忆一忆湄潭浙大旧址

梅重

遵义湄潭有一处近现代史迹——浙江大学西迁旧址。

湄潭是深山小县，往昔无名。抗战全面爆发，浙大一路内撤，于1939年到达贵州，在遵义设校本部，第二年在湄潭设分校，从此，湄潭把浙大视为骄傲，浙大把湄潭视为神圣；66年后，国家把湄潭浙大旧址视为科学教育史的象征，入列全国重点文物保护单位。于是，我一直想去看看。

到湄潭的时候是傍晚，阴阴的天晴了。小憩之后信步而至浙大广场。广场不见得特别，灯影中有一块做出来的像简易披屋一般的大石头，上面刻着竺可桢先生的“求是”校训。

独自坐久，寒意渐生，循浙大路拐茶乡路，走进一家茶馆店。服务员推荐湄潭翠芽，干茶扁形，比西湖龙井绿一些，开汤后浮浮沉沉，张开为一芽两叶，品一口也鲜洁，滋味悠长。

茶客另有两三人，店里很安静，老板过来说话：“先生来旅游？来游湄江风景区？”他努嘴指示旁边一桌。我摇摇头：“也算旅游吧，专程来看浙大旧址。”

老板很惊讶：“少见，少见。先生一定是浙大人。”我说我从浙大故乡来，来看浙大第二故乡。

老板年轻，有头脑，话题马上一转：“先生喝的是湄潭‘龙井，当年浙大农学院用浙江的制茶工艺帮助改进这里的茶叶加工，培育出‘翠芽，直到今天都受益。湄潭是贵州茶叶第一县呢，有‘天下第一大茶壶之称。”

我打探如何参观浙大旧址，老板竟能同导游似地介绍：浙大来湄潭前，竺校长曾有考察，湄潭方面组织团体隆重欢迎，准备了最好的房舍提供选用。竺校长因此说这里民风淳朴，同时物美价廉，风景又很优美，就决定了将浙大的一部分迁过来。浙大旧址原有20多处，现在立碑或挂牌保护的有9处，包括文庙（分校办公室、图书室）、天主堂（教授住处）、万寿宫（研究生院）、西来庵（湄江吟社）、双修寺（理学院物理系）、欧阳曙宅（文艺活动室）、李氏住宅（学生住处）和永兴分校教授住处、农学院畜牧场实验楼。接着，他一一具体解说，时不时提几个名人的名字，插几件逸事趣闻，比如教授种菜、专家放羊，比如学者品茶斗诗，还比如有更多的师生搞戒烟义演、减轻罂粟流毒。他说：“旧址多数在县城，值得一看。有几个在永兴那边，不看也罢。”

边上的茶客从毕节来，这时也聚神而听，说：“我们怎么不知道这往事呢？明天也去走一圈。”

我对老板的热情和鲜亮的记忆一再表示感谢。他有些得意，非要换一种叫遵义红的茶让我尝尝。“不瞒先生说，其实我有一点点浙大情结。”他顿一顿说，“我爷爷曾是浙大学生，在永兴分校学农学，因为生病，1946年浙大返回杭州没能随行，第二年想去却路费不济，后来就留在了湄潭，一辈子懊丧不已，甚至郁郁寡欢。我爸爸说，浙大留在这里的教育与文化的影响很大，他上初中时的课桌椅都是浙大旧物。恢复高考后，我爸爸考过两次浙大没成功。呵呵，我也考过浙大，雄心勃勃的，结果读了遵义的职院。家庭氛围如此，我从小特别注意浙大的事情，还收集材料，有时候瞎想要写一本书，是小说……”

我一时不知应当替他惋惜还是为他鼓励，说了句似是而非的话：“浙大的形象和精神已经深深浸入湄潭人的生活了。”

回到旅店，感觉心绪有点乱，推窗作寥远之望。稀星隐去，未能入眠。

第二天去旧址，走一圈要不了多少时间。文庙维修一新，里面是陈列，以图片和文字介绍为主，实物不多。天主堂保持旧乎乎的模样。欧阳曙宅、李氏住宅看去像拆迁房，还有人家住着，木凳、竹篮、塑料盆摆在门口，摇头窗上拉出电线，横过天井。当年的湄潭老城只有一条主要街道，可以想象浙大师生在小巷小弄里穿进穿出的情形，他们平常得很，平常得就如隔壁邻舍——

