Science in Translation: Movements of Knowledge through Cultures and Time

by Scott L. Montgomery

In this innovative work, Scott L. Montgomery explores the diverse roles that translation has played in the development of science from antiquity to the present—from the Arabic translations of Greek and Latin texts whose reintroduction to Europe was crucial to the Renaissance, to the origin and evolution of modern science in Japan.

"[A] book of great richness, as much for its examples as for its ideas, which keenly illustrate the development of knowledge across languages and epochs. It is a book to read and reread. Its subject is important; it is ours, it is our history." -André Clas, Journal des Traducteurs

"[T]his book . . . seems to stand alone on the shelf. A good thing, therefore, that it is so full of good things, both in the content and the prose." —William R. Everdell, MAA Online

"[A]n impressive work. . . . By reminding us of the role of diverse cultures in the elevation of science within a particular nation or civilization, the book makes a substantial contribution to the postmodern worldview that emphasizes multiculturalism." — Choice

Genres: Science, History Of Science, Nonfiction, History

337 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2000

Reviews

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was dense, but surprisingly good and interesting.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. I bought this book to read about the translation of ancient Greek works on science and mathematics into modern European languages via Syriac, Arabic and Latin, which my university classes touched on back when I was a translation student, and it covers that topic in depth using the example of astronomy. The other sections were also very interesting, particularly the discussions of the development of names for chemical elements in Japanese and the characteristics of scientific papers written in Indian English. The author's academic writing style is very dense in places and so reading this was slow going, but worth it for me.

[Mohammad Aboomar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Montgomery really knows how to spin an interesting story out of a rather dry topic.

This is the journey of science from Greece to Rome to the Arabs to Reineccance Europe, with a focus on astronomy. It is also the story of how modern science reached Japan (the focus here shifting to Chemistry).

The journey is concluded with a chapter on how English can be different in different scientific contexts, and the merits of studying science in translation.

I read this for academic purposes, but it was still an enjoyable read.