史前时期“实物之编”的思想灵光

Sparking Thoughts in Prehistoric Editing

一般认为,编辑活动产生于文籍出现之后。在文籍出现之前,自然不存在现代意义上的编辑活动,但存在着最为原始的"编"之行为和"编"之思维。在结绳时代,绳索是一种信息传播的媒介,编法不同(如绳之大小、结之多少),传播的信息则不同。这种"实物之编"已体现出一种原始的编辑传播思想,即通过一定的媒介(绳索)和媒介制作手段(编法)来记录和传播信息,这一点在本质上是与后世"文籍之编"的编辑思想相一致的。由此,可以说"结绳记事"是一种最为原始、最为质朴的"编辑活动","编"之行为、"编"之思维,先于文字而存在,正是先民的这种"结绳"活动和"结绳"思维,才孕育了后世"文籍之编"的编辑思想和编辑实践。

It is generally believed that editing emerged after written literature.Editing in the modern sense did not exist before the arrival of written literature,but the primitive 'editing' activities and thinking did exist.In the Knot Age,ropes were a kind of media and different ways of 'editing' ropes(e.g.different lengths and numbers of knot) could convey different messages.This kind of real thing editing brought with it a kind of primitive idea of editing and communication,viz.information could be recorded and spread by means of certain media(ropes) and media production(knotting).Such a primitive idea was litter different from the later idea of editing written literature.Therefore,'knotting to set down events' can be called the most primitive and simplest 'editing activity'.The activities and ideas of editing came before the written language,and it is the primitive knotting activities and ideas that gave birth to the editing idea and practice of written literature.