徐忠友
縣豆姜鄉(xiāng)車家弄村(現(xiàn)屬馬山鎮(zhèn)),巧合的是,新中國(guó)第一任教育部長(zhǎng)馬敘倫的祖籍地與其相鄰,車、馬重文興教,同鄉(xiāng)又同路。
車家算不上書香門第,車越喬的祖父是位小商業(yè)者,父親車恂如雖從事舊紹興最傳統(tǒng)的錫箔生意,卻是一位極有文化教養(yǎng)的人,持家嚴(yán)謹(jǐn),嗜好書畫。車越喬從小受到父親影響,
耳濡目染,很喜歡讀書,上初中時(shí),父親還為他訂了《中學(xué)生》雜志,可以說(shuō),閱讀一直影響著他的一生。
車越喬的童年是在車家弄村度過(guò)的。就在他9歲那年,父母將全家遷入紹興城,住在昌安唐家弄。他先上私塾,后入筆飛弄小學(xué)(與學(xué)界泰斗蔡元培故居在同一條弄堂),接著又先后就讀于萬(wàn)安橋小學(xué)(現(xiàn)北海小學(xué))、紹興縣中,都是紹興城內(nèi)有名望的學(xué)校,授課的老師,多屬教壇精英。車越喬文靜懂禮,酷愛讀書,成績(jī)名列前茅。
1949年,車越喬以優(yōu)異成績(jī)考入紹興府中(現(xiàn)紹興一中),卻因家境貧困只上了一學(xué)期高中就不得不輟學(xué)了。為了替父分憂和今后的生活,17歲的他不得不離家去上海謀生。但那時(shí)的上海根本找不到工作,無(wú)奈之下,他只好寄住在松江縣一親戚家里吃閑飯。第二年初,正巧他七叔從香港到上海進(jìn)貨,便安排他去香港找姨父母,將他介紹到姨父長(zhǎng)兄開的大公書局學(xué)做生意。大公書局有書籍、文具、儀器3個(gè)部門,18歲的他便被派到儀器部當(dāng)練習(xí)生,沒想到這卻讓他迎來(lái)了人生的第一次機(jī)遇。
在香港大公書局,車越喬早起晚睡,踏實(shí)苦干,憑借穎慧的天資,靠著不服輸?shù)囊懔?,業(yè)務(wù)很快入了門。1950年底,原儀器部主管離開大公書局,老板便擢升他為儀器部主管,每月薪金一下漲到200港元,而要實(shí)現(xiàn)這個(gè)目標(biāo),常人一般至少要奮斗10年!
車越喬邊學(xué)邊做,邊做邊學(xué),像海綿吸水,在實(shí)踐中汲取知識(shí)和經(jīng)驗(yàn)。他敏銳地注意到,學(xué)校在教授“格致學(xué)”(物理、化學(xué)、生物等學(xué)科的舊稱)時(shí)儀器必不可少,需求量大,更新速度快,經(jīng)營(yíng)教學(xué)儀器的前景廣闊,潛力很大。他有意識(shí)地涉獵這方面的知識(shí),虛心求教,用心鉆研,更利用業(yè)務(wù)上的方便,廣結(jié)師友,并由此認(rèn)識(shí)了眾多的中學(xué)理化、生物教師和校長(zhǎng),為日后自己創(chuàng)業(yè)構(gòu)建了基礎(chǔ)。
1955年1月,車越喬離開工作了5年的大公書局,獨(dú)立創(chuàng)辦了香港科學(xué)儀器社,面向?qū)W校和社會(huì)提供科學(xué)實(shí)驗(yàn)儀器、書籍文具等文化用品。
白手起家,談何容易,其中艱辛可想而知。那時(shí),車越喬每天工作都在12小時(shí)以上。他苦中有樂,生意幾乎沒有低潮期,儀器需求一路持續(xù)增長(zhǎng)。由于他的生意漸漸做得穩(wěn)定,收入也逐年增加。
接著,小有成就的車越喬雄心勃勃,在儀器質(zhì)量、銷售量與日俱增的形勢(shì)下,沒有安于現(xiàn)狀,而是將目光投向更為廣闊的全球教科儀器市場(chǎng)。為了接軌國(guó)際,只有半年高中文化的車越喬上夜校補(bǔ)習(xí)英文,翻字典查閱釋義,硬是將一本本厚厚的英文目錄啃了下來(lái),讀書給他后來(lái)經(jīng)商帶來(lái)了許多好處。
1967年下半年,車越喬在香港站穩(wěn)了腳跟,又開始向東南亞尋求發(fā)展,他首先去了新加坡,并拜訪了那里的同行和客戶。1978年,他東渡日本,為了與供應(yīng)廠家建立更為緊密的聯(lián)系,他之后每年都要去日本兩次。1970年,他首飛歐洲,在
40多天時(shí)間里,走訪了英國(guó)、德國(guó)、瑞士、意大利的眾多廠家,此后他每?jī)赡瓯厝ヒ惶藲W洲洽談生意。1972年,為了走訪買針灸針的大客戶,車越喬聯(lián)系上生產(chǎn)科學(xué)儀器的廠家,又專程趕赴紐約,幾乎跑遍了美國(guó)東、中、西部地區(qū)推銷商品。
