ESHS/HSS Annual Meeting

British Geology in Late Qing China: A Research on the Dissemination of Works by Geologists during Victorian Era

• In Event: Geosciences in the 19thC and 20thC

English Abstract

Geology, which became an independent discipline in Europe (particularly in Britain) in the nineteenth century, was introduced into China in the mid of 19th century through the translation movement. In the latter half of the 19th century, works by British geologists such as Charles Lyell (1797–1875), Archibald Geikie (1835–1915), and David Page (1814–1897) were successively introduced to China. However, the reception and dissemination of their works in China were far different from their contributions to the field of geology and their academic reputations in Britain. Based on geological translations and other primary sources from the late Qing era, this paper examines the translation and introduction of works by different British geologists. By contextualizing the historical background of the late Qing period, it discusses the dissemination and influence of their works in China, arguing that the circulation of scientific translations was not only influenced by the quality of translation and knowledge selection but also by cultural adaptation.

Author

• Lijuan Yang, Zhejiang University