【摘要】 地动仪的发明和失传存在深厚的社会背景。悬挂物对地震的良好反应是诞生科学思想的物质基础。地动仪是对天然验震器的发展,张衡不仅在利用物体惯性测震上,也在检测和记录地震微弱信号上有技术创新,成功测到公元134年12月13日陇西地震。天诫观念把自然现象与社会问题混为一谈,导致张衡晚年和地动仪的悲剧。仪器可能失传于东汉末年,当时发生了洛阳大火、毁铜铸钱、京师搬迁、人口剧减和灵台被毁等极端严重的社会混乱。张衡的科学思想和实践对现代地震学的起步发挥过思想启迪作用。对地动仪的研究需要开展科学实验,学术观点的统一只能建立在科学实验的基础上。更多还原

【Abstract】 There was a deep social background of the innovation and loss of Zhang Heng’s seismometer.The basis of scientific idea leading this invention was the imitation to the movement of suspended object during earthquakes,i.e.,natural seismoscope.Zhang Heng’s contribution to science and technology is due to his adopting inertia to seismometry firstly in mankind,new technical creation in monitoring and recording small seismic signals,detecting successfully the Longxi earthquake occurred in 13 Dec.134 A.D.,as well as playing a role of enlightening guidance of idea at the beginning step of modern seismology.Because of not understanding earthquake scientifically the ancient people wrongly connected natural phenomenon to social problem,under the idea of earthquake being a heaven’s punishment,the seismometer boded ill rather than well and then was cast away quickly.Therefore,Zhang Heng’s seismometer played limitedly its function only in a short period.It is inferred that the instrument was probably lost in the wars by the end of the Han Dynasty.At that time of extremely serious wars a lot of bad things happened such as big fire in Luoyang,casting coins through destroying good bronze articles,multi-moving the capital to other places,great decrease of population,and damaging Lingtai where the Zhang’s seismometer was installed.The authors point the significance of scientific experiments in the study of Zhang’s seismometer and insist that the unity of different academic ideas must be based on the scientific experiments.更多还原