艾约瑟与李善兰合译《圆锥曲线说》的英文底本  

Textual Research on the Original English Text of Yuanzhui Quxian Shuo Translated by Joseph Edkins and Li Shanlan

作　　者：高红成[1,2] GAO Hongcheng(School of Mathematics,Tianjin Normal University,Tianjin 300387,China;Inner Mongolia Normal University,Huhhot 010022,China)

机构地区：[1]天津师范大学数学科学学院,天津300387 [2]内蒙师范大学科学技术史研究院,呼和浩特010022

出　　处：《自然科学史研究》2018年第2期272-278,共7页Studies in The History of Natural Sciences

基　　金：中国博士后科学基金资助项目(项目编号:2017M621115)

摘　　要：艾约瑟与李善兰合译的《圆锥曲线说》最早是作为金陵书局版《重学》的附卷出版的。该书影响极广,是晚清国人圆锥曲线知识的重要来源,但学界对其英文底本一直不详。借助互联网和学界同仁的帮助,参照《圆锥曲线说》特有的信息,文章找到了与其内容几乎一一对应的英文底本:英国数学家查尔斯·赫顿的《数学教程》卷2中的"圆锥曲线"。进一步的对比表明,其所据当为该书第8~10版中某一版。Yuanzhui Quxian Shuo(Conic Sections),in 3 volumes,was translated by Joseph Edkins and Li Shanlan.The earliest version that can be seen today is appended to Zhongxue(Mechanics),translated from William Whewell s work,An Elementary Treatise on Mechanics,and published in 1866 at the Jinling Publishing Bureau.Academia generally considers that it was the explanation for the mathematical content in Zhongxue.It is an important source of knowledge about conic sections in the late Qing,and had wide impact.However,the original English version used for Yuanzhui Quxian Shuo is still uncertain,as there isn t any information about the original author in the translation,only the names of translators.As a mathematical book,there is a certain logic to it and some unique characteristics,such as the proof method used and unique data,which are key evidence for comparing and confirming texts.With the help of academic colleagues and the Internet,the author found an English version with an almost one-to-one correspondence to the Chinese.This paper comes to the conclusion that the Yuanzhui Quxian Shuo was translated from Conic Sections in Vol.II of A Course of Mathematics by Charles Hutton(1737-1823),an English mathematician.Further comparison shows that it is from one of three editions,the 8th,the 9th and the 10th.

关 键 词：《圆锥曲线说》 底本 查尔斯·赫顿 《数学教程》 

分 类 号：N092[自然科学总论—科学技术哲学] O119[理学—数学]