Thomas Frognall Dibdin
托馬斯·弗洛奈爾·狄布丁
作者簡介
托馬斯·弗洛奈爾·狄布丁（Thomas Frognall Dibdin，1776-1847），英國書話作家，其代表作《藏書狂》（The Bibliomania: or Book-Madness）至今仍為藏書愛好者津津樂道。書中收集了許多當時尚未公開的珍貴資料，作者詼諧幽默的文筆更為此書錦上添花。狄布丁還是羅克斯堡俱樂部（Roxburghe Club）的創立者之一。羅克斯堡通常被認為是世界上第一個讀書俱樂部，引領了此後席卷歐洲的讀書俱樂部風潮。
本文選自1809年出版的《藏書狂》，後被選入威廉·塔格（William Targ）編輯的《愛書人狂歡宴》（Carrousel for Bibliophiles）。在本文中，狄布丁以輕鬆幽默的筆調，詳細介紹了藏書狂的八大症狀。藏書狂“追書”的熱度足以媲美粉絲“追星”的狂熱，簡直讓人瞠目結舌。他還指出，藏書狂有方可治，也有一定裨益，但凡事過猶不及——在食指大動之前，還是先掂量掂量自己的胃口吧！
The ingenious Peignot, in the first volume of his Dictionnaire de Bibliologie, p.51, defines the Bibliomania to be “a passion for possessing books; not so much to be instructed by them, as to gratify the eye by looking on them. He who is affected by this mania knows books only by their titles and dates, and is rather seduced by the exterior than interior.” This is, perhaps, too general and vague a definition to be of much benefit in the knowledge, and consequent prevention, of the disease:Let us, therefore, describe it more certainly and intelligibly.
智者佩格納在《目錄學辭典》第1卷第51頁上，將藏書狂界定為“一種占有書籍的狂熱。他們占有書籍不僅是為了汲取知識，更多的是為了大飽眼福。感染了這種狂熱的人對書的了解僅停留在書名和出版日期上，且對裝幀的關注遠甚於內容”。這個定義或許太寬泛、太模糊，對於了解和預防這種疾病沒有多少幫助。因此，讓我們更準確、更清晰地描述描述吧。
Symptoms of this disease are instantly known by a passion for I. Large Paper Copies; II. Uncut Copies; III. Illustrated Copies; IV. Unique Copies; V. Copies Printed Upon Vellum; VI. First Editions; VII. True Editions; VIII. A General Desire for the Black Letter. We will describe these symptoms more particularly.
藏書狂的症狀直接表現為對以下事物的癡狂：一、大開本；二、毛邊本；三、插圖本；四、孤本；五、羊皮本；六、初版本；七、錯版本；八、黑體字本。接下來，我們將更詳細地描述這些症狀。
These are, a certain set or limited number of the work printed in a superior manner, both in regard to ink and press work, on paper of a larger size, and better quality, than the ordinary copies. Their price is enhanced in proportion to their beauty and rarity.
一、大開本。有些成套或限量版的書籍在用墨和印刷上均精益求精，比普通書籍開本更大、質量更高。它們的價格與其精美程度和稀有程度成正比。
This symptom of the Bibliomania is, at the present day, both general and violent, and threatens to extend still more widely. Even modern publications are not exempt from its calamitous influence; and when Mr. Miller, the bookseller, told me with what eagerness the large paper copies of werebespoke, and Mr. Evans shewed me that every similar copy of his new edition of Burnett's , was disposed of, I could not help elevating my eyes and hands, in token of commiseration at the prevalence of this symptom of the Bibliomania!
藏書狂的這種症狀在當下很普遍也很嚴重，而且有蔓延的趨勢。哪怕是現代出版物，也無法逃脫其可怕的影響。書商米勒先生曾告訴我，人們是如何爭相預購大開本的《瓦倫蒂亞勳爵遊記》的；埃文斯先生也向我透露，新版的伯內特《當代史》已銷售一空。我忍不住伸出雙手仰望蒼天，對藏書狂的這一症狀如此流行表示憐憫！
II. Uncut Copies. Of all the symptoms of the Bibliomania, this is probably the most extraordinary. It may be defined in a passion to possess books of which the edges have never been sheared by the binder’s tools. And here, my dear Sir, I find myself walking upon doubtful ground—your Uncut Hearnes rise up in “rough majesty” before me, and almost “push me from my stool.” Indeed, when I look around in my book-lined tub, I cannot but be conscious that this symptom of the disorder has reached my own threshold; but when it is known that a few of my bibliographical books are left with the edges uncut merely to please my friends (as one must sometimes study their tastes and appetites as well as one’s own), I trust that no very serious conclusions will be drawn about the probable fatality of my own case. As to uncut copies, although their inconvenience an uncut lexicon to wit!] and deformity must be acknowledged, and although a rational man can want for nothing better than a book once well bound, yet we find that the extraordinary passion for collecting them, not only obtains with full force, but is attended with very serious consequences to those “qui n’ont point des pistoles” (to borrow the language of Clement; vol. vi. p.36). I dare say an uncut first Shakespeare, as well as an uncut first Homer would produce a little annuity!
二、毛邊本。在藏書狂的所有症狀中，這可能是最特別的一種。有此種症狀的人，渴望擁有未經裝訂工具裁剪的書籍。親愛的讀者，我寫到這，發現自己的處境岌岌可危——你們這群“毛邊黨”紛紛對我“群起而攻之”，幾乎把我批得體無完膚。確實，我在環顧自己的書架時，不禁意識到，這種混亂的症狀已經蔓延到我家門口了；但看到我的一些目錄學著作不裁頁邊時（有時候，你必須像了解自己的口味一樣研究朋友的口味），我確信自己的症狀沒有嚴重到致命的地步。盡管毛邊本的缺陷和帶來的不便已得到公認（試想一本沒裁開頁邊的詞典！），盡管理智的人都想要書，但仍有人有收集毛邊本的特殊狂熱。他們不隻是傾盡全力，還可能導致克萊門特所說的“身無分文”（語出克萊門特作品，第6卷，第36頁）的嚴重後果。我敢說，毛邊本足以換來一小筆年金！
III. Illustrated Copies.A passion for books illustrated or adorned with numerous prints, representing characters or circumstances mentioned in the work, is a very general and violent symptom of the Bibliomania, which has been known chiefly within the last half century. The origin, or first appearance, of this symptom has been traced by some to the publication of Granger’s Biographical. History of England; but whoever will be at the pains of reading the preface of this work, will see that Granger sheltered himself under the authorities of Evelyn, Ashmole, and others; and that he alone is not to be considered as responsible for all the mischief which this passion for collecting prints has occasioned. Granger, however, was the first who introduced it in the form of a treatise, and surely “in an evil hour” was this treatise published—although its amiable author must be acquitted of “malice prepense.” His History of England, seems to have sounded the tocsin for a general rummage after, and slaughter of, old prints:Venerable philosophers and veteran heroes, who had long reposed in unmolested dignity within the magnificent folio volumes which recorded their achievements, were instantly dragged from their peaceful abodes to be inlaid by the side of some spruce, modern engraving, within an illustrated Granger!