中英双语话中国历史名人 第87期:徐光启

Xu Guangqi (1562~1633), styled Zixian, literary name Xuanhu, was a native of Songjiang (now Shanghai City).

徐光启(1526~1633 ) ，字子先，号玄扈，松江上海县(今属上海市)人。

He was the first one who introduced European natural science to China and translated geometry into Chinese (six volumes of Geometry Original).

徐光启是把欧洲自然科学介绍到中国的第一人，最早翻译了几何学著作《几何原本》。

He introduced the European clock and the telescope invented by Galileo, with which he drew up a map called "All Planets in the Celestial Sphere".

引进了欧洲的时钟和伽利略发明的望远镜，绘制了一幅《全天球恒星图》。

He took charge of the revision of the calendar and translated and edited Chongzhen Almanac by means of Tycho system.

徐光启还主持历法的修订，采用第谷体系编译《崇祯历书》。

His most influential work on science and technology was the immense book entitled Complete Treatise on Agriculture, consisting of 12 phyla, 60 volumes, and altogether over 700 000 words.

徐光启的最大成就是著有农业科学巨著《农政全书》，此书分为十二门，60卷，70余万字。

In this monumental work he merged the advanced European scientific knowledge into the findings of his continuous research work. It still serves as a valuable reference for the agricultural production of China.

在这部不朽的巨著里，他把先进的欧洲科学融入自己长年的研究成果，至今仍然为中国的农业生产起着可贵的参考作用。

He strived to develop agricultural production in the north by reclaiming wasteland and developing water conservancy. He advocated steps taken by the government to relieve famine such as preparing against natural disasters and providing help to tide over a crop failure.

徐光启力图用垦荒和开发水利的方法来发展北方的农业生产，主张实行备荒、救荒等荒政。

His contributions in agricultural technology included exploding the theory of the unique importance of climate in ancient agriculture, further improving the technology of dry farming in the south, popularizing the planting of sweet potato and summing up the regularity of the plague of locusts and the ways to wipe out locusts.

在农业技术上，徐光启破除了古代农学中“唯风土论”思想，进一步提高了南方的旱作技术，推广甘薯的种植，总结了蝗虫虫灾发生的规律和治蝗方法。该书将欧洲先进科学知识和他长期研究的成果融合在一起，至今对中国农业生产的发展仍有参考价值。

Xu Guangqi held that agriculture was the foundation to make the country rich and military strength was fundamental to make the country powerful. Therefore, he attached importance to the study of military science and technology. He was concerned about the manufacture of arms, especially that of firearms.

徐光启以农业为富国之本，以正兵为强国之本，重视军事科学技术的研究。徐光启关心武器制造，尤其是火器制造。

He was the first in China to put forward the theory of applying artillery in warfare.

他是中国军事技术史上提出火炮在战争中应用理论的第一人。