Movable Type Printing 活字印刷术

**《梦溪笔谈·卷18技艺10》**
版印书籍，唐人尚未盛为之。自冯瀛王[1] 始印五经[2]，已后典籍，皆为版本。庆历[3]中，有布衣[4]毕昇[5]，又为活版。其法：用胶泥刻字，薄如钱唇，每字为一印，火烧令坚。先设一铁版，其上以松脂、蜡和纸灰之类冒之。欲印，则以一铁范置铁板上，乃密布字印。满铁范为一板，持就火炀之，药稍镕，则以一平板按其面，则字平如砥。若止印三二本，未为简易；若印数十百千本，则极为神速。常作二铁板，一板印刷，一板已自布字，此印者才毕，则第二板已具。更互用之，瞬息可就。每一字皆有数印，如“之”、“也”等字，每字有二十余印，以备一板内有重復者。不用则以纸贴之，每韵为一贴，木格贮之。有奇字素无备者，旋刻之，以草火烧，瞬息可成。不以木为之者，木理有疏密， 沾水则高下不平，兼与药相粘，不可取。不若燔土，用讫再火令药熔，以手拂之，其印自落，殊不沾污。昇死，其印为予群从所得，至今保藏。

***Mengxi Bitan* Chapter 18 Jiyi 10**
Woodblock printing was not widely used during the Tang dynasty. Ever since Feng Ying Wang started to print the *Five Confucian Classics* with woodblock printing in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, all the classics were printed in such a way. During the Qingli period of the reign of Emperor Renzong, a man called Bi Sheng invented movable type printing. His method goes as follows:
1. Carve Chinese characters with clay and glue, making the protruding characters as thin as the edge of copper coins;
2. Carve every character on a small block of moistened clay and then bake it to harden;
3. Coat an iron board with a layer made of pine gum, wax and paper ash.
When he wants to print, he puts an iron frame on it and then fills the frame with hardened earthen types. Then he heats the board on the fire. When the pine gum and wax gradually melt, he uses another board to press onto the types. In this way the types on the board are made as level as a grindstone. If only two or three books are printed, the advantage of this method is not conspicuous. But when tens or hundreds of books are printed in this way, the speed will be greatly quickened and its convenience and efficiency will be fully realized. Two iron boards are often prepared. When one is in use, the types are made and arranged for the other. When the first board finishes its printing task, the second one will be ready for use. By alternatively using the two boards, the printing of a book will be soon finished. In order to speed up the printing process, every character has several types. For example, characters most commonly in use such as “之” (meaning “of”) and “和” (meaning “and”) have more than 20 types for repetitive use. When these types are not in use, each of them will be labeled and stored up in the wooden shelves. When special characters that are not commonly used are needed, they will be made right on the spot. Such earthen types can be easily hardened by fire. Wood is not used to make types because the grain of wood is different from each other and it will bend upward or downward when being moistened. Furthermore, the ingredients such as pine resin, wax and paper ash cannot be taken off if it is glued onto the wood. As far as the ingredients glued onto the types made of clay are concerned, they can easily melt in the fire and the types will drop off automatically with a gentle whisk. After Bi Sheng died, some of the types made by him were collected by my nephews, which are still well preserved until today.

**【注释】**

[1] 冯瀛王féng yíng wáng：冯道（882年－954年），五代时期著名宰相。

Feng Dao (882 – 954 AD) was a famous prime minister in the Five Dynasties.

[2] 五经wǔ jīng：儒家典籍《诗经》《尚书》《礼记》《周易》《春秋》。

The canonical Confucian classics: *Shi Jing* (*Book of Odes*), *Shang Shu* (*Book of Documents*), *Li Ji* (*Book of Rites*), *Zhou Yi* (*Book of Changes*), and *Chun Qiu* (*Spring and Autumn Annals*)**.**

[3] 庆历qìng lì：宋仁宗1041年－1048年的年号。

The era name of emperor Song Renzong from 1041 to 1048.

[4] 布衣bù yī：平民。这里指没有做官的读书人的平民。

Here refers to scholarly civilians who are not officials.

[5] 毕昇bì shēnɡ：毕昇（972年－1051年），活字印刷术的发明者。

Bi Sheng (972 －1051 AD), inventor of movable type printing.

**【今译】**

用雕刻木板印刷书籍，唐朝人还没有广泛使用。自从五代冯瀛王（冯道）印五经开始，以后的经典书籍，都采用刻版印刷了。庆历年间（1041年 – 1048年），有个平民叫毕升，创造了活字印刷的技术。他的方法是：用胶泥来刻制活字，活字的厚度薄得像铜钱边缘，每个字做成一个印，然后用火把它烧硬。印刷前先准备一块铁板，在这铁板上面涂一层松脂、蜡和纸灰调和成的药料。要印刷时，就把一个铁框放在铁板上，在铁板里将字密密的排列字印。排满以后，拿到火上烘烤。等到松脂和蜡逐渐熔化，用一块平板压在活字上面一按，这样铁板上的字印就能平得像磨刀石那样。如果只印两三本书，这种方法不算省事；如果印上几十、几百以至几千本，那就非常快速。通常是准备两块铁板，一块板在印刷时，另一块板进行排字；第一版刚印完，第二版已准备好。两块板轮流使用，很快就可以把书印好。每一个字都制有几个印，例如“之”、“也”等常用字，每个字有20多个印，以便准备一板内有重复的字使用。不用的时候，就用纸贴上标签，按每个韵的字帖为一类，装在木格子里保存起来。如果遇上不常见的字，就立即刻制，用草火来烧它，使它变坚硬，转眼间就做成。之所以不用木料来做字印的原由，是因为木料的纹理有疏有密，沾上水以后就会凹凸不平，而且木和药料粘在一起，不容易取下。不如用胶泥制的好，用完后把字板放在火里烤一下，使药料熔化，用手一拂，字印自动就脱落，一点也不会沾污。毕升死后，他的一些活字字印传给我的子侄们手里，到现在还珍贵地保存着。