Chapter 22 Chapter 22 The Child Counting the Stars——Zhang Heng

This is not an unfamiliar character. In the Chinese textbook of the first grade of elementary school, the text called "The Child Who Counts the Stars" keeps the image of this hardworking young man in our hearts forever, but I think, for him It may be a very meaningful thing to re-write a critical biography.Because among ancient Chinese scientists, he represented an extremely perfect quality—the unity of scientific and cultural accomplishment, the unity of great personality charm and rich creativity.Ancient Chinese science and technology is often regarded as a business that is divorced from theory and only has technology. However, Zhang Heng can clearly reflect the best quality of ancient Chinese scientists-the combination of cultural thinking and scientific and technological practice.

Although our textbooks and folk tales have recorded the touching story of this scientist more than once, in fact, our understanding of him is always at a superficial level, and Zhang Heng's stories often become textbooks for children's growth.When Westerners regard Euclid and Aristotle as the sages of culture, Zhang Heng, the Oriental who created the greatest invention of ancient mankind, his inventions and scientific theories, in the eyes of his compatriots Just a pediatric trick.When we think of Archimedes, we always think of the wise saying "give me a fulcrum, and I can move the earth", but when we think of Zhang Heng, we only see the image of a child counting the stars under the starlight.The reason why Western civilization has achieved rapid development after the 17th century is that Westerners correctly interpreted their masters of science and technology, while in the East, we lack the most basic respect for these sages and saints of our nation. A long time will turn history into the dust of the universe. The achievements of ancient Greek ideology and civilization still have a profound impact on the hearts of Westerners today, so what about us as Easterners?

When writing the above words, the image of the child counting stars in the Chinese textbook for the first grade of elementary school appeared many times in front of my eyes.Although I was in middle school or even college, until today, many years after graduating from college, I have seen the image of adult Zhang Heng more than once in countless albums and photos, that thin and melancholy middle-aged man, but in my heart, Zhang Heng has always been a person whose heart is as transparent as a child.In his mixed official career, he has always fulfilled his life beliefs with a pure heart and knocked on the door of the mysteries of natural science.The textbook introduces Zhang Heng like this: ancient Chinese statesman, writer, and scientist.He used to be the Prime Minister of the Hejian Kingdom, and he used to plead for the people without fear of violence. He was once a great poet. A hundred years later, he was cited as a sage and wise man by Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty.He spent most of his life in the office of Tai Shiling, accompanied by various astronomical instruments all day long, and also fulfilled his childhood vow of "peeping into the mysteries of the universe".To this day, I still remember the opening words of the elementary school text "The Child Counting the Stars": "At night, the stars in the sky are like countless pearls scattered in a jasper plate. A child is sitting in the yard, leaning on his grandmother, looking up , pointing to the sky and counting the stars. One, two, and counting to hundreds.” I couldn’t find out who wrote that simple text, but the author is undoubtedly admirable, just a few words , but contained the fate of the scientist's life.Zhang Heng has been counting the stars all his life, from Nanyang to Hejian, from Hejian to Luoyang, he declared war on the mysteries of the sky and the earth with great courage, when the human beings in the ancient world were superstitious about ghosts and gods, they were in a state of ignorance about the mysteries of the universe and celestial bodies At that time, with his tireless exploration spirit and rigorous academic attitude, he became Prometheus who ignited the torch of cosmic science.

