Pan Yuntang

(University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049)

Abstract This article focuses on three large-scale scientist biography series, namely "Biographies of Chinese Science and Technology Experts", The intermediate product of "Dictionary of Science and Biography" and "Overview of Academic Achievements of Famous Chinese Scientists in the 20th Century", especially the biographical content of geoscientists, especially geologists, are explained in detail, and their contribution to enriching the treasure house of geoscience culture is fully affirmed. important role. In addition, a number of reference books on the biographies of geoscientists are appended, providing a comprehensive review of the history and current status of publishing this content.

Keywords Earth scientist biography Earth science culture

Earth scientists are the main body of earth science. Earth scientists and working people have created a systematic and complete earth science and also created a brilliant world. Earth Science Culture. Geologists make up a sizeable portion of earth scientists. Under the guidance of the Party, the vast number of geologists in our country have always embodied the "Three Glory" spirit of "taking pride in devoting themselves to the geological cause, taking pride in hard work, and taking pride in prospecting for minerals". Among them, those who can grow into geological Scientific "masters" and even "masters" are models for carrying forward the spirit of "Three Glories". For example, after Li Siguang obtained a master's degree from the University of Birmingham in the United States in his early years, he declined the high-paying offer as a teacher at the school and immediately returned to Peking University as a professor in the Department of Geology, devoting himself to the geological cause of the motherland. Huang Jiqing led the Xinjiang Petroleum Geological Survey Team of the Central Geological Survey to Xinjiang in the winter of 1942, braving the severe cold of 20 to 30 degrees below zero to work in the field. Xie Jiarong is known as the "master of mineral deposits" and "the person with the most mineral deposits".

In the new era of reform and opening up, our party respects knowledge and talents, vigorously publicizes the great achievements of scientists in the construction of the four modernizations, and fully promotes their patriotism, hard work, and dedication. Biographical publications of scientists It is rich and colorful, with hundreds of editions, especially the publishing projects of several large-scale scientist biographies. This article attempts to make some discussions on some major biographical projects.

In June 1985, the Third National Congress of the China Association for Science and Technology made a resolution to compile a series of "Biographies of Chinese Science and Technology Experts". This is a historical document that reflects the process of China's scientific and technological development by introducing modern and modern Chinese scientific and technological figures as its main line. By writing biographies of famous Chinese science and technology experts, this series records their lives, highlights their contributions to the motherland and even to the scientific, technological, economic and social development of all mankind, provides historical materials for the study of Chinese science and technology history, and summarizes experiences and lessons from them. . This series of books is unified in documentary, academic, ideological, instrumental, readability, and searchability. It is suitable for scientific and technological leaders and managers, scientific and technological workers, scientific and technological history researchers, science popularizers, and colleges and universities. It has great reading and reference value for teachers and students alike.

This series of books is extraordinary. It is first divided into four major sections (four major editions): science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine. The former is basic science, and the latter three are applied science. The engineering section was later renamed the "Engineering Technology Section". The following volumes are divided into volumes. The volumes of the above four major volumes are 6, 12, 7, and 5 in order, totaling 30 volumes. Later, two more volumes were added, totaling 32 volumes. The following volumes are divided into volumes, not divided into "upper and lower" or "upper, middle and lower", but the 1st, 2nd, 3rd... until the nth volume. So far, about 70 volumes have been published, and the most are the Neo-Confucian and Chemistry editions. Volume (4 volumes); followed by Geoscience volume, Physics volume, and Horticulture volume (both 3 volumes).

