黄河改道与地图断代:中国地图学西传辩证

黄河经常改道,给中国带来肥沃的耕地,也带来灾难。历代黄河河道变迁反映在地图上,可以断定地图的成图年代。先秦至宋代,黄河基本在华北平原用不同河道进入渤海。自1194年开始,黄河夺淮,分两支,北入渤海,南注黄海。1580年治河后,黄河只有南支汇淮河入黄海,到1855年再恢复单支入渤海。黄河4次大改道的历史可以印证地图成图年代。《坤輿万国全图》上的黄河分两支,为1194—1580年状态,不是利玛窦与李之藻时代的黄河,他们应该目击而未更正,证明两者均没有参加《坤輿万国全图》的测绘,地图存在远较二人时代为早。卫匡国的《中国新地图集》,黄河只表示南支入黄海,是1580年以后的材料,比1541年的《广舆图》资料更新。地图制作有勘探、测绘、拼合、制版、印刷、翻译等步骤。严格来说,地图最重要的创作者是勘探测绘者,其他的任务是后勤,翻译重绘更是省事。《中国新地图集》主要制作人不是卫匡国,实为中国历代省、县、乡分工测绘,明代统其成,已用经纬线,球形投影绘制。《坤輿万国全图》则是郑和等率领大航海的经验总结。卫、利、李等人只参与翻译,添加地名和序言。这两份外国保存的中国地图重现中国历史,证明郑和时代的大航海是世界地理大发现的先驱,近代地图学为中国原创,中国地图学西传才更接近史实。

The course of Yellow River and map dating: Chinese cartography to the west

Yellow River is the cradle of the Chinese civilization,bringing fertile land and perilous flooding.Historical changes in the course of Yellow River reflected on maps can be used for dating purpose.From pre-Qin period to Song dynasty,Yellow River drains in Bo Hai.In 1194,part of Yellow River merges with Huai River and drains into Yellow Sea for the first time.Since then,the river drifts between these two courses.In 1580,a major water management project forces Yellow River to take the southern route only until 1855 when the river is redirected to the northern route again.Matteo Ricci and Li Zhizao both should have witnessed only the southern course,yet Kunyu Wanguo Quantu shows two branches,indicating that none of them participated in the preparation of the map which should be drawn much earlier than their time.Martino Martini's Novus Atlas Sinensis,showing only the southern branch of Yellow River,is based on updated information after 1580,meaning he has obtained updated information later than Guangyutu(1541).The voluminous information of the atlas could not be compiled by Martini in his short stay in China.The atlas with spherical projection,latitude and longitude is the integrating work of over a thousand years under the central administration of Ming dynasty.The process of map making includes many steps,the most important of which is exploratory survey.Analysis of the maps reveal that China is the true pioneer of the age of exploration and advances in modern cartography.