近代活字印刷在东方的传播与发展

Spread and Development of Modern Type Printing in the East

传统活字印刷技术由于多种原因在中国、日本古代出版业都一直未占主流。近代机械活字印刷术在 19世纪初由西方传教士带入我国 ,一度掀起的外国人研制中文字模的热潮至 50年代末告一段落。日本幕末时期也有人尝试活字印刷 ,但到 186 9年姜别利被请到日本“传经”才走上正轨。日本后来居上 ,很快向中国逆向输出活字。

Western missionaries introduced modern mechanical type printing to China in the early 19 th century. At first it faced the problem of various types of Chinese characters, and then it led to a campaign of studying Chinese character moulds among foreigners, which declined near the end of 1950's. In Japan people first tried type printing during Mumo period, but they didn't come to the right path until William Gambel was invited to Japan in 1869. Soon Japan surpassed China and began to export their type printing techniques to China. Exploring how this came about is very intriguing.