苏格拉底 / Socrates (469-399 B.C.E.) 说过：“当你推崇一个有钱人时，要先考虑他是以什么手段赚到金钱，以及他对金钱有何态度。”- 言简意赅，一针见血。
18 Nov, 2006
Thursday, May 01, 2008
如何和为何 / How and Why
苏格拉底 / Socrates (469-399 B.C.E.) 说过：“当你推崇一个有钱人时，要先考虑他是以什么手段赚到金钱，以及他对金钱有何态度。”- 言简意赅，一针见血。
18 Nov, 2006
Incredible journey
Approximately 15-20 years ago I read about an incredible journey of a great man who seems never give up despite many misfortunes / failures in nearly all aspects of his life. For those who have not heard about this real life story before, here is the gist of it.
- He was born in a log cabin in the backwoods of a small village.
- At the age of 7 - His family were forced out of their home and he worked to support them
- At the age of 9 - His mother died.
- At the age of 19 - His married sister died while giving birth
- At the age of 22 - Failed in business.
- At the age of 23 - Defeated for Illinois House of Representatives. Lost his job, couldn't get into law school, worked odd jobs.
- At the age of 24 - Grocery business failed. Declared bankruptcy, yet paid off the money he borrowed from friends to start his business.
- At the age of 25 - Elected to legislature
- At the age of 26 - His girlfriend died from fever at age 22
- At the age of 27 - Had nervous breakdown
- At the age of 28 - He proposed marriage to his girlfriend after several years of serious relationship, was turn down and the courtship ended
- At the age of 29 - Defeated in becoming speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives
- At the age of 31 - Defeated in becoming elector.
- At the age of 34 - Defeated for US House of Representatives.
- At the age of 37 - Elected to congress
- At the age of 39 - Lost renomination
- At the age of 40 - Again defeated for US House of Representatives. Same year rejected for the position of Commissioner of the General Land Office.
- At the age of 41 - His son died after a two month illness at the age of 4
- At the age of 46 - Defeated for US Senate as a Whig
- At the age of 47 - Defeated for nomination for Vice-President
- At the age of 49 - Again defeated for US Senate as a Republican
- At the age of 51 - Elected President
His name is: Abraham LincolnIsn't incredible?
18 Nov, 2006
智慧
许多人穷其一生，想要修得大智慧，获得真逍遥。但如何才算是有"智慧"，往往众说纷纭, 谁也说不清楚。
这几天刚读完一本书，里面有两句有关"智慧"的话，还是相当具有参考价值的。抄录如下：
- 智慧的增长可用痛苦的减少来精确衡量。- 尼采 / Friedrich Nietzsche（1844-1900） 。
- 智慧能让人分辨 “需要”(need)，“想要”(want) 与 “重要”(important)， 以及 “能够”(could)，“应该”(should) 与 “愿意”(willing)
犹太人/基督徒/天主教徒有句古老的祷告也挺有意思。
-“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.“
- “祈求上帝赐我一颗沉着的心去接受我不能改变的事实，赐我勇气去改变我能改变的事，并赐我智慧去分辨这两者的不同”
09 Nov, 2006
国学
随着年岁的增长，经历的事情越多，越益能体会中华民族这两千多年来所累积的国学智慧之博大精深。
其实一个民族的智慧能传承数千年而基本保持相对完整无缺，确实非常难能可贵。要知道人类智慧累积的过程往往都是血淋淋的。简单来说，智慧的累积基本上是从自己或别人的错误及经历的灾难中吸取教训，再把这些教训有系统的归类，观察其规律，分析其因果，总结出求存，谋生，修身，做人，处事，相处，治国之道。拥有大智慧之民族必曾历尽沧桑, 饱经忧患，仿如凤凰涅磐、几度浴火重生。人类进化过程中产生过多少文明，但有幸在历史长河中不全军覆没而硕果仅存的，试问除了中华文明外还有几个？
确实要感谢母校多年的苦心栽培，使我打下较好的中文基础，让我能时刻从国学著作中频频向前人请教，估计这一生将受用不尽。
注：英国著名历史学家阿诺德·汤因比 / Arnold J. Toynbee（1889-1975）在其旷世巨作（世界上最长的英文著作）：历史研究/ A Study of History 里详尽分析世界二十多个主要文明的兴起和衰弱，到二十一世纪真正兴旺的只有西欧的欧美文明和东方的中国文明。
