Friday, December 30, 2011

梁啟超的兒女們升學留學錄

中國近代思想家梁啟超有9個子女,人人成才,各有所長:

大女兒梁思順 (令嫻) (1893-1966),是梁啟超的長女,生於廣東新會,她自幼愛好詩詞和音樂,但沒有出國升學。

二兒子梁思成 (1901-1972),著名建築學家,梁啟超的長子,生於日本。早年入清華學堂學習,1924年赴美留學,畢業於賓夕法尼亞大學建築系,獲碩士學位。回國後他選擇了去當時比較艱苦的東北大學創辦了中國北方的第一個建築系。「九‧一八」事變前夕,他離開東北大學回到北平加入了中國營造學社,從事中國古建築的研究。

他到學社後改變了學社過去只注重文獻考證的研究方法,組織調查隊,從1931-1937年走遍了華北地區,到偏僻的鄉村去探尋古代建築。對所發現的古建築,諸如五台山佛光寺 ()、太原晉祠 () 等,進行測繪、攝影、分析、研究鑒定,寫出了有科學價值的調查報告。他是第一個運用現代科學方法,對中國古建築進行分析研究的學者,開拓了中國建築史的研究道路。

1945年抗戰勝利後,他深感國家缺乏建築人才,因而又創辦了清華大學建築系,並於1946年赴美講學及考察建築教育。1947年被推薦為聯合國大廈設計顧問團的中國代表。同年美國普林斯頓大學因他在中國建築學術上的重要貢獻授予他名譽博士學位。

1949年後他立即投身到新中國的建設中去,並成為一個社會活動家。他親自領導並參加了國徽圖案及人民英雄紀念碑的設計工作。

三兒子梁思永 (1904-1954),著名考古學家,梁啟超的次子,生於澳門,1923年畢業於清華學校留美預備班,隨後赴美國入哈佛大學研究院攻讀考古學和人類學,曾參加印第安人古代遺址的發掘,並研究東亞考古。其間,曾一度回國在清華學校學研究所擔任助教。1930年在美國哈佛大學畢業後,回國參加前中央研究院歷史語言研究所考古組工作。1931年春參加河南安陽小屯和後岡的發掘,秋季參加山東歷城 (今章丘) 龍山鎮城子崖的第二次發掘。

四兒子梁思忠 (1907-1932),梁啟超的三子,生於日本,後畢業於美國弗吉尼亞陸軍學院和西點軍校,回國後任國民黨十九路軍炮兵校官,1932年患腹膜炎,因貽誤治療而去世,年僅25歲。

一心要學成報國的思忠,作為一個軍官他未能戰死在彊場上,對他是多麼的不公平啊!

五女梁思莊 (1908-1986),梁啟超的次女,著名圖書館學家,生於日本,1926-1930年間就讀於加拿大蒙特利爾麥基爾大學,獲文學學士學位。1930-1931年就讀於美國紐約的哥倫比亞大學圖書館學院,獲圖書館學士學位。1931年學成歸國後,立即投身於中國圖書館事業。

六兒子梁思達 (1912-2001),梁啟超的四子,長期從事經濟研究。生於日本,1935年畢業於南開大學經濟系,後留校做研究生,於1937年畢業,沒有出國升學。

六女梁思懿 (1914-1988) 及七女兒梁思寧 (1916-2006),都沒有出國升學。

九兒子梁思禮 (1924- ),也是梁啟超最小的孩子,著名火箭控制系統專家,生於北京,1941年當他17歲時隨思懿赴美留學,在普渡大學獲學士學位,接著在辛辛那提大學獲碩士和博士學位。1949年回國,初在郵電部電信技術研究所和通信兵部電子科學研究所從事技術工作,並參加國務院組織的「十二年科學遠景規劃」,負責起草運載火箭的長遠規劃。1956年調入國防部第五研究院任導彈系統研究室主任。他為祖國從無到有的導彈控制系統事業貢獻自己的才智,是中國航天事業的開拓者之一。

而梁啟超的媳婦,梁思成的太太,也是中國五四時期知名的才女 -- 林徽因,於1924年與梁思成一起去美國賓夕法尼亞大學學習。梁思成報的是建築系,由於當時建築系不招收女生,所以林徽因只好報了美術系,旁聽建築系的課。

1927年林徽因於賓州大學美術學院畢業後又進耶魯大學戲劇學院學習半年舞台美術設計,成為中國向西方學習舞台美術的第一位留學生。同年2月梁思成得建築系的學士學位,7月得碩士學位。

節錄及稍改寫自《梁啟超和他的兒女們》 吳荔明著

Thursday, December 08, 2011

怪不怪 DSE

思亞誠心祝願每一位同學考試成功!

