三月下旬,春雨蒙蒙,我們驅(qū)車(chē)直奔浙江湖州南潯,在著名的小蓮莊,應(yīng)約采訪來(lái)自香港的叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金基金會(huì)主席顧家麒先生。
顧先生是香港著名的泌尿科專(zhuān)家,曾是香港第一個(gè)為患者成功施行換腎手術(shù)的外科醫(yī)生。這位英國(guó)皇家外科學(xué)院、愛(ài)丁堡皇家外科學(xué)院和美國(guó)外科學(xué)院三院院士、浙江省政協(xié)港澳委員,這次率領(lǐng)眷屬特地回內(nèi)地故里掃墓。顧先生的祖父顧叔蘋(píng)和慎太夫人以及顧先生的父親叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金的創(chuàng)辦人顧乾麟和劉太夫人,都安葬在湖州的道場(chǎng)山。顧先生祭掃了先輩的陵墓以后,來(lái)到南潯入住千翁賓館,準(zhǔn)備在此召開(kāi)叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金基金會(huì)理事會(huì)議。
走進(jìn)設(shè)在小蓮莊的叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金成就展覽館,那一幀幀內(nèi)容豐富的圖片資料和實(shí)物,生動(dòng)地展示了叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金的創(chuàng)辦人顧乾麟先生一生嘔心瀝血疏財(cái)克己育群英的感人事跡。叔蘋(píng)展覽館如今已被列為湖州市愛(ài)國(guó)主義教育基地,它自1990年4月開(kāi)館至今日,已有100多萬(wàn)人參觀了展覽館。1991年11月,78歲高齡的詩(shī)人、作家徐遲參觀了展覽,老人的心不僅被香港的愛(ài)國(guó)人士、實(shí)業(yè)家顧乾麟先生那“得之社會(huì),還之社會(huì)”的精神深深打動(dòng),而且經(jīng)過(guò)歷時(shí)4個(gè)月的實(shí)地采訪,以《得諸社會(huì),還諸社會(huì)》為題寫(xiě)出了感人肺腑的長(zhǎng)篇報(bào)告文學(xué)。
顧乾麟先生于1909年元月出生于上海,1949年5月舉家移居香港,原籍為浙江湖州南潯。19世紀(jì)末的浙江南潯以盛產(chǎn)蠶絲聞名,生絲遠(yuǎn)銷(xiāo)海外,南潯因此成為一座巨富之鎮(zhèn),顧家為鎮(zhèn)上的第二富翁,他的祖父顧敬齋因經(jīng)營(yíng)蠶絲出口,在上海十六鋪建起大堆棧,獨(dú)攬上海的出口打包業(yè)務(wù),不意就在生意鼎盛時(shí)期英年早逝。待到顧乾麟的父親顧叔蘋(píng)接替打包公司時(shí),已經(jīng)家道中落,當(dāng)時(shí)已負(fù)債3.7萬(wàn)兩的白銀,且36歲的父親又因患急性腎病不治而亡。獨(dú)子顧乾麟17歲時(shí)在逆境下繼承了父業(yè),經(jīng)過(guò)幾十年的艱辛創(chuàng)業(yè),顧家的打包公司終于又日益昌盛,在上海灘立穩(wěn)了腳跟。
讓顧乾麟先生終身不能忘懷的是父親臨終前的諄諄教誨:“一個(gè)人不可無(wú)錢(qián),不過(guò)要賺得光明正大,用得光明磊落,要好好利用錢(qián),但不能被錢(qián)利用,要得之于社會(huì),還須還之于社會(huì)。”顧乾麟經(jīng)商成功后,雖然還不算“巨富”,但他心里想著的便是怎樣回報(bào)社會(huì),為社會(huì)做些好事。一次,他在為公司招收5名練習(xí)生時(shí),發(fā)現(xiàn)應(yīng)聘者來(lái)了290多人,其中許多人學(xué)業(yè)未成,只因家境貧寒,不得不中途輟學(xué)而來(lái)報(bào)考公司。他聯(lián)想到自己的身世,決定對(duì)面臨輟學(xué)的貧困家庭子弟實(shí)行獎(jiǎng)優(yōu)助學(xué)。于是從1939年開(kāi)始籌劃創(chuàng)辦了“紀(jì)念叔蘋(píng)公高初中獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金基金會(huì)”,自1940年起的數(shù)十年來(lái),一直如期發(fā)放給貧困學(xué)子的助學(xué)基金,直到1950年2月顧乾麟全家移居香港之后,他還給設(shè)在上海的叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金管理處匯寄了第20期的獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金。到了上世紀(jì)50年代中期,因某些國(guó)家對(duì)我國(guó)實(shí)行封鎖,叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金此時(shí)才被迫中斷。到了1986年,顧老又在上海恢復(fù)了中斷30多年的叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金,并繼而又將獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金擴(kuò)展到北京和他的家鄉(xiāng)浙江湖州,享受這些助學(xué)獎(jiǎng)金的學(xué)生考入高校后,如果成績(jī)?nèi)匀槐3謨?yōu)秀,還可繼續(xù)獲得獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金。因而這個(gè)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金如今已經(jīng)形成從中學(xué)、師范、大專(zhuān)院校和碩士生、博士生、博士后的完整獎(jiǎng)學(xué)系列,一些特別優(yōu)秀者還可繼續(xù)得到資助赴國(guó)外深造。
在“叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金成就展覽館”中,人們欣喜地看到自叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金創(chuàng)辦的60多年來(lái),受獎(jiǎng)學(xué)子中許多人眼下已成為各條戰(zhàn)線和各行各業(yè)中的杰出人才,其中擔(dān)任黨和國(guó)家重要領(lǐng)導(dǎo)職務(wù)的就有前國(guó)務(wù)院副總理兼外交部長(zhǎng)錢(qián)其琛、中共中央聯(lián)絡(luò)部部長(zhǎng)李淑錚、海軍裝備部部長(zhǎng)鄭明等。