In ancient Chinese philosophy and ideology, "the way of heaven" has always been a sacred and inviolable topic. The boundless land and the mysterious boundless sky have brought much fear and awe to human beings.The Church of Rome burned Bruno, but the earth still turns, which is a unique joke in the Western world during the savage period.In China, although there is no brutal killing and persecution in the West, secular rumors and pressure still become obstacles to the advancement of civilization.It is also doomed that Zhang Heng's life will be spent in blows and ridicule.Confucian scholars called him a "demon", and historians of later generations also regarded him as a "strange man".In fact, human beings have never had demons. The so-called demons are only because they have sharper vision and spirit of discovery than ordinary people.In the evolution of ancient Chinese history, before the Qing Dynasty unified China, we can also find names as brilliant as Zhang Heng.In the ancient world, as a scientist, it was a great happiness to be born in China.In the Eastern Han Dynasty in the 2nd century A.D., the gentlemen of ancient Rome were doing nothing in the Colosseum, India and Arabia were dominated by barbarians, and the Germans and British were still nomadic tribes who drank blood.On the other side of the earth, in the east, China has established a fully civilized feudal country, with post roads extending in all directions, and the grain output of one farmhouse is enough to feed several European populations. It is a highly unified centralized country with a population of nearly one million. city.This life, which was like heaven in the eyes of Westerners at that time, has become a reality in China.It was also an era of twinkling stars. "Nine Chapters of Arithmetic" opened the key for human beings to go to the door of mathematics. The advent of the Pythagorean Theorem has influenced all aspects of future life from astronomy to architecture.The extensive promotion of textile machines has made silk the main item of China's foreign exports, and it has become a masterpiece of God in the eyes of Westerners.When people today criticize the conservatism and bigotry of Confucianism, we just ignore that the most basic spirit of Confucianism is its inclusiveness, which allows criticism and debate, but differences in ideology will not cause the killing of ideas. Ancient Chinese science grew up in such a relaxed environment.And this is also great luck for Zhang Heng. If he was born in ancient Greece, he would go to the trial stand like Socrates. If he was born in ancient Rome, he would go to the stake like Bruno. Development has created a broad platform, which is also the reason why Chinese civilization has always been ahead of the world.

In 78 AD, Zhang Heng was born in a prominent family in Nanyang, Henan Province. His grandfather Zhang Kan was a famous general who resisted the Huns and one of the founding heroes of the Eastern Han Dynasty.Born in such a family, he can enjoy drinking, singing and dancing all day long like a child of an aristocratic family, and inherit an idle official position at the prescribed age.He can also be a poet who travels in the mountains and rivers, just like in his youth, works such as "Fu of Erjing" and "Fu of Nandu" are still popular today.If he had chosen literature instead of science, perhaps he would be much more famous among Chinese people today, at least he would be like Sima Xiangru, whose stories would have been adapted by countless folk operas, and today will also be used by countless film and television works It is said that his image will be played repeatedly by a group of popular young students, thus making countless new film and television talents popular.In China, being a wit is often much easier and more famous than being a scholar.He also tried to do the same. From the age of 16, he left the hometown where he was born and embarked on the journey of studying.When the children of aristocratic families of his age were indulging in the tenderness of women, he embarked on a difficult road alone.This may have an inseparable relationship with his family. When we mention the famous families in ancient times, we always think of the dude in the mansion, or the swinger in the brothel. In Zhang Heng's family, hard work and rigor are ancestral traditions. When the founding heroes of the Eastern Han Dynasty gradually became corrupt in the peaceful world, Zhang Heng's grandfather, Zhang Kan, still maintained the simple nature of a poor background.I remember the image of the grandfather who told Zhang Heng the mysteries of the universe in "The Child Counting the Stars". I would rather believe that this is not a literary fiction, because a person's initial character and cultivation come from family education.In this way, Zhang Heng independently chose a difficult road. At the age of 16, when today's children are sitting in bright classrooms, perhaps indulging in online games and chatting on QQ, Zhang Heng has traveled all over the world.The famous "Fu of Erjing" is his representative work in this period. The magnificent vocabulary, the superhuman imagination and the passionate feelings make it hard to imagine that it was written by a young man who has not yet reached the weak crown. .However, life does not go on as imagined, and life is full of various accidents.In the Taixue in Luoyang, Zhang Heng met the famous astronomer Cui Yuan. From that moment on, he began to study astronomy and calendar, which was a major change in his life.The reason for this change has not been explained in any history book, but I think it may be related to his childhood dream of counting stars. From this moment on, the childhood ignorance finally has a definite answer. Youth and passion are dedicated to a brand-new knowledge. After many years of rotation, the trajectory of fate finally returns to the starting point of childhood. From the moment he looked up at the starry sky in his youth, his life is destined to explore the mysteries of the universe. And burn.

