狄考文在华对阿拉伯数字的推广与影响  

C. W. Mateer’s Promotion of Arabic Numerals and It’s Impact in China

作　　者：林益弘 王晓琳 LIN Yihong;WANG Xiaolin(School of Interpreting&Translation Studies,Guangdong University of Foreign Studies,Guangzhou 510555,China;School of Financial Mathematics&Statistics,Guangdong University of Finance,Guangzhou 510521,China)

机构地区：[1]广东外语外贸大学高级翻译学院,广州510555 [2]广东金融学院金融数学与统计学院,广州510521

出　　处：《中国科技史杂志》2022年第4期556-564,共9页The Chinese Journal for the History of Science and Technology

摘　　要：美国传教士狄考文于1875年出版的《笔算数学》是中国历史上最早使用阿拉伯数字和现代运算符号的教科书之一,其广泛流传对于中国现代数学符号体系的形成起到了重要作用。本文基于阿拉伯数字在中国的早期传播历史和狄考文在华“教育传教”的史实,分析其采用阿拉伯数字编译数学教科书的动因;对比剖析狄考文与伟烈亚力、傅兰雅的数学译介观念,并结合狄考文著作的流传情况考察其对于中国数学符号体系发展的影响。Published in 1875 by the American missionary, C.W.Mateer, Bi Suan Shu Xue was one of the first textbooks in Chinese history using Arabic numerals and modern arithmetic symbols. It’s wide circulation in China has played an important role in the formation of China’s modern mathematical notation system. Based on the early history of the spread of Arabic numerals in China and the historical facts of C.W.Mateer’s “educational mission” in China, this article analyses the reasons for his pioneering use of Arabic numerals in the compilation of mathematics textbooks;it compares and contrasts C.W.Mateer’s conception of mathematical translation with that of Alexander Wylie and John Fryer, and examines his influence on the development of the Chinese mathematical symbol system in the light of the circulation of C. W. Mateer’s works.

关 键 词：狄考文 阿拉伯数字 西学东渐 

分 类 号：N092[自然科学总论—科学技术哲学] O1[理学—数学]