UGutenberg—Indlela Acebisa Ngayo Izwe!

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EJALIMANE

YIPHI into eyasungulwa enkulungwaneni yeminyaka edlule eye yaba nethonya elikhulu ekuphileni kwakho? Ucingo, ithelevishini noma imoto? Mhlawumbe akukho neyodwa kulezi. Ochwepheshe abaningi bathi ukunyathelisa ngomshini. Indoda eyasungula indlela yokuqala yokunyathelisa nguJohannes Gensfleisch zur Laden, owayaziwa ngelikaJohannes Gutenberg. Wayevela emkhayeni wesigaba esiphezulu, ngakho-ke kwakungadingekile ukuba afunde ebe esebenza.

Ikhono lokusungula izinto likaGutenberg liye lachazwa ‘njengeqhaza laseJalimane elikhulu empucukweni.’ Ngayinye ikhophi yomsebenzi wakhe wobuciko bokunyathelisa eyasinda—ebizwa ngokuthi iBhayibheli likaGutenberg elinemigqa engu-42—ibiza imali eshisiwe.

IMainz Echumayo

UGutenberg wazalelwa eMainz, cishe ngo-1397. Njengoba iMainz isosebeni loMfula iRhine, ngaleso sikhathi yayiyidolobha elinezakhamuzi ezibalelwa ku-6000. Yayibizwa ngokuthi iMainz Echumayo (Golden Mainz), ngenxa yokuthi yayiyisikhungo senhlangano yamadolobha enamandla. Ababhishobhi abakhulu baseMainz kwakuyibo ababekhetha uMbuso Ongcwele WaseRoma. IMainz yayidume ngokuba nabantu abahweba ngegolide. Insizwa enguJohannes yafunda okuningi ngensimbi, kuhlanganise nokuthi ungazigxiviza kanjani izinhlamvu zamagama ensimbini. Ngenxa yezinxushunxushu zezombangazwe, wadingiselwa eStrasbourg iminyaka ethile, lapho ahlanganyela khona ekusikeni amatshe ayigugu futhi wafundisa abanye ukuwasika. Kodwa ayekwenza isikhathi esiningi kwakuwumsebenzi wakhe oyimfihlo walokho ayekusungulile. UGutenberg wazama ukuthuthukisa ikhono lokunyathelisa ngomshini.

Ukuhlakanipha KukaGutenberg Nemali KaFust

UGutenberg waphindela eMainz waqhubeka nocwaningo lwakhe. Ukuze athole usizo lwemali wacela uJohann Fust, owamboleka ama-gulden angu-1600—okwakuyitshe lemali ngaleso sikhathi lapho ingcweti enekhono emsebenzini yayihola ama-gulden angu-30 kuphela ngonyaka. UFust wayengusomabhizinisi okhaliphile owayebona ukuthi lo msebenzi uzoba nenzuzo. Hlobo luni lo msebenzi uGutenberg ayelucabanga?

Amehlo kaGutenberg akhaliphile abona ukuthi izinto ezithile ezifanayo zazikhiqizwa ngobuningi. Ngokwesibonelo, imali ewuhlweza yayenziwa ngokugxotshwa, futhi izinhlamvu zazenziwa ngensimbi. Pho kungani ayenganyathelisi amakhasi amaningi emibhalo afanayo abese ewahlanganisa ngokulandelana abe yizincwadi ezifanayo? Ziphi zona izincwadi? Wacabanga ngeBhayibheli, incwadi eyayibiza kangangokuthi omtakabani kuphela ababenamakhophi ayo abo siqu. UGutenberg wayehlose ukukhiqiza amaBhayibheli amaningi afanayo, abese ewabiza imali encane kunamakhophi ayebhalwe ngesandla kodwa ebe esemahle ngendlela efanayo. Kwakuzokwenziwa kanjani lokhu?

Izincwadi eziningi zazikopishwa ngesandla, okwakudinga ukukhuthala nesikhathi. Kwakuke kwazanywa ukunyathelisa ngokhuni oluqoshwe ngesandla ngalunye lunekhasi lombhalo. Indoda yaseChina okuthiwa uPi Sheng yayize yenza ngisho nezinhlamvu zobumba ezazizosetshenziswa ekunyatheliseni. EKorea, izinhlamvu ezenziwe ngethusi zazisetshenziswa ekunyatheliseni izinto zikahulumeni. Kodwa ukunyathelisa ngezinhlamvu ezihlelwa ngesandla—izinhlamvu ezingazodwa ezingaphinde zihlelelwe ikhasi elisha—kwakudinga izinhlamvu eziningi, futhi akekho owayesethole indlela yokuzenza. Lokho kwashiyelwa kuGutenberg.