他的心撲在家鄉(xiāng)文化事業(yè)上
這位紹興鄉(xiāng)賢的心中始終裝著魯迅。長(zhǎng)期以來(lái),車越喬除了通過(guò)自學(xué)吸取與經(jīng)商有關(guān)的文化知識(shí)外,還喜愛歷史文化,交游很廣。他考察過(guò)中國(guó)絕大多數(shù)的省、市、自治區(qū),走訪過(guò)世界上20多個(gè)國(guó)家和地區(qū)。每到一地,他對(duì)當(dāng)?shù)氐臍v史文化、風(fēng)土人情都會(huì)產(chǎn)生濃厚的興趣,尤其注重國(guó)外的科技成就和異域風(fēng)情。但他最熱愛的是祖國(guó)的大好河山,是悠久燦爛的歷史文化,對(duì)內(nèi)涵豐富的越文化更是情有獨(dú)鐘、如醉如癡。
中國(guó)實(shí)行改革開放后,車越喬努力拓展內(nèi)地市場(chǎng),他率先在紹興經(jīng)濟(jì)開發(fā)區(qū)獨(dú)資創(chuàng)辦了瑞越儀器有限公司,并以香港為大本營(yíng),以“浙江科通”為龍頭,在廣州、上海、杭州等地相繼設(shè)立了公司、分公司,取得了良好的經(jīng)濟(jì)效益和社會(huì)效益,成為一位優(yōu)秀的文化浙商。
1990年春,作為浙江省和紹興市政協(xié)委員的車先生回故鄉(xiāng)參加“兩會(huì)”,會(huì)間組織視察。當(dāng)他走進(jìn)紹興市文管會(huì)一個(gè)倉(cāng)庫(kù),看見包括100多件國(guó)家一級(jí)文物在內(nèi)的諸多寶貴文物時(shí)激動(dòng)萬(wàn)分:“紹興有這么多寶貝,完全可以建立一個(gè)博物館! ”于是,他與其他旅港委員們一起向大會(huì)提交了《建造紹興博物館,提高紹興知名度》的提案。他說(shuō):“我跑過(guò)不少國(guó)家和地區(qū),每到一個(gè)地方都要先到博物館看一看,博物館是一座城市的窗口……”當(dāng)車越喬聽說(shuō)紹興市已有一個(gè)興建博物館的計(jì)劃,還被列為市八大實(shí)事工程,但資金碰到困難,當(dāng)即表示“那我們大家都來(lái)捐點(diǎn)”。為此,他帶頭捐款50萬(wàn)元。
一石激起千層浪,陳元鉅、倪鐵城、徐春榮等海外人士積極響應(yīng),最后車越喬等7人共同捐贈(zèng)350萬(wàn)元。除去醞釀、論證、規(guī)劃時(shí)間,紹興博物館從1992年4月6日奠基開工,到1993年4月6日落成開館,僅用了一年時(shí)間,被人們譽(yù)為紹興建筑史上的奇跡、紹興文化史上的豐碑。
車越喬和父親都酷愛書畫,日積月累,收藏了不少名家作品,諸如吳昌碩的梅花、齊白石的蝦、黃賓虹的游湖、于右任的對(duì)聯(lián)、陸儼少的山水、黃胄的小驢圖、謝稚柳的荷花、王個(gè)簃的墨梅等,價(jià)值不菲。為了弘揚(yáng)文化、培養(yǎng)人才,車越喬忍痛割愛,將151幅珍品全部捐獻(xiàn)給紹興文理學(xué)院,現(xiàn)收藏于“恂如美術(shù)館”。
與此同時(shí),車越喬十分關(guān)心其他文化工程的建設(shè),作為魯迅鄉(xiāng)親的他捐款50萬(wàn)元,支持紹興圖書館(原魯迅圖書館)易地重建并創(chuàng)立“恂如古籍藏書室”、“柯靈紀(jì)念室”;捐贈(zèng)5萬(wàn)元,支持紹劇藝術(shù)中心的新館建設(shè);捐贈(zèng)100萬(wàn)元,支持紹興市政協(xié)友好會(huì)館的建設(shè);捐贈(zèng)50萬(wàn)元,支持紹興國(guó)際友好會(huì)館的建設(shè);資助建造魯迅銅像,資助拍攝《風(fēng)雨故園》《畫魂書韻》專題片,資助《紹興方言》《情系越鄉(xiāng)》《歷代詩(shī)人詠王羲之》《歷代詩(shī)人詠蘭亭》《陳橋驛八十華誕紀(jì)念冊(cè)》《陳播書法集》等書籍出版。
車越喬興趣愛好廣泛,對(duì)茶文化也有獨(dú)特的見解和研究,他積極支持由中國(guó)美協(xié)原副主席、中國(guó)美術(shù)學(xué)院前院長(zhǎng)肖峰任院長(zhǎng)的中國(guó)國(guó)際茶文化書畫院開展創(chuàng)作交流活動(dòng),并應(yīng)邀擔(dān)任了榮譽(yù)顧問。
