Address to the Opening Ceremony of Wanguo College

（Ge Xu, the dean of Wanguo College）

Hello, all the members of Wanguo College:

Beholding you gathering here makes me feel apprehensive and uneasy. Please let me expound on my three fears.

Firstly, if that were me ten year ago, I would not necessarily have the courage like yours to challenge such an almost impossible and crazy task in the eye of the beholder, namely, learning a complex language to the academic level in half a year.

Secondly, as teachers and educators, we always reflect on that if we have done these things with all our might. What else can we do in order to match your determination and enthusiasm?

Lastly, the nightmare of educational inequality still haunts me after years of meticulous observations and experience in our society. When we spread knowledge and ideas channeled from top universities, the so-called “new elite" will be shaped. However, are they able to adhere to the concept of "the perfectibility of man"? Are they able to be introspective and not feel self-satisfied over their status? Are they able to face the unfairness of education and chronic diseases of the society with a cool scowl?

We have received lots of praise and are titled “innovative educators”, which makes me feel abashed. The empirical method of language acquisition can trace back to remote classical age, and what we only want to do is to reproduce this kind of art of learning. If we compare this method to a sword, it is heavy, unwieldy and blunt. However, once you are able to wield it, it will be unexpectedly powerful. Generations of great masters who can speak many languages are never complacent with the superficial title of polyglot. On the contrary, after acquiring these languages they immediately devote their entire life to challenging the peak of wisdom.

The language, no matter how many poetical fantasies we give to it, is ultimately nothing more than a tool or a vehicle. What is truly fascinating is the incomparably bright and creative thinking, the concise and elegant logic, and the keenest concern for the fate of mankind that languages carry.

Those three fears, I think, can only be assuaged by the following exhortations.

I hope your enthusiasm is based on the sober-minded awareness of arduous efforts you have to make on the trip of language acquisition. When you are spellbound by the  scene of victorious flags waving in the wind, we do not call it courage. When you still hold a fearless will and charge forward with your sword in the midst of a fierce battle, this is what we call courage. Languages of Europe are logically rigorous and their essence are open to each other though German overflows with superfluous rules, French is blanketed with difficult and unpronounceable words, Spanish defies you grasping the meaning, and Latin often makes you at a loss with its unpredictability. A newcomer is bound to feel frustrated when he steps on this land. However, once he finds the approach a broad and bright view will be unfolded. Far too many people never take language acquisition as a serious thing and grow to be irresolute, weak-minded and hesitate to move forward when suffering setbacks. I hope you can learn a lesson from them.

I hope you will not be confined to the established methodology. The one who cages himself in Shu (techniques) also keeps himself from the Dao (the root and essence underlying Shu). The one who gets Dao is able to wield a sword at will instead of stereotypically adhering to Shu. Due to the limited number of teachers in Wanguo College we are probably not able to instruct each and every one of you in every possible way. As a result, I expect you to think from a big picture while act and practice from a small step and persevere. The recipe of “how” has to be born out of  the essentials of “why”. I hope you to be abstemious and scrupulous in your narration as well as  think carefully and examine thoughtfully in your argument. Being pragmatic rather than being all talk and no action. We will complement each other and paddle together since we are on the same boat.

I hope you will not be intellectually arrogant, self-conceited and inordinately proud  when you have made some achievements. The essential of language acquisition wait to be spread and a wise and philanthropic man will not keep them to himself. I am looking forward to seeing you wave the language sword in your own battle as soon as possible, being well-versed in western culture and assimilate its strong and excellent elements so that you can shoulder greater social responsibilities.

Thank you!

（Translated by Peng Wu 吴初桐）

（原文如下）

各位万国成员：

看到你们济济一堂，我心中惶恐。惶恐有三。

一者，如果换做十年前的我，未必会有大家的勇气去挑战这样在旁人眼里近乎痴人说梦的任务——每半年便将一门繁复的语言提高到学术殿堂的水平。

二者，我们这群教书先生真的尽力了么？究竟还能再做些什么，才能配得上各位的决心与热情？

三者，这么多年我对吾国社会之细致观察与体会，教育不平等的噩梦始终挥之不去。我们将顶级学府的知识与思考传播的时候，必定会塑造新的所谓「精英」。然而，我们的学生能否坚守「完备之人性」的理念，不暗自侥侥然于所得之地位，横眉冷对教育之不公、社会之顽疾？

我们得到过很多赞誉，说是具有革新精神的教育者。我闻之大愧。经验主义的习语法自古典时代便有之，我们不过是希冀于将此重剑无锋的学问重现于吾国。一代代学术殿堂之巨匠操万国之语，然并未沾沾自喜于「多语者」这种浅薄的头衔——他们迅速习得这些工具后，立刻将自己毕生的精力投入挑战人类智慧巅峰的历程。

语言，无论我们赋予它们怎样诗意的幻想，终究不过是一种工具，一个载体。真正令人着魔的是它们承载的那些灵动无双的思考、简洁优雅的逻辑、对人类命运最为彻骨铭心的关怀。

那三种惶恐，我想只有以下的劝学之言方以抚慰：

我希望诸位的热忱建立于对习语之艰辛的清醒认知上。勇气不是看着旌旗招展时的意乱情迷，而是身陷鏖战时仍能持剑冲锋的无畏意志。德文繁文缛节，法文佶屈聱牙，西文难领其义，拉丁变幻莫测——然而这万般困难中，诸欧陆语言逻辑严谨、互通要旨。初入此域必受挫折，然若初得法门，便豁然开朗。只是有太多的人视习语若儿戏，遇挫后又寡断优柔，逡巡不前。诸君察之。

我希望诸位不囿于既有之方法论。得其术者，道弗得之；得其道者，不拘于常术，随心所欲。我们这几个教书匠精力或不济于对每位学生无微不至之教导，故而诸君凡事必从大而小细思，从小而大践行——「如何」之法必从「为何」之要义脱胎，无他。希望你们言事必惜墨如金，说理必三思后谈。务实而不空谈，互通有无，共济而行。

我希望诸位学有所成之时，不盛气凌人，不恃才傲物。我希望你们或将这习语的要义传播出去，不若腐儒般敝帚自珍；或尽早将所学的语言工具应用于自己所在之领域，凭于西方文明的深谙，博万国之所长，集于己身，承担更大的社会责任。

万国学院开学典礼：四月六日周五晚八点至十点。我们出发。

师，葛旭

谨再俯首