識別金石：美國礦物學在晚清的轉化、傳播與侷限

Identifying Metals and Stones: The Transformation, Dissemination, and Limitations of American Mineralogy in Late Nineteenth-Century China

1871 年，《金石識別》由江南機器製造總局翻譯出版，被認為是中國第一部介紹西方礦物學的專著，但影響甚微。然此論述暗示翻譯為原著的複製，且以現代科學的標準衡量百餘年前科學翻譯的成敗。本文結合科學史的全球轉向取徑與書籍史的研究方法，挑戰上述觀點，對稱爬梳《金石識別》及其原著的撰寫與出版。《金石識別》原著為美國礦物學家丹納（James Dwight Dana, 1813-1895）的《礦物學手冊》（Manualof Mineralogy, 1848），原意為吸引美國讀者走入荒野，尋找礦物。但譯者瑪高溫（Daniel Jerome MacGowan, 1815-1893）和華蘅芳（1833-1902）考量中國的情況，大量刪減其中關於美國地層的敘述，加入最新的化學知識，使得此書成為中國讀者的化學指南，進而促成新式礦物開採標準的形成。1895 年甲午戰爭後，開礦的呼聲日高，對於地層與礦脈關係的知識需求也進一步上升，《金石識別》原先的改動便顯得跟不上時代。然而這並無損《金石識別》的價值，反而打破西方科學被引入異文化時一步到位的想像，且凸顯該文化行動者不斷變動的需求。

Jinshi shibie (Identification of Metals and Stones), a translation of American mineralogist James Dwight Dana’s (1813–1895) Manual of Mineralogy, introduced Western mineralogy to China in 1871. Although initially praised by Chinese intellectuals, the book was later criticized for its limited impact on mining. Echoing the current global turn in the history of science and adopting the methodology of book history, this article argues that far from simply translating it, Jinshi shibie “rewrote” Manual to suit the Chinese context. Dana encouraged readers to go into the wild and discover their homeland (i.e., America), but the translators, American medical missionary Daniel Jerome MacGowan (1815–1893) and Chinese mathematician Hua Hengfang (1833–1902), removed the content on American geological strata and added the topic of analytical chemistry. Consequently, it repackaged what was a field observation guide into an instructional manual for indoor experiments for identifying minerals. This new mineral knowledge was utilized by diverse groups of people to locate mines for both personal enrichment and to advance the prosperity and strength of the state. Despite becoming obsolete two decades later due to an increasing interest in Chinese geological strata, Jinshi shibie illustrates how scientific knowledge travels across cultures and highlights the agency of its translators and readers.