傾情研究越文化
如果說(shuō)閱讀是車越喬一生的愛好,那么他對(duì)于越文化的研究,更是身體力行。無(wú)論是余姚河姆渡文化遺址、良渚文化遺址,還是嵊州小黃山遺址等,他都親自去現(xiàn)場(chǎng)考察、研究。他一直認(rèn)為,看書做學(xué)問,光紙上談兵不行,要親身走訪。近年來(lái),他將生意上的事基本交給兒子打理,有了更多的時(shí)間去從事越文化研究。并被推舉擔(dān)任紹興市越文化研究會(huì)的名譽(yù)會(huì)長(zhǎng)。2001年,他與著名學(xué)者陳橋驛共同編纂了《紹興歷史地理》一書。2003年夏,他不顧70多歲高齡,帶領(lǐng)包括畢業(yè)于北京大學(xué)考古系、廈門大學(xué)人類學(xué)系的10多位專家,頂著酷暑,從浙江一路南下,先后走訪考察了浙江、福建、廣東、廣西、海南5?。▍^(qū))的數(shù)十處越文化遺址、博物館、民族村落。他與考察人員一路風(fēng)塵八千余里,奔波20余天,甚至到了越南北部。2004年,他與有關(guān)專家一起,從云南昆明出發(fā),走訪了越南、老撾、泰國(guó)等地。每次考察,他都有新的收獲:“越南也有越族分布。為什么叫越南呢?很重要的一個(gè)原因是與古代的越族有關(guān)。”
他于2006年4月主編出版了《越文化實(shí)勘研究論文集》第一集,收入論文22篇,在海內(nèi)外越文化專家中產(chǎn)生了熱烈反響。2005年至2007年,車越喬連續(xù)三年帶領(lǐng)有關(guān)專家,分赴云南、貴州、江西、湖南和越南河內(nèi),老撾拉孛拉邦,泰國(guó)清邁、曼谷,對(duì)百越先民遺址及文化遺存作了實(shí)地考察,其研究成果《越文化實(shí)勘研究論文集》第二集已于2008年9月出版發(fā)行。
在香港,車越喬更是全力推動(dòng)中華文化的傳承與傳播。1990年,為促進(jìn)香港與內(nèi)地的書藝交流,車越喬與鄉(xiāng)賢胡鴻烈、章傳信及香港知名書法家林建同、鄭家鎮(zhèn)等共同策劃,成立了香港蘭亭學(xué)會(huì)。是年起,車越喬每年都要組團(tuán)赴浙江紹興參加蘭亭國(guó)際書法節(jié),并在兩地經(jīng)常性地舉辦書畫展、攝影展和創(chuàng)作活動(dòng)。
車越喬向香港中文大學(xué)逸夫書院捐贈(zèng)250萬(wàn)元港幣。為表示感謝,該書院將逸夫書院大講堂的展覽場(chǎng)地命名為“越喬藝?yán)取?,并?006年2月7日舉行了隆重的命名典禮,揭幕后的“越喬藝?yán)取彪S即舉行了“開放與創(chuàng)新——當(dāng)代水墨新概念”水墨畫展。車越喬在儀式上動(dòng)情地說(shuō):“經(jīng)常聽人說(shuō)香港是文化沙漠,我不是此次活動(dòng)的策劃者??吹交顒?dòng)盛況空贊同,只是展覽場(chǎng)地較少,希望‘越喬藝前,車越喬的心里蕩漾起幸福的漪瀾。
Carry forward the Legacy of Lu
Xun: The Story of Che Yueqiao
By Xu Zhongyou
The 81-year-old Che Yueqiao has impres-sive credentials: member of the Zhejiang Pro-vincial CPPCC, honorary chairman of council members of the Association of Zhejiang Fel-low Provincials in Hong Kong and president of Che Scientific Co., (Hong Kong) Ltd. But these credentials are not enough to define him. What best describes the man of learned, re-fined disposition, hailing from the hometown of Lu Xun (1881-1939), is his contribution to the education undertakings of Shaoxing.
