Teachers Day

Respect for Teachers and Learning -- Teacher's Day
In the history of Chinese education, Confucius is a paragon of all teachers, symbolizing the philosophy of "Educate all without discrimination, and teach according to the abilities of ones students." Using the six arts of rites, music, archery, chariot driving, learning (including reading and writing), and mathematics, Confucius had more than three thousand disciples during his lifetime. In practice of his credo, the Sage never refused a student because of his class or character, requiring only that his pupils possess a sincere desire to learn.

During the crisis of the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius sought to end the chaos of the times. Believing this disorder to be a reflection of declining morals in society, he exhaustively toured the various warring Chinese states to advise rulers and officials on the merits of ethical rule. In his later years, Confucius reorganized the ancient texts, thus laying a solid foundation for China's enduring civilization. In 1939 the Ministry of Education pronounced that Confucius' birthday would be celebrated on August 28, and designated it as Teachers' Day as well as a national holiday to remember Confucius' enormous contribution to Chinese culture and society. The date was changed to September 28 in 1952 in accordance with chronologists' new findings. Today, Teachers' Day not only commemorates China's foremost teacher in history but also honors all teachers for their hard work during the year.

Every year during Teacher's Day, the Confucius Memorial Service is solemnly held at the Confucius Temple to show respect and honor for the Sage. At the "Teachers Day Celebration" held by the Ministry of Education and the various local governments, teachers with the highest seniority and best qualities are recognized for their contribution to society.

A Eulogy That Makes Sense

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Mr. Common Sense. Mr. Sense had been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm and that life isn't always fair. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not kids, are in charge).

His health began to rapidly deteriorate when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Mr. Sense declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student; but, could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Finally, Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense gave up the ghost after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee, she spilled in her lap, was hot, and she was awarded a huge financial settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by two stepbrothers; My Rights and Ima Whiner. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If
you still remember him, pass this on; if not, join the majority and do nothing.

A Man and his dog

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them. After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sun light. When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called
out, "Excuse me, where are we?" "This is Heaven, sir," the man answered. "Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked. "Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up." The man gestured, and the gate began to open. "Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked. "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets." The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book. "Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?" "Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in." "How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.
"There should be a bowl by the pump." They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the water bowl, took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree. "What do you call this place?" the traveler
asked. "This is Heaven," he answered. "Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "
The man down the road said that was Heaven, too." "Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell." "Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?" "No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave
their best friends behind."

老舍《自傳》

舒舍予，字老舍，現年四十歲，面黃無鬚，生於北平，三歲失怙，可謂無父，志學之年，帝王不存，可謂無君，無父無君，特別孝敬老母，布爾喬亞之仁未能一掃而空也。幼讀三百篇，不求甚解。繼學師範，遂奠教書匠之基。及壯年，糊口四方，教書為業，甚難發財，每購獎券，以未得為榮，示甘於寒賤也。二十七歲發奮著書，科學哲學無所懂，故寫小說，博大家一笑沒什麼了不得，三十歲結婚，今有一男一女，均狡猾可喜。閒時喜愛花，不得其法，每每有葉無花，亦不忍棄。書無所不讀，全無所獲並不作急，教書做事均甚認真，往往吃虧，亦不後悔，如此而已，再活四十年，也許能有點出息。

穆罕默德的後裔

最近美國很流行尋根，編族譜，有好事者發現老牌電影明星亨佛萊鮑嘉（Humphrey Bogart）及凱瑟琳赫本（Katharine Hepburn）是回教教主穆罕默德的後裔。原來，穆罕默德有個女兒法蒂瑪，法蒂瑪有個兒子哈珊，哈珊的第九世孫移民到了西班牙的塞維爾，鮑嘉和赫本就是西班牙這一支的後裔。我的學生在網路上看到了這則新聞很興奮，記起了上課時，我講到的一本書《夏娃的七個女兒》，作者從粒線體去追蹤人種起源，發現整個歐洲人可以歸納成七個女人的後裔。學生便來問我是否可以追出他們的祖先是漢武帝或唐太宗，如果是帝王之後，追女朋友容易些。說笑一陣後，學生離去，我頗有感觸。在生物科技這麼進步的現代，再來提種族、省籍真的是不智之舉，因為科學上已經看到，只要活得夠長，間隔的年代夠久，就會有一堆子孫散布在地球的各個角落，科學家估計世界上有一千六百多萬人身上帶有成吉思汗的基因。古人說「民胞物與」，用現在科學眼光來看是很對的，論起來，人最終都源自同一祖先，所以用種族劃分是不合理的。
若用省籍劃分那就更不合理。人本來就是到處遷移，尋找最肥美的土地，讓自己的家人有最好的生活，增加自己基因傳下去的機會。為了這個目的，大自然賦予我們兩個法寶：可塑性和適應性。這兩個原則不但在行為上看到，連大腦中也是如此。美國沙克生物研究所的Fred Gage將豬的胚胎細胞移植到成鼠的大腦中，結果發現豬胚胎細胞不但發展得跟老鼠細胞一樣，連功能也一樣。Dennis O'Leary把老鼠胚胎皮質切一塊下來移植到新的地方去，結果發現移植的皮質長得跟附近的鄰居一樣，連當時移植的邊界都消失了。
這個研究讓我們看到大腦有很大的彈性，為了生存，必須入境隨俗，西諺說，到了羅馬，就要做羅馬人做的事（When in Rome, do as the Romans do.），只有盡快融入當地社會，變成當地人，才不會被排斥，才能把基因傳下去。不論什麼原因離開了家鄉，到了陌生地方，就要努力適應新環境的習俗，完成大自然賦予的使命。他鄉可以是故鄉，端看自己的心態，「埋骨何需桑梓地，人間到處有青山」，所以演化要我們向前看，不要再去追究原來是哪裡來的，因為過去已經不重要了。（洪蘭）