Joseph Needham was born in 1900, so looking back over the work of his life is like viewing the history of the twentieth century. This is especially so concerning the relation-ship between East and West over this period, with all the acceptance and discrimination, understanding and confusion that has been involved.
李約瑟生於一九○○年，回顧他的一生志業，就像翻閱一本活生生的廿世紀史；特別是在東西方之間的接納與排斥、理解與誤解的這個章節裡。