Complete Works of Gao Shiqi. 1

Author: Gao Shiqi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-10-01
Features: The major feature of this reprinted edition of The Complete Works of Gao Shiqi is the addition of nearly 200,000 words of memoirs, personally written by Gao Shiqi during his later years in the hospital. These memoirs reveal his extraordinary life and inner journey to the public. Gao Shiqi was a pioneer and founder of China's science popularization movement and also a great disabled figure in human history, enjoying high prestige both domestically and internationally. Despite being completely paralyzed, he wrote millions of words of science popularization works. In honor of his contributions, the International Astronomical Union named asteroid 3704 "Gao Shiqi" in 1999.
Gao Shiqi was a renowned scientist, science popularizer, and educator in China. He was also a great disseminator of scientific thought and a pioneer and founder of China's science popularization movement. Over nearly 60 years of being paralyzed, he overcame immense pain and unimaginable difficulties, writing millions of words of science popularization works. From 1991 to 1994, Anhui Children's Publishing House published The Complete Works of Gao Shiqi in four volumes. The collection received widespread acclaim upon release, winning awards such as the "National Book Award" and the "National Outstanding Science Popularization Book Award." It enriched China's scientific and cultural treasury. However, due to various reasons, only 500 sets were published at the time. These sets were snapped up during the The Complete Works of Gao Shiqi press conference and are now treasured by people from all walks of life. Many libraries and universities subsequently sought to purchase copies but were unable to, leading to numerous requests for a reedition. On the occasion of the centenary of Gao Shiqi's birth, we decided to reprint The Complete Works of Gao Shiqi. This reprinted edition is divided into five volumes: Volume 1 contains science popularization works created before 1949, Volume 2 includes science popularization works from 1949 onwards, Volume 3 features poems written throughout Gao Shiqi's life, Volume 4 contains his essays and speeches, and Volume 5 consists of his late-life memoirs, messages, congratulations, and dedications.
The major feature of this reprinted edition of The Complete Works of Gao Shiqi is the addition of nearly 200,000 words of Gao Shiqi's memoirs. This is a special memoir, personally written by Gao Shiqi during his later years in the hospital. It provides a complete account of some lesser-known decades, events, and stories from his life, from his birth to the founding of the People's Republic of China. Thus, it offers a vivid and comprehensive image of Gao Shiqi and his life journey. With plain and sincere language, he reveals his extraordinary life and inner thoughts. From this memoir, one can clearly see that Gao Shiqi's life was filled with hardship and tragedy, yet he navigated it with an indomitable spirit of humor and optimism. In the memoir, Gao Shiqi provides a complete and truthful account of his life, earnestly analyzing his inner world. This is his to posterity. Later, the of Beijing Hospital and the demolition of the South Building caused dust to flood his room, leading to severe aspiration pneumonia. From then on, he was confined to bed. Three years later, he left the world he loved.
From Gao Shiqi's memoirs, we clearly feel why he is called the "pioneer and founder of China's science popularization movement" and why he said "handing science to the people" was not accidental. He did not earn the naming of asteroid 3704 after his name or become a national law based on his scientific work without reason. Gao Shiqi's memoirs are free of artistic embellishment or alteration, resembling a vivid and moving screenplay. They present a truly humanized Gao Shiqi, whose legendary life is also rare.
In fact, the compilation of Gao Shiqi's memoirs was a long process. Over a decade, it underwent repeated revisions, additions, and identifications. The memoirs were scattered across over 20 notebooks, with dates, places, and events crossing and overlapping in a disorganized manner. It was extremely difficult to find the connection between one paragraph and the next. Moreover, the handwriting was blurred and chaotic, as he wrote it with trembling hands, requiring careful identification. Many names, places, historical events, and even English letters and technical terms needed to be repeatedly verified. Due to his involvement in the daily work of the Gao Shiqi Foundation and numerous social activities, the memoirs were never published until now.
