希陶先生小傳,Mini-Biography for Mr. Xitao CAI - the Pioneer Botanist of the Plant King
文| 改變 青山 永平
Figure 1. Mr. Xitao CAI (Hse-Tao TSAI, April.10, 1911- March.9,1981)
1981年3月9日，我國著名植物學家蔡希陶先生因病在昆明去世，享年70歲。今天屈指算來，蔡先生離開我們已有三十七年了。1938年，蔡先生創立了雲南農林植物研究所（今中國科學院昆明植物研究所之前身）。在建所80周年之際，我們深切懷念研究所的創始人，對蔡先生一生紮根邊疆、獻身植物科學事業常懷敬意。
On March 9, 1981, Mr. Xitao Cai(Hse-Tao Tsai) (fig.1) one of the mostfamous pioneer botanists in China, passed away at his age of 70 in Kunming. Ithas been 37 years since he left us. Mr. Cai founded Yunnan Institute ofAgricultural and Forestry Botany in 1938, the predecessor of Kunming Instituteof Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. At the celebration of the 80thanniversary for the institute, we deeply cherish Mr. Cai, the founder of theinstitute, who has dedicated his entire life to the development of botanyscience in China.
Figure 2. Mr. Xitao Cai(1933)
自學成才 與植物結緣
蔡希陶先生譜名中矩，名希陶，字侃如。1911年4月10日生於浙江東陽虎鹿鎮蔡宅村樂順堂。
蔡先生於1929年9月考入上海光華大學物理系。在上海讀書期間，常到姐夫陳望道家，期間深受瞿秋白、李達、夏徵農、魯迅、馮雪峰、胡愈之等革命前輩和文學泰鬥的影響。1930年9月，為避軍警抓捕，經陳望道推薦，入北平靜生生物調查所當練習生。在北平靜生所工作期間，該所所長胡先驌先生常派他到北平附近採集植物標本。先生刻苦鑽研，自學成才，1931年即與胡先驌合作發表了《四川省唇形花科植物之研究》一文。
Mr. Xitao Cai was born inZhejiang Province on April 10th, 1911. He was admitted into the Departmentof Physics in Kwang Hua University in Shanghai in 1929. During his studies inShanghai, he frequently visited his brother-in-law, Mr. Wangdao Chen and wasinfluenced by many revolutionary predecessors and literary giants, such asMr.Qiubai Qu, Mr.Da Li, Mr. Zhengnong Xia, Mr. Lu Xun, Mr. Xuefeng Feng and Mr.Yuzhi Hu. In September 1930,
recommended by Mr. Wangdao Chen, Mr. Cai became atrainee in the Fan Memorial Institute of Biology. During this time, Professor XiansuHu (Hsen-Hsu Hu), the Director of the institute, often sent him to collectplant specimens near Peking. The next year, Mr. Cai (Fig.2) published aresearch paper An Study on Lamiaceae inSichuan Provinceco-author with Prof.Hu (Xun et al, 1993).
雲南植物王國的揭幕人
1932年2月，蔡希陶先生受北平靜生生物調查所的派遣，到雲南考察。他走遍了雲南的山山水水，歷盡艱辛，冒著生命危險，深入邊遠山區開展植物調查和採集。1932年至1934年間，共採集植物標本21000餘號，其中有427個新種和不少雲南新記錄，揭開了雲南 「植物王國」的面紗，為雲南植物學研究作出了奠基性的貢獻。
後與俞德浚先生合譯《農藝植物起源》，並發表了豆科、薔薇科和魔芋屬等植物的研究論文。考察期間，蔡希陶先生十分關注少數民族的人情風俗，先後創作了被魯迅先生譽為「很有氣派」的多篇文學作品。
In February 1932, Mr. Cai was dispatched to Yunnan on abotanical expedition organized by the Fan Memorial Institute of Biology (Fig.3).He traveled through Yunnan, risked his life and conducted field survey andplant collection in the remote mountainous areas. During this expedition, hecollected more than 21,000 specimens including 427 new species, which unveiledthe mask of Yunnan Province as a 「Plant Kingdom」 and contributed significantlyto the development of the plant science in Yunnan. Later on, Mr. Cai translatedthe book Origin of Cultivated Plants writtenby de Candolle into Chinese, together with Mr. Dejun Yu (Te-Tsun Yü) (Jiang,2017), and published a series of research papers on the family Leguminosaceae,Rosaceae and the genus Amorphophallus plants. His early worksenabled the Chinese botanical community to have better understandings about theorigins of crops and served as invaluable references for the following studiestill now. In addition, Mr. Cai was inspired by the customs of the ethnicminorities and wrote several essays which has been described as 「veryimpressive」 by famous Chinese writer, Mr. Lu Xun.
