寫本、稿本、鈔本、校本
Manuscripts and Transcripts
朱韶題記
Inscription by Zhu Shao
紙的發明，為人們的書寫提供了極大的便利。隨著造紙技術的改良與擴大生產，人們逐漸使用它作為書寫載體。秦漢以來的簡帛，逐步被紙張所取代，紙張成為人們書情寫意，記錄歷史，傳抄經典文獻的最佳工具。紙張普及後，其成本也隨之而降低，為寒門士子讀書和抄書提供了方便。其中部份文人以抄書為業，除了可以謀生，也可順便閱讀經典，甚至因此而得進入仕途的機會。六朝以來，佛教和道教興盛，抄經為功德的觀念非常流行，不少文人相繼加入抄寫行列，為後世留下不少唐代以前的寫本。敦煌莫高窟內寫本的發現，其數量之大，類別之多，正好說明在雕版印刷前書籍的寫本時代，是如何的繁榮。
印刷術於唐末問世，至五代北宋書籍正式印刷出版，到明清兩代，可謂雕版印刷的黃金時代。過去以寫本形式流傳的鈔本，逐漸改為雕版印刷，流通機會大增。這個時期不論是書籍種類還是發行量，均以驚人的速度發展。原本以鈔本形式流通的，一旦刊刻成書，作者的稿本大多不會保留，而只保留雕刻的書板，以方便重印。因此唐宋以前流傳下來的稿本不多，中國國家圖書館藏有宋司馬光《資治通鑑》殘稿，就非常珍貴了！明代後期大家才意識到稿本的重要，但流傳下來的明清稿本亦不足四千部。
稿本就是作品的原始文字記錄，一般指尚未最後寫定，或者雖已寫定而尚未刊印的書稿，通常可以分為手稿本、清稿本、修改本三類。手稿本也稱為原稿，是作者親筆書寫的本子，保留了作者的原始筆跡。手稿本通常書寫比較隨意，信手寫來，不拘法度，塗改圈畫，隨處可見，由此亦可窺探作者之思路及思想變化。有些手稿本上還有作者的一些批語，如 “刪” 、 “補”等字，便於作者日後據此修改。有些則如清稿本一般，沒有塗改的痕跡。清稿本是作者在手稿本的基礎上重新謄錄的稿本。謄抄者可以是作者本人，又或者由他人代勞。至於修改本可以由作者親自修改，又或由其他學者批改修訂，名家批校過的，更是珍貴難得。例如顧廣圻(1770-1839) 的批校本，歷來均為藏書家珍若拱璧，並推許為他是 “清代校勘學第一人”。無論是寫本、稿本、鈔本、或批校本，都是獨一無二的，不可複製的，因此其價值不言而喻。
然而抄寫的傳統，在中國源遠流長，即使是從寫本時代進入刻本時代，這傳統並沒有中斷。古人抄書，大致有兩種目的：一是為抄書而抄書，即受雇為別人抄書；一是為讀書而抄書，就是為自己而抄書。古人有這樣的說法： “讀書不如抄書”、 “讀十遍不如寫一遍” (此故事來自宋羅大經的《鶴林玉露》卷一)。有了雕版印刷後，這傳統仍然維持下來，並未消失。另外，過去有些書籍是僅供保存而不作流通的，例如皇室中的歷朝實錄、起居注等，又或是卷帙浩大，刊刻成本過鉅的，亦只能利用抄寫來保存文獻，像明代的《永樂大典》，清代的《四庫全書》。《永樂大典》只有一部，到了明嘉靖年間才多抄一部，一直保存在皇史宬內，直到清末才散佚。《四庫全書》初期亦只有一部，後來多抄了六部，分存南北二地。至今《四庫全書》亦只存四部，其餘的已毀於戰火中。
The invention of paper caused a major shift within Chinese society, and with subsequent improvements in papermaking technology, and increased modes of production, paper gradually replaced bamboo and silk, which were commonly used writing materials in the Qin (221–207 BCE) and Han (206 BCE–220 CE) dynasties. Paper eventually became the most popular medium for intellectuals to express their thoughts and feelings, to keep records and to transcribe the classics. Reductions in the cost of production, accompanied by the widespread use of paper, made it affordable for even the most frugal of intellectuals. Some of these individuals made a living by transcribing texts, not solely for the sake of subsistence, but also as a way to study the classics, which in turn provided them career opportunities within the civil service. Buddhism and Taoism began to flourish during the Six Dynasties (220–589) and devotees believed in transcribing sacred books and texts in order to acquire merit. The transcription of religious works became yet another business for intellectuals, and it is possible that the sheer number of manuscripts found in the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang sheds some light on the vibrant level of activities prior to the advent of block printing.
Block printing, or xylography, was invented towards the close of the Tang dynasty (618–907). The printing of block books came into fashion during the Five Dynasties (907–960) and Northern Song (960–1127), but the golden era of block printing lasted until the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties. Transcription gradually gave way to block printing as the primary way to duplicate books during this period, which resulted in exponential growth both in terms of the total number of books printed and the variety of titles published. Author’s manuscripts, especially those that predate the Ming, are now extremely rare. They were usually disposed of after the books were published, as only the wooden blocks were kept for future printing. It was not until the late Ming that the importance of these manuscripts was recognized; fewer than four thousand Ming and Qing author’s manuscripts survive.