也算是浙大人的父亲与郑晓沧先生、陈建功先生有交结，谈起过西迁旧事的一二：浙师院院长郑氏喜欢做旧诗，他在浙大西迁时于浙江龙泉留下的分校任主任，诗多得专门出了集子，多年后到湄潭又是湄江诗社的中坚力量。杭大副校长陈氏喜欢园圃种豆，抗战胜利后曾奉命去接收、重组台湾大学并任校长。

住在道古桥宿舍里的一些前辈我都知道：化学系老主任王琎先生和他的夫人、外语系主任德梦铁先生在湄江饭店结为伉俪；德先生是出生于格鲁吉亚的犹太人，抗战爆发滞留中国，因为精通多国语言，先在长沙军校任教，长沙军校迁贵州后受聘于浙大，她说“那里有很多民族，我是唯一的外国人”；王先生平日不出门，因为深爱夫人，就种玫瑰养波斯猫。住我家隔壁的生物系主任、副校长江希明先生和数学系主任徐瑞云先生，抗战中从德国归来到浙大，也在湄潭结合，他们终生带在身边的老保姆杨妈就是遵义人；江伯伯爱喝啤酒，晚饭后总是微醺地在小花园里走来走去，夏天园里长满草本，他任由孩子们采摘夜姣姣或者野薄荷、含羞草。住我家楼上的物理系主任、副校长朱福炘先生，西迁到湄潭的一座破庙安身时，学校表彰他“没有损坏一件玻璃仪器，没有丢失一根直尺”，他不吱一声然后去山坡放羊；朱伯伯家里极干净极安静，他不抽烟不喝酒，没什么爱好，大约总是在看书编讲义。

父亲与隔一幢楼住的中文系主任、浙江省文史馆馆长王驾吾先生最友善。父亲说，驾公研究非战的墨子用力最深，在遵义却写了一篇《春秋攘夷说》，讽喻之深，震惊了当局最高一人，因此得意至今；王伯伯旧诗做得上佳，常送人索和，父亲是不写旧诗的，他就送来一幅红梅立轴和一副对联求“雅正”；王伯伯爱活动，他家和我家多有郊野之游，但绝对不选西湖热闹处；王伯伯晚年常由王妈妈陪伴散步小集市松木场，路上遇见我这个晚辈也端庄举手招呼……

这些人都是响当当的前辈学者，在我看来他们和普通人一样不疾不徐地生活，相信一如湄潭生活时。他们平平淡淡，从从容容，从不与人道豪言壮语，甚至不知该如何谈精神和使命之类，只是以各自的一番成就形成一股股潜流，影响出周边的人文天地。

世界曾关注和讨论过著名的“李约瑟难题”——中国科技为什么停滞，但李约瑟在1943年到湄潭浙大考察时却称誉这里是“东方剑桥”。有研究家认为，从1936年起的10余年间，浙大最是辉煌，崛起而成为著名学府。我想，西迁浙大的知识分子群体星汉灿烂，他们也许各有心愿、各有目标，但都有共同的价值观和职业责任感，即便在国难艰辛的时刻照样用自己的良知报效社会、报效民族，才锻锤出了集体的形象和精神。可是，这种感染人的使命般的力量只停留在纸面上，生活中丝毫没有神秘感。

若干年后，有浙大学子著诗文《西迁颂》《西征行》总结讲述浙大西迁，避谈艺术性，可以读一读作参证：也见平凡，又见不凡。

时间尚早，又去湄江边。这里是浙大师生最爱徘徊的地方，他们曾看一江弯环烟雨，看一江如眉山影，看一江日落日出，看一江船去船回。

（本文照片由沈阔提供）

Meitan in Zunyi， Guizhou boasts a place in the modern history. During World War Two， Meitan hosted Zhejiang University in exile. The university journeyed west after Japanese invasion into China. Meitan is a county of mountains deep in Guizhou. After Chinas resistance against Japanese invaders became nationwide， Zhejiang University began to move inland. In 1939， it arrived in Guizhou and set up its headquarters in Zunyi and set up another campus in Meitan. Since then， Meitan has held Zhejiang University in high esteem and Zhejiang University has considered Meitan as sacred. In 1999， the former campus of Zhejiang University in Meitan was designated as a national cultural unit under government protection. I had long since wanted to pay a visit to the Meitan campus.