今年高中畢業的兩批同學毋須太擔心,政府已設定雙倍學位接收新生,擔心的反而是到時 Double-Cohort開學後,8間大學對學生的照應,上課安排優質教授的課的時間,甚至校內文娛活動的空間,會出現什麼程度的削弱。

考試成功讀好大學,考試不成功也要讀好大學,只有讀好的大學和好的學科,大學畢業方有價值!

今天的經濟環球式發展,香港大學的畢業生還要跟中國和東南亞的畢業生競爭,而不少這些學生是世界一級大學的畢業生!

DSE‧中學文憑試會為第一屆優異成績學生帶來新的壓力,因為牛津劍橋失去以A-Level評審香港學生的能力;同樣地,也為成績不理想的學生帶來壓力,因為不能再用會考成績報讀外國大學的機會。

外國大學在國際競爭和學位充足的大前提下,一直以來積極放低門檻吸納港澳及新發展國家的學生,問題是中學文憑試暫定七月二十日放榜,想九月到外國好的大學開學,便得「精打細算」一下。

DSE之後,若想或渴望出國升學,請咀嚼一下以下這三點:

海外升學的意義
  • 擴‧大‧尋‧找‧理‧想‧的‧空‧間
  • 學‧好‧英‧語,體‧驗‧西‧方‧文‧化
  • 給‧自‧己‧另‧一‧次‧機‧會‧走‧向‧成‧功

並且記下這個進程表:
  1. 美國社區學院 最好讀,今天到5月中考個 I-TOEFL… 之後鄭永忠博士教你揀C.C
  2. 會計 精算 醫科 物理治療 護士 酒店管理 澳洲 好好,一般10月開課,暫時毋須太煩惱
  3. 加國有 Simon Fraser 及 Manitoba 名大學招生,不須住宿你就 5 月報,要連住宿就今天報
  4. 去英國 思亞有 倫敦大學、CATs、Gloucestershire、Plymouth、Portsmouth、Sunderland、Swansea 等等… 最遲可以於四五月申請

Thursday, November 03, 2011

做個好老師真容易

(賈伯斯小時候是頂頑皮的。) 帶賈伯斯那一班的老師是希爾 (Imogene Hill)。賈伯斯說:「希爾老師是我生命中的天使,因為她,我才得救。」希爾仔細觀察賈伯斯的行為,認為這樣的孩子吃軟不吃硬,用獎勵要比嚴懲來得有效。賈伯斯說:「有一天放學的時候,希爾老師給我一本數學題本要我帶回家做。我立刻抗議:『老師,你瘋了嗎?』這時,她拿出一根巨大的棒棒糖,在我眼裡,那就像地球一樣大。她說,如果我全部做完,而且大部分的題目都做對了,就給我那根棒棒糖和5塊錢。不到兩天,我就把一整本的題目都做完交給她了。」幾個月後,賈伯斯不再需要老師給他糖果或獎金。他說:「我只想學得更多、更好,讓老師高興。」

然而,希爾老師還是送他科學玩具組來獎勵他,像是可自己磨透鏡製造的相機。「我從她身上學到很多東西,這是其他老師不能給我的。要不是她,我一定會進監獄。」希爾老師也讓他感覺自己是個特別的孩子。「她看到我的獨特之處,因此在我們這一班,希爾老師最關心我。」

賈伯斯傳 P. 41

Saturday, October 29, 2011

孔仲尼做特首

如果孔子做特首,以下會是他的施政大綱,你猜他的民調有幾分?

