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1 英语原意

代数 Algebra

2 Algebra 英文含义

Algebra, a part of mathematics in which signs and letters represent numbers.

3 Algebra 英文解释

Where did the word "Algebra" and its underlying ideas come from? Algebra, a key branch of mathematics, has a rich history. The term 'algebra' comes from an Arabic word meaning 'restoration' or 'completion'. Significant contributions to algebra were made by Diophantus in Greece, Brahmagupta in India, and al-Khwarizmi in Baghdad, who is often credited with giving algebra its name. Created by Sal Khan.

Algebra is one of the oldest branches in the history of mathematics that deals with number theory, geometry, and analysis. The definition of algebra sometimes states that the study of the mathematical symbols and the rules involves manipulating these mathematical symbols. Algebra includes almost everything right from solving elementary equations to the study of abstractions. Algebra equations are included in many chapters of Maths, which students will learn in their academics. Also, there are several formulas and identities present in algebra.

Algebra helps solve the mathematical equations and allows to derive unknown quantities, like the bank interest, proportions, percentages. We can use the variables in the algebra to represent the unknown quantities that are coupled in such a way as to rewrite the equations.

For example: What is the missing number?

□ − 2 = 4

OK, the answer is 6, right? Because 6 − 2 = 4. Easy stuff.

Well, in Algebra we don't use blank boxes, we use a letter (usually an x or y, but any letter is fine). So we write:

x − 2 = 4

It is really that simple. The letter (in this case an x) just means "we don't know this yet", and is often called the unknown or the variable.

And when we solve it we write:

x = 6

Why Use a Letter?

Because:

it is easier to write "x" than drawing empty boxes (and easier to say "x" than "the empty box").

if there are several empty boxes (several "unknowns") we can use a different letter for each one.

So x is simply better than having an empty box. We aren't trying to make words with it!

And it doesn't have to be x, it could be y or w ... or any letter or symbol we like.

4 中文含义

代数，是研究数、数量、关系、结构与代数方程（组）的通用解法及其性质的数学分支。

5 读后感

Algebra为何被翻译成“代数”？

1859年，我国数学家李善兰首次把‘algebra’译成’代数‘，并且和伟烈亚力一起翻译了《代数学》一书”。“代数”这个词，几乎完全就是李善兰这家伙的主意，所以问题的重点就落在了李善兰这个人和《代数学》这本书上。

李善兰作为中国近代卓有贡献的翻译家，知网上有很多关于李善兰先生的论文。翻阅了几篇之后，我发现李善兰先生的确是个文化人，他不光翻译了这一本《代数学》，还翻译了《几何原本》，《谈天》，《植物学》等著作。这些理科著作中有大量名词没有对应的中文词汇，但是他在翻译中几乎从来没有鲁莽的音译，而是多多少少融入了很多中国文化和自己的理解。

首先说到“代数”一词《代数学》卷首有一段话，李善兰先生解释了自己为什么将‘algebra’翻译为“代数”：“西国之算学，各数均以0 一二三四等十个数目字为本，无论何数，均可以此记之，用此十个数目字，虽无论何数皆可算， 惟于数理之深者，则演算甚繁，用代数，乃其简法也，代数之法，无论何数，皆可任以何记号代之，今西国所常用者，每以二十六个字母代各种几何，因题中之几何有已知之数，已有未知之数，其代之之例，恒以起首之字母代已知之数，以最后之字母代未知之数，今译至中国，则以甲乙丙丁等元代已知数，以天地人等代未知数。这段话也说明了李善兰先生对“代数”一词的理解，用“代数”一词来翻译英文algebra，正是取意“以字代数”，的确是比欧洲人未经深思直接音译优越了许多（赵栓林，2007）。这种翻译方式后来被现代翻译家们成为“创译法”，即对于首次引进的名词，结合中国传统科学知识，以及目标受众的认知能力，对之进行创译，最终译介形成了较为精确的术语表达。他所创译的词汇有七成至今仍然为中国学者所用。

在“代数”一词之外，李善兰先生在此书中还做了很多精妙的翻译：例如“级数（series）”一词参考了中国古代的“垛积术”，取“积”的谐音“级”，有着逐级而上的含义。而“方程（equation）”一词则取自“九章算术”，虽然含义不完全一样，但是他巧妙地老词新用达到了中西结合的目的。此外还有“有理数（rational number）”“无理数（irrational number）”等词汇，从一百多年后的今天来看，仍然翻译的颇为精妙。

参考文献：

• https://byjus.com/maths/algebra
• https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/introduction.html