taken 36 definitions from Volume Ⅰ of Jihe Yuanben as an example, and explains in aspects of the terminology, meaning contrast of Latin and Chinese, statement deconstruction and the definition analysis. Studies have shown that the great efforts made by Matteo Ricci and Xu Guangqi have succeeded in achieving in the receptor language, the closest natural equivalent of source language message, in terms of meaning and style. By means of classical Chinese, Matteo Ricci and Xu Guangqi have reconstructed the reductive and axiomatic system. Jihe Yuanben takes a remarkable meaning in cultural communication between China and the West.Issue:Volume 39, lssue 2, March 2017Page: 1-9
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The Reconstruction of the Debate on “Contactus Angulus” Between Peletarius and Clavius in Jihe Yuanben Abstract: By analyzing the debate on the contactus angulus between Peletarius and Clavius recorded in the commentary of Euclidis Elementorum Libri ⅩⅤ by Clavius in 1574, and its counterpart in Jihe Yuanben translated by Matteo Ricci and Xu Guangqi, this paper reveals that the latter debate is the reconstruction of the former one. It revealed that Peletarius and Clavius followed the tradition of Greek mathematics, putting the concept of angle as the core of the debate, instead of whether contactus angulus can be divided infinitely; Matteo Ricci and Xu Guangqi, influenced by the ignorance of general definition of angle in Chinese traditional mathematics and the meaning of one-foot-long stick expounded by the School of logicians in Pre-Qin Period, minimized the discussion on the concept of angle, while stressing the demonstration of the infinite divisibility of contactus angulus. The different emphasis reflects that the translation of Jihe Yuanben conforms to the tradition of Chinese Mathematics as well as Philosophy.Issue:Volume 39, lssue 2, March 2017Page: 10-16
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Jihe Yuanben and the Rise of the Modern Elementary Geometry Discipline in China Abstract: With the spreading of Element by Euclid, which was translated into Chinese, Jihe, an intrinsic vocabulary of traditional Chinese mathematics and culture, became a mathematical terminology with multiple meanings, like geometry, mathematics, Element, metrology and graphics. After developing for nearly 300 years, Jihe gradually became a terminology which refers to one of the Chinese mathematics disciplines, namely, geometry. As a discipline, geometry thrived with western mathematical culture being introduced to China, especially the academic meaning of “geometry” was established by Element. The rise of elementary geometry in China was a witness of great influence of Element for modernization of traditional Chinese mathematics. Meanwhile, Element was also a significance of arithmetic, geometry, algebra of elementary geometry in China.Issue:Volume 39, lssue 2, March 2017Page: 17-21
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Bibliophilists of the Late Qing Dynasty in the Spread of Western Learning to the East: A Case Study of the Publication of the Last Nine Books of the Chinese Translation of Jihe Yuanben (Elements) Abstract: The first publication of the last nine books of the Jihe Yuanben (Elements) was funded by Shanghai Bibliophilist Han Yingbi in the late Qing dynasty, with the help of the scholar groups which consisted of bibliophilists and mathematicians, who became a School of Bibliophilism for western learning under the special historical opportunity. The true motive for subsidized publishing of Han Yingbi was related to his Confucian ideals, which was to be admitted by royal authority of the Qing government's national cultural undertakings. Although the turbulent situation made his aspirations frustrated, the historical value and influence of Jihe Yuanben contributed an important cultural significance to the entire historical event, and it also provided another opportunity that could be documented in history for all the contributors and participators.Issue:Volume 40, lssue 9, September 2018Page: 73-79
JOURNAL OF DIALECTICS OF NATURE
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