My University Teacher (the Third chapter) Zhenpei Zhang: Prop up a stretch of Sky in the History Department 我的大学老师（三） 张振佩：撑起历史系一片天

There were only one professor and two associate professors in history department. The professor named Gongshu Yao had been mentioned during the previous chapter. One of associate professors taught Japanese history who had never lived in school, never saw him or even didn't know his name. Usually, two grades were together to have class, full of classroom, students sitting in the back even couldn’t see the teacher’s head. In fact, didn’t have to see it clearly, anyway, no exams or no homework, just listening, it was so comfortable as sitting at a tea house.

The other one is teacher named Zhenpei Zhang.

He taught all lessons of fourth grade Chinese history. He firstly taught famous historiography selected reading. Several teachers could have this class, for example professor Gongshu Yao and associate professor Zhaoyi Zeng, they only taught “The Spring and Autumn Annals” “Records of the Historian” “Book of Han” “Records of the Three Kingdoms” “Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government” “Shi Tong” these six books. Grasp a typical example and you will grasp the whole category, by this method they taught all ancient Chinese history books. If young teachers taught, they may collect some thesis and just lecture according to the book, no abstruse meaning but could cope with situation. However the result is too much different. After all, as students of grade four had read lots of book, someone had special interest may propose certain question which teachers didn’t know or think of deeply. If teachers couldn’t answer the questions, on one hand they were so shamed about it, on the other hand if it was reflected to departments they may be blamed heavily. Teacher Zhang was different from others, he was an erudite person, he delved into all the books deeply and grasped all knowledge so he could show treat resourcefulness at problem solving. Sometimes he gave his own comment about social leaders’ views without any omission. Students could be inspired highly by his casual comments and gain much more useful knowledge.

Some people in society always complained that university teachers got high salaries and there was no class throughout the year and didn’t stay in the office, they thought this kind of days were so comfortable. In fact, actors in an opera, one minute performance on the stage cost ten years' hardwork off the stage. Teachers, when standing on the platform, high grade students could weigh your weight in a few minutes. Some teachers could recite lecture notes very well, it's actually they may know nothing. This is the reason why choosing famous teachers and elite school. Under famous teaches guiding you can take a short cut, they would teach you how to draw inferences about other cases from one instance. If let the stupid ones teach you, the outcome must be different although it is the same knowledge.

Our teacher Zhang was only a little more than fifty years old that year, it was the age of learning tending to mature. Listened to young teachers say, he was promoted to associate professor when he was only 39 years old, it was very enviable. Teacher Yao refused to write but teacher Zhang liked writing very much. He issued critical biography of Yishan (Shangyin) Li at the age of 21, later he wrote more critical biography about Genghis Khan, Wangbo Zhang, Zongtang Zuo, ten characters appeared in his works. Dongrun Zhu was famous at home and abroad because of writing critical biography, who knew that Zhenpei Zhang from Guizhou was so talented? This is really, Lan Ganma chilli paste coming from NanMing district Guiyang city was sold to the United States and one bottle can’t be bought at thousands of dollars. However in China, one bottle is only ten Yuan is sold in all supermarket.

Mr. Zhang had been a teacher in Xinjiang college before liberation. Maybe he was too talented, the chairman of Xinjiang province asked him to do something which had been branded as a dirty point in history. I think, if he was a very famous scholar in the academic world, who could mete out punishment to him even though he was ever having dinner with Jieshi Jiang? Unfortunately, he was not. After liberation, he has been unable to lift the head. The Secretary of the Department of general branch at the whole department's student conference praised this teacher was good and that teacher had much knowledge but refused to commend teacher Zhang. Actually, one of them was transferred from the chemistry department, he even didn't graduate from junior high school. I could bet that he couldn’t repeat Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin and Han dynasties successfully. I was doubt whether they knew what is knowledge? Mr. Zhang kne his distance and kept aloof from people, usually he kept silence, the pain can’t be talked with any others.

Each time Mr.Zhang finished his selected reading lesson he always started the history lecture in order to match students’ graduation examination. This lecture included descent,bureaucratic establishment,nation,economic system, peasant war and Five golden flowers(they are commonly known as the five hottest issues in history field). He would help us to recall all what we learn and grasp data records. Besides, he had his own views with studying on dynamic reality very clear-sighted, he also pointed out the crux of the argument and then gave a thought to solve the problem. He was a really a versatile person.
Mr.Zhang was compeletly competent for his teacher’s job, sometimes he talked about some interesting topics to active atmosphere and close the distance between teachers and students. Indeed, I thought we may study all that crap in that four university years if we had no Mr. Zhang's deepening of knowledge.

During the cultural revolution, because of my unfortunate experience, always run back to my alma mater to find Hanliang Wu to reflect who was the security section chief , hoped him help me to solve the framed real problems. Sometimes I cheeky went around the department of history . Often I saw the teacher was weeding in the front of building, I knew that he was the supervision person too. Of course, I had not qualify to comfort the broken heart of the teacher, because my days were not better than him.

After the cultural revolution, Yuyu clarified then Mr.Zhang’s spirits were flouring and still played the leading role in the history department. In 2012, it was his centenaries birthday. The university set up his writings editorial board and published a commemorative anthology. It was obviously that he was a big guy in the academic world.

After reading my memory, someone may say that “Your school level is so low”, I would say “No”. That time there was thousand things waiting to be done, it couldn’t be compared with present time. Among the students in the past few years, certain person was the China Academy of Social Sciences, the director of the University, the national famous writer. Someone’s works were selected in high school books, some published papers in the international famous magazine, some was a PH.D at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute, some was high-ranking official. The Commissioners of China's entry into the WTO negotiations was the last and next term students.

