中国文化概况Chapter5 Science and Technology.pptVIP

Chapter5ScienceandTechnoogyChinaisoneofthecountrieswithancientcivilizationsintheworld.TheancientChinawasratheradvancedinthefieldsofscienceandtechnology.TheChinesepeoplehavecontributedtothewholeworldagreatnumberofinventionsandcreations.

5.1AncientScienceandTechnology5.2TraditionalChineseMedicine(TCM)5.3ModernScientificandTechnologicalAchievements

Amongthegreatnumberofinventionsandcreations,themostwell-knownareundoubtedlythefourgreatinventions:

5.1.AncientScienceandTechnology5.1.1Fourgreatinventions ThecompassPapermakingPrintingGunpowder

TheyhavebecomeimportantsymbolsofChinaandnotonlychangedtheworldbutalsoacceleratedtheevolutionofworldhistory.

CompassBeforethecompasswasinvented,mostpeopleidentifiedthedirectionatsea,onlydependingonthepositionofthesunandstars.Ifitwascloudyorrainy,peoplewouldlosethedirectioninthisway.

Itwasthecompass,inventedbytheChinesepeople,thatsolvedthisproblem.

AsearlyastheWarringStatesPeriod(475BC-221BC),theChinesediscoveredthatamagnetcouldbeusedtoindicatethesouthorthenorth,andadirection–indicatinginstrumentSinan(司南)wasmadeonthebasisofthisfeature.

IntheSongDynasty,peoplecombinedanartificiallymagnetizedcompasswithanazimuth（方位）platetocreateapropercompasscalledLuopan(罗盘)，which,inanycase,couldtellsailorstheaccuratedirections.

IntheNorthernSongDynasty(960-1127),thecompasswasbeingusedfornavigation.IntheSouthernSongDynasty,theinstrumentwasintroducedtoEuropeviaArabia,andtheArabsatthattimecalleditaffectionately“theEyesofSailors”

Withouttheinventionofthecompass,manyhistoricoceanvoyagessuchas

ZhengHe’ssevenvoyagestotheWesternSeas,ChristopherColumbus’discoveryofAmerica,wouldhavebeeninconceivable.

Sotheinventionofthecompasshadaworld-changinginfluenceonnavigation,