顧家麒先生在談到其父創(chuàng)辦叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金時(shí)說(shuō):“目的就是想要報(bào)效國(guó)家,盡自己的一點(diǎn)力量,想為國(guó)家培養(yǎng)更多的有用人才。”顧乾麟先生不要求享受獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金的同學(xué)對(duì)他個(gè)人有任何報(bào)答,只希望他們對(duì)國(guó)家民族多作貢獻(xiàn)。他曾多次說(shuō)過(guò):“我一生中感到最大的欣慰是,在叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金得獎(jiǎng)同學(xué)中,沒(méi)有一個(gè)做過(guò)對(duì)不起國(guó)家民族的事!”這席話,道出了顧先生對(duì)教育事業(yè)的赤誠(chéng)之心,道出了他對(duì)中華民族高度的責(zé)任感和畢生夙愿。1988年12月,在叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金創(chuàng)辦50周年之際,江澤民同志題詞:“熱心教育事業(yè),培養(yǎng)建設(shè)人才”,對(duì)叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金事業(yè)作了充分的肯定和崇高評(píng)價(jià)。60年代初,陳毅元帥受周恩來(lái)總理委托,在上海邀請(qǐng)文藝界部分名人舉行的座談會(huì)上,也深為感動(dòng)地說(shuō):“如果顧乾麟先生回上海,我要請(qǐng)他上座,向他三鞠躬。”其實(shí),顧乾麟先生創(chuàng)辦叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金基金會(huì),也曾遇到過(guò)旁人難于想象的困難和窘境:在解放前的10年中,特別是在日本侵華國(guó)難深重的年代,先生的公司面臨著查封、破產(chǎn)之時(shí),他是靠抵押家產(chǎn)、變賣(mài)夫人的手飾來(lái)支付學(xué)生的獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金的。
顧乾麟創(chuàng)辦叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金,不能不提到他的夫人劉世明女士。劉女士故鄉(xiāng)也在浙江南潯,她是劉家望族中的一位千金,1929年與顧乾麟先生結(jié)為伉儷后,旋即遷居上海。其時(shí)夫婦倆所經(jīng)營(yíng)的打包廠負(fù)債重重,家庭經(jīng)濟(jì)拮據(jù),這對(duì)年少夫婦只得以省吃儉用來(lái)維持生計(jì),并飽受到族中長(zhǎng)輩的冷漠。抗戰(zhàn)勝利后,顧老先生熱心社會(huì)慈善活動(dòng),如籌建難童教養(yǎng)所、急病助金社等,劉女士總是義無(wú)反顧,熱心參與,更為籌款與夫君一起作為票友在上海與梅蘭芳等同時(shí)粉墨登臺(tái),義演京劇多次。叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金恢復(fù)后,劉女士還大力支持夫君出資1000萬(wàn)港元投入獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金基金會(huì),為實(shí)現(xiàn)中華民族的偉大復(fù)興作出了巨大貢獻(xiàn)。顧夫人于今年1月2日在香港仙逝后,大陸弟子們?cè)谕炻?lián)上敬題:“高風(fēng)亮節(jié)育數(shù)千子弟共弘揚(yáng)叔蘋(píng)精神,俠膽柔腸罄一生心血都付與乾麟事業(yè)。”
顧乾麟先生于1998年2月14日不幸因病在香港逝世,享年89歲。早在1991 年,顧老先生想到自己年事已高,趁在上海出席市政協(xié)七屆四次會(huì)議的機(jī)會(huì),在上海錦江飯店委托叔蘋(píng)同學(xué)會(huì)的宗必澤口述關(guān)于“叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金事業(yè)繼承人”的遺囑,宗必澤遵囑為顧老先生口述作了如下筆錄:“我有一個(gè)幸福的家庭。我妻劉世明是我創(chuàng)業(yè)治家的賢內(nèi)助。四子一女都是高等學(xué)府畢業(yè),均已成才。五子女均有各自的優(yōu)點(diǎn)和特點(diǎn),唯二兒家麒比較理解我的心情,能商量問(wèn)題分析問(wèn)題,并能很好處理問(wèn)題。我已選定我的二兒家麒為我的繼承人。為了把獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金繼續(xù)辦下去,在我身后會(huì)有一筆指定的足夠款項(xiàng)留下辦獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金用,我將把這筆款項(xiàng)交給我的繼承人顧家麒負(fù)責(zé)管理,專(zhuān)款專(zhuān)用。”
1995年10月15日,上海市副市長(zhǎng)、上海教育發(fā)展基金會(huì)會(huì)長(zhǎng)謝麗娟在接見(jiàn)顧乾麟先生時(shí),顧先生又親自簽署了將1000萬(wàn)元港幣作為上海教育發(fā)展基金會(huì)叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)會(huì)的委托書(shū)給了上海市,接受委托的是謝麗娟。當(dāng)時(shí),顧先生的許多學(xué)生這樣感嘆:“他珍愛(ài)叔蘋(píng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金的事業(yè)勝似自己的生命,像他這樣熱心祖國(guó)的教育事業(yè)熱愛(ài)自己所培養(yǎng)的學(xué)生,創(chuàng)辦這樣一種有獨(dú)特風(fēng)格并卓有成效的獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金的人,可說(shuō)是前無(wú)古人,后啟來(lái)者。”
Shuping Scholarship for more than 6 Decades
By Pan Guojun, our stuff reporter
Shuping Scholarship is influential in China for more than 60 years. It was founded in 1939 by Mr. Gu Qianlin (1909-1998), an entrepreneur in Shanghai. The Gu family was from Nanxun, a prosperous silk town in northern Zhejiang. Toward the end of the 19th century, Nanxun was famed for its raw silk export to the world market. Silk business made many rich and the Gu family was the second richest in Nanxun.
