Newsletter No. 394

4 No. 394, 19.3.2012 陳 之藩 教授的妻子 童元方 教授，有一次在中大 翻譯系的活動中朗讀伍立曼（Samuel Ullman）的 詩‘Youth’的中譯〈青春〉，說是陳教授的譯筆，在座許多 人才知道陳之藩譯詩譯得那麼出色。 現在的大學強調培養兼具人文和專業素養的人才，陳教授 就是融會科學與人文的典範，本行是電機工程，卻熱愛寫 作，並以散文享譽華人世界，他的《旅美小簡》、《在春風 裡》、《劍河倒影》等，都是膾炙人口的作品。他以兼具理 性與感性的筆觸，論科技談文學記人情道世事，詩詞歌賦 軼聞故事隨手拈來，字裏行間又處處流露知識分子的家國 情懷。此外，他還擅長翻譯，英詩譯作輯成《蔚藍的天》一 書。正如中大翻譯系研究教授 黃國彬 所說：「能出入於科 學與文學之間而無窒礙的作家少之又少，陳之藩教授是其 中之一。在我看來，他是稀有的『雙棲奇才』。」 出掌電子學系 陳之藩教授在1977年應聘到中大出任電子學系講座教授 及系主任，直至1985年初。現任中大副校長 程伯中 教授在 1984年加入電子學系，他回憶最初見到陳教授的趣事：「我 剛上任第一天去見陳教授，當時電子學系在科學館北座， 經過系辦公室後就是系主任的房間。我去到，站在他房間 門口，明明約好時間，為甚麼看不見人？其他同事也說他在 啊。但我就是見不到他。原來他的桌子堆滿書本紙張雜物， 很亂的。他人就躲在後面，被擋住都看不見了。」 程教授說陳教授的思考方式很獨特，他舉一個例子：「有 一次我下午去找他，見到他房門打開就敲門，然後就聽到 他說：『伯中，你為甚麼敲我的門把我吵醒？』我說：『我不 知道你在睡覺啊。』他說：『我已經特地把門打開。』我說： 『一般人休息是會把門關起來。』他答：『我把門打開，讓 人家見到我在睡覺，就不會來吵我。』」 正是由於這位系主任思考獨特，電子學系有許多開風氣之 先之舉。程教授舉例：「今天我們常說科技轉移，就是把大 學做出的學術研究供給工業界使用。當年香港一個相當成 功的例子，就是在中文大學電子學系。那時候有兩三位老 師掌握最新的液晶體科技，陳教授就為這些同事提供很 大的空間，讓他們把理論變成實踐，創立一家相當成功的 科技公司。」當時大學尚沒有科技轉移政策，這種「老師下 海」的做法如果要規管，是可以管得很死。但陳之藩教授 鼓勵同仁做出有用的研究，影響社會。程教授說：「他在這 方面看得很遠。」 此外，陳教授任內開設電子學博士課程，是中大最早的 博士課程之一，中大第一個博士生就是由他擔任指導老 師。2002年陳教授重回中大，出任電子工程學系名譽教授。 以香港為家 從中國大陸飄泊到台灣、美國、英國的陳教授，晚年定居 香港。2012年1月底，陳教授與童元方教授曾回台北過農 曆新年，童教授回憶說：「我們待在他台北的家，可是他就 一直問：『我們甚麼時候回家？』」可見香港這個他曾形容 為「未到之前，並不想來；可是到過之後，就不想離開的地 方」，已經成了他最眷戀的家。今年2月25日，已回到香港 的陳之藩教授，在威爾斯親王醫院溘然長逝。心情悲痛的 童教授寫下幾句話，想向陳教授說：「感謝你的信任，這樣 將身心託付。感謝你的勇敢，改變了我的一生。感謝你的愛 情，我這輩子才沒有白活。」 今年1月14日，抱病在身的陳教授仍堅持回校，在童元方 教授陪同下，出席由中大聯合書院、工程學院及台灣國立 成功大學合辦的「雲淡風輕─陳之藩教授文物特展」開 幕儀式。這個為表揚陳教授的貢獻和文學成就的展覽，現 於聯合書院胡忠多媒體圖書館二樓舉行，展期至2012年 4月13日。 「雲淡風輕近午天，傍花隨柳過前川；時人不識余心樂，將 謂偷閒學少年。」陳教授小時候背《千家詩》，第一首就是 這首〈春日偶成〉。這位如春風吹拂過文壇的文學家，輕輕 的吹來，現在又輕輕的去了。 P rof. Chen Chih-fan , honorary professor of the Department of Electronic Engineering, died on 25 February, leaving us with one less figure who was able to seamlessly fuse arts and science. A renowned writer and scientist, Professor Chen was an incarnation of the ideal Renaissance Man that modern universities strive to produce. Trained as an electronic engineer, he was an inspiring essayist known for his elegantly simple writing style. He wrote with sense and sensibility about science, arts, contemporary people and current affairs. His essays are interspersed with rich knowledge of literature and anecdotes, and imbued with his care and concern for the Chinese nation. Professor Chen was also a skilled translator who published a collection of his translations of English poetry. As Prof. Wong Kwok-pun Laurence , research professor of the Department of Translation, commented, ‘Very few writers can move freely between science and literature. Prof. Chen Chih-fan was one of them. I would describe him as a rare “amphibian”.’ Helming the Electronics Department Professor Chen came to CUHK to serve as Professor of Electronics and chairman of the Department of Electronics in 1977. He left in early 1985. Prof. Ching Pak-chung , Pro-Vice-Chancellor, joined the Department of Electronics in 1984. He recalled meeting Professor Chen on his first day of work. ‘I went to his office to see him. At that time the Department of Electronics was located at the North Block of the Science Building, and the chairman’s room was right behind the general office. When I arrived, no one was there. The staff at the general office insisted that he was there. It turned out that he was blocked by a mountain of books and a sea of paper on his desk, which was a chaotic mess.’ Professor Ching said that Professor Chen had a unique way of thinking. ‘Once I went to his office to see him. I knocked on the door seeing that it was open. And I heard his voice: “P.C., why did you knock on my door and wake me up?” I said: “I didn’t know you were sleeping.” He said: “I left the door open.” I said: “Normally people close the door when they’re taking a rest.” He said: “I left the door open so people can see that I’m napping and won’t wake me up.”’ Thanks to this maverick chairman, the Department of Electronics was a pioneer on many fronts. Professor Ching gave an example: ‘Today technology transfer is a buzzword. That means universities should make their scientific and technological developments accessible to industry. In the 1980s, one of the most successful examples of technology transfer took place at CUHK’s Department of Electronics. Professor Chen gave substantial help to a couple of teachers who developed the newest LCD technologies, so they could turn theory into reality by establishing a technology company.’ 春風輕輕的去了─懷念陳之藩教授 Remembering Prof. Chen Chih-fan (1925–2012) 青春不是人生的一段時光， 青春是心情的一種狀況。 青春不是柔美的膝， 朱紅的唇， 粉嫩的面龐。 青春是鮮明的情感， 豐富的想像， 向上的願望， 像泉水一樣的清冽與激揚。 ……