阿布·马ʿ沙尔(Abū Maʿshar al-Balkhī,拉丁世界常称 Albumasar,9世纪)是伊斯兰黄金时代最重要的占星学家之一。《大导论》是他对占星学进行系统化整理与辩护的代表作:它不仅总结了希腊化占星(托勒密等)与晚期古典传统的技术模块,也把占星学放进更“自然哲学化”的解释框架中,讨论天体如何作用于下界、四元素与混合、吉凶与因果、以及占星学作为知识体系的合法性。这本书在中世纪通过拉丁译本广泛进入欧洲学术圈,对拉丁占星学(尤其是占星理论、行星本性、尊贵体系、Lots/阿拉伯点等)影响深远。
该版本为现代学术两卷本,出版于2019年:卷1提供阿拉伯文校勘本与对页英文译文,并在注释中对照12世纪两条重要拉丁译本(John of Seville 与 Hermann of Carinthia)所呈现的差异;卷2收录希腊译本残篇(由学者编校)以及多语种术语表与索引系统。由于同时具备“原文—译文—对照”的结构,这套书特别适合做语句核对,也适合追踪占星概念在阿语世界如何被系统化表达。
关于可读性
英文译文总体清楚,但属于高度技术化文本,术语密度大、定义层层嵌套
目录结构
Volume 1:The Arabic Original and English Translation
- Preface xiii
- Acknowledgements xiv
- Introduction 1
- The Life and Works of Abū Maʿšar — 1
- The Great Introduction to Astrology — 6
- The Manuscripts — 30
- Editorial Principles — 33
- Bibliography and Abbreviations — 34
Part I — 42
- Starting-point of the book and the seven headings — 44
- Existence of the science of astrology — 52
- Modality of the action of the stars in this world — 80
- Forms/natures/elements and compounded products — 92
- Arguments confirming astrology; refuting deniers — 106
- Benefit of astrology and foreknowledge — 150
Part II — 176
- Number of stars with rapid/slow movement — 176
- Why 12 constellations are used for indication — 184
- Why signs are 12, no more no less — 190
- Arrangement of the ‘natures’ of the signs — 198
- Why one begins with Aries — 204
- Tropical/fixed/bicorporeal signs — 210
- Quadrants of the sphere — 212
- Masculine/feminine signs — 220
- Diurnal/nocturnal signs — 222
Part III — 224
- Why astrologers use the seven planets for general things — 224
- Definitions of ‘astrology’ and ‘astrologer’ — 232
- Sun’s indication for moderating atmospheric conditions — 244
- Moon’s indication for ebb and flow — 262
- Cause of ebb and flow — 272
- Strength/weakness of the flow — 286
- Moon as the cause of ebb and flow — 314
- Differences between seas — 318
- Moon’s indication for animals/plants/minerals via light increase/decrease — 334
Part IV — 344
- Natures of the seven planets (Ptolemy) — 346
- Natures; benefics/malefics (most astrologers) — 356
- Refutation: natures known only from colours — 368
- Establishing benefic/malefic by philosophers’ method — 372
- Knowing which planet is benefic/malefic — 380
- Variation and change between benefic/malefic conditions — 402
- Planetary natures; changes; inherent strength/weakness — 418
- Masculinity/femininity of planets — 426
- Diurnal/nocturnal planets — 430
Part V — 434
- Shares of the planets in the signs — 438
- Reason for houses (some astrologers) — 442
- Reason for houses (Ptolemy) — 448
- Reason for houses (Hermes from G̣āṯīdīmūn) — 454
- Reason for exaltations (some astrologers) — 466
- Reason for exaltations (Ptolemy) — 474
- Reason for exaltations (Hermes) — 478
- Differences in terms and their conditions — 494
- Terms of the Egyptians — 498
- Terms of Ptolemy — 500
- Terms of the Chaldeans — 502
- Terms of Asṭraṭū — 506
- Terms of the Indians — 508
- Lords of the triplicities — 510
- Decans and their lords (Persia/Babylon/Egypt) — 512
- Decans and their lords (Indians) — 514
- Nawbahr (ninths) — 516
- Dodecatemoria; lords of each degree — 520
- Masculine/feminine degrees — 524
- Bright/dusky/dark/empty degrees — 528
- Wells of the planets in the signs — 532
