Chapter 28 3. Zhao Yuanren

Zhao Yuanren is known as the "Father of Chinese Linguistics". He can speak 33 Chinese dialects and is proficient in English, German, French and other languages.He has shown a talent for languages ​​since he was a child, and he can learn all kinds of dialects in no time.According to the researchers, Mr. Zhao's ability to master language is amazing, because he can quickly penetrate the sound and rhythm system of a language, and summarize the laws of a dialect or even a foreign language. Zhao Yuanren is also known as a rare generalist, a "Renaissance wise man".He studied both arts and sciences, and obtained a bachelor's degree in mathematics, a master's degree in philosophy, a doctorate degree, and elective courses in physics and music. He has taught mathematics, physics, logic, Chinese phonology, general linguistics, modern Chinese dialects, Chinese music scores and Western music. Appreciation and other courses, he puts the most effort into the field of linguistics, and also dabbles deeply in the field of music.

In 1926, Zhao Yuan served as a tutor at Tsinghua Academy of Chinese Studies, and together with his well-known predecessors Liang Qichao and Wang Guowei, who had already been famous since his birth, and another master of Chinese studies, Chen Yinke, he was called the "Four Mentors" of Tsinghua Academy of Chinese Studies. Zhao Yuanren has an impressive study and teaching experience in his life: In 1907, Zhao Yuanren entered the preparatory course of Nanjing Jiangnan Higher School with excellent grades, and he learned English and German very well. In 1909, Zhao Yuanren was accepted as an official fee student studying in the United States, and entered Cornell University to study, majoring in mathematics and electing physics and music. In 1914, Zhao Yuanren received a bachelor's degree in mathematics.Zhao Yuanren scored two 100 points and one 98 points in mathematics courses at Cornell University, maintaining the highest average score of the university for many years.

From 1914 to 1915, Zhao Yuanren studied and studied in the School of Philosophy of Cornell University for one year. In 1915, Zhao Yuanren entered Harvard University, majoring in philosophy and continuing to take music as an elective. In 1918, he received a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Harvard. In 1918, Zhao Yuanren studied and studied at the University of Chicago and the University of California. In 1919, Zhao Yuanren returned to Cornell University to teach in the Department of Physics for one year. In 1920, Zhao Yuanren returned to Tsinghua University to teach. At first, Tsinghua University asked him to teach mathematics, and after he arrived at the school, he added an English course. Later, the dean asked him to teach Chinese history and philosophy, and finally decided to teach psychology and physics.In the winter of this year, the famous British philosopher B. Russell came to China, and he acted as the translator for Russell's lectures.

In 1921, Zhao Yuanren and his wife Yang Buwei went to Harvard University as a philosophy and Chinese lecturer, and devoted themselves to linguistics research. In 1925, Zhao Yuanren returned to teach at Tsinghua University again, teaching courses such as mathematics, physics, Chinese phonology, general linguistics, modern Chinese dialects, Chinese music scores, and Western music appreciation. In 1928, as a researcher at the Linguistic Institute of the Academia Sinica, Zhao Yuanren conducted a large number of language fieldwork and folk music collection. From 1938 to 1939, Zhao Yuanren went to the United States and taught at the University of Hawaii, offering courses such as Chinese music.

From 1938 to 1941, Zhao Yuan taught at Yale University. In the next five years, Zhao Yuanren went to Harvard to teach again, and participated in the editing work of Harvard and Yenching dictionaries. From 1947 to his retirement in 1962, Zhao Yuanren had been teaching Chinese language and linguistics courses at the University of California, Berkeley, and he was still a retired professor at the University of California after his retirement. In 1945, Zhao Yuanren was elected as the president of the American Linguistics Association, in 1952 he was appointed as a professor of Oriental languages ​​and philology at the Aggasiz Foundation, and in 1960 he was elected as the president of the American Oriental Society.

In 1973, shortly after the normalization of Sino-US relations, Zhao Yuanren and his wife, who had been away from the mainland for 30 years, returned to China to visit their relatives. They were cordially received by Premier Zhou Enlai. In 1981, Zhao Yuanren, who had just lost his wife, was invited by the Language Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences to visit relatives again with his eldest daughter Zhao Rulan, son-in-law Bian Xuesun, and fourth daughter Zhao Xiaozhong. awarded the honorary title of professor. On February 24, 1982, Zhao Yuanren passed away in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.After Zhao Yuanren's death, the University of California established the Zhao Yuanren Foundation for him. On April 4 of the same year, the school held a grand commemoration of Zhao Yuanren's death.