11 Nov, 2006
月亮河
初秋的一个星期六，虽有点凉，但天空晴朗。
这一天起床起得比往常早。到了月亮河美式咖啡厅时，服务员还在户外收拾树荫下的那几张浅蓝色的木桌椅。刚坐下，小姑娘就赶紧过来把桌上的一层露珠抹去。我点了一份不太健康的美式早餐：七分熟的牛扒，煎土豆丝，两粒煎单面蛋，土司，水果，还外加一杯热得烫嘴的咖啡。
暖暖的晨光从稀疏抖动的绿叶缝中悄悄撒落在身上，小野丽莎的南美风情爵士乐在耳边萦绕，我拿着傅佩荣教授的新书，正读得入神。。。却被那一阵飘溢在空气中的浓郁咖啡香惊动。一抬头，小姑娘已端着做好的早餐站在我身旁，还带着，那一脸阳光灿烂的笑容。
我似乎好久没有那么开怀的笑了，为得竟是这么简单平凡的点滴。
04 Nov, 2006
发现江南
近年刚从香港中文大学退休的李天命博士， 是我相当喜爱的作家之一。作为一位积极推广确当思辨方法的杰出哲学家，李博士的思维和辩才严谨，锋利，活泼。难得的是，他还是一位非常出色的业余诗人。作品虽不多，但精彩。
连环念 - 李天命
茑萝将女儿嫁个原野,
原野将血液输给河流;
河流将命运押给湖海,
湖海将拥抱送给沉舟.
沉舟把思念寄给寡妇,
寡妇把幽怨遗给高楼;
高楼把青春卖给风雨,
风雨把故人许给深秋.
深秋将木叶还给大地,
大地将仰望献给太阳;
太阳把余辉交给峻岭,
峻岭把暮色推给荒林.
荒林将晚菊开给过客,
过客把清芬携到远方;
荒林将夜幕剪给过客,
过客把星月带到远方.
远方向我展示戈壁的浩瀚,
我在浩瀚戈壁上发现江南..
02 Nov, 2006
雾灵山中遇凤，司马台上见龙。
二零零四年九月,和一班朋友到北京东郊的怀柔区住上一宿, 并游览了雾灵山国家森林公园和令人叹为观止的司马台长城。 司马台长城是明代长城保留的较好的一部分, 其之所以名满天下是因为这段长城建设在非常险峻的山峰上,如不是亲眼所见, 实在难以置信。乘坐缆车到达山腰, 之后再坐登山车到达长城墙脚, 再攀登一段山路后就到达司马台长城第八号城楼. 从城楼往山下望去, 大好河山, 一览无余。当天晴空万里, 在山上能非常清楚的看到长城就如一条万里巨龙, 源源不断的盘绕在起伏不定的翠绿山脉. 那种壮观的画面, 实在震撼人心, 让人一见难忘.
04 Oct, 2006
Amazing UK
I visited United Kingdom the very first time (stayed about 10 days) when I was on my way to Finland during August 2001. In overall, I must say I am really impressed with the country, both in term of her breathtaking architecture, amazing history, beautiful countryside and fantastic infrastructure.
London is just superb. I have seen London many times from postcards and TV, but nothing like to be there personally. The architectures in London are simply breathtaking. The big Ben, parliament house, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, British Museum, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace and many more are just amazingly beautiful and grand. The Hyde park is beautiful, the speaker’s corner on Sunday is interesting, the Madam Tussaud’s Museum and Covent Garden is fun, the London tube system is impressive, and the service in Wong Kei (the famous Chinese restaurant in China town) is actually not too bad after all! As recommended by many of my friends, I also watched the Les Miserable show, walked around SOHO, cruised along the river Thames, passed by Harrods and Imperial College, as well as traveled to Greenwich to see the abandoned Millennium dome.
However, the living expenses in London are just overwhelmingly high. I was really lucky to be able to stay with a friend while I was in London, otherwise my wallet would has been "bleed to dead" long time ago. Nevertheless, it was still worth it.
After spent 4 days in London, I joined a local travel group for a 6 days UK tour. Departing from London, the tours took me heading north to Oxford, Stratford Upon Avon (Shakespeare’s birth place), Warwick, Chester, then took a detour to Ruthin (North Wales), and continue north to Lancaster, passed by Lake District National Park and arrived in Edinburgh (Scotland). While I was in Scotland, I also took a detour to Trossachs (The highland in Scotland). After that I traveled back south, bypassing Newcastle, stopped by in York and Cambridge and finally backed to London.