Here we focus on the Science Edition Geoscience Volume. The first editor-in-chief is Liu Dongsheng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Secretary of the Secretariat of the China Association for Science and Technology. He is also a member of the Chief Editorial Committee and the deputy director of the Science Edition Editorial Board. At the same time, he serves on the third-level editorial board. He is particularly focused on geoscience volumes. He has chaired many editorial board meetings to discuss the writing style, the selection criteria for incoming authors, priorities, material collection and arrangement, and detailed selection of content. ,etc. After each meeting, he told the author of the "Foreword" of the volume: "Yuntang, please revise it again based on the discussion just now!" He reviewed and checked the revised draft every time, and finally passed it successfully. The "Preface" finally says: "The mission of this book is to use the infinite power of the glorious examples of great scientists to spread the way of socialism, teach science and technology, solve the confusion of the path of life, and build the soul of a great nation. We use I am honored and proud to devote myself to this great cause, and I feel that there is still a long way to go." He also held frequent small meetings with two or three executive editorial members to carefully review the "introduction" and important content of each manuscript until everyone was satisfied. When he was in office, this volume was published in three volumes, with a total of 1.32 million words, and 123 authors, including 82 academicians, accounting for 66.7%, 83 geologists, and 56 academicians, accounting for 67.5%. Academician Liu Dongsheng passed away in 2008 at the age of 91. He worked hard and devoted himself to the earth scientist biography project and will always be remembered by people.

The second editor-in-chief is Sun Shu, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, former director of the Department of Geosciences, and deputy director of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Based on the original work of academician Liu Dongsheng, he continues to work hard and has now put together another Seventy or eighty articles have been circulated, and volumes 4 and 5 are expected to be released one after another, striving to be published within this year and next.

In the late 1980s, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Science Press planned another large-scale scientist biography project. They planned to imitate the "Dictionary of Scientfic Biography" (DSB) published in the United States. "This book is a large 16-karat hardcover hardcover, arranged in English alphabetical order by the surname of the author. There are many copies. It is open for reading at the Documentation and Information Center of the Library of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It occupies an entire bookshelf, which is very impressive.) Compile a "Biographical Dictionary of Scientists", which plans to include biographies of about 8,000 Chinese and foreign scientists of various professions, with a total word count of about 20 million, and an average of two to three thousand words per article. The editor-in-chief of the book was Lu Jiaxi, then president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the deputy editors included Yan Dongsheng, Zhou Guangzhao, Wu Wenjun, Wang Xuguan, Tu Guangchi, Wu Jieping, Su Shisheng, etc. The first meeting of the Editorial Committee was held in August 1988 to discuss various major policies. The Science Press has also set up an editorial team for the "Dictionary of Scientists' Biographies" to engage in specific operations.

In the first half of the 1990s, they published three series of intermediate products. The first is "Biographies of Ancient Chinese Scientists" in two volumes, covering more than 200 people, not divided into majors (the division of labor in ancient majors was not so clear), and was mainly completed by experts from the Institute of History of Natural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The second is "Biographies of Modern Chinese Scientists" in 6 volumes, totaling 679 people. Each volume is divided by major, in order: "Mathematics, Mechanics", "Physics", "Chemistry", "Astronomy", "Earth Science", "Biology and Agriculture", "Medicine and Pharmacy", "Engineering Technology". Among them, there are 126 "geologists", 78 geologists, and 61 academicians. The third is "Biographies of World Famous Scientists", which is divided by profession. The editor-in-chief of the "Geoscientists" volume is Academician Sun Shu. There is only one volume published, which contains the biographies of 26 foreign geoscientists, including 15 geologists. Later, due to lack of funds and other reasons, the plan to compile the intermediate products into a "Dictionary of Biographies of Scientists" failed midway. However, these intermediate products themselves also left precious scientific historical materials.

At the beginning of this century, the famous scientist Academician Qian Weichang reported to the Party Central Committee and requested the compilation of a large-scale book series "Overview of the Academic Achievements of Famous Chinese Scientists in the 20th Century". With the support of the party and the government, it was listed as a national key publication The book planning project, with him as the chief editor, has been divided into about 20 volumes according to majors, and the Science Press has set up a special editorial office to operate it. After five or six years of hard work, it has basically been completed so far. Among them, the chief editor of "Earth Science Volume" is Academician Sun Honglie, and the deputy editors are Academicians Li Tingdong, Zhou Xiuji, and Zheng Du. There are 15 editorial members (including the chief and deputy editors), all of whom are academicians. This volume includes "Geology", "Paleontology" ", "Geography", "Geophysics", "Atmospheric Science and Ocean Science" (there are two "Geology Volumes") with a total collection of biographies of about 300 geoscientists, including geologists. 167 people (including 129 people in the "Geology Volume" I and II***, and 38 people in the "Paleontology Volume").

