Abstract: During the period from 1849—1862，when Wang Tao worked at Shanghai Mohai Publishing House，he first knew and started to learn Western astronomy under the influence of two English sinologists，Joseph Edkins and Alexander Wylie. He often discussed Chinese and Western astronomy with his friend，the mathematician Li Shanlan. From 1867 to 1870，when he was in Ireland，Wang exchanged ideas with John Chalmers，an English missionary and pointed out the mistakes of the latter’ s view about ancient Chinese astronomy. John Chalmers was astonished but highly praised Wang’ s achievement in Chinese astronomy. Wang Tao’s research on Chunqiu period astronomy took advantage of Western astronomy as well as the Chinese traditional astronomy. He corrected the astronomical knowledge of Chunqiu period，revealed the complicated system of astronomy in Chunqiu period and eruditely explained ancient Chinese astronomy. Wang Tao’s ideas about Chinese astronomy and its meanings greatly influenced James Legge’ s translation of The Spring and Autumn Annals，one of the great Chinese Classics.

摘要： 1849—1862 年间，王韬供职于上海墨海书馆， 在英国汉学家艾约瑟、 伟烈亚力等人的影响下， 接触并学习西方历学知识， 又时常与数学家李善兰讨论中西历学， 学术大进。 1867—1870 年旅欧期间， 王韬与英国传教士湛约翰颇有往来讲论， 指出了湛氏许多错误， 为湛氏所服佩。 王韬的春秋历学研究，不仅仅在于采用西方先进的天文学知识，更重要的在于发覆了中国古代复杂的春秋历法， 在历法的解释中加入了微言大义。 王韬对春秋时期的历法及微言大义的论述， 显著影响到理雅各 《中国经典·春秋》的翻译。