北大不出大師出富翁 喜從何來

Should we feel proud when our top universities' goal is to produce rich businesspeople?

如果高等學府教育的目的是培養富翁，我們還會引以自豪嗎？

Peking University, widely considered the top academic institution in China, has also proven to be a wealth factory, turning out some of the country's richest businesspeople. According to media reports, 79 of the school's alumni from 1999 to 2010 have gone on to become billionaires, the most of any academic institution in the country. PKU President Zhou Qifeng has expressed great pride at this distinction. I don't share the feeling.

作爲公認的中國最高學府，北京大學用事實證明，它還是一個財富工廠，國內很多超級大富翁都是從這裏走出去的。據媒體報道，1999-2010年間，共有79個北大學子轉身變成億萬富翁，產量居全國高校第一。校長周其鳳感到很自豪也很光榮，我卻怎麼也高興不起來。

Established in 1898 as the Imperial University of Peking during a period of reform, the school was created as a replacement for the Guozijian, the top institute of learning in ancient China for more than a thousand years. In 1895, Emperor Guangxu issued an imperial edict making the construction of universities one of ten national priorities. At that time, Chinese scholars and reformers saw education as a way to produce the political and academic talent needed to carry the country forward. "The root of reform lies in education," Chinese scholar Liang Qichao wrote. "Talent comes from establishing schools."

北京大學的前身是創辦於1898年的京師大學堂，用以取代一千多年來中國古代的最高學府——國子監。1895年，光緒皇帝在一份“詔書”中列出了要做的“十大實事”，其中就有“立學堂”。那個時候，中國的學者和改革家們都認爲，通過教育才能培養政治名流和學術人才，從而帶動國家進步。梁啓超這樣寫道：“變法之本，在育人才，人才亡興，在開學校”。

Instead of producing wealth, scholars of the day envisioned the university educating patriotic graduates to carry out their duty of improving China. As another scholar, Li Duanfen, put it: "Once schools are established, there will be enough talent for our country's administration and restoration."

在那個年代，學者們都期待着大學能培養出愛國之才、肩負起興國之重任，而不是產出了多少富翁。另一位學者李端棻說道：一旦“立學堂”，“十年以後賢俊盈廷，不可勝用。”

Peking University, then, was an academic and political institution from its inception, not an incubator for the country's next generation of business moguls. In ancient China, businessmen occupied the lowest of social classes, and business was limited by the emperors of China for several thousand years. Today, that perspective has changed, but the importance of business should not be overstated. Should we feel proud when our top universities' goal is to produce rich businesspeople?

從辦學開始，北大一直到那個時候都還是一個有着政治氛圍的學術機構，而不是爲國家培養下一代商業大亨的溫牀。在中國古代，商人的社會地位最低，中國幾千年執政者也都是“抑商”的。如今，觀點是變了，但是重商的思想也不應太過分。如果高等學府教育的目的是培養富翁，我們還會引以自豪嗎？

When it comes to advertising campaigns, Harvard University never publicizes its billionaire graduates. Instead, it emphasizes the ranks of Nobel Prize winners and American presidents it has trained. Harvard has produced so many important political and academic figures over the past several hundred years because it grasps the basic principles of education. Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard when he was in the third year of university. Without a doubt, Gates is richer than all of the 79 billionaires mentioned above. But Harvard never uses him as a publicity tool.

哈佛大學的宣傳是說他們的學子中出了多少個諾貝爾獎得住，多少個總統；沒有宣傳出了多少個億萬富翁。正是因爲人家牢牢把握住教育的根本原則，所以人家纔會幾百年來做到真正的名副其實的人才輩出！要說富有，哈佛一個輟學的比爾•蓋茨就比這79個加起來還牛；可是哈佛大學從來沒有拿比爾•蓋茨來粉飾自己。

There is a phenomenon in China's film industry that if the plot for a movie seems too bland, directors simply insert a vulgar love story. It seems a similar phenomenon has now cropped up at Peking University. If the university fails to cultivate enough academic or political elites, it simply counts the number of rich graduates it has produced. We are at the precipice of losing our educational roots.

當今中國影視界流行這樣一句話：“戲不夠，情來湊。”北京大學是不是也已經淪落到“大師沒有，富翁來湊”的境地！嗚呼，教育之淪亡不遠矣！

A university should not pride itself on the number of rich graduates it churns out. The ultimate purpose of education is to cultivate true talent. On one hand, these talented graduates should have the capacity to improve people's lives. On the other, they should be able to upgrade China's international status. Education officials should take a serious look at the regulations of the Imperial University of Peking drafted by Liang Qichao. It is not too late to correct our mistakes.

出幾個億萬富翁猶“築室”，小數也；大學教育，旨在出內以修政富民，外以強國雪恥的人才，大數也！中國各級教育之主政者當三思；並認真學習、實踐梁啓超的《京師大學堂章程》亡羊補牢，或可有望。