Njengoba ayenolwazi lokusebenza ngensimbi, wacabanga ukuthi ukunyathelisa kungenziwa kangcono ngezinhlamvu ezihlelwa ngesandla ezenziwe ngensimbi, hhayi ngobumba noma ngokhuni. Zazingabazwa noma zibhakwe kuhhavini kodwa zazifakwa entweni yokulolonga. UGutenberg wayedinga izinto zokulolonga ezazizosetshenziselwa ukwenza zonke izinhlamvu zakhe ezingu-26—ngamagama amancane nangosonhlamvukazi—nezinhlamvu ezihlangene, izimpawu zenkulumo, izimpawu zezinombolo nezinombolo. Sekukonke wathola ukuthi kwakudingeka izinhlamvu ezingu-290 ezihlukene, ngalunye lube nezinye eziyinqwaba ezifana nalo.

Ukuqala Umsebenzi

UGutenberg wabhala incwadi yakhe ngolimi lwesiLatini, esebenzisa indlela yokubhala yesiGothic, eyayisetshenziswa izindela ekukopisheni iBhayibheli. Esebenzisa ulwazi ayenalo ngensimbi, waqopha umfanekiso ohlanekezelwe wohlamvu ngalunye esigaxeni esincane sensimbi okungukuthi, umfanekiso oqoshwe waqhama ngaphezulu ensimbini. (Umfanekiso 1) Lesi sigxivizo sensimbi sabe sesisetshenziselwa ukudlulisela imifanekiso ezigaxeni ezincane zensimbi ethambile, eyithusi noma ithusi elixutshiwe. Kwaphumela emfanekisweni wangempela wohlamvu oluqoshwe ensimbini ethambile, olubizwa ngokuthi i-matrix.

Isinyathelo esilandelayo sasihilela into yokulolonga, okwakuwumkhiqizo wobuhlakani bukaGutenberg. Le nto yokulolonga yayilingana nenqindi yomuntu futhi ivulekile phansi naphezulu. I-matrix enohlamvu yayibekwa phansi entweni yokulolonga, bese kuthelwa ingxube yensimbi encibilikisiwe phezulu. (Umfanekiso 2) Le ngxube yensimbi—ithini, umthofu, insimbi elukhuni emhlophe ne-bismuth—yayipholiswa bese yomiswa ngokushesha.

Le ngxube ethathwe entweni yokulolonga yayiba nomfanekiso wohlamvu ohlanekezelwe ngakolunye uhlangothi futhi yabe seyibizwa ngokuthi uhlamvu lomshini. Le nqubo yaphindwa kwaze kwaba yilapho sekukhiqizwe inani elidingekayo lalolo luhlamvu. I-matrix enalolo luhlamvu yayibe isisuswa entweni yokulolonga kufakwe i-matrix enolunye uhlamvu. Ngaleyo ndlela, kwakungakhiqizwa noma ezingaki izingxenye zohlamvu lomshini ngalunye ngesikhashana nje. Zonke izinhlamvu zomshini zazilingana ngobude, njengoba nje uGutenberg ayefuna zibe njalo.

Ukunyathelisa kwase kungaqala manje. UGutenberg wakhetha ingxenye yeBhayibheli ayefuna ukuyikopisha. Ephethe induku yokuqondisa ngesandla, wayesebenzisa uhlamvu lomshini ukuze abhale amagama futhi wawenza aba imigqa yombhalo. (Umfanekiso 3) Umugqa ngamunye wawulinganiswa neminye. Esebenzisa i-galley, wenza imigqa yaba izinhlu zombhalo, izinhlu ezimbili ekhasini ngalinye. (Umfanekiso 4)

Leli khasi okwakuzonyatheliswa kulo lalibekwa ohlangothini oluyisicaba lo mshini bese limantiswa ngoyinki omnyama. (Umfanekiso 5) Umshini wokunyathelisa—onjengemishini yokwenza iwayini—wawudlulisa uyinki uwususa ohlamvwini lomshini uwuyisa ephepheni. Bese kuphuma ikhasi elinyathelisiwe. Kwasetshenziswa uyinki namaphepha amaningi futhi le nqubo yayiphindaphindwa kuze kube yilapho sekutholakele inani lamakhophi elalidingeka. Njengoba izinhlamvu zazihlelwa ngesandla, zazingaphinde zisetshenziswe ukuze kunyatheliswe elinye ikhasi.