Gu Qianlin's grandfather died young when running a business that monopolized the packing of all the raw silk to be shipped from Shanghai to overseas markets. When Gu Shuping, Gu Qianlin's father, inherited the business, however, it was in debt. Shortly after the takeover, his father died at age 36 from acute nephropathy. Gu Qianlin took over the business at age 17. Gu worked Firm and the packing business came back bit by bit over a period of decades.
Though rich, Gu Qianlin remembered his father's words: ive back to the society what you gained from it.?One day he tried to hire five trainees but about 290 turned up to apply for the vacancies. Many had dropped out of school because their families were in straitened circumstances. Thinking of his life, Gu decided to provide financial aids to students from poverty-stricken families. So he began to prepare setting up a scholarship foundation in 1939. The foundation, named after his father, began to distribute scholarships to middle school students in 1940.
Once the foundation started, it never stopped giving financial aids to students even when Gu's business ran into trouble in war times in the 1940s. In order to provide financial aids on time, Gu mortgaged his assets and even sold his wife's jewelry. The scholarships continued after the family moved to Hong Kong in February 1950. Unfortunately, the fund was suspended due to the economic blockade imposed against China by some foreign countries starting in the middle of 1950s.
Financial aids to students from the family's scholarship foundation resumed in Shanghai in 1986. Gu Qianlin injected 10 million HK dollars into the foundation. The financial aids later extended to students in Huzhou, where Gu's hometown Nanxun is located. Today, the foundation provides a complete series of financial aids that not only cover secondary education but go to college undergraduates, graduates and beyond.
Many of those who received financial aids from the family foundation have grown up to be leading figures in various fields. Among the celebrities are Qian Qichen, the former foreign minister and state councilor, Li Shuzheng, director of the International Liaison Department of the CPC Central Committee, and Zheng Ming, Director of the Navy Equipment Department, to name just a few.
In December 1988, Jiang Zemin, then secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Party committee, wrote an inscription to recognize and appraise the family's contribution to education.
Liu Shiming, Gu Qianlin's wife, supported her husband in both running business and donating funds to the scholarships. The couple participated in many charity activities in Shanghai.
In 1995, Gu Qianlin allotted another 10 million HK dollars to the foundation. Gu Qianlin died at 89 on February 14, 1998. Of his five children, the second son Gu Jiaqi was named to manage the family's education foundation.
Gu Shuping and his wife, Gu Qianlin and his wife are all buried in Huzhou. An exhibition about Shuping Scholarship has been running in Nanxun since April 1990. More than a million people have visited the exhibition.