师道长存 功勋永在——敬怀袁希渊老师

笔者是袁复礼教授30年代末期的学生,回顾了在西南联大受袁老师教诲;在清华大学地学系和北京地质学院共事期间得袁老师帮助的情况。老师的优良学风和高尚品德使我们体会到:所谓教育决不仅限于课堂上的“授业”、“解惑”。为人师者的一言一行,其涵育和启发的作用有时更为重要。我们后来虽然成了不同学科的学术带头人和院、系负责人,但袁老师始终是我们的榜样。

HIS TEACHINGS AND MORALITY REMEMBERED FOREVER AND HIS DEEDS IMMORTAL:IN MEMORY OF OUR TEACHER PROFESSOR YUAN XIYUAN

After studying in the United States in the twenties of this century and returning to China, Professor Yuan Xiyuan took part in a series of important geological surveys. During the period of the Northwest Scientific Expedition especially, he made initiative contributions and scored outstanding achievements. But judging from his lifetime's work, his main contribution was that he worked as a teacher of geology with perseverence for several decades, he had chaired the Department of Geoscience of Tsinghua University for a long period and devoted all his energy to training many generations of geologists for China. His teachings and morality are remembered forever and his deeds immortal. We learned from professor Yuan in the late 1930s and were his students during the middle period of his teaching career. We first met him and had opportunities to listen to his instructions in 1938 when, on account of the Japanese invasion, a group of teachers and students of the Changsha Provisional University was moving to southwestern China. Wang Hongzhen and Yang Qi joined this group. What impressed us most deeply was Professor Yuan's broad and profound knowledge and his wide-ranging interest. He was interested in geology, meteorology, archaeology, history, general natural conditions and social customs and habits, and he gave us detailed instructions for making en route geological records. He also mentioned the work done by Tian Qijun and Liu Jipan in western Hunan Province and by Ding Wenjiang and Wang Yuelun in Guizhou and eastern Yunnan. This made us realize more deeply the importance of geological data and aroused our respect for predecessors of China's geological undertaking. We have come to know therefore that education is not limited to lectures and the teaching of knowledge in classrooms. Sometimes the examples of teachers by their words or deeds are even more important. Professor Yuan taught the course of "physiography" in the Southwest Associated University. His lecturing did not follow a fixed pattern but was always able to attract the interest of students. When dwelling on geomorphological development, he described in detail the traditional concept of W. M. Davis and the study made by D. W. Johnson on sea coast. His lecturing was full of attractions and had fascinated us. When he lectured on the cross-sections of valleys, he associated this with the glazed color pottery utensils unearthed in Yangshao Village, Mianchi County, Henan Province, and the process of excavation. Thus he combined physiography with archaeology, helping broaden students' mental horizons. His profound knowledge won the esteem of students and he was good at using facts to inspire the thought of students. He set an example to them in scientific pursuits. In addition to lectures and guidance, Professor Yuan was always concerned about the students' progress in their studies, showing his love and care for the young people and his assistance and encouragement to them. Hao Yichun entered Southwest Associated University in 1938 after passing the entrance examination and at first majored in history. She came to know Professor Yuan and admired his courage and determination in overcoming difficult conditions and his legendary experience. Under the influence of Professor Yuan, she changed her mind to major in geology after studying history for one year. In 1943, she became a post-graduate student in the geoscience department. This paved the way for her to devote herself to geology for the rest of her life. After liberation, she went to Xinjiang several times to make geological surveys and carried on some of the work unifnished by Professor Yuan. After the founding of New China, Chi Jishang, who was studying in the United States through the recommendation of Professor Yuan, wrote a letter to the prolessor, expressing her hope to return to work in China. She soon received a letter of reply from Professor Yuan, who was then the Chairman of the Geoscience Department of Tsinghua University. His letter said that "the motherland is in need of geologists." On August, 1950, Chi Jishang and Tu Guangzhi returned to their motherland and became teachers in Tsinghua University, their Alma Mater. Professor Yuan helped them to open two new courses on the use of universal stage and on geochemistry. The Beijing Geological College was founded in 1952 as a result of the readjustment of universities, colleges and departments. Professor Yuan retired from the leading post and his students took up responsible posts in the college at different levels. Professor Yuan did his best to help them. His moral integrity and high profile gave us a profound education. Although the scientific papers published by Professor Yuan were not great in number, yet he pioneered the research in many areas of geoscience. His views on scientific research were often expressed in a very concise and clear-cut way. When we asked for his advice in this respect, he said: "It is not always necessary to write very long papers. But you must have new discoveries and clear views on the concrete questions and areas of your research so that when other scientists carry out research in the same fields, they have to quote from your papers. Such papers are successful research results." We take his words as an important guide in our subsequent work. We aim to reach this goal although we are not always able to achieve it.