From the time when Zhang Heng accepted the invitation in AD 100 to serve as Nanyang prefect Bao De's master book until AD 115 when Zhang Heng took up the post of Taishi Ling. These 15 years were Zhang Heng's research period as a scholar, and it may also be regarded as his life. The happiest time in my life.A cup of tea in the daytime, discussing the Tao with knees, a red candle at night, and studying the "Taixuan Jing" hard. The ascetic practice has honed his tenacious will, and the profound knowledge of his predecessors has also given him the courage to seek.During those years when young people didn't know how to feel sad, would the young Zhang Heng look up at the stars in the sky again? "My thoughts are in Guilin, where the water in Hunan is deep. Turning to the south and looking south with tears on my lapel."Pious poems are still sung in our hearts today. Zhang Heng wrote the journey of his heart with such gorgeous words. His life trajectory will always be like a big circle, from a child counting stars to a poet, and then to an astronomy Home, from Luoyang to Hejian, and then to the beautiful village of Nanyang, the hometown, the end point returns to the reincarnation of the starting point, and the footsteps walk through thousands of rivers and mountains, how many feelings do you have in your heart?Looking sideways to the south with tears in his eyes, is he weeping for the endless road of exploration, or hesitating for the unpredictable future?Chinese intellectuals have always had a tradition of learning and being excellent, and Zhang Heng also repeated this process.In the second year of Yongchu, 37-year-old Zhang Heng packed his bags and embarked on the journey to the capital Luoyang. Is the Han Dynasty waiting for Zhang Heng's arrival, or is Zhang Heng waiting for the call of the Han Dynasty?No matter what, from the moment he walked into the gate of the palace, he was always involved in the torrent of right and wrong.He has an upright character, is not afraid of violence, is honest and loves the people, this is the character left to him by his grandfather, and it is also the inherent spiritual creed of the Qingliu class in China.When we mention Qingliu today, we always think of the image of those conservative ministers who refused to reform and progress in the late Qing Dynasty, but in traditional Chinese Confucianism, Qingliu means a noble belief, not the sourness of studying dogma Corruption and clear flow represent the spirit of being rigorous and conscientious in being a person and doing things, which is in line with the attitude of Chinese Confucianism about seeking solutions through scholarship.

In the Eastern Han Dynasty, China was still in the formation stage of a feudal society, and the feudal rites and laws had not yet been fully formed. The feudal system and feudal thought still represented an advanced and enterprising spirit, just like the enlightenment trend of thought and democratic spirit in the modern West.The advanced scholar-bureaucrats adhered to the idea that the people are more important than the monarch, just like Sun Yat-sen's adherence to the Three People's Principles more than 1,800 years later.The stubborn Zhang Heng walked into Luoyang City with such a belief, and it was this belief that made him the target of the eunuch's attack.In the eyes of people today, scholars are always just scholars, and politicians are always just politicians.In fact, the so-called politics are only artificially endowed with various dark contents by human beings. Politics is not all dirty, but a neutral term.Zhang Heng has always been the protagonist of various political activities during his many years in Luoyang, and he was also one of the main figures of the Qingliu class at that time. He once denounced the crimes of the eunuchs in the court, and once sternly refused the bribes of people in power.And all of this does not contradict with his simultaneous successful research of the armillary sphere and his writing of the famous astronomical treatise "Ling Xian". If knowledge cannot be combined with reality, then knowledge will always be just a piece of paper. All scientific ideas need to be based on advanced political ideas, otherwise beautiful ideals can only be distorted in reality.Whether as a politician or a scholar, Zhang Heng has continued his consistent character: adherence to principles and integrity.He is not superstitious about authoritative theories and scholars, and he is also not afraid of the power of the powerful.The attitude of being a scholar is in the same line as that of being a man, which is the spiritual model of the Chinese scholar-official class.

