李完老師

四年的顧問身分延長了我在中科院服務的時間，114年元月新新年刊出版後，3月總算離開待了47年的地方。

不過，很榮幸地再度受到「萬世師表」的青睞，有機會回到夢寐以求的大雅家鄉教授國中英語 — 每一個人都是時代的過客，路過的每一刻，每一個人都可以改變世界。走過科技路47年，進入另一段新路程，嘗試再次改變另一個世界。

今天是2025年的兒童節，看到國中一年級學生，仍似兒童般天真，不禁讓我憶及我的第一個兒童節及我的啟蒙老師 — 國小一年級級任老師李完老師。

國小一年級，有天在操場上，李老師問我：剛剛你和哪位老師在講話？我說：劉☆蘭［註一］。李老師隨即輕聲地糾正我：是劉☆蘭「老師」，要加上「老師」兩個字。從此，我提起長輩，必加上適當的尊稱，絕不會直呼其名［註二］。

一年級下學期，李老師指派我參加作文比賽。才一年級，只記得是看四格掛圖說故事吧，也忘了怎麼完成的。印象深刻的倒是，作文比賽在下午（上午要上課），中午老師帶我到她家，給我吃中餐 — 我永遠記得李老師的儀態優雅，就像我自己家人。

後來，直至讀研究所，再帶孩子拜訪李老師，那是1994年。不久，想再次探望老師，然獲知老師已悄悄搬了家，沒告知任何人。如果，老師還在，應該100餘歲了。今天兒童節，又回到大雅家鄉看到自己的小學弟，就像是看到當時更小的自己，也憶及我的第一位老師 — 懷念李完老師［註三］。

［註一］後來得知，劉☆蘭老師是我在漢翔公司同事姚文☆的嬸嬸。

［註二］看到現在的校訓「有禮貌」仍在，然似乎僅止於標語。學生動不動就將「肖像權」、「性平權」、「兒少法」、「不適任」…掛在口中，甚不以為然。「有禮貌」與「尊師重道」只是鐫刻在石牆上的書法作品。

［註三］小學成績單，仍留有李完老師的筆跡。

Teacher Li Wan

My four years as a consultant extended my service at NCSIST, and it wasn’t until March 2025—after the publication of the institute’s New Year edition in January—that I finally left the place I had been part of for 47 years.

However, favored by the spirit of education, I returned to my beloved hometown of Daya to teach junior high school English — Everyone is but a passerby in their time, yet in every fleeting moment, each person holds the power to change the world. After walking the path of science and technology for 47 years, I now begin a new journey, hoping to once again change another world.

Today is Children’s Day 2025. Seeing first-year junior high school students, still so childlike and innocent, brings back memories of my own first Children’s Day — and of my first teacher, Teacher Li Wan, who taught my first-grade class in elementary school.

One day during that first-grade year, while on the playground, Teacher Li asked me, “Who were you just talking to?” I answered, “Liu ☆lan.” She gently corrected me: “It should be ‘Teacher Liu ☆lan’ — you must add ‘Teacher’ when referring to her.” From that moment on, I always used proper honorifics when mentioning elders and never addressed them by name alone.〔Note 2〕

In the second semester of first grade, Teacher Li selected me to enter a writing competition. I was only in first grade and vaguely remember it was about telling a story based on a four-panel picture — but I no longer recall how I completed it. What I do remember vividly is that the contest took place in the afternoon (we had class in the morning), and Teacher Li brought me to her home for lunch. I’ll never forget her grace and demeanor — she felt just like family.

Years later, even after entering graduate school, I took my child to visit Teacher Li. That was in 1994. Not long after, I wanted to visit her again, but learned she had quietly moved without telling anyone. If she were still alive today, she would be over 100 years old. On this Children’s Day, returning once more to my hometown of Daya and seeing these young students felt like looking at a younger version of myself — and brought back memories of my very first teacher. In loving memory of Teacher Li Wan.〔Note 3〕

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Notes:

〔Note 1〕I later learned that Teacher Liu ☆lan was the aunt (by marriage) of my colleague Yao Wen☆ at AIDC.
〔Note 2〕The current school motto still reads “Be Polite,” but nowadays it feels like just a slogan. Students often talk about “portrait rights,” “gender equality,” “juvenile protection laws,” and “incompetent teachers,” with little real regard. “Being polite” and “respecting teachers and their teachings” are now merely calligraphy etched on stone walls.
〔Note 3〕My elementary school report card still bears Teacher Li Wan’s handwriting.