It was evening when I arrived and it was clear after a whole long rainy day. After a short break at the hotel， I strolled out to Zhejiang University Square. It was nothing fancy. In the center stood a rock monument featuring “Seeking Truth”， the mission statement of the university composed by Zhu Kezhen， the university president back then. The inscription looked fine in the light. On another rock are the lyrics of the university song written by Master Ma Yifu， a Confucian scholar， poet， calligrapher.

I hanged out at the square for a while and then I went to a teahouse not far from the square. The teahouse was quiet. There were only four or five customers there. The owner came over and we chatted. He thought I was a tourist. I said I was here just to visit the old sites of Zhejiang University. I replied， “I am from the home of Zhejiang University and I am here to see the second home of the university.” Then I was surprised to learn from the owner that the tea I was sipping was known as Meitan Dragon Well Tea. The experts of the Agricultural School of Zhejiang University had introduced advanced tea processing techniques to local tea farmers and improved local tea farming and tea output. Meitan is the biggest tea producer of Guizhou. I enjoyed the tea.

I asked the owner about the old campus of Zhejiang University. And I was surprised again. The young owner knew the story and informed me of what happened. Zhu Kezhen visited Meitan on an inspection before the campus here was set up. Local community leaders gave him a heart-warming reception and provided him with a list of best houses for staff and students. It turned out that there are about 20 old sites across the county capital associated with the university. Nowadays， nine of them are under the government protection. The Confucius Temple served as the administrative office and library. The professors stayed at the local Catholic Church. Wanshou Temple was home to the graduate students. The owner told me a few stories about the teachers and students. The other customers in the teahouse listened attentively. They were surprised， too. One said how come we hadnt known anything about Zhejiang University in Meitan. They announced that they would visit the sites the next day.

I thanked the owner for his hospitality and his precious memories. His face shone. He insisted that I have another cup of tea on the house. He confessed that he had a Zhejiang University complex. His grandfather was a student of Zhejiang University in Meitan. The grandfather studied agriculture. In 1946 Zhejiang University moved back to Hangzhou， but he didnt follow because of sickness. He planned to go to Hangzhou in 1947 but didnt have the money to travel. He regretted all his life about the lost opportunity. His father said the university left footprints everywhere in Meitan. The desks used in the classroom when he was a kid had been used by the students of Zhejiang University back then. The father tried twice to enroll himself into Zhejiang University but failed. The young teahouse owner himself tried once to get into Zhejiang University. He ended up in a local polytechnic school in Zunyi. He had been interested in everything about Zhejiang University in Meitan and had built up a collection of materials and he even thought about writing a novel based on the materials.

His story almost made me speechless. I didnt know whether I should feel sorry for him or I should encourage him to do whatever he wanted to do. Back at the hotel， I felt excited. I sat at the window and watched the starry sky. That night I was sleepless.

The teahouse owners account stirred my memories. As a matter of fact， I know a lot about the teachers and their stories in Meitan. My father was a professor in Hangzhou University， which is now part of Zhejiang University. When I was a kid， some of these teachers who had been in Meitan were our neighbors at the universitys dorms for teachers at Daogu Bridge in Hangzhou. I knew them personally and I heard a lot about Meitan from my father and these scholars. In my eyes， these prominent scholars did not set out to seek fame or fortune. They were contented with conventional life. They did not resort to high-sounding words in their talk. They did not engage in lengthy discussions about spirit and mission. But they taught and exerted great impact on people and places. They helped change the world. My visit to Meitan confirmed my impressions and understanding of these exemplary personages in my life.

The next day， I walked through the town. It didnt take me long to visit the major sites. The Confucius Temple， now fully restored， hosts an exhibition about Zhejiang University. The Catholic Church looked as old as it was. Other sites looked like houses in a shanty town. In the good old days when Zhejiang University flourished in Meitan， the town had only two main streets. I could imagine students and teachers going about in town.

Then I came to the Mei River. I knew it was a favorite place where the students and teachers of the university loved to hang out. I could well imagine what they once saw and loved： misted days， the big river bend， the mountains along the river， sunrise and sunset moments， boats coming and going.