从韦氏拼音到汉语拼音:北美图书馆拼音转换项目的回顾与思考  

From Wade-Giles to Hanyu Pinyin:Review and Reflections on the Pinyin Conversion Project in North American Libraries

作　　者：陈垚 甘露 李想 王成志[4] Yao Chen;Lu Gan;Xiang Li;Chengzhi

机构地区：[1]芝加哥大学东亚图书馆 [2]多伦多大学东亚图书馆 [3]科罗拉多大学 [4]哥伦比亚大学东亚图书馆

出　　处：《天禄论丛》2023年第1期1-20,共20页Journal of Society for Chinese Studies Librarians

摘　　要：北美图书馆使用汉语拼音仅有20余年的历史。北美图书馆在20世纪50年代之前并未采用统一的汉字罗马化标准,从20世纪50年代末才开始普遍使用韦氏拼音对中文资料进行编目。2000年至2001年期间,美国图书馆成功地将上千万条编目记录中的中文罗马字从韦氏拼音转换为汉语拼音。这一拼音转换项目从最初开始讨论到具体实施和完成,乃至随后的清理工作,时间跨度之长、合作范围之广,以及具体工作之繁杂,都在北美图书馆人心中留下了不可磨灭的印记。在此项目完成20周年的时刻,通过采访当年参与拼音转换项目的12位图书馆员,根据他们的口述回忆从不同的角度回顾项目开始和完成情况,思考其中的得与失。利用有关的历史文献资料和馆员口述访谈录考察和分析北美拼音转换项目的历史,可以总结这一项目的重大意义,并从中获得对未来的启示。同时借此文向参与此项目的同仁前辈致敬。Hanyu Pinyin was adopted by North American libraries about twenty years ago.Before the 1950s,libraries in North America did not have a shared romanization standard for Chinese language resources.It was not until the late 1950s that the Wade-Giles system was adopted as the standard romanization scheme,Following many years of debates and preparation,the Pinyin Conversion Project was successfully implemented in North American libraries during 2000-2001,with tens of millions of cataloging records Chinese Romanization forms converted from Wade-Giles to Pinyin.Almost all libraries with relatively significant Chinese holdings participated in this project and went through a complicated process,ranging from initial discussions and deliberations,conducting surveys and reaching agreements,project implementation and completion,to final data cleaning.The project entailed meticulous hard work by individuals and groups and exhibited extensive cooperation among libraries and library organizations.On the 20th anniversary of the completion of this project,we interviewed 12 librarians who actively participated in the Pinyin Conversion Project.This article,based on the analysis of relevant historical documents and oral histories,intends to examine the historical development of the Pinyin Conversion Project and synthesize its important ramifications for now and the future.We'd like to use this article to pay tribute to the librarians who were a part of the project.

关 键 词：韦氏拼音(威妥玛拼音) 汉语拼音 北美图书馆 汉字罗马化 图书编目 

分 类 号：G25[文化科学—图书馆学]