In 117 A.D., that is, the fourth year of Yongchu Emperor Shun of the Han Dynasty, it was an important moment in the history of Chinese astronomy and also in the history of world astronomy. Zhang Heng successfully developed the first waterborne armillary sphere in human history.As for the armillary sphere, we can only find a vague concept in the ruins of the Forbidden City today. This ancient instrument represents the advanced achievements of ancient Chinese science and technology, but most people do not know the true principle and use of the armillary sphere.In fact, the armillary sphere got its name from the ancient Chinese astronomical theory - the theory of armillary sky.The ancient Chinese astronomy theory, from the Qin and Han Dynasties, has always had two controversies, the Gaitian theory and the Huntian theory. The Gaitian theory was born in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. Its theory is that "the sky is as round as the earth, and the place is like a chessboard." , that is, the theory of the round sky and the earth in ancient China, represents the dim understanding of the universe in the ignorant stage of human beings.Corresponding to it is the Huntian theory that appeared in the Qin and Han Dynasties. The Huntian theory believes that the sky is a circular shell, half of the sky is on the ground, and the other half is underground, and the earth is located inside the sky shell. And turn.Zhang Heng's armillary sphere was manufactured on the basis of the armillary celestial theory, and it is an instrument for demonstrating the movement of celestial bodies.The armillary sphere was not an independent invention of Zhang Heng, but was created by scientists Luo Xiahong and Geng Shoujing in the Western Han Dynasty. It can rotate, and there is an iron shaft running through the center of the sphere. The direction of the shaft is the direction of the earth's rotation. There are two intersections between the shaft and the sphere, namely the north pole and the south pole on the celestial sphere.Half of the sphere is hidden below the horizon circle, and the other half is exposed above the horizon circle.There are twenty-eight constellations and other stars arranged on the surface of the sphere, and there are zodiac circle and equatorial circle on the sphere. The two form an included angle of 24 degrees, and there are twenty-four solar terms.From the winter solstice point (in ancient times, the winter solstice was used as the beginning of the year), the circle is divided into 365 degrees, and each degree is subdivided into four small grids.There are two circles outside the sphere, one is the horizon circle and the other is the meridian circle. The circumference of the outer circle is one foot four feet six inches one minute.The celestial axis support is on the meridian circle, oblique to the horizon at 36 degrees, that is to say, the North Pole is 36 degrees above the horizon.This is the elevation angle of the North Pole in the Luoyang area, and it is also the geographic latitude of the Luoyang area.The structure of this instrument included almost all advanced astronomical knowledge at that time.What's more worth mentioning is that Zhang Heng ingeniously designed the gear rotation system to connect the armillary sphere and the clepsydra, using the force of the water flow from the clepsydra to push the gears and drive the armillary sphere to rotate around its axis.This year, Zhang Heng's armillary sphere successfully demonstrated the movement of the starry sky in the Luoyang area, which caused a huge sensation and temporarily shut up all those who questioned him.

Regrettably, for such a great scientific and technological achievement, some scholars today have adopted a low-key record method.In the traditional Chinese academic concept, the status of natural science inventions must fall behind that of humanities.During the Cultural Revolution, the armillary sphere was even slandered by the minions of the Gang of Four as a "product of feudal superstition".The ignorance of the predecessors is understandable, but the ignorance of the descendants is deplorable.Zhang Heng's armillary sphere, judging from the social development and productivity development at that time, many contents undoubtedly surpassed the times.If a technological invention surpasses the times, it is bound to be difficult to be accepted by the times in the short term.Hadn't Edison's invention of the electric light been resisted by the gas lamp company?Under the productivity conditions of the Eastern Han Dynasty, many astronomical achievements could not be reflected at that time, but they are bound to affect human life in the years to come.Europeans executed Bacon, but the famous saying "knowledge is power" inspired countless modern European scientists to declare war on ignorant religion.The scientific and technological achievements brought about by the armillary sphere and the armillary celestial theory not only caused a sensation at the time, but in the years to come, its role was tirelessly expanded by generations of Chinese people, laying the foundation for Chinese astronomy research. , It has also profoundly influenced the way of astronomical observation and the transformation of astronomical theory achievements from generation to generation.

