Before modern times, few people in China knew western languages. In addition, the rulers adopted a closed-door policy, forbidding China people to associate with westerners. Therefore, China people are at a loss about foreign things. After the rise of the Westernization Movement, the knowledge and technology needed by the Westernization School can only be solved through translation, so learning western languages and translating western language books have become a craze, and even become a major undertaking of the Westernization School with the goal of "enriching Qiang Bing".
However, before the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, it was not China intellectuals who played a leading role in China's book translation, but missionaries who came to China. /kloc-in the 20th century, there were nine translation agencies in China, namely: Mohai Library, Presbyterian Press, Shi Jing Wentong Library, Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, Gezhi Compilation Society, Yizhi Bookstore, Guangzhou Ji Bo Hospital, Tianjin Naval Academy and Shiguang Society. Except for Shi Jing Wentong Museum, Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau and Tianjin Naval Academy, the rest are church institutions, and the translation work of Shi Jing Wentong Museum and Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau is actually presided over by western missionaries. Among them, American missionary Ding Weiliang had an important influence on the Westernization Movement in the late Qing Dynasty. Ding Weiliang is a missionary of American Presbyterian Church. 1846 graduated from Indiana State University and went to Alba Theological Seminary to study theology. 1April, 850, he arrived in Hongkong with his wife, and then moved to Ningbo, where he lived for nearly 10 years, learned China Putonghua and Ningbo dialect, and finished reading China classics such as the Four Books and Five Classics. 1854, his religious reading "The Origin of Heaven" was published in Chinese. This book has been widely circulated, reprinted many times and translated into Japanese and Korean. From 65438 to 0858, Ding Weiliang participated in the conclusion of the Sino-American Tianjin Treaty (formerly known as the Sino-American Reconciliation Treaty) as an interpreter, and the provisions on the protection of Christians were the result of his active activities with samuel Wells Williams, another American missionary. After 1862, Ding Weiliang gave lectures and preached in Shanghai, Beijing and Kaifeng. 1865, he was hired as an English teacher in Shi Jing Wentong College. Four years later, the Prime Minister's yamen hired him as the chief teacher of Wentong Museum. In the ordinary teaching post, Ding Weiliang worked continuously for 25 years. 1894 returned to China for health reasons and came to China again three years later. 1898 was hired as the chief teacher of the newly established Shi Jing University, and 1902 was dismissed. Ding Weiliang died in Beijing.
Ding Weiliang is regarded as one of the greatest contributors to the translation of the Westernization School. He has translated and evaluated dozens of works on natural science, law, politics, economy, education and linguistics, among which works on international law include:
1. Law of nations: Ding Weiliang translated the principles of international law of Harvard University. Published by Shi Chong Museum in Kyoto with the number 1864, it is the first western language book published by Wentong Museum.
2. Introduction to public law: translated by Wang Fengzao, assistant teacher of the museum, and translated and commented according to Introduction to International Law written by Wu of the United States. 1877 was published by Wentong Museum.
3. Introduction to Public Law: translated from the French version of International Law Compilation, with Ding Weiliang as the main translator and others as auxiliary translators. 1880 is published by wentong library publishing house, with a volume of *** 10.
4. Understanding the Star in the Palm (Y× o, the star in the palm: the emissary of the ancient emperor was called "the star emissary" because the car in which the emissary rode was called "the star in the palm"): The original book was a diplomatic guide written by Swiss scholar Ma Erdun. Translated by others and appraised by Ding Weiliang. Release 1877. Wang Tao prefaces the book.
5. Selected Works on Land Warfare: Ding Weiliang is translated from the Manual of Laws and Regulations on Land Warfare compiled by the Institute of International Law. Published in 1897.
6. On the Ancient Public Law of China: The original text is Ding Weiliang's English works, translated into Chinese by Wang Fengzao. Published by Wentong Library Press 1884, reprinted by 1897.
7. A Thousand Chapters of Public Law: translated from Hull's Essays on International Law. 1902 is published by Shanghai Christian Literature and Art Publishing House. Li Hongzhang prefaces the book.
8. New version of public law: According to Wheaton's new version of the principles of international law, translated by Ding Weiliang and others. 1899 was published by Wentong Museum Press. ***5 volumes.
9. Summary of diplomatic relations: This book is Ding Weiliang's notes on teaching international law at Hubei Normal University at the invitation of Zhang Zhidong. 1904 is published by Shanghai Christian Literature and Art Publishing House.
With the efforts of Ding Weiliang and others, international law has become a widely spread subject after western military technology and philosophy, which has exerted a variety of influences on the modern history of China.
In addition to translating books, Ding Weiliang also wrote an introduction to western learning, a comprehensive book on western learning, at the request of Premier China's yamen, after visiting six western countries (the United States, France, Germany, Switzerland, Britain and Italy) and Japan. Textual research on western learning * * * two volumes, the first volume is "Ji You"-"a brief introduction to what I saw with my travels"; The second volume is Inference from Learning Selection, which introduces the western education system and the origin of western learning. Ding Weiliang said that the purpose of writing this book is to reform the imperial examination system in China: "If China can apply the skills of western learning to the imperial examination field and set up a Gezhi Academy in the provincial capital, so that scholars can win the door and the people, then the literary talent will be prosperous." The textual research of western learning has a wide range of contents, introducing the geography, society, culture, politics, economy, education, philosophy, science and technology of western countries. It can be called a pocket encyclopedia, which has important reference value for people to understand western society.