『堯說:「嘖嘖!舜啊!按照天意所定的繼承順序,帝位就在你身上了,你要誠實恰當地保持執守中正之道。如果你執行有偏差,天下百姓陷於貧困,那麼上天賜給你的祿位就會永遠終止了。」

舜也是用這些話囑咐了禹。

商湯說:「我小小履,大膽虔誠地用黑色的公牛來祭祀,冒眛地向光明而偉大的天帝禱告:對有罪的人,我不敢擅自赦免。您的臣僕的善惡,我也不敢隱瞞掩蓋,對此您心裡是清楚知道的。如果我自身有罪過,請不要責怪連累天下萬方;天下萬方如果有罪過,罪過都應歸在我身上。」

周朝初年大發賞賜分封諸候,善人都得到富貴。周武王說:「雖有至親,卻不如有仁德的人。百姓如有過錯,都應該由我一人來承擔。」

孔子常說:「謹慎地制定審查度量衡,恢復被廢棄的官職與機構,天下四方的政令就通行了。復興滅亡了的國家,接續斷絕了的世族,推舉起用前代被遺落的德才之士,天下民心就歸服了。

國家所要重視的是:人民,糧食,喪葬,祭祀。

做人寬厚,就會得到眾人擁護;誠實守信用,就會得到別人的任用;做事勤敏,就會取得成功;處事公平,就會使大家高興。』


《白話論語》徐志剛 譯注

Friday, October 21, 2011

A Father’s Advice

Liang, you have become patient and tolerant because you are now objective and thoughtful.

I quite appreciate the Occupy Wall Street movement because the people in the financial industry are generally speaking greedy and even immoral. One famous U Penn-educated economics professor says finance-major university graduates are the most unwanted people in modern societies because they tend to create financial problems than solving them. I tend to agree with him.

Liang, life from now on will be more inspiring and exciting but also more challenging for you. You will like it although very often you will find yourself with difficult choices to make. Don't worry about that.

Why? Because it's important to make the right choice but it's even more important to act the right way after making a choice.

Secondly, because you will keep learning and we shall always share with you our experiences.

In my opinion there are four kinds of people we still need today and will need in our future society. They are visionaries, of whom you tend to become one. Number two, operatives who tend to be dutiful and meticulous. Number three, the workers who get things done. Number four, the priests who try to comfort human souls.

A successful person always needs to have a mix of the four kinds of abilities; it’s just a matter of proportion.

About your involvement in the Wall Street Protest, I quite like the new concept of majority rule. Give it a try, Liang, because my limited experience of the old majority rule tells me that the old rule is not really flexible enough to embrace new ideas.

Again, Liang, let me share with you my observations of development on the society level. I tend to think that there are three kinds of people who are never obsolete. They are politicians, financiers and workers . World development in the past 500 years has told us that. Do you agree?

Liang, these days, I have been travelling with Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being. I went to Shenzhen yesterday to prepare opening a branch office there after the Chinese New Year. In the coach bus, I happened to be reading this chapter, which started with this paragraph. Want to know what Kundera says?

“Anyone who thinks that the communist regimes of Central Europe are exclusively the work of criminals is overlooking a basic truth: the criminal regimes were made not by criminals but by enthusiasts convinced they had discovered the only road to paradise.”

It's cliche but rewritten by Kundera who is a good writer so that it is refreshing to read.

If you want to read on, go to page 170.

Liang, as Mom says, you are insightful and perceptive. You have had the power to do something different. It's just a matter of what and how big.

Keep going, keep working and keep learning and it will be a complete life! Do you think so?

Love,
Dad

Thursday, October 20, 2011

A Modern Education

Hi everyone again,

Nice to hear your thoughts on Han han. My personal feeling is that there are many things that are overdue in our society, example 1) the resistance that is now showing up with the Occupy Wall Street movement to the rampant financial and environmental exploitation by corporations and example 2) an educated and internet savvy youth in China that can call out the leaders on hypocrisies that otherwise go unchallenged. Here's the initial article I read that I found very interesting on the limits of the internet in bringing social change (http://wagingnonviolence.org/2011/10/clicktivism-alone-doesnt-work-in-china-either/#more-12889).

