雙語科技百科(農業) 第54期:《齊民要術》
Qunin, Yaoshu
Qunin, Yaoshu (also Main, techn,iques for the Welfare of the People ) is the most completely preserved of the anaent Chinese agricul-tural texts, and was written by the Northern Wei Dy-nasly offcial Jia Sixie. The book is believed to have been completed in the second year of Wu Ding of Eastern Wei, namely in 544, while anolher account gives the completion belween 533 and 544. The text of the book is divided into ten volumes and 92chapters, and records 1500-year-old Chinese ag-ronomy, horticulture, afforestation, sericulture, an-imal husbandry, veterinanlt medicine, breeding,brewing, cooking, storage,as well as remedies for barren book quoted nearly 200 ancient rtant agricultural books such as Fansheng Zhishu and Simin Yueling from the Han and Jin Dynasties are now lost, so future genera-tions can only understand the operation of agriculture at the time from this e the publication of the book, historical Chinese govemments have long otto-ched great importance to it. Since the book spread overseas, it has also often been considered a classic to study changes in the ancient species. When Charles Datwin was researching the theory of evolution, he made reference to an encyclopedia of anaent China. It is said that the book he referred to was in fact Qimin, Yaoshu book's name Qimin, Yaoshu can be explained as techniques by which common peo-ple make their livelihood, and also be explicated as techniques to harness the people's livelihood.
《齊民要術》是迄今保存最爲完整的我國古代農學著作，由北魏時期官員賈思勰所著。有人認爲《齊民要術》成書於東魏武定二年，即公元544年，還有記載說該書的完成時間在公元533和544年間。該書正文分十卷，共九十二篇，收錄了中國1500年前農藝、園藝、造林、蠶桑、畜牧、獸醫、配種、釀造、烹飪、貯藏以及治荒等方面的知識。書中援引古籍近200部，所引的重要農學著作如《泛勝之書》、《四民月令》等漢晉重要農書現已失傳，因此後人只能從此書瞭解當時的農業運作。該書自出版後，長期受中國曆朝政府重視，傳遍海外後亦常被認爲研究古物種變化的經典，達爾文研究進化論時曾參考一部中國古代百科全書，有說此書正是《齊民要術》。《齊民要術》可解作平民謀生方法，亦可解爲治理民生的方法。
