技術變革的焦慮與跨越——從宋代印刷術的過渡性衝擊談當代古籍文獻資訊化的大數據未來

The Anxiety and Transcendence of Technological Revolution: Discussion on the Big Data Challenge of the Modern Digitization of Chinese Ancient Documents from the Transitional Impact of Printing Technology in the Song Dynasty

古籍文獻數位化從 1984 年臺灣中央研究院「二十五史食貨志」的製作到今 天，已歷整整 30 年。30 年來文史學界投入嘗試與製作，追隨電腦科技的發展腳 步，盡力與盡情將原屬紙本及古典形式的古代典籍轉換成數位訊息、仿真圖片以 及自動檢索的文本資料。大家都明白以及相信，數位化必然是下個階段的古籍整 理方式與里程碑，30 年來各種時新製作也確認了這個趨勢。不過，相對其他領域 的革命，古籍文獻走的步伐還是保守、有限，主要還是在初階的廣泛全文化及圖版掃瞄，文本內在的關連精神與外在的形式跨越都尚屬稚嫩。而從較早不少個人化的建置到現今，漸漸形成資源單位的專利以及商業集團的獨大，文史專家投入逐漸減少，遑論整個理應迎向數位化到來並主導古籍文獻過渡的文史學界。究其原因，不外發現了古籍數位化工程的龐大複雜、資訊技術的難以掌握以及個人力量的侷限。這種趨勢與致力相違的情況，更深層的原因是沒有真正看到數位化革命的效益與新天地，而闇於認識的緣由又肇因於對技術的陌生。本文採取重回唐 宋印刷術發展的歷史觀察策略，從當時所面臨的媒介革命、遭遇的實務問題以及改變焦慮等，看今天我們所面對的類似景況―技術的強大與強迫、從事的艱辛與低效、變化的疑慮等。更有甚者，如今的數位革命已跨步向資料革命，又是一個人類的新經驗在形成中。古籍文獻作為一種鉅量資料，在資訊技術的運算下將呈 現何種新認識？它們的意義在哪裡？希望藉由歷史的發展與鼓舞，找到今天努力 跨越的勇氣與信心，促進文史學界往新時代大步邁進、夢想齊發。

Since the production of “二十五史食貨志” of Academia Sinica in Taiwan in 1984, to date, digitization of Chinese ancient documents has been developed for 30 years. Over this period, the literature and history field has attempted to use computer technology to transform Chinese classic ancient documents into digital information, replicated images, and texts of automatic indexing. It is obvious that digitization is the future trend and milestone of reorganization of ancient documents. Over the past three decades, various new production methods have supported this trend. However, comparison to revolutions in other fields, the progress of Chinese ancient documents is rather conservative and limited. It is mainly based on primary full texts and scanning of images. The essence of texts and external forms are still at an early stage. From early personalized construction to the present, the focus has been shifted to patents of resource units and oligopoly of business groups, with less participation of historic experts, not to mention the academia. The reason is that ancient documents digitization is complicated and vast, thus, the complexity of the information technology and limitation of individual efforts have led to the inferior result. Moreover, the outcome and new opportunities of digitization revolution are neglected due to the unfamiliarity with the technology. This paper observes the historic development of printing technology in Tang and Song Dynasty. It further compares media revolution, obstacles in practice, and anxiety of change at the time with current similar situation: power and compelling force of technology, difficulty and low effectiveness, anxiety of change, etc. In addition, modern digital revolution is becoming data revolution. It is the formation of human beings’ new experience. What can be the new topical subject in Chinese ancient documents, as Big data, in calculation of information technology? What is the significance? By historic development and encouragement, this paper intends to encourage the literature and history field to approach a new era.