美国学生艾尚恩哀悼指导教授任东来教授

黄安年受权发布  黄安年的博客/2013年5月10日发布

刚刚收到任东来教授夫人吴耘老师发来美国学生艾尚恩哀悼指导教授任东来教授的悼文，吴老师说:“Sean是东来指导的一个美国学生，他在病中修改他的文章，后来他完成答辩，导师签署意见是在南京军区总院病房完成的。附件的悼文写得很美。”

I havewritten this letter for Ren Donglai's family. I would greatly appreciate if youcould pass it along to them.

Best,

Sean

--

Sean Raphael Ages

Master of Arts inInternational Studies 2013

Hopkins-Nanjing Center 

Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies

Nanjing University

My first class with Professor Ren Donglai was at 8:00am on aTuesday during shopping week. The class, The American Supreme Court, seemedlike a strange choice to take in Chinese, but I was curious and it worked withmy schedule and I’m something of a morning person. There was a total of 5bleary-eyed students in the classroom and at the time I was pretty unsure of myChinese. Within minutes of Professor Ren Donglai beginning his lecture, I wascertain that signing up for the course was anything but a mistake. Hisenthusiasm, passion, and understanding of not only the Supreme Court, but everyrelated thread were palpable. His insistence on making every class member speakand answer his questions did more for my Chinese and my confidence in it thanall the hours I had spent with my copy of the New Practical Chinese Reader. Inshort, Professor Ren Donglai changed my experience at the Hopkins-Nanjing Centerin remarkable ways. Without having taken his class, I would have said that mytime at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center was great. Havinghad the privilege of taking two of his courses, I can say that my time at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center was nothing short ofextraordinary. Classmates and I still remark about Professor Ren Donglai’soptimism, wit, and excitement for just about everything. It was such an honorto have had him agree to serve as my thesis advisor, and though his illnessmade our contact briefer than I would have liked and electronic rather thanallowing me to appear in his office in person, his sage advice, worthycriticism, and undiluted warmth shaped my thesis into something of which Icould be proud.

The Hopkins-Nanjing Center has lost a pillarand the world has lost a friend. Professor Ren Donglai inspired countless HNCstudents and me to greatness, to confidence, and to recall what it was like tohave had that childlike sense of wonder of learning; a spark we all stillpossess deep down. I thank him for that. May he live in on our memory forever.

Sean Ages

艾尚恩