Cultural Investigation On The Forming History Of Chinese Terms For Chemical Elements In Late Qing Dynasty And The Period Of The Republic Of China

The establishment of modern chemistry system in recent China is a result of introducing, digesting, absorbing and localizing the western science. While introducing western science, the most difficult problem which Chinese scholars firstly meet is how to translate the term. The name of chemical elements is the most basic technical term in chemistry language and the foundation to set up chemistry academics. So, to ascertain the chemical element's name is the most fundamental work in the process of localization of science. Since the relativity of each chemical element is very intimate, translator should not only consider each chemistry word, but also need to consider the correlation of them. In order to express the individual and the whole of chemistry technical term well, a set of rule of translation should be built up in the begining. So, choosing Chinese terms for chemical elements become key problem when modern chemistry streamed into recent China.This thesis investigate the forming process of Chinese terms for chemical elements during Late Qing Dynasty and the period of the Republic of China.The first part: Investigation from the angle of history. In chapter 1, review the forming history of Chinese terms for chemical elements in Late Qing Dynasty. After the War of Opium, western and modern chemistry knowledge started streaming into China. In 70's of the 19th century, batches of chemistry knowledge were introduced into China, in the meantime, assigning name to chemical element gained substantial achievement. This work was mainly organized by church and government. Missionaries and officials made great contribution to translation of chemical element. In chapter 2, review the forming history of Chinese terms for chemical elements during the Period of the Republic of China. During the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the work of assigning name was organized by private capital press and returned students become the mainbody. In the Period of the Republic of China, chemistry developed well. It's an urgent task to unify Chinese terms for chemical elements. The chemistry forum organized by National Institute for Compilation and Translation in 1932 gained this aim. From then on the argument on Chinese terms for chemical elements died down. In chapter 3, review and compare the assigning work between Late Qing Dynasty and the Period of the Republic of China.The second part: Investigation from the angle of culture. In chapter 4, the writer makes use of method of statistics analysis to investigate the history of Chinese terms for chemical elements and sum up its forming characters. The writer also analyzes background of chemists who participated the work to name and unify Chinese terms for chemical elements. In chapter 5, from angle of cultural linguistics to investigate the chemical terms. The writer analyzes the loss of culture information when chemical elements' name was translated from western language into Chinese and reviews arguments on the use of the neologism of chemical element. In chapter 6, mainly discuss the significance on the field of thought caused by using Chinese terms for chemical elements. It promoted chemistry culture establish in recent China, new terms begeted the change of modern mode of thinking. The writer discuss the fusion of science and humanities by investigating science novel.Through historical and cultural investigation on Chinese terms for chemical elements, we can comprehend the process of chemical elements ushering in Chinese. At the end of the thesis writer draw a few conclusions as follow:(1) The course of modern chemistry knowledge streaming into china refracted collision and fusion between two kinds of cultures.(2) Science activity is also a kind of social behavior, being subjected to a society various sow the cause a plain check and supervision.(3) The naming principle of chemical elements that experienced successively about one hundred years still have very strong vitality.