English-Chinese Dictionary, Volume 2

Author: Lu Gusu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1991-09-01
Features: The English-Chinese Dictionary (ECD), involving over a hundred scholars and spanning more than a decade of arduous effort, is the largest bilingual English-Chinese dictionary within the framework of the 1975 National Plan for the Compilation and Publication of Bilingual Language Dictionaries in China. It is also one of the key projects under the National Philosophy and Social Sciences "Seventh Five-Year Plan" (1986-1990). The dictionary contains 200,000 entries, 14 appendices, and approximately 20 million words.
The ECD adheres to the principle of independent compilation (rather than translation-compilation), establishing its own hand-built corpus of source materials. It draws extensively from the strengths of over 100 English dictionaries and other reference works from the United States and the United Kingdom (see its main reference for details), selectively utilizing the cultural heritage accumulated by predecessors, thereby reflecting the achievements and standards of English corpus construction and academic research in China.
The ECD aligns with the international trend since the 1960s that emphasizes objective description in lexicography. In its selection of words, definitions, examples, and etymological explanations, it focuses on objectively describing the actual usage of various types of English and their variations in different styles and contexts. It faithfully records the evolution of word meanings and forms over time, avoiding subjective judgments about their superiority or inferiority.
In addition to lexical entries, the ECD pays attention to the inclusion of proper nouns such as names of people, places, and organizations, as well as historical events, myths and legends, religious schools, cultural communities, customs, entertainment genres, technical fields, product trademarks, and specialized terminology in natural and social sciences. It strives to encompass as much encyclopedic information as possible, ensuring practicality across multiple levels while enhancing the stability and readability of its content. In other words, it aims to maintain academic rigor, practicality, knowledge, stability, and (interest).
The ECD was compiled by scholars from multiple universities and cultural institutions, including Fudan University, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai Translation Publishing House, Shanghai Normal University, East China Normal University, East China Institute of Chemical Technology, Tongji University, and Shanghai Education Institute. They collaborated with dedication and meticulous effort. We fully recognize that the compilation of bilingual dictionaries is a fundamental cultural undertaking, reflecting China's cultural strength and requiring no shoddy or negligent work.
We also understand the objective realities of lexicographical compilation: the 12-volume Oxford English Dictionary took over 70 years from conception to completion, even in the computer age, and its supplements alone took 29 years to finish. Meanwhile, the Second Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (20 volumes), co-authored by scholars from the UK, the US, and Canada with the aid of computers, was published only 61 years after the first edition appeared in 1989. In the United States, Noah Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language, first published in 1828, has spanned over a century and a half but has only been revised three times. These precedents demonstrate that independent compilation, after thoroughly mastering and integrating vast amounts of material, is inherently complex, demanding significant intellectual investment and a long duration—it cannot be rushed.
With this understanding, we can only work diligently, refine our efforts repeatedly, and strive to produce a lasting cultural legacy through the dedication and hard work of scholars.