The armillary sphere is not just a gorgeous decoration in the Palace Museum today, nor is it a trick without any practical use, but a sophisticated mechanical device for observing astronomical phenomena.In the long history of human astronomical research, the armillary sphere has opened up a layer of window paper for human beings to explore the mysteries of celestial bodies. According to modern scientific concepts, the armillary sphere includes the theory of armillary sphere that makes the theory of the armillary sphere. Whether it is the depth or accuracy of the research, There is not a small distance from the real situation, but who can look at objective things away from the era in which they live? Rome was not built in a day. Newton's free fall and Einstein's theory of relativity also exist. The loopholes that need to be perfected and supplemented by future generations have not changed from great to small because of their mistakes, on the contrary, they are deeply respected by us.The same is true for Zhang Heng. In modern Chinese popular science books, the records and descriptions of the armillary sphere only occupy a very small space. The law is of great significance to the development of human astronomy in the age of ignorance.From the perspective of astronomy itself, the armillary sphere demonstrates the basic outline and structure of celestial bodies for human beings, and also lights up a bright light for future generations to study the laws of celestial bodies. It undoubtedly has enlightenment significance for the evolution and development of astronomy .The traditional Chinese calendar and tidal calculations are all derived from the observation and research of astronomical phenomena by ancient astronomers, including the evolution of solar terms, the alternation of spring, summer, autumn and winter, and the change of farming orders. All of these are also based on the progress of astronomy. Base.The reason why ancient Chinese civilization was ahead of the world was primarily due to the highly developed feudal agricultural productivity. Under the feudal agricultural production mode of relying on the sky, the observation of astronomical phenomena and the grasp of farming time became the key to determining the production results.In this sense, no matter what kind of praise words are used to evaluate this great achievement, it is not too much.Another important point that needs to be explained is that the success of the waterborne armillary sphere is not just the wisdom of Zhang Heng alone.In the south of Pingchang Gate in Luoyang, there is a place called Lingtai, which is the place where Zhang Heng observed the sky during his tenure as Taishi Ling.The so-called Lingtai is naturally not just a high platform, it represents a huge research system. According to the records in the "Book of the Later Han Dynasty", the Lingtai was the observatory at that time.The chief manager here is Lingtai Cheng, who is under the jurisdiction of Taishi Ling. There are more than 40 people in charge of weather, wind, sun, and stars. The organization is huge and the division of labor is fine.Such a complete scientific research mechanism was unique to China in the world more than two thousand years ago. Therefore, such success should not be regarded as a flash in the pan of a certain scientist's inspiration, but should be regarded as the scientific and technological system of China's feudal era The complete management and research system provides a favorable platform for the success of scientists, and also makes the birth of the waterborne armillary sphere a necessity.Even if Zhang Heng chose literature as his development path at the age of 16, the water transport armillary sphere would inevitably have been born in the hands of a contemporary named Li Heng or Wang Heng.When some Chinese lament why Watt was not born in China, they just ignore an important thing.Any excellent scientist needs to adapt to an excellent scientific system. The Qing Dynasty, which was at the same time as Watt, could not even accommodate a firearms inventor Dai Zi. This is enough to prove that the backwardness of modern China is not just a lack of national wisdom. reason.

In the second year after the successful production of the armillary sphere, Zhang Heng wrote the greatest astronomical masterpiece "Lingxian" in his life. From the study of "Taixuan Jing" to making the armillary sphere, and then to the publication of the great work "Lingxian", From studying predecessors' theories to practice, to enriching and perfecting new theories, Zhang Heng has gone through a normal research process of a scientist, and has more clearly proved the theoretical nature of ancient Chinese science and technology. "Lingxian" is the master of Chinese astronomical theory, not only systematically expounding the astronomical thought of predecessors, but also putting forward its own unique views on the evolution process of celestial bodies, the concept of the universe, and the speed of planetary motion.What is