A Chinese Couple’s Scientific Revolution When Two Become One

By Ning Ken

王選 Wang Xuan

As China’s first-generation computer software specialists, Wang Xuan and his wife Chen Kunqiu were engaged in the comprehensive design of medium and largescale laser phototypesetting system. In an effort to catch up with the latest technology in the world, priority was given to the full-page printing, automatic page generation, pagination,and functionalized online modification for a display of modified on-screen samples.

Late 1976 ushered in the era of laser phototypesetting systems for printing Chinese characters.In their efforts to resolve the mechanical, optical and other technical issues of the second and third-generation phototypesetting systems and move the technology to the next stage, Wang and Chen pioneered the fourth-generation laser phototypesetting system, a feat thought to be unimaginable at the time, thus making a sudden quantum leap ahead and reaching a position which the Western world took four decades to realize.

On August 11, 1979, Wang hit the headlines at The Guangming Daily “Major breakthroughs in research and application of Chinese character processing,”with a subtitle reading, “China’s self-designed computerized laser editing and typesetting system for Chinese characters largely completed.”

He rose to fame overnight. He was awarded the gold medal at the 14th Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions, the UNESCO Science Prize and the National Top Award for Science and Technology Progress;appointed as a scholar of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the World Academy of Sciences; and was nominated to the offices of CPPCC National Committee Vice Chairman, Jiu San Society Central Committee Vice Chairman, and others. While on the other hand,his wife Chen’s contributions barely saw the light of day.

王選夫婦攜手攻關(guān)

文/寧肯

王選和妻子陳堃銶都是中國(guó)第一代計(jì)算機(jī)軟件專家，承擔(dān)激光照排系統(tǒng)中大型軟件的總體設(shè)計(jì)工作。他們把目光瞄向國(guó)外最新水平，不但要整頁(yè)輸出、自動(dòng)成頁(yè)、自動(dòng)加頁(yè)碼，還增添了聯(lián)機(jī)修改功能，以便在熒光屏上顯示修改后的小樣。

1976年年底，漢字激光照排系統(tǒng)的總體設(shè)計(jì)方案基本形成。王選、陳堃銶繞過(guò)二代機(jī)和三代機(jī)在機(jī)械、光學(xué)等方面的巨大技術(shù)困難，大膽選擇了別人不敢想的第四代激光照排，一步跨越了西方走過(guò)的40年。

1979年8月11日，《光明日?qǐng)?bào)》頭版頭條報(bào)道：“漢字信息處理技術(shù)的研究和應(yīng)用獲重大突破。”副標(biāo)題為：“我國(guó)自行設(shè)計(jì)的計(jì)算機(jī)——激光漢字編輯排版系統(tǒng)主體工程研制成功。”

王選一夜成名，榮譽(yù)等身，摘得第14屆日內(nèi)瓦國(guó)際發(fā)明展覽會(huì)金牌獎(jiǎng)、聯(lián)合國(guó)教科文組織科學(xué)獎(jiǎng)、國(guó)家最高科學(xué)技術(shù)進(jìn)步獎(jiǎng)；擔(dān)任“三院院士”——中國(guó)科學(xué)院院士、中國(guó)工程院院士、第三世界科學(xué)院院士，還身兼全國(guó)政協(xié)副主席、九三學(xué)社中央副主席等職。陳堃銶做了什么卻很少被提及。

記者采訪王選時(shí)，王選為妻子鳴不平：“我的妻子陳堃銶貢獻(xiàn)也很大。我負(fù)責(zé)系統(tǒng)和硬件，她負(fù)責(zé)整個(gè)軟件的設(shè)計(jì)。有十多年，她是整個(gè)軟件的負(fù)責(zé)人，她的貢獻(xiàn)和我差不多，也是激光照排的創(chuàng)始者。你們?yōu)槭裁床粓?bào)道她？”

記者說(shuō)，人們習(xí)慣聚焦一個(gè)人。王選說(shuō)：“這是不對(duì)的，事實(shí)不是這樣。我總覺(jué)得我剝削了她，兩人的榮譽(yù)加在了一個(gè)人身上。”

