《南方草木狀》序言如下：
南越交趾，植物有四裔最為奇。周秦以前，無稱焉。自漢武帝，開拓封疆，搜來珍異，取其尤者，充貢。中州之人或昧其狀，乃以所聞詮敘，有裨子弟云爾。
李約瑟的翻譯如下：
Nan Yüeh and Chaio-chih have the most
extraordinary plants of all the four border areas of the empire. No knowledge
of them existed before the Chou and Chhin periods. But from the time of Wu Ti
onwards, the Han dynasty set up Vassal States beyond the frontiers, so that the
best products of the land were selected and sent as tribute to the imperial
court. People in the central provinces generally have no idea of the form (and
aspect) of these plants, so that I have set down herein, with explanations in
due order, all that I have heard, for the benefits of future generations.
(英文翻譯: 參考 Science and Civilization in China. Vol. 6 Biology and
Biological Technology; Part I: Botany. p. 451)
李惠林的翻譯如下：
The plants of Nan- Yüeh
and Chaio-chih are the most interesting of the four borderlands. They were not
known before the Chou and Ch’in dynasties. Since the expansion of territories
undertaken by Wu Ti of Han, the rare and precious kinds were sought and brought
in, and the best were used as tributes. As people of the central regions
[China] are often unfamiliar with their nature, I hereby record and describe
these from what I have heard, for the benefit of further generations. (p.32)
細細分析差異：第一，「南越交趾，植物有四裔最為奇」，所謂奇者，李約瑟的翻譯(以下簡稱N譯)為extraordinary，李惠林的翻譯(以下簡稱L譯)為the most interesting，N譯比較能夠凸顯所謂的奇特之性質。
第二，「周秦以前，無稱焉」，當中的無稱焉，並不容易理解，N譯No knowledge of them existed與L譯They were not known相近，但我覺得用名詞知識(knowledge)的表達更完善。
第三，「自漢武帝，開拓封疆，搜來珍異，取其尤者，充貢」，L譯精簡有力，特別是the rare and precious kinds were sought，強調中國帝王重視珍異的植物，所以成為重要的進貢。
第四，「中州之人或昧其狀，乃以所聞詮敘，有裨子弟云爾」，所謂的中州之人，N譯People in the central provinces，L譯As people of the central regions [China]，顯然後者比較能掌握中國歷史與地理脈絡；此外或昧其狀一語，L譯are often unfamiliar with their nature，精簡且貼切。
不論是N譯或L譯，都點出一個重點，此書的作者只是「聽」(heard)到書中記載植物的資訊，而非實際考察或研究，也可以說作者並沒有親自到南方作田野調查!
書目
Li, Hui-Lin. Nan-fan
Ts’ao-mu Chuang: A Fourth Century Flora of Southeast Asia. Introduction.
Translation. Commentaries. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press, 1979.
Needham, Joseph. Science and Civilization in China: v. 6. Biology and biological
technology. pt. 1. Botany. Taipei, Taiwan: Caves Books, 1985.
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