A manuscript is an original, handwritten copy of a work before it is printed—either a rough draft written by the author, a fair copy transcribed by the author, or by other people on the author’s behalf, or a copy edited and checked by the author and/or other scholars. A rough draft is usually written in a casual manner, reflecting the author’s reasoning and any alterations in the line of thought. A fair copy is the final, corrected copy based on the author’s rough draft. No matter which form it takes, a manuscript is unique; it cannot be duplicated and its value is self-evident.
(清) 沈彩墨蹟
Calligraphy of Shen Cai (Qing)
歷代藏書家每遇有珍本秘笈，也會以抄寫方式收藏起來。尤其明代以來，藏書家對宋元珍本，趨之若鶩。每次訪得孤本而又未能收入家藏時，便會聘請名手影摹臨寫，又或親自抄寫，收入家藏。像明代趙琦美 (1563-1624) 編的《脈望館抄本古今雜劇》，就是他從皇宮中演出的劇本抄出。每種劇本大都經他校跋，元代雜劇也因此而流傳下來。這個鈔本一直沒有刊刻過，到了民國二十七年(1938) 由鄭振鐸 (1898-1958) 幾經艱辛訪得，最終由中國國家圖書館庋藏。再如明代毛晉 (1599-1659) 的汲古閣、清代黃丕烈(1763-1825) 的士禮居、張蓉鏡(1802-?) 的小瑯環福地等，均以影寫宋元本精絕而為藏書家所重視。這些影摹寫本，其價值絕不下於原刻。
晚清藏書家劉承幹(1882-1963)，畢生藏書一萬二千四百五十部，二十萬冊。於南潯建嘉業堂，庋藏其書。其中宋本七十七種，元本七十八種，明本二千餘種。清刊本五千種，鈔本近二千種。另有《永樂大典》四十二冊，方志一千二百餘種。其宋元珍本，固然可觀，然而嘉業堂所藏之稿鈔校本，同樣琳瑯滿目，極具特色。
上世紀五十年代，香港大學馮平山圖書館有幸收購了嘉業堂部份宋元精槧，而購入數量更多者，乃嘉業堂的稿鈔校本。八十五年來，本館曾舉辦多次善本書展。宋元佳槧，耀人眼目。參觀者絡繹不絕，為爭睹宋元版風采，然稿鈔校本之可貴，卻較少為人關注。本館是次展出十多種稿鈔校本，紙潤墨香，隱然撲鼻。我們既可親睹作者之思緒，又可欣賞抄者之秀麗字體。這批經歷數百年之稿鈔校本，逃過了兵火之災，未有湮沒於歷史之中，輾轉由北而南，為本館守護。紙壽千年，墨韻猶存，部份雕鏤成書，流傳後世；部份則以其原貌，為敬惜者世世代代所鑑藏。
Transcription has a long tradition in China, lasting even after the arrival of the block- printing era. In the early days, intellectuals transcribed for two main purposes: as a means to make a living and for academic pursuits. There is an old Chinese saying about the usefulness of transcription: “reading is never as useful as copying a book; reading a work ten times is less useful than copying the work only once”. In addition, certain works, such as records of the daily lives of the imperial family, were not intended for circulation; only transcripts were kept. Voluminous works were costly to print and in many cases transcription was the only viable way to make additional copies. The Yongle Dadian (Yongle Encyclopaedia) and the Siku Quanshu (Complete Library of the Four Treasuries) are prime examples. The former was completed in 1408 and a second copy was not made available until 1567. Kept in the imperial library, both copies were damaged through extensive use. Fewer than 400 volumes, out of a total of 11,095, survive today. The Siku Quanshu also began with one copy, which was housed in the Forbidden City in Beijing, in the late 18th century. Six additional copies were later transcribed, with three copies for the emperor in specially constructed libraries in the north and three copies for the public in Siku Quanshu libraries in the south. Owing to wars and civil unrest, only four sets of the original copies still exist.
Book collectors also transcribed rare editions to add to their own collections. This became common in the Ming dynasty, when Song and Yuan editions were greatly sought after by book collectors. Individuals either would hire a scribe, or transcribe the rare editions and then add them to their personal collections. The value of a transcribed copy is comparable to the original.
Liu Chenggan (1882–1963) was a book collector active during the first half of the twentieth century. He established the Jiaye Library in Nanxun in order to house his personal collection of 12,450 titles in 200,000 volumes, which he accumulated throughout his lifetime. His collection included block prints from the Song (77 titles), Yuan (78 titles), Ming (more than 2,000 titles) and Qing (5,000 titles) dynasties, as well as more than 2,000 manuscript titles, 42 volumes of the Yongle Dadian and more than 1,200 local records. Equally impressive was the Jiaye Library’s manuscript holdings.
In the early 1950s, the Fung Ping Shan Library acquired a sizeable collection of rare books that formerly belonged to the Jiaye Library. The purchase included Song and Yuan block prints, along with a significant number of manuscripts. Over the years the Song and Yuan editions have always been of particular interest during the exhibitions of rare books from the Fung Ping Shan Library. The displayed manuscripts received considerably less attention, despite their great value. For this current exhibition, we are focusing on twelve masterpieces from our collection in the hopes that audiences will come to appreciate both the reasoning of the authors and the visual art form of the transcribers’ calligraphy.