植物科研機構的奠基者
1937年7月7日，日本侵略者製造了盧溝橋事變，平津危急，華北危急。北平靜生生物調查所所長胡先驌與雲南省教育廳廳長龔自知商定建立一個專事調查雲南植物，促進雲南農林經濟事業發展的植物學機構。
在各方的支持下，在蔡希陶先生的具體操辦下，雲南農林植物研究所（昆明植物研究所前身）於1938年5月在昆明北郊黑龍潭掛牌成立，蔡希陶先生兼任公園經理。
1940年春，雲南農林植物研究所買下黑龍潭的一塊土地選址建立辦公室。經胡先驌授意、龔自知命人書「原本山川 極命草木」之所訓，刻於大理石，嵌入牆上。1941年辦公樓的建成，結束了藉助黑龍潭寺宇的局面，初奠雲南農林植物研究所之永久基礎。其時常帶西南聯大學生到農林所實習的吳徵鎰先生在 《也是遲來的懷念》一文中把農林所譽為「那時的植物學最高學府」和「舊中國的一個植物分類學活動中心」。
In 1937, the war of resistance against Japan broke out. Many institutions in Peking started to move to Southwest China. The Fan Memorial Institute of Biology planned to establish a botanical research base in Yunnan. Mr. Cai moved to Yunnan with his family. In July 1938, Yunnan Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Botany, the predecessor of Kunming Institute of Botany, was established in the Heilongtan Park, Kunming City. Mr. Cai was appointed as the park manager as well. In the spring of 1940, the institute bought a land site near the Heilongtan Park to build the office building. And the construction of the office building was completed in 1941. The motto 「Explore every mountain and river, name every grass and tree」 was carved in stone and embedded into the wall. Mr. Zhengyi Wu (Cheng-Yhi Wu), who once took students from the Southwest Associated University for internships in Yunnan Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Botany, described the institute as 「the highest botanical institution in China at that time」 and 「a research center for plant taxonomy in old China」 in his commemorative essay to Mr. Cai (Wu, 1991).
1945 年抗戰勝利後，遷滇的單位紛紛回遷。後內戰爆發，物價飛漲、民不聊生，雲南農林植物研究所在風雨中飄搖。為維持所裡10 多名員工的生計，保護好十餘萬號植物標本，蔡希陶先生組織員工種菜、種花、種煙以自救，開設鸚鵡商店出售花木和觀賞小動物等，苦撐至昆明解放。雲南農林植物研究所，蔡希陶先生是倡辦人，也是實際上的負責人，唯一自始至終堅持到底的一個人。陳封懷先生在「憶述希陶同志一生」文中認為，雲南農林植物研究所的建立 「以希陶同志為首創之功」。
In 1945, after the victory of the resistance against Japanese aggression war, many institutions moved back from Yunnan Province. With the outbreak of the civil war, prices soared and it became very difficult to live. In order to maintain the life of the employees and protect more than 100,000 plant specimens, Mr. Cai organized the employees to grow vegetables, flowers and tabacoo[d1]to save themselves. He opened a parrot shop to sell cutting flowers, ornamental plants and pets, and struggled till the liberation of Kunming (Qin, 1983). For the institute, Mr. Cai was not only the founder and the actual manager, but also the one who persisted from the beginning to the end. In the essay of Recalling Mr. Xitao’s life by Prof. Fenghuai Chen (Feng-Hwai CHEN), who worked together with Mr. Cai during 1930s-40s. it was said that, 「Mr. Cai made the most important contributions to the establishment of Yunnan Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Botany.」
