薛凤祚：在中西天文学的交汇点上

薛凤祚对近代中国天文学发展最特别的贡献,是他在《历学会通》中引入了一个与哥白尼日心说有渊源关系的宇宙体系,这使他成为当时与西方天文学发展的正确道路走得最近的中国科学家。薛凤祚天文历法研究中所采用的＂镕各方之材质,入吾学之型范＂是最先进的中西会通模式,可以避免走上＂以西学取代中学＂和＂以中学同化西学＂两个极端。但对于薛凤祚贡献的评价不宜过高,他引入哥白尼日心说可能并没有明确的意识,且日心说在当时并不是最先进的宇宙体系,因而影响很小;他会通中西天文学的努力也没能引导中国天文学走上现代化之路。

Xue Fengzuo:On the Node of Chinese and Western Astronomy

The special contribution Xue Fengzuo made to Chinese astronomy is that he introduced a universal system that has something to do with Copernicus' Heliocentric System.This made him an outstanding scientist who was close to the correct way of the development of Western astronomy.The mode he adopted on the research of astronomy was the advanced Chinese Combining Western Mode.However,the praise for his above mentioned contribution is not necessarily too high.On one hand,he might not be clearly conscious of Cope...