Today, my alam master has many professors who can be full of hall, many lecturers who can be full of playground, assistants are here and there. Especially, professors become provincial food stamps from the national food stamps, then turn to the general school meal ticket. How many numbers of professors and Ph.D. at school doesn’t prove anything. The practical and realistic achievements in scientific research are the most important!

Original post written by @hqy: 我的大学老师（三） 张振佩：撑起历史系一片天@hqy二哥贺汪泽原创首发|月旦评
Translator: @sunnyjolly

历史系只有一正两副三教授。正的姚公书，前面说了，两副，一是教日本史的，没住校，没见过，姓甚名谁都不清楚。两个年级一起开课，满满一教室，坐后面的，老师的头都看不清楚。其实，也不用看清楚，反正不考试，不交作业，听听而已，和坐茶馆一样自在。

另一位就是张振佩老师。

四年级的中国史课他全包了。他先上史学名著选读。这课，好几个老师可开，正系主任姚公书、副系主任曾昭毅都开过，只讲《左传》、《史记》、《汉书》、《三国志》、《资治通鉴》、《史通》这六部书，触类旁通，中国古代史书都讲完了。如果交给年轻老师来讲，搜集一下有关论文，就书论书，有点无面，同样可应付局面，效果就有别天壤。到底是四年级了，学生也读了不少书，有特殊兴趣者提出一些老师都没涉猎或没深入思考的问题，被学生问倒了，面红耳赤不说，也许反映到系里去，就够你喝一壶了。张老师这样的饱学之士，为著书，这些书他都深入钻研过，上下贯通，左右逄源，不时对时贤见解加以评论，滴水不漏。学生在他不经意的点评中，从方法论的高度受到启发，以少少许换得多多许。

社会上有些人总埋怨大学老师拿高薪，常年不上课，不坐班，以为日子过得太舒服。其实，唱戏的，台上一分钟，台下十年功；上课的，讲台上一站，高年级的学生几分钟就能掂出你的重量。有的老师讲稿背得溜溜熟，其实是白开水一杯。为什么要投名师，读名校，就是这个道理。经过好的老师的指点，可以抄近路，教你以一驭十，甚至驭百的方法；让个二百五教你，同是这盘菜，味道大不同。

我们的张老师，当年才五十开外，正是学问趋向成熟的年龄。听年轻老师讲，他39岁就晋升副教授，是很值得钦羡的。姚老师不肯写，张老师特喜欢写，他21岁就做出了《李义山（商隐）评传》，后来又写出成吉思罕、张望博、左宗棠，十几个人物都出现在他笔下。复旦的朱东润以写评传名满海内外，谁又知道贵州这旮旯里有个张振佩，也这么有才呢？这真是，贵阳市南明区产的老干妈辣子酱销到美国几千元一瓶都抢不到，在中国本土，10元钱一瓶，满超市都有售！

张老师解放前在新疆学院任过教，也许是他太有才了，新疆的省主席请他做了什么，由此历史上烙下“污”点。我想，如果是学界名流，就和蒋介石吃过饭又怎样？无奈，张先生不是大佬级别，解放以后一直抬不起头，系总支书记在全系的学生大会上讲这个老师好，那个老师有学问，就是不说张先生。其实，有位是从化学系调来的，初中都没毕业，我打赌，夏商周秦汉一直往下数，这些朝代他都背不下来，知道什么叫学问？张老师有自知之明，一天落落寡合，平常箴口不言，只在故纸堆里寻找慰藉，其痛苦不可与外人道也。

张老师开完选读课，又要配合毕业考试开史学讲座。这讲座是分门别类讲授世系、官制、民族、经济制度、农民战争直至“五朵金花”（对史学领域五个热点问题的俗称），都要一一梳理，资料记载要了如指掌，现实研究动态要洞若观火，还要有自己的见解，指出争论症结之所在，然后给出解决问题的思路，这确实要是全才啊！张老师却胜任裕余，有时还要讲点相关的奇闻趣事活跃气氛，拉近师生的距离。确实，没有张老师的深化知识的功夫，我们这四年白学了。

文革中，我因为不幸的历史，老往母校跑，找保卫科科长吴汉良向上反映，解决诬陷不实的问题，有时也厚着脸皮到历史系楼下转转，经常看到张老师在楼前拔草，知道他也是监管对象。当然，我没有资格安慰老师破碎的心，因为我的日子也不比他好过啊！

文革之后，玉宇澄清，张老师也精神焕发，仍在历史系挑大梁。2012年是先生百岁诞辰，学校成立了他的著作编委会，出版了纪念文集，足见他是学界的大佬级别。

读了我的回忆，有人会说，你读的学校好水呀？我说，不水！那是百废待兴的年代，不能跟现在比。那几年的学生中，也出了中国社科院的学部委员，大所的所长；全国著名作家，作品选进中学教材；在国际著名杂志上发表论文,在中科院院所担任博导；当大官的也有，我国入世谈判的专员，就是上下届的同学。今天，我的母校同样是教授一礼堂，讲师一操场，零零落落的助教在四周站岗。特别是教授由全国粮票变成省内粮票，再变为校内通用的饭票，一个学校有多少教授、多少博导并不说明什么，叫得响的是挤干水份的科研成果，而且要是真的！

原作者 @hqy: 我的大学老师（三） 张振佩：撑起历史系一片天@hqy二哥贺汪泽原创首发|月旦评
译者: @sunnyjolly