Ubuciko Bokunyathelisa

Ishabhu likaGutenberg elaliqashe abantu abangu-15 kuya kwabangu-20, laqeda iBhayibheli lokuqala ngqá elinyathelisiwe ngo-1455. Cishe kwakunyatheliswe amakhophi angu-180. IBhayibheli ngalinye lalinamakhasi angu-1282, imigqa engu-42 ekhasini ngalinye, eyizinhlu ezimbili. Ukuhlanganiswa kwezincwadi—iBhayibheli ngalinye laliyimiqulu emibili—ukuhlotshiswa ngokupendwa ngesandla kwezihloko kanye nohlamvu lokuqala lwesahluko ngasinye, kwenziwa kamuva ngaphandle kweshabhu likaGutenberg.

Ingabe singacabanga ukuthi kwakudingeka izinhlamvu ezingaki ukuze kunyatheliswe iBhayibheli? Ikhasi ngalinye linezinhlamvu ezingaba ngu-2600. Uma uGutenberg ayenemishini eyisithupha, ngamunye wenza amakhasi amathathu ngesikhathi, kwakuzodingeka izingcezu ezingaba ngu-46 000. Singabona ngempela ukuthi ukunyathelisa ngezinhlamvu ezihlelwa ngesandla kwakuxhomeke entweni yokulolonga kaGutenberg.

Abantu babebamba ongezansi uma beqhathanisa la maBhayibheli: Igama ngalinye lalisendaweni efanayo. Into eyayingenakwenzeka ngezincwadi ezibhalwe ngesandla. UGünther S. Wegener ubhala ukuthi iBhayibheli elinemigqa engu-42 ‘lalifana, lilingana, livumelana, lilihle kangangokuthi abanyathelisi phakathi nayo yonke le minyaka baye bamangala ngalobu buciko.’

Ukuswela Imali

Nokho, uFust wayenesithakazelo ekwenzeni imali engenandaba nobuciko. Ukubuya kwenzuzo yemali ayeyitshalile kwathatha isikhathi eside kunaleso ayesilindele. Babe sebehlukana, kwathi ngo-1455—njengoba la maBhayibheli ayeqedwa ukulotshwa—uFust wafuna imali yakhe ayeyibolekisile. UGutenberg wahluleka ukukhokha le mali, ngemva kwalokho walahlwa icala enkantolo. Waphoqelelwa ukuba anikeze uFust okungenani eminye yemishini yokunyathelisa nezinhlamvu zeBhayibheli. UFust wavula indawo yakhe yokunyathelisa kanye nesisebenzi esinekhono sikaGutenberg, uPeter Schöffer. Ibhizinisi labo, i-Fust and Schöffer, lathola igama elihle ngomsebenzi kaGutenberg futhi laba indawo yokunyathelisa yokuqala emhlabeni eyayiphumelela kwezohwebo.

UGutenberg wazama ukuqhubeka nomsebenzi wakhe ngokuvula enye indawo yokunyathelisa. Ezinye izazi zithi ezinye izincwadi ezanyatheliswa ekhulwini le-15 leminyaka zanyatheliswa nguye. Kodwa akukho okudlula izinga eliphezulu nobukhazikhazi beBhayibheli elinemigqa engu-42. Ngo-1462 waphinde wavelelwa umshophi. Ngenxa yombango ekubuseni kwamaKatolika, iMainz yashiswa futhi yathunjwa. UGutenberg walahlekelwa ishabhu lakhe okwesibili. Wafa eminyakeni eyisithupha kamuva, ngo-February 1468.

Ifa LikaGutenberg

Lokho okwasungulwa uGutenberg kwasakazeka ngokushesha. Ngo-1500 kwase kunemishini yokunyathelisa emadolobheni angu-60 aseJalimane nakwamanye amazwe aseYurophu angu-12. I-New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Ukuthuthuka kokunyathelisa kwaholela enguqukweni kwezokuxhumana. Eminyakeni engu-500 eyalandela kwenziwa intuthuko enkulu ekunyatheliseni, kodwa inqubo eyinhloko yayilokhu ifana.”

Ukunyathelisa kwaguqula ukuphila kwaseYurophu, njengoba ulwazi lwalungaselona olomtakabani kuphela. Izindaba nokwaziswa kwaqala ukufinyelela nakubantu abavamile, abaqala ukwazi ngezinto ezenzekayo endaweni ebazungezile. Ukunyathelisa kwenza ukuba kudingeke indlela evamile yokubhala ulimi lwesizwe ngalunye, eyayingaqondwa yibo bonke abantu. Ngakho-ke, isiFulentshi, isiJalimane nesiNgisi kwaba izilimi ezivamile ezamukelekayo futhi zalondolozwa. Isidingo sezincwadi zokufundwa sakhula kakhulu. Ngaphambi kukaGutenberg kwakunemibhalo yesandla eyizinkulungwane ezimbalwa eYurophu; eminyakeni engu-50 ngemva kokufa kwakhe kwase kunezigidi zezincwadi.

