名人一瞥‖（三）许孟雄 A Glimpse of Celebrities︱(3) Xu Mengxiong

Xu Mengxiong August 1903 – August 1994 , born in Fuzhou, Fujian, was an English educator and translator. Originally surnamed Meng, he was adopted by his childless uncle at a young age and changed his surname to Xu. He taught English at the Beijing Foreign Studies College now Beijing Foreign Studies University and the Renmin University of China.

In 1903, Xu Mengxiong was born into a scholarly family in Fuzhou. In 1925, he was admitted to Tsinghua University, where he majored in English language and literature. He was the first Chinese to translate Mao Zedong's works into English. In 1938, Xu Mengxiong collaborated with Wang Bingnan and Agnes Smedley to translate and publish Mao Zedong's On Protracted War and related works on the united front and guerrilla warfare against Japanese aggression for the first time in English.

His translations of works such as Storm and Rain and Midnight garnered significant acclaim both domestically and internationally. His book A Thousand Studies on English Difficulties, with its first edition printing 100,000 copies, sold out swiftly and remained highly sought after through multiple reprints. I once purchased a copy of A Thousand Studies on English Difficulties, which proved genuinely practical—though the lack of an index made it somewhat inconvenient for reference.

Since 1984, he has maintained a "Q&A" column in the magazine The World of English for nine consecutive years, addressing readers' questions both domestically and internationally, which has become a distinctive feature of the publication.

Xu Mengxiong's teaching of grammar formed a unique system, distilling a set of regular patterns from diverse linguistic phenomena, which proved highly practical. Students suddenly grasped the concepts with newfound clarity, finding it a delightful experience. Yet, "the more prominent one is, the more enemies one makes," and all this earned him the envy and exclusion of certain overseas-educated colleagues within the Beijing Foreign Studies College now Beijing Foreign Studies University . In the end, he had no choice but to resign in frustration and transfer to teach at the Renmin University of China.

Xu Mengxiong was naturally unambitious, willing to serve as a stepping stone for others, and dedicated his efforts quietly without seeking personal glory. His life was marked by integrity and unyielding principles; his thoughts often spilled forth candidly when he felt strongly about them. He spoke bluntly against all injustices or things he found distasteful. This was both his virtue and charm, yet perhaps also the reason for the hardships he endured in his lifetime.

This is the integrity of scholars—enlightened not only by profound knowledge but also by backbone, character, and a refusal to kowtow to trends, the courage to take responsibility, and the resolve to uphold principles. Some have distilled four virtues of scholarly integrity: rectitude—daring to speak truth and not fearing offense; independence—refusing slogans and forging one's own path; compassion—not merely criticism but also tenderness; perseverance—writing not as a passing whim but a lifelong endeavor.

This is the essence of a scholar's character, and a piece of confidence we should all strive to cultivate.

Special note: This image was borrowed from the internet.

许孟雄（1903年8月—1994年8月），福建福州人，英语教育家、翻译家。许孟雄原姓孟，因为其舅父没有孩子，因此许幼时过继给舅父，改姓“许”。先后在北京外国语学院（今北京外国语大学）和中国人民大学教授英语。

1903年，许孟雄出生在福州一个书香家庭，1925年考进清华大学，主修英国语言文学。是第一个将毛泽东著作译成英文的中国人。

1938年，许孟雄与王炳南、史沫特莱合作把毛泽东的《论持久战》以及有关统一战线、抗日游击战争的论著首次译成英文出版。

他翻译的《暴风骤雨》、《子夜》等在国内外引起很大反响。撰写的《英语难题研究一千则》，第一版印刷10万册，很快就售卖一空，此后多次再版仍很抢手。我曾购得《英语难题研究一千则》一书，确实实用，只是没有索引不便于查找。

自1984年起，他连续9年在《英语世界》杂志上开辟《答问》专栏，为国内外读者解答疑难，成为该刊物的一大特点。

许孟雄讲授语法自成体系，从形形色色的语言现象中总结出一套规律性的东西，很是实用。学生豁然开窍，茅塞顿开，感到是一种享受。然而"树大招风，名大招忌"， 这一切却招致北京外国语学院（今北京外国语大学）内个别留洋同事的忌妒和排挤，最后他不得不愤然离职，转到中国人民大学去任教。

许孟雄生性淡泊，甘为人梯，默默奉献，从不作自我吹嘘。一生襟怀坦白，刚正不阿，内心有什么想法，往往情不自禁地溢于言表，对一切弊病或看不惯的事物，他总是直言不讳。这是他的优点和可爱所在，但或许也就是他生前迭遭磨难的原因。

这便是文人的风骨，不仅学识渊博，而且有骨气、有品格，不媚俗、敢担当、守底线。有人总结了文人风骨的四种品格：正直：敢说真话，不怕得罪人；独立：不喊口号，走自己的路；悲悯：不光是批判，还要有心软；坚韧：写字不是一时兴起，是一辈子的事。

这，才是文人的风骨，也是我们每个人都该学的一点底气。