particularly important is that Zhang Heng put forward the new concept of "universe" for the first time in the book, and distinguished the universe from the sky.He proposed the infinity of the universe for the first time. This idea not only deeply influenced the astronomical research of later generations, but also caused a violent earthquake in the history of Chinese thought. The simple materialist scholars of later generations applied Zhang Heng's theory of infinite universe In the field of thought, he put forward the earliest materialist thought in the world. The achievements of "Lingxian" are not limited to this. Another important fact is that "Lingxian" involves all aspects of the movement of the universe. Qi is formed, and heaven and earth are formed in the differentiation of Qi.It was not until more than 1700 years later in Europe that Kant put forward a similar view.In terms of the speed of planetary motion, Zhang Heng discussed the law of the speed of planetary motion, pointing out that the speed of planetary motion is related to the distance from the earth. "Lingxian" also revealed the mystery of the occurrence and movement of lunar eclipses, that is, "the moon, light is born when the sun shines; soul is born when the sun is covered. The day is bright, and the sun is light. To be illuminated is to turn the light into light due to the water. When the sun is at its peak, if the light is often inconsistent, it will be covered by the ground, which is called emptiness. When the stars are faint, the moon will eclipse."He put forward the correct theory that the moon does not emit light by itself, but by the sun.On issues such as astrology and meteors, "Lingxian" also made a very systematic discussion.In the world of the 2nd century AD, "Lingxian" can be regarded as an encyclopedia of astronomy, and this book, like the armillary sphere, not only represents Zhang Heng's scientific and technological achievements and wisdom thoughts, many of the "Lingxian" The point of view has been covered in some predecessors' treatises on the theory of Huntian. Zhang Heng deepened it and proved it systematically. This book is actually the master of the theory of Huntian from the early Qin Dynasty to the Eastern Han Dynasty.That is to say, from this era, the Huntian theory became the theory that ruled Chinese astronomy for nearly two thousand years, and astronomers of later generations took it as the research basis of astronomical theory. In 132 A.D., that is, the first year of Yangjia, Emperor Shun of the Han Dynasty, Zhang Heng completed his last major event in his tenure as Taishi Ling—the invention of the seismograph. This was also the most glorious moment in his decades of ups and downs in the official career.According to the records of "Book of the Later Han Dynasty", Zhang Heng's machine: "Test it with things, and it is as good as a god." The seismograph is also called the Houfeng Seismograph. There are 8 feet; there is a raised lid on the statue; there are 8 dragons on the outside of the statue, and the dragon heads are facing in 8 directions; there is a copper ball in the dragon's mouth; there are 8 toads on the ground, ready to take over the dragon's mouth There is a tall and thin copper pillar in the statue, which Zhang Heng called Duzhu. After receiving the seismic wave generated by the earthquake, the Duzhu fell towards the source of the wave.Eight passages were built around Duzhu, so that the fallen Duzhu could only slip in one way, and when it fell to the end, Duzhu knocked a tooth machine like a crossbow device, and used the lever to drive the dragon's head. Open the mouth, the copper ball fell into the toad's mouth, with a bang, people heard the sound and checked the ball, and they knew that an earthquake had occurred in that direction.In the early days of the seismograph's birth, the ruling and opposition parties generally held a skeptical attitude towards it.This is actually easy to understand. Machine prediction of earthquakes, even in the era of the technological revolution, was a subject that was only completed in Europe in the second half of the 19th century.It is said that when the seismograph came out, the Qingliu people once criticized Zhang Heng for "making monsters to flatter the Lord", and the eunuchs also slandered Zhang Heng for "performing strange magic to confuse people's hearts".Science, especially in the early days of natural science, is destined to fight against all traditional forces.The Great Longxi Earthquake in the autumn of 138 A.D. completely corrected the name of Zhang Heng’s seismograph. From the actual time of the last reported earthquake to the exact time observed by Zhang Heng’s seismograph, the error was no more than one hour.Of course, the earthquake prediction of the seismograph is still in an extremely primitive state. It can only roughly perceive the location of the earthquake, and cannot locate the exact location of the earthquake. Compared with the scientific and technological achievements of the West, the