- Degrees increasing good fortune — 536
Part VI — 540
- Natures/conditions of signs; figures rising in their decans — 544
- Rising times (equator + seven climes; Theon) — 602
- Aspecting of degrees of the sphere — 610
- Signs that love/hate/are hostile; straight/crooked rising; obedient/disobedient — 618
- Signs agreeing in zone/rising times/power/path — 622
- Natural opposition/sextile; and signs not aspecting — 626
- Quartile agreement — 628
- Years/months/days/hours of the signs — 630
- Signs indicating countries/regions — 634
- Motion/rest signs — 642
- Voiced signs (nature/conditions of people) — 644
- Division of body parts among signs — 646
- Signs of beauty/generosity/wealth/etc. — 650
- Lust and diseases — 654
- Chastity/virtue of women — 656
- Many children/twins/few/barren — 658
- Cut members; violence/anger — 660
- Conditions of voices — 662
- Mange/leprosy/spots/itching/etc. — 664
- Faults in the eye — 666
- Culture/cunning/worry/dark signs — 670
- Birds/quadrupeds/fish/reptiles — 672
- Trees and plants — 674
- Waters and fire-produced things — 676
- Directions of the signs — 678
- Cardines/quadrants/twelve places summary + reason — 680
- Quadrants related to corporality/spirituality — 696
- Mixture of ‘natures’ of cardines — 698
- Colours of quadrants and twelve places — 700
- Ascending/descending/long/short quadrants — 702
- Division of four ‘natures’ among things — 704
- Reason for quarters of day/night and 24 hours — 706
- Lords of days and hours — 710
Part VII — 714
- Conditions of planets in themselves — 716
- Conditions of planets vs Sun (in front/behind) — 724
- Planets vs quarters/places; range of bodily power — 738
- Planetary conjunction; mixture of qualities; strongest/weakest — 740
- Aspects; application/separation; related conditions — 762
- Good fortune/strength/weakness/bad fortune; corruption of the Moon — 786
- Casting rays per Ptolemy — 794
- Fardārs years; greatest/great/middle/small years — 800
- Proper indications of the seven planets for existing things — 802
Part VIII — 818
- Reason for extracting lots — 818
- Classification/names of lots — 824
- Lots of the seven planets — 832
- Lots of the twelve places — 848
- Lots not mentioned with planets nor twelve places — 910
- Summary of all lots — 918
- Coincidence of lots in one position — 934
- General indications of lots — 938
- Deriving some indications from others — 944
Volume 2:The Greek Version and Glossaries
- Contents / Introduction — 1
- The Greek Text Contents — 9
- Part I — 12(条目 1–5)
- Part II — 17(条目 6–9)
- Part III — 21(条目 10–13)
- Part IV — 26(条目 14,含 A–C 小分段)
- Part V — 30(D–E;条目 15–18)
- Part VI — 37(条目 19–40;并含关于日时主因由 72)
- Part VII — 73(条目 41–56)
- Part VIII — 94(条目 57–68;含 “buying slaves” 115、“absence” 116)
Appendixes / Glossaries / Indexes(卷2后半工具部分)
- Appendixes
- Additions in John of Seville’s translation — 119
- Additions in Hermann of Carinthia’s translation — 120
- Glossaries
- Arabic–English–Greek–Latin Glossary — 133
- Greek–Arabic Glossary — 375
- Latin–Arabic Glossary — 398
- Indexes
- Names of Geographical Places and Races — 447
- Names of Persons and Authors — 450
- Names of Greek Constellations according to Ptolemy — 452
- Names of Constellations according to Persia/Babylon/Egypt — 454
- Subject Index — 459