The reedition of The Complete Works of Gao Shiqi holds significant social meaning and contemporary relevance. In 2002, a female member of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference proposed the concept of "green science popularization." What is "green science popularization"? She believed that while academicians writing science popularization was essentially "science without popularization," scientists should propose topics, content, and frameworks, with writers and literary figures handling the creation and refinement. In reality, this issue was already addressed in Gao Shiqi's science popularization works decades earlier in the 1930s. Gao Shiqi organically blended science and literature, achieving a perfect harmony in art. He not only used simple and accessible language to explain profound and mysterious science to both farmers and children but also taught future science popularizers that science popularization was not an isolated endeavor but should be combined with the development of science and technology, literature, art, poetry, psychology, and fairy tales, and that they should seek advice from experts in these fields.
Thus, the publication of this book serves not only as an excellent textbook for science popularization education for the general public and young people but also as a model and benchmark for scientists and academicians to engage in science popularization. It demonstrates how to better create science popularization works and make them accessible, easy to understand, and enjoyable for the masses.
The reason why Gao Shiqi's works became timeless classics and an enduring legacy was not accidental but the result of his extensive engagement with science, culture, philosophy, religion, and literature. He was not only a model of the fusion of science and literature but also a pioneer in the integration of science and social sciences. He was a model of the combination of natural sciences and social sciences, as well as a pioneer in the fusion of science and philosophy. He poured everything he experienced and learned into his science popularization and literary works, including folk customs from his childhood, which he transformed into The Flower Drum Opera. He wove myths and fairy tales he encountered into specific plots and characters in his works, such as The Three Immortal Grandmas and The Island of Many Legs. He incorporated traditional Chinese culture, the Four Books and Five Classics into his works, even naming the opening of The Autobiography of a Mushroom "My Name." He included the Taoist deity Laozi and the Three Great Patriarchs, as well as the myths of The Investiture of the Gods, in his works. He also incorporated Christian and Buddhist ideas, with Adam and Eve opening one of his articles. Buddhist philosophy and spirit were also subtly reflected in his works. Western science, medicine, literature, art, and history, from the Middle Ages to the World War, were all presented in his vast works. He even predicted the Japanese imperialist bacteriological warfare, its reality, and preventive measures. He described the state of national emergency mobilization and infused the essence of Marxism into his works, mercilessly critiquing society. He even included Engels' Dialectics of Nature in his long science poem The Symphony of the Sky, creating a renowned work that integrated science, culture, literature, philosophy, and politics, once again predicting the advancement of the times and the victory of the people.
Gao Shiqi used everything he explored, experienced, and learned to serve his scientific creation and his mission of "handing science to the people." His goals were clear, his direction unwavering, and his aspirations realistic and grand. In this sense, Gao Shiqi was a true master—a master who synthesized ancient and modern, Chinese and Western science, culture, and philosophy. Therefore, I believe that the criticism, ridicule, and mockery of some people toward Gao Shiqi's works in 2002 were extremely absurd and laughable, but this absurdity and laughability were based on their lack of understanding of Gao Shiqi's life experiences, thoughts, and profound knowledge.
Gao Shiqi was proficient in English and deeply versed in German, French, Russian, and Latin. In his youth, he once said, "In reality, my English writing skills were better than my Chinese." At the time, he had no confidence in his Chinese writing skills (see Dai Botao's memoirs). He thoroughly read the literary works of Western countries and was familiar with the works of famous poets and writers such as Shakespeare, Shelley, Byron, Stendhal, and Goethe. Thus, he could effortlessly quote maxims, philosophies, and anecdotes from Western classics.
The reedition of The Complete Works of Gao Shiqi, especially the compilation of his memoirs, was made possible with the great support and assistance of his life-long friends. Notably, Comrade Ye Yonglie provided invaluable materials, such as the 5,000-word Childhood memoir, dictated by Gao Shiqi and recorded by Bai Hua in 1947, as well as the Biography of Gao Shiqi's Ancestors, The Unfortunate Scientist—Gao Shiqi by Mr. Dai Botao, and newly published materials from Pu Manting's Research Materials on Gao Shiqi, including the Biography of Gao Shiqi, the Chronology of Gao Shiqi's Life and Literary and Science Popularization Activities, and more. Additionally, many young friends came to contribute to the editing and publishing of The Complete Works of Gao Shiqi during their holidays. Staff from the China Aviation Press and Industry Publishing House worked overtime during the National Day holiday to complete the task. It can be said that the reedition of The Complete Works of Gao Shiqi was the result of countless hours of effort and dedication in the days leading up to the centenary of his birth.