High Shi Qi Complete Works.5

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 recognition 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 paralysis, he overcame immense physical 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 publication of the complete works sparked widespread social response and received numerous highest honors, enriching our scientific and cultural treasury. However, due to various reasons, only 500 sets were published at the time. These 500 sets were snapped up at the The Complete Works of Gao Shiqi news conference and are now treasured by people from all walks of life. Many libraries and universities later sought to purchase copies but found them unavailable, calling 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 I contains science popularization works created before 1949, Volume II contains science popularization works after 1949, Volume III includes poems written throughout Gao Shiqi's life, Volume IV features his papers and speeches, and Volume V contains his late-life memoirs, messages, congratulations, inscriptions, and other writings. 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 the late Gao Shiqi during his hospitalization. It provides a complete account of some lesser-known eras, events, and stories in his life, from his birth to the founding of the People's Republic of China. Thus, it offers a vivid and complete image of Gao Shiqi and his life journey. With plain and sincere language, he reveals his extraordinary life and inner thoughts. From this memoir, it is clear that Gao Shiqi's life was filled with hardship and tragedy, yet he navigated this external journey with an inner spirit of humor and optimism. In the memoirs, Gao Shiqi provides a complete and truthful account of his life, earnestly analyzing his inner world. This is his to future generations. Subsequently, 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 this world that he deeply loved. From Gao Shiqi's memoirs, we clearly feel that he was not named the "pioneer and founder of China's science popularization movement" for no reason, nor did he say "handing science to the people" for no reason, nor did he receive asteroid 3704 named after him for no reason, nor did he become a national law for no reason based on the work and career of a scientist. Gao Shiqi's memoirs contain no artistic embellishment or, and they themselves resemble a highly vivid and moving screenplay. They present a truly humanized Gao Shiqi, whose legendary nature is also extremely rare. In fact, the compilation of Gao Shiqi's memoirs went through a long process. Over a decade, it was repeatedly revised, edited, and identified. Because it was scattered across more than 20 notebooks of various sizes, the dates, locations, and events were interwoven and disordered. It was extremely difficult to find the connection between one paragraph and the next. Moreover, the handwriting was unclear and disorganized, as it was written by a trembling hand. Many names, places, historical events, and even English letters and specialized terms had to be repeatedly verified. Due to his involvement in the daily work of the Gao Shiqi Foundation and numerous social activities, the memoirs remained unpublished until now. This is the first time they are fully published to the public. The reedition of The Complete Works of Gao Shiqi has very practical social significance 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 society generally views "academy academicians writing science popularization as essentially 'science without popularization,' and thus, scientists should propose the topics, content, and framework, while writers should handle the creation and." In reality, this issue was already addressed in Gao Shiqi's science popularization works decades ago in the 1930s. Gao Shiqi organically blended science and literature, achieving a high degree of artistic harmony and perfection. He not only used personification and other simple, accessible language to explain profound and mysterious science in a way that even farmers and children could understand but also taught future science popularizers that science popularization is 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. Therefore, the publication of this book is not only a good textbook for science popularization education for the general public and young people but also a model and example for scientists and academicians to engage in science popularization. It shows how scientists, academicians, and the general public can better create science popularization works and make them accessible, easy to understand, and enjoyable for the masses. The reason why Gao Shiqi's works have become timeless classics and an enduring legacy is not accidental but the inevitable result of his extensive engagement with science, culture, philosophy, religion, and literature. He was not only a model of the integration of science and literature but also a model of the integration of science and social sciences, a model of the integration of natural sciences and social sciences, and a model of the integration of science and philosophy. He poured everything he experienced and learned into his science popularization and science literary works, including folk customs from his childhood, which he transformed into Yanhuaguguxi. He turned the myths and fairy tales he encountered into specific plots and characters in his works, such as Old Lady Three Immortals and Island of Many Legs. He incorporated traditional Chinese culture, the Four Books and Five Classics, into his works, even using them as the opening of The Autobiography of a Mushroom. He included the Taoist deity Laozi, the Three Great Patriarchs, and the myths of Investiture of the Gods in his works, as well as Christianity, Buddhism, and the biblical Adam and Eve, which he used as the opening of one of his articles. Buddhist thought, philosophy, and spirit are also subtly reflected in the content of his works. Western science, medicine, literature, art, and history, from the spread of the Black Death in the Middle Ages to the second World War, are 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 incorporated the essence of Marxist thought into his works, mercilessly critiquing society. He even included Engels' Dialectics of Nature in his long science poem Ode to the Sky, creating a renowned chapter that once again predicted the development of the times and the victory of the people. Gao Shiqi used everything he engaged with, experienced, and learned to serve his scientific creation and to fulfill his mission of "handing science to the people." His goals were clear, his direction was firm, and his aspirations were realistic and great. In this sense, Gao Shiqi was a true master—a master who integrated ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign 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 a true 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 also understood 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 Gao Shiqi's memoirs, was made possible with the great support and assistance of his life friends. Notably, Comrade Ye Yonglie provided valuable materials, such as the 5,000-word Childhood memoirs dictated by Gao Shiqi and recorded by Bai Hua in September 1947, as well as the Ancestral Chronicle of Gao Shiqi's family. Mr. Dai Botao wrote An Unfortunate Scientist—Gao Shiqi, and Comrade Pu Manting recently published Research Materials on Gao Shiqi, which included materials such as A Biography of Gao Shiqi and A Chronological Table of Gao Shiqi's Life and Literary and Science Popularization Activities. In addition, many young friends came to contribute to the editing and publication of The Complete Works of Gao Shiqi during their holidays. This included staff from the China Aviation Press who gave up their National Day holiday rest to work overtime. It can be said that the reedition of The Complete Works of Gao Shiqi was refined through countless nights and days, with immense heart and sweat, as we approached the centenary of Gao Shiqi's birth.