抗日战争时期的商务印书馆——以香港分馆为中心

The Commercial Press in Wartime China:A Case Study of Hong Kong Branch

抗日战争爆发后,商务印书馆总管理处辗转从上海迁至重庆,并设立香港办事处,将出版重心转移到香港。香港分馆肩负起作为商务印书馆全国业务中枢的任务,扩大生产规模,编印多种图书和期刊,供全国销售和使用。然而1941年12月8日太平洋战争爆发,日军袭击香港,商务印书馆在战火中损失惨重。香港沦陷后,所有设施都被日军征用,仅余门市做有限度经营,直至战争结束后才逐渐得以恢复。抗战后期,商务印书馆改设驻渝办事处,重庆取代了香港作为该馆的业务中心。本文以香港分馆为主要线索,缕述抗日战争前期(1937—1941)商务印书馆的业务状况,以及香港在战乱时期,如何为中国出版业担任艰巨的任务。

With the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan,the head office of the Commercial Press moved from Shanghai to Chongqing and established an office in Hong Kong with its main emphasis on publishing. The Hong Kong Branch became the center of operation of the Commercial Press throughout the country by maximizing the production scale,publishing various books and periodicals for sale across the country.With outbreak of the Pacific War on 8thDecember 1941 and the seizure of Hong Kong by the Japanese,the Commercial Press suffered massive losses. After the fall of Hong Kong,all facilities were occupied by the Japanese forces and only the retail shops were operated to a very limited degree. The full service was resumed gradually after the end of the war. During the later period of the War,the Commercial Press had set up the Chongqing Office,which replaced the Hong Kong Branch as an operation center.This article examines the business development of the Commercial Press through the Hong Kong Branch in the early period of the War of Resistance against Japan( 1937-1941) and describes its contribution to the publishing industry in China during the wartime.