试论中国传统雕版书籍的印数及相关问题

古籍印数关系到传统雕版印刷的技术特性、书籍产量、市场大小、生产周期、生产经营模式、流通状况等方面。关于雕版书籍印数的中文史料记载颇不一致,显示了雕版印数问题的复杂性。而明清时期的西方来华传教士对中国传统雕版印刷书籍印数也有一些比较详细、系统的记述,提供了十分珍贵的实证数据。雕版印数问题的复杂性源于中国传统雕版印刷的技术特性。雕版印数可分为单次印数与最大印数。雕版书单次印数取决于技术因素和实际需求,普遍在数十、数百部之间。影响雕版印刷最大印数的因素有材质、环境、刊印技术、质量要求等等,印数极限可至万部以上。通过雕版印数可观察传统雕版印刷的生产周期和生产方式。雕版印刷的生产周期比较长,绝大多数情况下出版者没有可能、也无必要在短时间内使书版达到印数极限,中国古籍的单次实际印数一般都十分有限。

On the Print Runs of Pre-Modern Chinese Woodblock Books

The issue of pre-modern Chinese woodblock book printing runs is related to the technical characteristics of woodblock printing,book output,market size,production cycle,business model,book circulation and so forth. Chinese historical records of the woodblock printing runs were very inconsistent,showing the complexity of the issue. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties,missionaries from the West wrote some detailed accounts of the traditional Chinese woodblock printing,providing valuable empirical data of woodblock ...