On Saturday I went to the Occupy Fredericton protest, a small group of about 100 gathered and marched and afterwards a core group of about 20 stayed around to hold a longer protest in the vein of what is happening in New York. There is not leader and no mandate and so we congegrated and talked about what we think we should try to accomplish and how. The decision process is deliberately not majority rule where 49% of the vote can get steamrolled but rather by consensus through general assembly. People would propose things and people could vote "assent" or "block." Consensus minus 10% was necessary to move forward with the motion and if there was more than 10% "blocking" then concerns would be heard and a discussion held and then subsequent modifications made to the proposal and a vote again. It was infuriating slow, the pace at which we made decisions (10 minutes to decide when the next meeting should be), I dread what the decision making process may look like when it comes to "issues." But maybe this is what a real and involved democracy looks like. As a population, we make few decisions about the policies that guide our lives and we frankly don't have the time or patience and getting involved is a laborious process. Corporations on the other hand have budgets the size of a small country's GNP to lobby and sway public opinion. Maybe we all need to be held more responsible for our own lives rather than delegating decisions to politicians and then blaming them for poor outcomes. We'll see where this leads, there is certainly a momentum in the air.

I think my growing interest in politics is indicative of the one part of me that is ready to put down roots and make my surroundings healthy, communal, sustainable. I can see myself starting a farm or at least starting to build something. Yet, another part of me still wants to explore more. The end of farming season always brings me uncertainty as I start to plot out the coming year. I have talked to the professor in charge of Ecological Agriculture at Mcgill and would be able to enter their one year program for Eco Agriculture. The main objective of this would be to gain a formal understanding of farming and engage in academia again should I pursue graduate studies. I feel I am ready to excel at school. Other things I am considering are coming back to Asia to learn about agriculture in a different climate and social setting and also spend time with family. Kadoorie has a Environmental Interpreter course that I would love to take that could bridge a gap for me for Cantonese and environmental/agricultural interpretation and there are farms I know of to work at. Also, I would consider just working in Montreal for the winter again to make some money so that I could travel again with an agricultural focus or also to look for a camp or educational farm where I initiate a project to provide the farming part of an wilderness education summer camp, teaching kids farming while providing food for the camp. I feel I have the farming knowledge and competency and confidence to start doing this.

With most of my decisions today, I feel that it doesn't matter what I decide, that I will find a way to be happy and fulfilled, to learn and grow as a person. There are always considerations (family in Hong Kong, family in Montreal, Noa, Christine, close friends, beautiful landscape, cultural stimulation, hockey, greenhouse gases) but I don't know how to weigh one against the other. It's good to write this all down, crystallize the ideas in my head and communicate them to my family. Again, I ask for some opinions.

Love you all dearly,
Liang


Friday, July 08, 2011

張五常: 研究經濟問題之一

我要把這些補鞋的青年歸納在我對中國經濟研的一部份,有兩個原因。第一,他們既年輕 大約在十六至二十歲之間 而人數又相當多,觸發了我的好奇心。第二,補鞋不是擦鞋,不是幾個小時就能學會的服務。當然,補鞋算不上是一門高深的專業,但總算是一技之長,是一種要花時間學習才能爭取到的資產

一九八六年一月,我在深圳訪問了一對補鞋的男女。四月間,我又再訪問那個女的。據他們說,在中國各地街頭以補鞋為業的青年,大部分來自浙江省的黃岩縣。這個縣以針锈工藝馳名,很多孩子從小就掌握家傳的針锈技巧。一九八零年後,中國比較開放了,離開家鄉出去闖天下比較自由。另一方面,在縣裡操農業工作的時間不多,而其他的粗活,每月所能賺到的只不過是人民幣二十至四十元。所以,黃岩縣的長輩就想出一個主意: 教孩子們學補鞋,然後讓他們離開家鄉到外賺錢,幫補家計

補鞋的青年在深圳的收入聽說比其他地方好,但到那裡的手續辦起來比較困難,而近年來批准的機會更少了。在深圳,補鞋的收入每月大約是人民幣三百元 這比鄉間的收入高出大約八倍

