Chinese Zhusuan, Knowledge and Practices of Mathematical Calculation Through the Abacus中国珠算

熊娟娟

中国珠算是中华民族的重大发明，对中华民族的经济、文化等发展起到了不可磨灭的作用。珠算文化不仅沉淀着古人千年的智慧，同时对今人的思维逻辑也有很大的启发。2013 年12 月，中国珠算被正式列入《人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录》。

Zhusuan refers to an old method of performing 1）arithmeticcalculations with an abacus， which is called suanpan in Chinese.

The origin of Zhusuan dates back thousands of years to ancientChina. According to 2）archaeological research， the earliest formsof abacuses can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty in the 14thcentury BC. The term Zhusuan first appeared in a book entitledSupplementary Notes on the Art of Figures， written by Xu Yue， a wellknownmathematician and astronomer of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Zhusuan was extensively applied in ancient China for commercial3）transactions， 4）financial management， tax calculations， and otherfields. It has been considered an important skill in Chinese cultureand incorporated into the educational system.

The Chinese abacus， as the elementary counting tool of Zhusuan，is simple yet ingenious. Its main body consists of a wooden frame，typically with a horizontal beam and 5）vertical rods. On each verticalrod， there are usually seven beads. By manipulating the positionof the beads， various mathematical calculations such as addition，subtraction， multiplication， and division can be performed. Manyadvanced concepts and techniques are involved in the calculatingprocess， like positional notation， multiples， and vertical calculation.

Using the abacus to calculate requires a high level ofconcentration and flexibility during calculations. Operators， based ontheir mastery of the place value of different beads and computationrules， utilize the abacus to perform calculations swiftly and accuratelyby means of verbal or mental arithmetic skills.

The advantages of Zhusuan lie in its 6）efficiency and visualnature. Compared to modern electronic calculators， Zhusuan allows users to understand mathematical concepts and computationalprocesses through hands-on manipulation and sliding of beads. Itnot only cultivates thinking abilities， logical reasoning， and calculationspeed but also enhances attention， concentration， and patience.

Although the 7）prevalence of calculators and computers has ledto a decline in the use of the abacus， there is still a strong passionand interest for Zhusuan in China. Zhusuan has become an essentialpart of fine traditional Chinese culture.

As a time-honored traditional method of calculation， Zhusuantoday continues to contribute to “the advancement of calculatingtechniques， cognitive schema， educational psychology and intellectualdevelopment”， concludes UNESCO.

1） arithmetic n. 算术

2） archaeological adj. 考古的

3） transaction n. 交易

4） financial adj. 金融的

5） vertical adj. 垂直的

6） efficiency n. 效率

7） prevalence n. 流行；盛行

珠算是一種以算盘为工具进行数学计算的古老方法。

珠算起源于中国古代，至今已有数千年的历史。据考古研究，最早的算盘可以追溯到公元前14 世纪的商代时期。“珠算”一词最早出现在《数术记遗》一书中，该书由东汉时期著名的数学家和天文学家徐岳所撰。

珠算在中国古代广泛应用于商业交易、财务管理、税收计算和其他领域。它在中国文化中被视为一种重要的技能，并被纳入教育体系中。

珠算借助算盘这一基础工具进行计算。算盘的结构简单而精巧。它的主体部分由一个木制框架组成，通常由横梁和竖柱构成。在每个竖柱上，有七个珠子。通过移动珠子的位置，可以进行加、减、乘、除等各种数学运算。许多高级的概念和技巧，如进位制、倍数和竖式计算等也在计算过程中得以应用。

使用算盘计算需要高度的注意力和灵活性。操作者通过掌握不同珠子的位值和运算规则，在口算或心算的基础上，使用算盘快速而准确地完成计算。

珠算的优势在其高效性和可视化特点。相较于现代电子计算器，珠算可以帮助使用者通过触摸和滑动珠子的实际操作来理解数学概念和计算过程。它不仅可以培养人的思维能力、逻辑推理能力和运算能力，还有助于提高注意力、集中精力和培养耐心。

尽管计算器和电脑的普及使算盘的使用逐渐减少，然而，中国仍有很多人对珠算葆有热爱和兴趣。珠算已成为中华优秀传统文化的重要组成部分。

作为一种历史悠久的传统计算法，时至今日，珠算继续做着贡献，就像联合国教科文组织所总结的，“珠算有助于提升计算技巧、认知模式、教育心理学及智力开发”。