seismograph is about 1800 years ahead of the world. Another fact is enough to explain the scientific and technological achievements of the seismograph. After the Qing Dynasty, the production method and operating principle of the seismograph were almost lost.After the founding of New China, the restoration of the seismograph became a major event in the history circles. Under the conditions of modern science and technology, after more than 10 years of hard work, it was Wang Zhenduo who finally completed the restoration of the seismograph from its appearance to its inner working principle.From this aspect, we can fully understand the achievements of ancient Chinese machinery manufacturing and scientific and technological thinking.Under specific production conditions, without automatic mechanization, ancient Chinese scientists maximized the function of human mechanization. This research idea and method also benefited China in the feudal era for thousands of years. If in modern times, this research method Can continue, who said the industrial revolution will not happen in China? In the second year of Yangjia, Emperor Shun of the Han Dynasty, that is, in 133 A.D., Zhang Heng, 55, had to say goodbye to his beloved astronomical research work for a while, and sadly embarked on the journey to Hejian Kingdom as a prime minister.The appointment this time is naturally related to the eunuch's framing. During the period of Emperor Shun of the Han Dynasty, the conflict between the scholar-bureaucrats and the eunuchs reached the point of incompatibility. As a scientist, Zhang Heng was the pioneer of ancient Chinese astronomy achievements. As a politician, he It's just a small pawn in the internal disputes in the officialdom.Including the production of the armillary sphere, under the background at that time, it was not only for technological reasons, but also for complicated political factors.As a member of the Qingliu class, it has always been Zhang Heng's only ideal to expel the dictatorship of eunuchs and establish a clean political world.During the period of Emperor Shun of the Han Dynasty, coups where eunuchs and relatives competed for power continued to occur. As an official, Zhang Heng naturally couldn't get out of such a puzzle. Emperor Shun of the Han Dynasty once asked Zhang Heng what kind of person the people hated.Zhang Heng replied bluntly: "It is those who fight for power and plot chaos in the world." It was this sentence that planted the seeds of disaster for him.He is loyal and brave, just like his spirit of bravely exploring scientific truth, he is also using his political life to explore the truth of governing the country and saving the people.Zhang Heng's departure was not individual. What was related to his transfer was the expulsion of a group of Qing Dynasty scholar-officials in the Eastern Han Dynasty. This was a large-scale expulsion movement of the eunuchs against the scholar-bureaucrats. The inherent tragic fate of Chinese intellectuals - being slandered, exiled, exiled again.The ideals of literati and the autocracy of the emperor always collided fiercely, and this experience gave Zhang Heng a new choice of life path.From this moment on, he temporarily put aside his identity as a scholar, and re-realized his ideal in the distant river in the name of an upright official. The mid-Eastern Han Dynasty was an era of corruption and darkness. The word "breeding" here has two meanings. On the one hand, the crisis within the empire has been undercurrent. On the other hand, the rich family property left by Guangwu ZTE, It still maintains the false prosperity of the country under the peaceful world.In the era of Emperor Shun of the Han Dynasty, the population and productivity of the country had surpassed the highest level in the Western Han Dynasty, and the nomadic peoples such as the Xianbei and the Huns in the north had long surrendered to the empire. Power has also grown rapidly.The emperors of the Eastern Han Empire were mostly short-lived babies, and the power of the country was held in turn by foreign relatives and eunuchs.The harsh reality is inversely proportional to the rapid development of the group of ancient Chinese scientists represented by Zhang Heng and the scientific research achievements.This delicate environment cannot but deeply influence Zhang Heng. Fundamentally speaking, Zhang Heng is a traditional intellectual first, and a great scientist second.The belief in loyalty to the emperor and the ideal of governing the country and the world among traditional intellectuals are the primary concepts in their life creeds.He once wrote a letter to Emperor Shun, "Just to keep the old and keep the old, don't let the punishment and morality be beyond the emperor's control", asking the emperor to "be kind to the top and bottom, and follow the rules of etiquette".All his research results, in a sense, are to add chips to his political ambitions, but science is science after all, and politics is politics after all. Any advanced scientific and