1950年4月7日，雲南農林植物研究所更名為中科院植物分類研究所昆明工作站，蔡希陶先生任主任。他抓發展、搞建設，在周恩來總理的關懷下，昆明工作站的園區面積得到擴大，並建設了研究所第一個集辦公和科研的「品字樓」。
在科學研究上，他創建了第一個以藥用和香料植物為主要研究對象的植物資源化學實驗室（植物化學與西部植物資源持續利用國家重點實驗室之前身）。後來昆明工作站升格為中科院昆明植物研究所，吳徵鎰先生任所長，蔡希陶先生任副所長。
In April 1950, Yunnan Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Botany was merged and re-named as Kunming Station of the Institute of Plant Taxonomy, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Mr. Cai was appointed as the director of Kunming Station. With the special care from Premier Zhou Enlai (Fig.4), Mr. Cai focused on the development and construction. The campus of Kunming Station was expanded, three modern buildings used as administration office and research laboratories were constructed. In research fields, Mr. Cai established the first chemistry laboratory to study medicinal and aromatic plants (the predecessor of the State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Sustainable Use of Plant Resources of Kunming Institute of Botany). Later on, Kunming Station was upgraded as an independent institute, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Mr. Zhengyi Wu was appointed as the Director and Mr. Xitao Cai as the Deputy-Director.
1959 年，在年近半百的蔡希陶先生的帶領下，一批被他的奉獻科學的精神和高尚人格所感染的年輕科技人員和工人，他們自稱為「集體的魯賓遜」，在一個由瀾滄江一大支流羅梭江環繞的「葫蘆島」上，用「十八把大刀」披荊斬棘地「雙手劈開葫蘆島」，創建了我國第一個熱帶植物園。
在他的領導和身體力行的帶領下，這個建立在熱帶林海和窮鄉僻壤的植物園，克服了難以想像的諸多困難，很快地在建園和科研上出成果、出人才，名聞中外。1978 年熱帶植物園升格為中國科學院雲南熱帶植物研究所（中國科學院西雙版納熱帶植物園前身）。
In 1959, under the propose andleadership of Mr. Cai, Kunming Institute of Botany started to found the firsttropical botanical garden of China in Huludao Peninsula, Xishuangbanna, SouthYunnan. Mr. Cai made great contribution to the foundation of botanical garden,and all institute staff were deeply touched by Mr. Cai’s scientific spirits andnoble personalities. Mr. Cai and his team have overcome many unimaginabledifficulties and made great achievements in the construction of the garden andscientific researches. They also cultivated many talents who laterbecame famous scientists in China and aboard. In 1978, the tropical botanicalgarden was renamed as Yunnan Institute of Tropical Botany, the predecessor of XishuangbannaTropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Qin, 1991).