除了一切費用開銷,每個補鞋青年每月可寄大約八十至一百元回家。據說,黃岩縣有很多新建的房屋,是靠這些青年資助的。為了証實這一點,我本想到黃岩縣走一趟,但因事忙作擺。

補鞋的青年,尤其是那些少女,由於年紀太小,家長要他們聯群結伴才可離鄉遠行。在廣州或深圳,他們前呼後應,互相關照,其中有表哥表妹的同操這個行業。我在深圳訪問的那個少女,跟五個女同伴一起租一個房間。除了雨天,她們的工作時間是從早上七時至下午六時。她們吃的午餐是些粗餅或麵包,而晚餐也是僅可充饑的麵食而已。她們蓬首垢面,留下烈日與塵沙侵蝕過的痕跡,手皮粗厚,四肢擦傷的地方不計其數,反映街頭幹粗活並不好過。但她們堅持說比以前快樂得多,顯出敬業樂業的精神,令我深感佩服

我在其他文章裡也曾指出,在中國的制度改革下,國民總收入的迅速增長,是不值得大驚小怪的。昔日的經濟劣跡,不堪回首,稍加改革,收入增長以倍數計不足為奇。中國近幾年來每年百份之十以上的增長率,從樂觀的角度看足以雀躍,但從悲觀的角度看,卻反映出制度改革之不足。說什麼「過熱」、「過速」,要緩慢下來,實在有點「口出大言」,因為這些說法通常是用以描述一個經濟發達國家的現象。

節錄自《新賣桔者言》

Monday, July 04, 2011

留美升學經驗苦與樂

尋尋覓覓的日子

1959年我進入洛杉磯加州大學, 61年學士, 62年碩士, 63年的春夏之交就考完了博士試。殊不知這勢如破竹的進度, 在博士試後卻碰到銅牆鐵壁: 有整整3年的時間找不到自己滿意的論文題材

阿師教我寫英文

論文第一章的初稿是6611月完成的, 隔行打字40多頁, 寄到加大的赫舒拉發及阿爾奇安。過了一個星期找他們聽意見。赫師一見我就讚過不休, 把修改了少許的文稿交還給我。再去見阿師, 他交還給我的稿改得面目全非, 用鉛筆寫得密密麻麻, 沒有一句完整無改的。我看一看, 差不多哭了出來。

不高興地敵開阿師, 回到長堤家,中惘然若失, 晚飯後坐在書桌前細讀阿師在文稿上的修改與質疑, 越看越心驚, 越看越佩服, 到全部消化了他的評語時, 一看手錶, 已是過了一夜的上午11時了。就這樣, 一夜之間我判若兩人

此前我曾經在英語行文上下過數年苦工, 懂得舞文弄墨, 但阿師的評語使恍然大悟, 知道舞文弄墨是大忌! 模棱兩可的字一概不能用, 術語一定要有所解, 思維要連貫, 文字要簡單, 也要直寫。後來論文交卷時的第一句 – “這研究有兩部份” --- 那種手起刀落, 開門見山的文體, 反映著阿師的教誨。希望後學的人知道, 簡單直寫說易頗易, 說難甚難, 但用起來其妙無窮也

大鄉里出城去也

我是19679月芝加哥大學去的。當時芝大經濟系實力之強, 史無前例 (恐怕也是後無來者, 因為當年的同事, 先後有八個獲諾貝爾獎!)


張五常

Tuesday, June 07, 2011

美國大學教育質素高

早在90年前,世界知名科學家愛恩斯坦便指出美國科研高水準的原因:

“I have a warm admiration for the achievements of American institutes of scientific research. We are unjust in attempting to ascribe the increasing superiority of American research work exclusively to superior wealth; devotion, patience, a spirit of comradeship, and a talent for cooperation play an important part in its successes.” (A.Einstein, Ideas and Opinions pp6-7)

美國學者有更詳實分析美國大學出色的理由:

“There was a pattern of leveling up: by 1970 or so, research and training was no longer dominated by a select few institutions – Chicago and the Ivies. Distinction was as likely to be found in major public institutions (Berkeley, Ann Arbor, Madison)…”(T. Bender, “Politics, Intellect, and the American University, 1945-1995”)