I studied Sanskrit and Pali in the Oriental Language Department of Peking University at 1960- 1965. At that time, the principal was Lu Ping, who had just taken office. His predecessor was President Ma Yinchu. When I first entered Peking University, I saw many posters posted on the wall criticizing President Ma's "population theory". President Ma believes that China has a large population, so we should control the population growth and carry out family planning. This view was severely criticized by President Mao Zedong, who said: Ma Yinchu only saw people wanting to eat with their mouths open; He didn't see that people still have two hands and can work. Premier Zhou did Ma Yinchu's ideological work and asked him to admit his mistakes and write a review. I didn't expect President Ma to be tough and never admit his mistake, so I had to dismiss the class. Therefore, Lu Ping, vice minister of the Ministry of Railways, was transferred to the post of president of Peking University.
In Peking University.
During my study in Peking University, I felt that the academic atmosphere of Peking University was very strong, and I often invited famous foreign scholars to give academic reports. Students study hard and run back and forth in the dormitory, canteen, library and classroom with their schoolbags on their backs every day. In addition to books, there are bowls and chopsticks in the schoolbag. There was a riddle at that time: the schoolbags of Peking University students. Type a name. The standard answer is: Li (Li) is full of bowls (late). Li Chengwan was then the president of South Korea.
Talk about Mr. Ji Xianlin
conscientious and responsible
When I was studying in Peking University, Professor Ji Xianlin and Professor Jin Kemu taught our specialized courses. The two teachers take turns in class. In grade one, Mr. Ji talks about grammar and Mr. Jin talks about examples. After grammar, I began to read Sanskrit classics. Mr. Ji talks about Sanskrit literary masterpieces, including folk stories, novels, plays, poems and so on. In addition to the history of Sanskrit literature, Mr. Jin also talks about Indian classical philosophy and literary theory. In the fifth grade, Mr. Jin continued to teach Sanskrit, and Mr. Ji began to teach Pali. Because Pali is similar to Sanskrit, you can understand it a little.
Our class 17 students have professional classes every day, which shows that the two teachers have paid a lot for our students. The teaching styles of these two teachers are very different. Mr. Ji learned Sanskrit from Germany, and his grammar is concise and clear after finishing and processing by Germans. Teacher Jin studied Sanskrit from India, so his class took the traditional path of India. He can recite many Sanskrit poems, and when he is proud, he can shake his head and sing Sanskrit poems like an old gentleman in our country. A Sanskrit problem is easy for Mr. Ji to talk about, but complicated for Mr. Jin to talk about. Mr. Ji can explain the problem clearly in five minutes, and Mr. Jin should speak for at least half an hour.
Because the two people have different teaching styles, there are often some minor contradictions. Mr. Jin said that Mr. Ji's teaching method was "capitalism". Mr. Ji was unconvinced and said, "Is my capitalism better than feudalism?" During Mr. Jin's study in India, the social nature of India was feudalism. Mr. Jin is the propaganda minister of Jiu San Society, and Mr. Ji is party member. After learning about their relationship, the United Front Work Department of Peking University Party Committee once advised Mr. Ji: "Mr. Jin is the object of our United front, so you should unite with him."
Teacher Ji has been the director of the Department of Oriental Languages for a long time, and the only students he actually teaches are our class. He didn't give lectures 60 years ago. After the Cultural Revolution, he just tutored graduate students, and my classmate Zhang Baosheng spoke Sanskrit. Teacher Ji usually teaches us in the bungalow behind the East Language Department, and the teaching room in the building is used by foreign teachers. Teacher Ji suffers from dermatitis for a long time and often scratches his arm when giving us lectures. I didn't know that his dermatitis had developed into skin cancer until I read his miscellaneous notes in the hospital bed.
Teacher Ji is conscientious and responsible in teaching. He sent us Sanskrit articles for us to preview and let us talk about them first in class. If we make mistakes, he corrects us, which makes us nervous. Because after thinking about it, I was deeply impressed.
A simple life
Mr. Ji lives frugally and often wears very old Chinese tunic suit and cloth shoes, which makes many jokes in this respect. Legend has it that a student went out with a lot of luggage. When I saw Mr. Ji, I thought it was an old worker and said rudely, "Grandpa, do me a favor and help me with my bag." Teacher Ji really carried his schoolbag for him and sent him out of school. He also said that he went to the office building to attend the school affairs meeting, and the doorman thought he was a worker and wouldn't let him in. I didn't let him in until I learned that he was the vice principal. I don't pay attention to eating either. I ate at his house, and my wife (who has passed away) gave me a bowl of noodles and an egg. My Jenny is very kind and illiterate. Mr. Ji, a great scholar and illiterate wife, should be a model for contemporary young men and women.
Mr. Ji's most admired predecessors are Chen Yinque and Tang Yongtong, who are often praised when chatting with us. During the Chinese New Year holiday, he only visited Vice President Tang Yongtong and showed our exercise books to Mr. Tang, who praised us for our good study. Just like parents treat their children, children's childish behavior makes parents very happy. Mr. Ji often mentioned his classmates Hu Qiaomu and Joe in front of us, saying, "Of all our classmates, I am the most worthless. Hu Qiaomu is a central leader and a member of the Political Bureau. Joe is the vice minister of foreign affairs and has seen it. "
After graduation, some students in our class stayed in Peking University and some were assigned to China Academy of Social Sciences. After the Cultural Revolution began, both my teachers were "knocked down". The East Language Department of Peking University called us back and criticized two teachers. The person who presided over the meeting said, "They are executioners who kill people without seeing blood." When we spoke on the stage and read out the "highest instructions", both teachers bowed and confessed. As usual, Mr Ji is wearing a faded tunic suit, and Mr Jin is wearing an old double-breasted jacket. They are sallow and emaciated, with a deep hunchback. Obviously, they have suffered a lot. I think they must hate our ungrateful and unfilial descendants. Actually, it's not. Just after the Cultural Revolution, Mr. Ji called us together and told us the research methods: to study a certain problem, we must first understand the research status at home and abroad and determine our own breakthrough goals. We also called a meeting with our classmates to exchange information about Indian studies at home and abroad. He also prefaced my translation of Dream of Scared Dreams. Love between teachers and students is a long story.
Set up South Asia Institute
After the Cultural Revolution, Mr. Ji visited his 90-year-old teacher at the University of G? ttingen in Germany and gave him eight volumes of Ramayana. Instead of praising him, his teacher said that he was worthless: "What's the big deal about translating Ramayana? People who know Sanskrit can translate it as long as they work hard. You are from China, so you should study Toxoplasma gondii. Your China has saved a lot of information on toast in Romanian, and we foreigners can't even see it if we want to see it. " After returning home, Mr. Ji often told people that being scolded in front of teachers is more cordial than being praised.
Peking University was the hardest hit area of the Cultural Revolution, and the two factions were strongly opposed. Mr Ji wants to leave Peking University and set up the South Asia Institute in China Academy of Social Sciences. After learning about it, the leaders of Peking University firmly disagreed, saying that China Academy of Social Sciences was digging a corner of Peking University, 1978, and promoted Mr. Ji as vice president. Peking University and China Academy of Social Sciences jointly organized the South Asia Institute, which was organized by Mr. Ji and others. After planning, he will report to Hu Qiaomu, president of China Academy of Social Sciences. After receiving the news, President Hu went to Teacher Ji's home in person. South Asia Institute was born under the planning of two old classmates, and its director is Mr. Ji.