Che Yueqiao was born in Chejianong, a small village in Doujiang, Shaoxing in Zhejiang province in 1932. Interestingly, the village is also the hometown of Ma Xulun (1885-1970), Chinas first minister of edu-cation in modern times. Che was not born to well-educated parents. His upbringing could not be called a scholarly one either. His grandfather operated a small business.
His father Che Xunru was a quite successful
tinfoil paper dealer. However, his lifetime hobby was traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy, which fostered a learned milieu for his son to have a childhood of cultural immersion.
The family moved to the Shaoxing city when the boy turned nine. He was a straight-A student throughout his adolescent years. Moving on from the grade school to junior high school, the boy got a special gift from his father – a subscription to the monthly pe-riodical Middle School Students. Reading has since been an indispensible part of his life.
Only one year after Che Yueqiao entered Shaoxing High School, the best senior high school in Shaoxing, the familys fortune waned, forcing the boy to drop out of school. He landed in Shanghai at the age of 17. He tried to find a job there in vain. He wound up lodging in a relatives home in Songjiang County. The next year, his visiting uncle
Che Yueqiao (third from right in the front row) attends a sacrificial ceremony at the mau-soleum of Yu the Great in Shaoxing.
brought the junior to Hong Kong and recom-mended him to a publishing house run by another relative of the family. At 18, Che became a trainee at the apparatus department of the publishing house, without realizing a new chapter in his life was opening to bring him a life-altering opportunity.
His hard work, willpower, enterprise and natural gift soon made him the head of the department in 1950. Earning a monthly sal-ary of 200 HK$, the 18-year-old achieved what could take at least ten years for other people in the company to reach.
He left the publishing house in 1955 to
start his own business -Che Scientific Co.,
(Hong Kong) Ltd., specializing as a supplier of teaching apparatus, books and stationery. Starting from scratch, he worked at least 12 hours every day to make sure the business grew fast and steady.
He determined to reach the global market. He signed up at a night English school to improve his English and managed to read all-English catalogues with the aid of dic-tionaries. Securing a foothold in Hong Kong, Che ventured out into the Southeast Asian regions. His first leg was Singapore, where he visited a lot of peer companies and poten-tial clients. During his first visit to Europe, Che visited a host of companies in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. He landed in New York in 1972 to do market research for his new acupuncture needle business. He went to Japan in 1978 and consolidated busi-ness relations with business partners there.
Che never forgets his hometown Shaox-ing. Headquartered in Hong Kong, his busi-ness has expanded into the mainland, with branch offices and affiliates set up in Shaox-ing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hangzhou.
A fund-raising campaign led by Che Yue-
qiao and his 500,000 yuan donation solicited
3.5 million yuan for the construction of the Shaoxing Museum, unveiled on April, 6, 1993.
To support the cultural undertakings of his hometown, Che Yueqiao donated his pri-vate collection of paintings to the Shaoxing University. His donations also went to the Shaoxing Library, Shaoxing Theatre, Shaox-ing International Friendship Museum, and the publication of a series of books.
Che is chairman of the Calligraphy and Painting Department of the China Interna-tional Tea Culture Museum, and plays an active role in various other cultural projects in Shaoxing and Hong Kong. One of the exhibition halls at the Sir Run Run Shaw Library of The Chinese University of Hong Kong is named after him, for his 2.5 million HK$ donation.
An exhibition under the name of ‘Who is
Lu Xun?, staged at the Times Plaza in Hong
Kong in September, 2006, drew in 500,000 people within two weeks. As the planner of the successful event, Che felt truly happy and rewarded, not only as an accomplished entrepreneur but also as a ‘traveling son of Shaoxing.