Halley and de la Roque, 1686. Waning Interest in Translations

While Halley was editor of the Philosophical Transactions and de la Roque of the Journal des Sçavans, a single translation appeared in the English journal. The translation is shorter than the original mainly because the translator omits sections which are more theoretical or historical, concentrating on new observations. The translation enhances relational process at the expense of material process and uses themes relating to the object of study more frequently and human themes less frequently than the source texts. Other linguistics features are relatively similar in the two texts. Comparison of the translations and source texts reflects the empirical Baconian stance of the Philosophical Transactions.