These three large series of books all contain biographies of top scientists, so at least 70% to 80% of the biographies are repeated. The basic content of their biographies cannot be changed, but the authors can still The text and sentences are staggered, the expressions are staggered, and the content details are also emphasized, so they are never the same, and each has its own important reference value.

Of these three series, the second and third series are one-offs and basically come to an end after publication. Only the first series of books is sustainable and continues to be published. It must reflect the spirit of the China Association for Science and Technology as the "home of Chinese scientific and technological workers" and provide the world with the biographies of generations of Chinese scientists for reference, forever connected with China. The vigorous development of scientific and technological undertakings is accompanied by this, reflecting the characteristics of each stage of China's scientific undertakings.

In addition, there are many reference books on scientist biographies, each containing only a few hundred to one or two thousand words, which are also convenient for scientific and technological workers to consult at any time. For example, at the beginning of reform and opening up (20th century) From the late 1970s to the first half of the 1980s), a group of young and middle-aged teachers at Beijing Language Institute (now Beijing Language and Culture University) compiled *** 5 volumes of the "Dictionary of Chinese Scientists", which was published by Shandong Science and Technology Press; in 1989, China University of Geosciences Press Published the "List of Chinese Geologists" compiled by Wang Hengli, Wang Zixian and Li Zhongjun, which included the entries of 366 geologists; in March 1990, Gansu Science and Technology Press published the Lanzhou Documentation and Information Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and The "Directory of Earth Scientists of the Chinese Academy of Sciences" compiled by the Geoscience Information Network of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (authored by Liu Quangen, Zhang Chengquan, Zhang Yanmin, Pan Yuntang, etc.). This book contains a total of 1,686 systematic geoscientists of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, most of whom are geologists; 1994 In July 2017, the Meteorological Press published the "Dictionary of Contemporary Chinese Geoscientists" (the honorary editor is Xie Yibing and the chief editor is Liu Shida), which includes entries of 3,625 geoscientists from China (including Hong Kong and Taiwan), including geologists ( Including geologists, coalfield geologists, petroleum geologists, metallurgical geologists) about 2,000 people; in 2006, Geology Press published a large reference book - "Dictionary of Earth Sciences", its "Basic Subjects Volume" It includes a general list of academicians of geoscientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and includes entries for 173 Chinese geoscientists, including 114 geologists, and 173 foreign geoscientists, with more than half of them being geologists.

There are many precious historical materials in the above series of books and dictionaries, which illustrate the excellent qualities of geologists such as patriotism, hard work, and dedication. The "Three Glory" spirit of "taking pride in hard work and taking pride in prospecting and meritorious service" has a great educational and inspiring effect on the broad masses of the people, especially young people.

References

Wang Hengli, Wang Zixian, Li Zhongjun. 1989. List of Chinese Geologists. Wuhan: China University of Geosciences Press

Lanzhou Documentation and Information Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences Geoscience Information Network. 1990. List of Geoscientists of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Lanzhou: Gansu Science and Technology Press

Huang Jiqing, edited by He Shaoxun. 1990. Biography of Modern Chinese Geologists (Volume 1). Changsha: Hunan Science and Technology Press

Compiled by the editorial team of "Dictionary of Biographies of Scientists", edited by Lu Jiaxi. 1991~1994. Biography of Modern Chinese Scientists (Episodes 1-6). Beijing: Science Press

Editor-in-Chief Sun Shu. 1995. Biography of World Famous Scientists, Geoscientist 1. Beijing: Science Press

Editor-in-Chief, China Association for Science and Technology, Editor-in-Chief Liu Dongsheng. 1996. Biography of Chinese Science and Technology Experts (No. Volume 1). Shijiazhuang: Hebei Education Press

Compiled by the China Association for Science and Technology, edited by Liu Dongsheng. 2001~2004. Biographies of Chinese Science and Technology Experts (Volume 2-3). Beijing: China Science and Technology Press

Compiled by the editorial board of "Dictionary of Earth Sciences". 2006. Dictionary of Earth Sciences·Basic Subjects Volume. Beijing: Geology Press

Chief editor Qian Weichang, Sun Honglie this volume Editor-in-chief. 2013. Overview of the academic achievements of famous Chinese scientists in the 20th century·Earth science volume·Geology volume. Beijing: Science Press