1980年夏天，陳堃銶的軟件核心部分調(diào)通。計(jì)算機(jī)激光漢字編輯排版系統(tǒng)成功排出樣書——《伍豪之劍》，這是中國(guó)印刷史上第一次完全甩開(kāi)鉛作業(yè)，用激光照排系統(tǒng)印成的圖書。全書只有26頁(yè)，但字形優(yōu)美清晰，封面古樸典雅。該書從文稿輸入、編輯排版，到校對(duì)修改、添加頁(yè)碼等一系列工序都是在計(jì)算機(jī)控制下自動(dòng)運(yùn)行的。

王選和陳堃銶望著那本雅致的淡綠色樣書，臉上露出會(huì)心的微笑。方毅副總理接到書，愛(ài)不釋手地翻看著，他把樣書帶到中央政治局，分贈(zèng)給委員們。這本貌似平凡的小冊(cè)子，向中國(guó)最高領(lǐng)導(dǎo)層傳遞了一則重要信息：北京大學(xué)一位名不見(jiàn)經(jīng)傳的年輕助教，已經(jīng)引發(fā)一場(chǎng)劃時(shí)代的漢字印刷技術(shù)革命。

1980年10月，方毅帶著鄧小平的批示來(lái)到北大，看望王選及全體研制人員。陳堃銶在人員中微笑，王選想對(duì)副總理表明妻子的貢獻(xiàn)，但欲言又止。

回到家后，陳堃銶對(duì)王選說(shuō)：“行了，就這么定了，以后不要提我，就是你一個(gè)人。”

王選咕噥：“是我們兩人。”

“兩人太復(fù)雜了，”陳堃銶說(shuō)，“我們還分嗎？”

是的，陳堃銶嫁給王選后，自己便消失了。王選也消失了，他們變成了一個(gè)人。

（摘自《中關(guān)村筆記》北京十月文藝出版社）

王選的妻子陳堃銶Chen Kunqiu, Wangxuan’s wife

Wang protested at an interview, “My wife Chen Kunqiu has also done a lot. I dealt with the system and hardware, and she designed the software. For over a decade, she has been in charge of the software design. She’s also a creator of laser phototypesetting and has contributed as much as I did. But why didn’t she show up in the reports?” He queried.

The reporters replied simply that it was a common practice to focus on one person. Wang opposed, “It’s not true and it’s not right. I feel like a charlatan by being made to take credit for her contributions.”

In the summer of 1980, Chen Kunqiu debugged hard cores of the software and composed the sample book Wu Hao1’s Sword with the computerized laser editing and typesetting system for Chinese characters.It was the first book in Chinese printing history that was freed from the traditional difficulties of the hot lead typesetting system and was printed entirely with a laser phototypesetting system.Boasting legibly elegant fonts and a naturally exquisite cover,this 26-page book was printed entirely by computer, from text input to the editing, typesetting,proofreading, revision,pagination, and other ancillary processes.

At the sight of the elegant virescent book, Wang and Chen couldn’t hold back a grin of delight. Vice Premier Fang Yi flipped through the pages admiringly and distributed the copies to the members of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee. This seemingly ordinary booklet was signaling to China’s top leaders that, a littleknown young teaching assistant from Peking University had single-handedly staged an epochmaking revolution in Chinese character printing techniques.

Upon receiving official instructions from Deng Xiaoping,in October 1980, Fang visited Wang and other researchers in Peking University. Seeing his wife there with a bright smile on her face, Wang Xuan fought back his intention to reveal his wife’s contributions to the vice premier.

Back home Chen said to Wang,“Let’s make a deal. Don’t mention me anymore. There’s only YOU.”

Wang replied in a near whisper,“No, it’s you and me.”

“It’s complicating the situation,” Chen replied, “what’s the point in me taking separate credit from you? We worked on the project together.”

After her marriage to Wang Xuan, Chen Kunqiu faded into obscurity. So did Wang Xuan.They two had become one.

(From The Zhongguancun Notes, Beijing October Arts and Literature Publishing House,Translation : Yan Yiming)