technological achievements will always be lost in the dark political age. It works as it should.The armillary sphere has had a huge impact on agricultural production and seasons, but in the real society, land mergers are becoming more and more serious, and the real beneficiaries are the powerful forces that Zhang Heng hates the most. The invention of the seismograph is for the country to respond more quickly Earthquakes and other disaster measures reduce the suffering of the people in the affected areas. However, in the political environment where corruption is rampant and effective, the scientific and technological achievements of the seismograph provide more convenience for the eunuchs' corruption.This is really a great irony of historical development.The application of science and technology is often independent of the will of the inventor. The explosives invented by Nobel were used in wars, which caused him great pain.The invention of Zhang Heng's armillary sphere and seismograph undoubtedly confirmed this tragedy. Being born in ancient China is the greatest luck for a scientist, but being born in a politically dark China is the greatest misfortune for a scientist with the ideal of helping the world and saving the people. "Infernal Affairs" once said, "Things often change people, but people can't change things."Zhang Heng started his final tragic journey with the ambition to change some things.The Hejian Kingdom he went to was a kingdom full of darkness under the rule of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The powerful and powerful forces were intertwined.Zhang Heng declared war on all these with fearless courage. He successively punished 23 local powerful forces that colluded with the government.Zhang Heng in this period seems to be the image of an upright official in traditional Chinese scripts.However, honest officials cannot change the overall situation after all. I believe that during those years in Hejian, there must have been many fathers and fellow villagers worshiping at his feet, with tears in their eyes and praising the sky, but what use is this to a country that is going downhill? ?Zhang Heng is lucky. Compared with those clear streams who were imprisoned by the Eastern Han Dynasty decades later, he is undoubtedly much happier.Although he suffered repeated slander, although he repeatedly wrote bluntly, Emperor Shun of the Han Dynasty was still lenient in comparison.However, for a traditional intellectual, great official position and glory are not the ultimate pursuit goals. To be rewarded for his ambition and to be famous in history is his lifelong wish. Zhang Heng fulfilled the latter wish, but the former is far from the reality. During the three years in Hejian, Zhang Heng’s greatest achievement was the creation of Han Fu. Although the Eastern Han Empire at that time was far from as bad as the state of Chu during the Warring States Period, later generations always used Zhang Heng’s work "Poems of Four Sorrows" Compared with Qu Yuan's "Li Sao" of the previous generation, and these two characters have too many similarities in character and destiny, the same monarch is fatuous, the same exile, and the same ambition is unrewarding.The difference is that, as a natural scientist, Zhang Heng knows better than Qu Yuan the truth of knowing what to do, and has a more practical spirit. At least he brought a period of happiness to the people under his rule. "Following Qu Yuan's example, beauty is a gentleman, treasures are benevolence and righteousness, and deep water and snowy atmosphere are villains. Thinking of repaying each other with Taoism will benefit the king of the time, but fear of slander and evil will not work."This is Zhang Heng's voice from the heart. He is more timid and pragmatic than Qu Yuan, and his fate has become the epitome of many ancient Chinese intellectuals.身为一个知识阶层，传统的道德理念总与严酷的现实发生冲突，为了实现目的可以不计较手段，为了最终的道德追求可以暂时的牺牲信仰。这是许多封建社会实干家的悲剧。 “我所思兮在雁门，欲往从之雪雰雰，侧身北望涕沾巾，美人赠我锦绣段，何以报之青玉案，路远莫致倚增叹，何为怀忧心烦惋”。美丽的诗句里道出了多少心酸与无奈。太多的梦想像晚秋的菊花一般随风而落，遇水而流，杜鹃声声的悲凉里，年迈的他纵有翱翔九天的壮志，却依然不得不面对退潮一样的悲情。 皇帝始终没有忘却这位夺天地造化的智者，纵然他已离开洛阳老远。顺帝永和三年，即公元138年，一场意外事故促成了张衡的回归，候风地动仪成功预测了发生在陇西的地震，这使皇帝重新思念起了这位智者的种种光辉。而此时的张衡却已垂垂老也，与《两京赋》中青春飞扬的豪情相比，他的《归田赋》更多的透露着消极与无奈。在皇帝招他归京不久，皇帝就颁发了诏书，允许宦官收养养子，所谓对张衡的重新起用，只不过是对士大夫阶层做的一次政治平衡而已。张衡终于明白，所谓政治的理想，治世为公的抱负，是比探索宇宙奥秘更为困难的事情，他可以掌握星空的旋转规律，预测地震的发生，但是政治的地震与皇帝喜怒的晴雨表，是他永远无法琢磨的。“挥翰墨以奋藻，陈三皇之轨模。苟纵心于物外，安知荣辱之所如”。这是张衡经历了几十年宦海浮沉后发出的肺腑之语。归京一年后，在尚书职务上的张衡终于闭上了疲劳的眼睛，他再也不必数星星了。同年四月初八，洛阳城爆发了百年不遇的大地震，这是上苍对这位智者特殊的纪念吗？ 20世纪70年代，人们将月球背面的一环形山命名为“张衡环形山”，将小行星1802命名为“张衡小行星”。郭沫若曾赞颂他为“如此全面发展之人物，在世界史中亦所罕见”。我想这是对张衡最为精辟的评价了。这样的评价只能归中国人所独有，是欧洲的历史学家们永远都无法读解的。 从另一个意义上说，张衡的“全面发展”，也是中国传统知识文化体系的一种另类体现。中国古代科学是一种以儒家为主的包容性学说。张衡从本质上说是一个儒者，其次才是一位科学家。东汉时代，中国儒家思想还处于萌芽时期，八股等蒙昧的观念并未成为文化的主流。诗词歌赋与自然科学也并非完全的抵触和矛盾，相反是一个不断吸纳的过程。我们总说中国古代科学只有技术没有理论，但是事实上，大多数的中国古代科学家都同样具有深厚的文化修养和儒学的造诣，大多数的科学家也同样没有把科学作为终生的追求，却在无意之中成就了科学家的命运。所谓的死读书，读死书，是封建时代发展到清朝时期特有的产物，并非是儒家本身的观念。因此从这个意义上说，张衡的“全面发展”并非是一个特殊的例子，而是存在于许多中国古代科学家身上的精神本质，更是中国古代科学研究的思想本质。自由和创新的精神曾与儒家的思想道德观念一样，深刻的化入我们的血脉之中。