INguquko yekhulu le-16 yayingeke iphumelele ngaphandle kokunyathelisa ngemishini. IBhayibheli lahunyushelwa olimini lwesiCzech, isiDashi, isiFulentshi isiJalimane, isiNgisi, isiNtaliyane, isiPolish nesiSlavonic futhi umshini wokunyathelisa wawenza waba lula umsebenzi wokunyathelisa amashumi ezinkulungwane zamakhophi. UMartin Luther wawusebenzisa ngokunenzuzo umshini wokunyathelisa ekusakazeni umyalezo wakhe. Waphumelela emkhankasweni wakhe kuyilapho abanye ababephila ngaphambi kukaGutenberg bahluleka. Yingakho nje uLuther achaza umshini wokunyathelisa njengendlela kaNkulunkulu “yokusakaza inkolo yeqiniso emhlabeni wonke”!

Amakhophi Asinda EBhayibheli LikaGutenberg

Mangaki amaBhayibheli kaGutenberg asinda? Kuze kube muva nje bekukholelwa ukuthi angu-48—amanye awo engaphelele—esakazeke eYurophu naseNyakatho Melika. Enye yamakhophi aphambili kakhulu, iBhayibheli elibhalwe ephepheni elenziwe ngesikhumba eliseLibrary of Congress eWashington, D.C. Kwathi ngo-1996, kwaphinde kwatholakala okunye okusezingeni eliphezulu: Enye ingxenye yeBhayibheli likaGutenberg yatholakala endaweni yokugcina izinto yesonto eliseRendsburg, eJalimane.—Bheka i-Phaphama! ka-January 22, 1998, ikhasi 29.

Yeka indlela esingabonga ngayo ngokuthi iBhayibheli selikwazi ukutholwa yinoma ubani! Yebo, lokho akusho ukuthi singaphuma siyothenga elikaGutenberg elinemigqa engu-42! Libiza malini lilinye? IGutenberg Museum eMainz yathola ikhophi ngo-1978 ngama-deutsche mark ayizigidi ezingu-3,7 (alingana namaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-12 namuhla). Manje leli Bhayibheli selibiza ngokuphindaphindwe kakhulu kunaleyo mali.

Yini eyenza iBhayibheli likaGutenberg livelele kangaka? UProfesa uHelmut Presser, owayengumqondisi weGutenberg Museum, usikisela izizathu ezintathu. Okokuqala iBhayibheli likaGutenberg laliyincwadi yokuqala ngqá eyanyatheliswa ngezinhlamvu ezihlelwa ngesandla eNtshonalanga. Okwesibili kwakuyiBhayibheli lokuqala ngqá elanyatheliswa. Okwesithathu lihle ngokumangalisayo. UProfesa Presser uthi eBhayibhelini likaGutenberg, sibona “indlela yokubhala yesiGothic esezingeni eliphezulu ngempela.”

Abantu bayo yonke imikhakha yempucuko bayakwazisa ukuhlakanipha kukaGutenberg. Wahlanganisa into yokulolonga, ingxube yezinsimbi, uyinki nomshini. Waqala ukunyathelisa ngomshini futhi wacebisa izwe.

[Izithombe ekhasini 16]

1. Kwakusetshenziswa isigxivizo sensimbi ukuze kufakwe umfanekiso wohlamvu kuyi-“matrix” yethusi

2. Ingxube encibilikisiwe yayithululelwa entweni yokulolonga. Uma le ngxube seyomile, uhlamvu lomshini olwenziwe lwaluba nomfanekiso ohlanekezelwe wohlamvu

3. Uhlamvu lomshini lwalubekwa endukwini yokuqondisa ukuze kubhalwe amagama, kwenziwe umugqa wendaba

4. Imigqa yayenziwa izinhlu nge-“galley”

5. Ikhasi okuzonyatheliswa kulo lalibekwa endaweni eyisicaba yomshini

6. Ucwecwe lwethusi oluqoshiwe lukaGutenberg, olwenziwa ngawo-1584

7. Namuhla ikhophi eyodwa yeBhayibheli likaGutenberg ibiza izigidi zamaRandi

[Umthombo]

Pictures 1-4, 6, and 7: Gutenberg-Museum Mainz; picture 5: Courtesy American Bible Society

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 16]

Background: By Permission of the British Library/Gutenberg Bible