鄧永鏘（DavidTang）中國會、上海灘創辦人
Thisweek,mysonandheirwas21.IgavehimapaintingandatelegramengravedonasilverplatewiththefirststanzaofA.E.Housman'sfamouspoem"WhenIwasOne-and-Twenty".It'smarvellous:-
WhenIwasone-and-twenty
Iheardawisemansay,
'Givecrownsandpoundsandguineas
Butnotyourheartaway;
Givepearlsawayandrubies,
Butkeepyourfancyfree.'
ButIwasone-and-twenty
Nousetotalktome.
Thesewordshavealwayssuggestedtometheinnocenceofyouth.OrshouldIsaytheignoranceofyouth?HowIrememberfeelingunimpeachablewhenIbecame21.IthoughtIhadunderstoodhowtobecomeanadult.IthoughtIcouldstartbehavinglikearealman.AndIthoughtIwasgoingtoconquertheworld.ButofcourseIdidn't.Isoonrealizednothingmuchhadchanged,andthatIwouldgoonmakingallthemistakesImadewhenIwasnotyet21,andIwasnotabletoconquertheworldasIexpectedto.EvenmoredepressingwasmygradualdiscoveryofhowutterlylittleIhadachievedbytheageof21!Irememberbeingatthetimeparticularlyenthusiasticaboutmusic.AndwhenIstartedreadingupthelivesofsomeofmyfavouritecomposers,Ibecamesickwithjealousy.Mozarthadcomposed28symphoniesbythetimehewas21.Schuberthadcomposed6symphoniesbythetimehewas21.Handelhad,by21,alreadycomposedanopera,andwasnearlyfinishingasecondone.
Butofcoursetheywereexceptionalgeniuses,andtheydon'tcomebytooeasily.Butmenwhoareexceptionalarepreciselytheonestowhoma21-year-oldoughttopayparticularattention.Iwishmyfatherorsomeonecouldhaveinspiredmeat21withmanymoreoftheworld'smostextraordinarypeople.Andsothisweek,IshalltellmysontotakenoteofanumberofpeopleandeventswhichIhavecometoconsidertobemomentousinhistory,andthatheshouldneverforgetthatmiraculoussenseoftriumphthatoccasionallytoucheshumanhistory.Certainly,thishappenedwhenWilliamWilberforcemanagedtoconvincetheBritishParliamenttoabolishslaveryatthetimewhenitwasalmostineveryoneelse'sinteresttoignoretheappallingplightofthemillionsofslaves.Wellover10millionslaveshadperishedbythetimetheabolitioncame,andithadonlycomeaboutthroughtheunstoppabletenacityofWilberforce.Ishalltellmysonthathereisanexampleofhumantriumph-notthekindthatwasfeltby,say,NapoleoncomingbacktoParisfromhisconquestsandridingthroughtheArcd'Triomph（forhewouldonlyhavewonwiththeoppressionofwar）,butthekindoftriumphthatupliftsthewholeofourhumanspirit-withthatindomitablesenseofcorrectingawrongthathadbeenanevilperpetrationandperpetuationinlife.Yes,IwouldaskmysontoreadaboutWilberforceinordertounderstandwhatafightisallabout,andhowagreatmanfightsagreatfightwithunshakabledetermination.
Iwillalsoaskhimtopayattentiontootherheroeswhohavecometoinspirehumanhistory.CaptainOates,whowenttoAntarcticawithScott,wasanextraordinaryexampleofgenerosityandsacrifice.Whenhelefthistentinablizzardwiththeimmortalwords"Iamjustgoingoutsideandmaybesometime",sothathewouldnolongerburdenthedisastrousexpedition,heexemplifiedwhatittakesforagreatmantodosomethingutterlydecentandheroic.
Butofcoursetherearealsogeniuseswhohaveenhancedourworldsimplyandseeminglyeffortlesslybytheirsheercapacitytocreateandachievegreatness.Inscience,theoutstandingexampleofEinsteinshouldmakeusallfeelidioticallyhumbleandstupid.Howherevolutionizedourconceptionoftheworldissomethingmanshallneverceasetomarvel.Orinphilosophy,withincrediblethinkerslikePlatoandDescartes.Orinart,suchgiantsasMichelangelo,LeonardoandValasquez.Orinliterature,withHomerorShakespeareorJaneAusten.
Therearehundredsandthousandsofothergreatmenwhohaveshapedourcivilizationandhistory,andtowhoselivesany21-year-oldshouldnotwastetimeinknowingandunderstanding.Thattenderageof21shouldbeanageofinspiration.Ishalltellmyson,asIwouldtellanyonewhohasjustreached21,towastenotimeinreadingupontheheroesandgeniusesofourtimes.Thereisnotimetowasteinappreciatingwhatyouthcangoontoachievethroughinspiration.