人間有情

探望吳福炎同學

在澳洲醫院工作的林倉貳同學（中）檢驗吳福炎同學左腳的知覺和氣力。

吳福炎夫婦（左二和三）與到訪的老同學。

吳福炎同學於兩年前心臟病發作，入院做心血管繞道手術，過後又中風。

遠在澳洲的老同學林倉貳和李慧貞夫婦趁回馬出席外甥婚禮時，特地前往探望吳福炎同學。人間有情，老同學不幸有病，遠地同學前來慰問，給他與家人帶來溫暖。

林倉貳博士和李慧貞夫婦長期在澳洲的醫院服務，林倉貳從事腦神經的研究工作。老同學高興會面時，林倉貳為吳同學測試其手和腳部神經的反應，並問他一些時事課題。過後，林倉貳說，吳福炎還幸運，中風不是腦部最重要部位，他的思維還不錯。

不過，吳福炎同學與人交談有點困難， 發音不清。他的太太說，現在已經康復了很多。在開始的第一年，他張口不能說話，像嬰兒一樣，事事必須家人照顧。當時她十分辛苦，常向上帝禱告給她力量。

在六十年代末和七十年代初，吳福炎與林倉貳、李慧貞、余國隆等中化第六屆同學一起住在雪州八打靈，經常一起玩樂。

吳福炎夫婦（中）與兩位孝順父母的女兒。

林倉貳博士測試吳同學手部的反應。

吳福炎手握鐵球，使之旋轉，訓練手的活動能力。

獨中生學英語（三）

St. Andrew's Continuation School 的中化生


60年代初，中化畢業生進入英校，準備考取劍橋九號文憑。照片中的前中化生：李惠敏、陳麗莉、鄭昭賢、林國聲、李錫銘、張春勝等。

1963年麻坡 St. Andrew's Continuation School 九號 A 班的學生有不少是中化生.

六十年代初，中化高中畢業生興起轉英校學英文的風氣。家境不允許，沒有機會升大學的同學，不少人走上就讀英校的道路，希望進一步提高自己的英文，並考取一張劍橋九號文憑（School Certificate），將來有更好的就業機會。

近半個世紀過去了，回首過去，在這所英校就讀的中化生並沒有白費時間。他們在那裡學習英文，力求上進，對他們後來的就業和發展起作不小的作用。

苦修英文 自強不息

然而，剛進入這間英校時，的確是非常辛苦，程度落差大，非努力苦讀不可，不然肯定無法趕上。但大多數中化生都不怕苦，非常用功，最後多數考獲劍橋九號文憑。

我自己在中化時，英文根底打得不好。在1957年和1958年反華文中學改制的動盪時期，造成對英語英文的偏見，不用功學英文。在高中三時，有一位很好的英文老師，黃金福老師。同時，自己對英文的態度也改變，認為學好英文能擴展我的視野，能獲取更多的知識。儘管如此，語文程度要在短時間搶救，並不容易。因此高中畢業時，我的英文程度仍然很弱。

不過，進入英校後，態度改變，加上發奮圖強，逐漸地看到效果。除了白天在英校上課外，我們這些中化生還組織溫習功課小組，晚上一起在同學家讀英文 。那個時候，英文字典被我們翻爛了。

1962年進入St. Andrew's Continuation School 的第一年，來自中化的學生被編在一班，讀八號第4班（Form 4 D），準備參加Qualifying Test八號資格考試。只有通過這項考試，隔年才有資格升上九號班和參加九號劍橋文憑考試。

大部份中化生在第一年無法通過Qualifying Test，必須重讀一年。只有少數第一次考試就過關，升上九號班。我很幸運，第一次就考及格，升上九號班。記得當時考及格的同學有陳陳麗莉，李惠敏等。

成績優越的學生充當小老師（中），幫助同學準備考試。在英校，學生自己組織 Discussion Group，一起溫習功課。


第二年，我們少數幾位中化生就與其他種族與源流的學生混一起，就讀九號A班。當時我們全力以赴，努力用功，在學校組織Discussion Group ，與原有英校生一起準備劍橋九號考試。

我們的英文語文當然比英校生弱，但我們的數理科遠比他們強。所以在準備九號考試的討論小組中，我有機會當小老師，負責指導數學科目的溫習班。最後，我的數學和高級數學都考獲特優，但英文科和英國文學只勉強過關。

這批在60年代初轉入英校的中化學生，並沒有因為無機會升大學而沮喪消極。反之，他們積極面對現實生活，決心學好英文，自強不息，不斷求上進。後來有不少人在教育文化界、醫學界和工商界出人頭地，甚至有人考獲博士。

獨中生學英文（二）

雷大慶的經驗

Thai Heng said...