For the whole 6 days, I think I enjoyed Oxford, Stratford Upon Avon, Chester, Edinburgh, York and Cambridge the most. All are classic English towns/cities, with extremely interesting architecture and city planning. I am most impressed by Edinburgh, which the whole city is just like a huge castle emerged from the fairly tale. Almost 80% of the town is still remains as it was hundreds years ago. When I toured around the city, the tour guide talked about how Robert Louis Stevenson created the fabulous novel Treasure Island, how the famous Economist Adam Smith wrote his classic “The Wealth of the Nations” and etc. Surrounded by fabulous architectures buildings constructed in the 18th centuries, and viewed the Edinburgh castle on the hill; I was totally immersed into the charisma of Edinburgh. The best of all, Edinburgh was in the middle of its annual Edinburgh art festival, the largest art festival in the world. The whole city was packed with tourists watching artists around the world performing on the streets. The atmosphere was just unforgettable.
04 Oct, 2006
二零零三年十月，初到北京
由于在这之前已经来过北京好几次, 所以对这城市并不会觉得陌生. 基本上北京还是繁华如皆, 路上车水马龙, 新高楼如雨后春笋般在古届城楼旁冒出, 让这座已有八百五十年历史的古城更显得与众不同.其实北京的城市规划可说是非常不错, 许多建设基本上还是根据几百年来的旧规格. 北京大大小小的道路就如棋盘般横竖交错, 而环线地铁,二环, 三环, 四环和五环绕城高速公路就一圈一圈的把北京城由内往外一层一层的包起来. 长安街和地铁一线贯穿北京东西两侧, 而另外八条高速公路则如直线般从北京城由内往外放射出去, 直通八达岭, 天津, 石家庄等地, 可说是巧夺天工. 但是如此相对完善的公路建设, 还是解决不了北京一千多万人的交通问题.堵车在北京可说是家常便饭. 听一些出租车师傅说, 北京以前是在早上七点半以后才开时堵车, 而现在以提前到七点了. 就如其它大城市一般, 许多北京司机开起车来也是横冲直撞的, 再加上北京骑自行车的人不少, 路上少不了一些惊险镜头. 晚上乘出租车回家时, 车堵在车水马龙的三环高速公路上, 默看身旁两侧无数高楼丛起,霓虹灯和车鸣声不段的在眼前耳边徊绕, 遥想几百年前李自成, 康熙, 雍正, 乾隆等人也许就曾在这段路上经过, 心里多少不免有点感慨.
前一段时间放了七天的国庆长假, 趁这机会到天安门广场周围逛逛. 那几天全北京可说是人山人海,而中国人口之多也实在是名不虚传.尤其是天安门一带更不用说, 几乎到处都是捉襟见肘.连地铁通道也塞人塞得水泄不通. 勉勉强强从前门挤到天安门广场北端, 就已经受不了要打退堂鼓了. 后来那几天也不敢再到游客多的地方,以免重蹈覆辙，怕怕。。。: )
03 Oct, 2006
桂林奇峰秀水
二零零四年四月，出差到广西壮族自治区的南宁市, 也就乘这机会和老板请一天假, 到南宁市往北四个多小时车程的桂林市度过一个周末。桂林市的市区并不大, 而且老区的建筑群也非常陈旧。 但桂林市的山水确实不错, 尤其是从桂林市附近乘船,游了漓江河五个小时最终到达阳朔县, 那段水路两岸的奇峰秀水, 果真名不虚传。 这次的桂林之旅有点匆忙, 希望以后有机会能和再到桂林一游。
03 Oct 2006
如湖水一般的清
透明国际 / Tranparency International 是一个专门推动反腐败运动的国际组织。它每年都公布一个《全球腐败排行榜》，而2006年度最廉洁的前五名的国家分别是芬兰，冰岛，新西兰，丹麦和新加坡。也许是缘分，我恰巧在芬兰，新西兰和新加坡这三个国家都待过，亲身体验这几个世界上最廉洁国家的作风，确实感触良多。也许有些人很难理解，甚至已经完全不相信这世界上还有"廉洁社会"这回事。我在网上找到一篇有关“芬兰政府/社会为何如此廉洁”的文章，芬兰“廉洁的秘密”从中可窥一二。
芬兰，地球上最廉洁的国家。
作者：孙宏光
March 23, 2007
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