Figure4. Premier Zhou Enlai had a cordial talk with Mr. Cai ( right) under rubbe
植物資源持續利用的先行者
蔡希陶先生在考察植物時深入民情，既向少數民族兄弟學習植物資源的利用知識，也痛惜他們過著「端著金飯碗要飯的」窮困生活。因此蔡希陶先生立志要 「用植物學這門理論學科去為人民做一些有用的工作」，他成為我國植物資源持續利用的先行者，為國家和地方經濟社會的發展做出了極其重要的貢獻。
早在上世紀四十年代，蔡希陶先生一直關注云南菸草的生產。
1945年，他通過陳煥鏞先生從美國引進優良烤菸品種「大金元」，並馴化成功。後開設菸草推廣培訓班和提供烤菸良種，使其成為雲南發展菸草生產的當家品種，為雲南經濟發展作出了重要貢獻。
五十年代，他急國家所急，組織雲南橡膠資源及其宜林地的考察研究，他提出滇南西雙版納是發展三葉橡膠的最適宜地方的建議，被國務院採納而為在我國建設橡膠生產基地作出了重大的貢獻，他作為全國橡膠協作組成員於1982年獲「國家科委發明一等獎」。
此外，他領導科技人員從野生植物資源中發掘和從國外引進了眾多的重要藥用、油料、香料和珍貴速生樹種等經濟植物，為我國熱帶區域經濟社會發展提供了新資源及其發展技術。
青年植物學家的領路人
俗話說：十年樹木，百年樹人。蔡希陶先生在科技領導崗位上，不但運籌決策，為國為民拓創了一個又一個的科研基地，推廣了一項又一項的科研成果，形成巨大的社會物質生產力，而且嘔心瀝血培養了一批又一批的專業人才，造就了一支多學科的科研隊伍。
他自己為年輕人教授專業課、英文和拉丁文，手把手指導植物考察、植物引種馴化、植物化學成分測試、植物栽培試驗和論文寫作等。他明確「要求科技人員到工作實踐中去邊幹邊學，不斷積累和擴大知識，自己闖出一條路來。」
馮耀宗在《我的科學路上的引路人——蔡希陶老師》一文中寫道：「蔡老不僅是我的啟蒙老師，也是我不斷前進的引路人」。蔡希陶先生一生親賢愛才，善於影響、培養和提攜後學。他是尊重知識、培養人才的模範，他的伯樂精神感人至深。
蔡希陶先生的一生是創造性的一生、艱苦奮鬥的一生、也是富有成就的一生。他為「植物王國」——雲南的植物學研究做出了卓越貢獻。他的「奉獻科學」精神一直成為西雙版納「葫蘆島」人和昆明「元寶山」人的精神支柱。
As early as 1940s, Mr. Cai paid attention to tobacco production in Yunnan. In 1945, his team succeed in the domestication and cultivation of Mammoth Gold in Kunming, a tobacco cultivar introduced by Mr. Huanyong Chen (Woon-Young CHUN) (Huang, 2016) from Virginia, USA. Mr. Cai organized a series of training workshops for tobacco cultivar selection, demonstration and large-scale cultivation, and made earliest contributions for tobacco production in Yunnan. In the 1950s, he led an investigation team and explored the rubber resources in Yunnan. He proposed that Xishuangbanna was the most suitable place for rubber tree plantation, which was adopted by the State Council to build the rubber plantation farm in China. And as a member of national rubber research team, Mr. Cai was awarded the First Prize for National Invention by the National Science Committee in 1982. Furthermore, he and his team explored and introduced many important medicinal plants, oil plants, aromatic and spice plants, valuable fast-growing species and so on, such as dragon blood trees, hodgsonia squash, camphor oil tree, and mytenus plants. It has provided new resources and technologies for the economic and social development in the tropical areas in China.
參考文獻:
References:
1 Dejun Yu: a patrioticbotanist and his contributions. Hong Jiang. Protein Cell 2017, 8(11):785–787.
2 Prof. Huan-Yong Chen:a leading botanist and taxonomist, one of the pioneers and founders of modernplant taxonomy in China. Rui-Lan Huang. Protein Cell 2016, 7(11):773–776.
3 QinRenchang(1991) Professor Cai Xitao-Trailblazer of Yunnan Botany Institute ,festschrift of CaiXitao, Yunnan Science and Technology Press (秦仁昌. 雲南植物研究的拓荒者——蔡希陶教授,蔡希陶紀念文集,雲南科技出版社：13-14)
4 Wu Zhengyi(1991)Belated Missing, festschrift of Cai Xitao,Yunnan Science and TechnologyPress:10-12 (吳徵鎰.也是遲來的懷念,蔡希陶紀念文集,雲南科技出版社:10-12).
5 Xun Wen,Wang Zhenhuai,Xiao Yi (1993)Brief Biography of Cai Xitao, International cultural publishingco., Ltd.:21-22(旭文,王振淮,曉戈.蔡希陶傳略.國際文化出版公司:21-22).
*英文原文刊發於： Protein&Cell 2018, Vol. 9 Issue (11) : 905-908