초록 열기/닫기 버튼
첫째, 최천약은 朔寧崔氏로 1684년 무렵 동래부에 태어나서 영조 31년(1755) 卒하였는데, 동래의 군인으로 출발하여 숙종 37년 盤纏次知의 자격으로 일본 통신사행에 참여하여 이듬해 돌아왔다. 그 후 숙종 39년 옥인 조성에 참여하면서 본격적으로 중앙정부에서 활동하였다. 이때의 신분은 武人․閑良 등이었다. 영조 31년까지 다양한 활동을 하였는데, 玉印․玉寶․王陵․度量衡․自擊漏의 정비, 樂器의 조성을 담당하였다. 최천약은 武班職에 있었는데, 처음 총융청 교련관을 받은 이후 여러 관직을 거쳐 僉使(종3품)직에 이르렀고, 나중 蒜山別將에 제수되었는데, 최종 품계는 嘉善․嘉義大夫를 거쳐 영조 29년 資憲大夫(정2품)에 올랐다. 아울러 그는 여러 역에 참여한 공로로 弓矢․弓箭과 半熟馬 등을 하사 받았다. 둘째, 최천약은 영조 15․16년 무렵 국가의 최고의 기술자로 인정받았는데, 그것은 영조 16년 도량형인 鍮尺의 제작을 통해 알 수 있고, 이를 토대로 악기와 音律의 정비에도 참여하였다. 최천약은 국가의 가장 중요한 표준화 일을 담당하였다. 이로 인해 최천약은 英祖代 최고의 기술자로 인정받았고, 사후에도 그의 기술력은 계속 회자되었다. 셋째, 최천약은 새로운 과학기술인 自鳴鐘을 18세기에 제작하였다. 『병세재언록』에 최천약이 자명종을 처음으로 제작하였다는 기록은 잘못 서술된 것이다. 자명종은 이미 17세기 후반에 송이영이 제작하였고, 이를 기반으로 최천약과 홍수해․나경적 등의 여러 인물들이 제작할 수 있었다. 최천약은 서양의 과학기술인 자명종을 확산시키는데 기여하였다.
Choi Cheonyak(崔天若) was born around 1684 and died in 1775(the 31st year of the King Yeongjo). His family clan originated in Sangnyeong(朔寧). He started his career as a soldier in Dongrae(東萊). In the 37th year of the King Sukjong, he joined in the tour of Tongsinsa to Japan as a Banjeonchaji(盤纏次知), the position managing traveling expenses, and returned the following year. And then, he began in earnest to work in the central government by participating in making a jade seal since the 39th year of the King Sukjong, At that time, his statuses were Muin(武人) and Hallyang(閑良) and so on. Until the 31st year of the King Yeongjo, he has engaged in various activities such as repairing jade seal, royal seal, royal tomb, measurement and clepsydra and making musical instruments. Choi Cheonyak belonged to the military branch. He first became a Gyoryeongwan(敎鍊官) of Chongyungcheong(總戎廳), an instructor of the general defense unit based in Gyeonggi province, and rose through the ranks to a Cheomsa(僉使), an associate commander of the rear 3rd rank(從三品). And later he was also appointed in Sansanbyeoljang(蒜山別將), a special commander of Sansan. His ranks were risen from Gaseondaebu(嘉善大夫) and Gauidaebu(嘉義大夫) to Jaheondaebu(資憲大夫), the title given to officer of the front 2nd rank(正二品). He was given bows, arrows and half tamed horse(半熟馬) in recognition of his several services. Choi Cheonyak was recognized as one of the nation’s top technicians around the 15th and 16th years of the King Yeongjo. Because he made the brass ruler(鍮尺) standardizing measurement in the 16th year of the King Yeongjo. On this basis he also took part in going over music and notes. That is to say, Choi Cheonyak was in charge of standardization, which was the important thing in the nation. His high technical skill, thus, has been mentioned even after his death. In the 18th century, Choi Cheonyak made alarm clock, one of the new machine technologies at that time. But it is wrong record in Byungsejaeunrok(『幷世才彦錄』) that Cheo Yakcheon made the first alarm clock. This already was made by Song Iyeong(宋以潁) in the late 17th century, and so Choi Cheonyak, Na Gyeongjeok(羅景績) and the other people could make it based on earlier work. In other words, Choi Cheonyak contributed to spread the alarm clock of western scientific technology.
키워드열기/닫기 버튼
A Man of Dongrae, Alarm Clock, Brass Ruler, Cheomsa, Jaheondaebu
