惠更斯著的《惠更斯光論(英文版)(精)》原版出
版於1690年，是惠更斯光學研究的重要著作，副書名
是“其中解釋了反射和折射，尤其是冰島水晶的奇異
折射發生的各種原因”，主要介紹了惠更斯所建立的
光的波動學說和著名的惠更斯原理。
光的波動學說，打破了當時流行的光的微粒學說
，在光學科學發展中產生了重大的影響。惠更斯認為
光在透明物質中的傳播不可能是物質的轉移而是某種
物質運動的傳遞，由於這種傳遞是通過粒子踫撞進行
的，因此“光線不是純幾何線，光速也不是無限的”
。他在假定光以太的彈性特征並對比光和聲的傳播現
像異同的基礎上，提出他的著名原理(即惠更斯原理)
：“光波發射時，傳播光的每一物質粒子不隻把運動
傳給前面的鄰近粒子，而且還應傳給周圍所有其他和
自己接觸並阻礙自己運動的粒子。因此，在每一粒子
周圍就產生以此粒子為中心的波”。惠更斯還在此基
礎上用作圖法解釋了光的反射、折射等現像。
本書最精采的部分是對雙折射提出的模型，用球
和橢球方式傳播來解釋尋常光和非常光所產生的奇異
現像，書中有幾十幅復雜的幾何圖，足以看出惠更斯
的數學功底。
本書展現了惠更斯作為科學家和實驗主義者的機
敏。雖然本書中的許多概念如今都已被拋棄，但是惠
更斯論證問題的思路和方法仍能使後人從中獲得啟發
。
本書根據Silvanus P．Thoinpson 1912年英譯
本重排。

CHAP. I. On Rays Propagated in Straight Lines. p. 1
That Light is produced by a certain movement, p. 3
That no substance passes from the luminous object to the eyes. p. 3
That Light spreads spherically almost as Sound does. p. 4
Whether Light takes time to spread, p. 4
Experience seeming to prove that it passes instantaneously, p. 5
Experience proving that it takes time. p. 8
How much its speed is greater than that of Sound. p. 10
In what the emission of Light differs from that of Sound. p. 10
That it is not the same medium which serves for Light and Sound. p. 11
How Sound is propagated, p. 12
How Light is propagated, p. 14
Detailed Remarks on the propagation of Light. p. 15
Why Rays are propagated only in straight lines, p. 20
How Light coming in different directions can cross itself, p. 22
CHAP. II. On Reflexion. p. 23
Demonstration of equality of angles of incidence and reflexion, p. 23
Why the incident and reflected rays are in the same plane perpendicular to
the reflecting surface, p. 25
That it is not needful for the reflecting surface to be perfectly fiat to attain
equality of the angles of incidence and reflexion, p. 27
CHAP. III. On Refraction. p. 29
That bodies may be transparent without any substance passing through
them. p. 29
Proof that the ethereal matter passes through transparent bodies, p. 30
How this matter passing through can render them transparent, p. 31
That the most solid bodies in appearance are of a very loose texture, p. 31
That Light spreads more slowly in water and in glass than in air. p. 32
Third hypothesis to explain transparency, and the retardation which Light
suffers, p. 32
On that which makes bodies opaque, p. 34
Demonstration why Refraction obeys the known proportion of Sines. p. 35
Why the incident and refracted Rays produce one another reciprocally.
p. 39
Why Reflexion within a triangular glass prism is suddenly augmented when
the Light can no longer penetrate, p. 40
That bodies which cause greater Refraction also cause stronger Reflexion.
p. 42
Demonstration of the Theorem of Mr. Fermat. p. 43
CHAP. 1V. On the Refraction of the Air. p. 46
That the emanations of Light in the air are not spherical, p. 46
How consequently some objects appear higher than they are. p. 47
How the Sun may appear on the Horizon before he has risen, p. 49
That the rays of light become curved in the Air of the Atmosphere, and
what effects this produces, p. 50
CHAP. V. On the Strange Refraction of Iceland Crystal. p. 53
That this Crystal grows also in other countries, p. 53
Who first-wrote about it. p. 53
Description of Iceland Crystal; its substance, shape, and properties, p. 53
That it has two different Refractions. p. 54
That the ray perpendicular to the surface suffers refraction, and that some
rays inclined to the surface pass without suffering refraction, p. 55
Observation of the refractions in this Crystal. p. 56
That there is a Regular and an Irregular Refraction. p. 57
The way of measuring the two Refractions of Iceland Crystal. p. 57
Remarkable properties of the Irregular Refraction. p. 60
Hypothesis to explain the double Refraction. p. 61
That Rock Crystal has also a double Refraction. p. 62
Hypothesis of emanations of Light, within Iceland Crystal, of spheroidal
form, for the Irregular Refraction. p. 63
How a perpendicular ray can suffer Refraction. p. 64
How the position and form of the spheroidal emanations in this Crystal can
be defined, p. 65
Explanation of the Irregular Refraction by these spheroidal emanations.
p. 67
Easy way to find the Irregular Refraction of each incident ray. p. 70
Demonstration of the oblique ray which traverses the Crystal
without being refracted, p. 73
Other irregularities of Refraction explained, p. 76
That an object placed beneath the Crystal appears double, in two images of
different heights, p. 81
Why the apparent heights of one of the images change on changing the
position of the eyes above the Crystal. p. 85
Of the different sections of this Crystal which produce yet other refractions,
and confirm all this Theory. p. 88
Particular way of polishing the surfaces after it has been cut. p. 91
Surprising phenomenon touching the rays which pass through two separated
pieces; the cause of which is not explained, p. 92
Probable conjecture on the internal composition of Iceland Crystal, and of
what figure its particles are. p. 95
Tests to confirm this conjecture, p. 97
Calculations which have been supposed in this Chapter. p. 99
CHAP. VI. On the Figures of the Transparent Bodies Which Serve for
Refraction and for Reflexion. p. 106
General and easy rule to find these Figures. p. 106
Invention of the Ovals of Mr. Des Cartes for Dioptrics. p. 109
How he was able to find these Lines. p. 114
Way of finding the surface of a glass for perfect refraction, when the other
surface is given, p. 116
Remark on what happens to rays refracted at a spherical surface, p. 123
Remark on the curved line which is formed by refiexion in a spherical concave
mirror, p. 126
INDEX. p. 129