Ah, I really did not expect some of my chitchats could become material for pubication in this blog! But Cheong Hiang has called me and asked me to write some of my experience so that the younger generation can learn from me.

Honestly I do not write the best English, my training as a journalist in The New Straits Times has schooled me to write simple English easy for as many people to understand as possible.

I have stuck to that style ever since

Where did I get this interest to study English harder than the rest?

In a way I have to thank my English teachers at Chung Hwa, from primary school to high school: Mr.Chan Tat Ming, Mr.Yen Chee Ren , Mr.Zen Wen Jin, Mr.Dai Yee Fat and Mr.Wong JIn Fook. 詹達明、顏其仁、鄭文津、戴益發和黃金福老師（右下）

I was lucky to be taught by them, they were all good teachers: competent, serious and dedicated to their jobs.

I was not outstanding but I liked their English classes and I really paid attention to them.


I also have to thank Khoo Yik Tung （邱奕銅）who happened to be my best friend and I followed him almost everyday after school.

So we read The Straits Times together and we enrolled in an English school in Jalan Maharani for the afternoon session. It was tough but we had some good time there.

I was admitted to the National University of Taiwan but my wife who had just become my fiance objected. Haha! that was the advantage of getting engaged so soon!

It was too late for me to apply to Nanyang University then. So I decided to spend the one whole year studying by myself and during that year I did nothing but reading English newspapers,magazines and books in my kampong house at Pagoh.


I went to cinemas to see English movies and I paid close attention to the Chinese translation on the screen. Sometimes I saw the same movie a few times over.

My favourites were Gone With The Wind and Tarzan. I read Gone Wtih Wind about 15 times.

The next year I was enrolled in the Modern Languages Department of Nanyang University to major in English.

There I was fortunate to meet young poet Michael Thorpe from London, he taught us English poetry. He was really good and inspring.

I did not become a poet but I learned to appreciate the good things of English literature :English as an art and language.

I thought I had learned quite a bit of English until I started to work in The New Straits Times as a journalist.

There in the newspaper office in Kual Lumpur for more than five years I really went through the mill of writing everyday English for the common people.

There I must write and rewrite until my seniors or my news editors were happy with the style , simple and precise.

A newspaper does not have space to waste, you just have to do it right.


After leaving the newspapers I spent another 11 years working for the former President of MCA, Tan Sri Lee San Choon （李三春）as his political secretary.

I did not leave alone, I persuaded my colleague Mr.Hng Hung Yong to join me . （方漢勇）

Mr.Hng is no ordinary person, after graduating from London University and Harvard Unversity with degrees in political science and law, he came to The Straits times to write editorials . We became close friends.

So he became the special advisor to Tan Sri Lee preparing many of his speeches and project papers in English. Many of the papers I translated into Chinese to be delivered by the President at party assemblies.

(Mr.Hng later became managing director of The Star, continued to write his popular editorials and turned The Star around from heavy losses.)

We shared the same office and I had a good chance to learn English writing at a different level from him at close range .


But I do not treat learning English as a chore or a burden, I treat it as an interest, it helps me make many friends, commnicate with many people and enlarge my knowledge.


I am not perfect, I know, I am not the best, I know . Once in a while someone will tell me: Lui, you write well, that still makes me happy, I have my weaknesses, I know.

Dear Thai Heng

Your pen tells us not only a "foreign-language" learning experience
over the past decades but also the personality of a gentleman who has
accomplished much in life.

You write excellently especially when you are in no hurry to send in
"a piece of news to your editors". Your flow of thought is presented
unequivocally, without any floral envelope or veil. A gentleman of
sincerity and honesty does not color his writing instrument to show
the world of different scenario from what he sees and thinks.

I have learned much from you since we first met in December 2005.

All the best.

Regards Kia Ger