【科大瞬间】《方励之特辑》第3期 | 作者：方励之
方励之与著名物理学家吴健雄九十年代初在美国亲切会面。这是以二人合照制作的美国2/11/2021发行的吴健雄永久邮票首日封明信片。（李淑娴摄影，王树军制作）
《重访卡普里》
——by 方励之
卡普里是那不勒斯海湾中的一个小岛。在意大利人心目中的卡普里，也许就像中国人心目中的世外桃源，自然、幽静、没有尘世的污染。我两次访问过卡普里，一次是１９８３年，一次是１９８７年。１９８３年的初访，目的纯粹是旅游。那次观光，原本只限于那不勒斯。两天里我们几乎走遍了整个那不勒斯的名胜。从那不勒斯王国时代的宫廷、歌剧院，到托马斯·阿奎那撰著的 《神学大全》的修道院，到威苏维火山脚下的废城庞培……许多人就此尽了兴， 决定结束旅游，返回罗马。但一些人执意再去卡普里。我就属于后者。当时我之所以这样选择，可能是下意识地感到精神需要平衡。因为看了许多的具有浓厚意识形态色彩的东西之后，不免令人紧张，哪怕那些东西都只是古代纷争的遗迹。为了寻求紧张之后的松弛，我们来到了卡普里。
卡普里的气氛，的确完全不同了，虽然它距那不勒斯港只有一个半小时的船程。这里没有黑黑如血迹的古堡，没有太大太沉重的十字架，没有庞培的疯狂的淫逸，没有总是俯视你的刀剑出鞘的英雄雕像。这里只有风、水和阳光。只有阳光之下的彩色的帆，静静的，似动不动。一切声响都隐退了，甚至游客也不再多说，似乎不忍用任何声音去打扰这透明的空气。只有浪的节拍和着远处的歌。隔海隐约可见的一片红房绿树，就是苏莲托，就是《我的太阳》、《桑塔露齐亚》 的故乡。
１９８７年再访卡普里，并不是为了寻求平衡。虽然，按时间说，这也恰是在太多的意识形态“观光”之后，而且是当代的意识形态“观光”。我们来到卡普里， 是为了天文学。原来，卡普里岛上有一个很小的天文台，是研究太阳的，因为这里的太阳更明亮，也更容易看清它的明亮中的黑斑。天文台属于德国天文学家。 由于管理上的不便，德国人准备关掉这个天文台，卖掉它所属的地产。意大利教育部有意买下它，为此，先请国际相对论天体物理中心评价一下这个天文台。作为该中心的成员之一，我参加了这一评价。
卡普里天文台，像卡普里的整个环境一样，小巧、精致、引人玩赏，它没有高大的望远镜圆顶，也并不设在山颠。它就在一座临海的别墅中。同周围的别墅 一样，有很大的树林、草地、和散在其中的白色小楼。天文台有一个太阳塔，也在树丛中，也是白色的。肃静极了，似有一种墓地的崇高。我想，在这里工作的德国天文学家一定时常想起康德的墓志铭：
有两种东西，我们对它们的思考越是深沉和持久，它们所唤起的那种惊奇和敬畏就会越来越大地充溢我们的心灵，这就是繁星密布的苍穹和我心中的道德律。
卡普里风光（图片来自https://theculturetrip.com/，版权归原作者所有）
因为是假日，我们没有遇到德国天文学家。只有一位看门人在。他不懂天文学，但很殷勤地领着我们参观，尽他所知地向我们介绍，包括这里的设施、工作和生活条件，也包括他告诉我们距天文台很近的一家乡村式餐馆，是整个卡普里岛上第一流的。
当我们在那个餐馆就餐时，餐桌就放在树荫下，周围是草丛，还有草丛中的飞虫。一位意大利朋友不经心地说：“卡普里的一切都很友善，你看，这里有许多小动物、小飞虫，但其中没有一种是为害于人的，这里有各种草木，也没有一种是有毒的。”我不由得作出了我的评价：卡普里天文台也许不具有太特别的学术价值，但它可能是最能体现天文学精神的一个天文台了。天文学中有许多研究领域，但没有一种是为害于人的。天文学不追求市俗的虚荣，不追求咄咄的声势。它只追求对苍穹的理解，接受来自苍穹的直接启示。在整个科学中，天文学就是 卡普里岛，洁净、高尚、令人神往。
当然，天文学并不是出世的超脱，相反，越多的理解，越多的启示，就会有越多的坚定，一种用其他途径都不能获得的信念的坚定。就如同经过卡普里的风 和水的洗涤之后，心中的道德律会有一种升腾。当你站在卡普里的最高峰沙来罗峰向下看时，你会发现，原来的波浪变小了。海面成了越来越理想的平面，坦荡、 无边。是啊，整个世界都应当是这样的理想、坦荡、无边。这时，在你的心里， 对于那些图腾的赌咒、未开化的野蛮、对谎言的嗜好、对不存在的崇拜，不再仅仅是厌恶、鄙弃，而且有一种可怜，对愚昧的可怜。我懂了，伽利略在喃喃地说出“地球还在转动啊”时的心境，那是一种对世间还充满如此多的愚昧的可怜。 一个清清楚楚地知道地球如何运行、宇宙如何演化的人，对那些坚持原始教义的愚昧，除了可怜他们之外，还能有什么呢？伽利略的时代早就过去了，但还没有完全过去。
入夜，我的这些想法更强烈了。一则因为，夜的卡普里更静，更自然，你除 了感到你的思想外，其他都消失了。也因为，我们下榻在一个位置很特别的旅馆里。旅馆在半山的一个小巷中，巷名是Ｖｉａ Ｍｕｌｏ，直译是山驴胡同。旅馆隔壁有一个相当考究的别墅，门前有一块大理石板，上面刻着：
马克西姆·高尔基于１９１１年２月至１９１３年１１月居住于此。
高尔基曾在我们隔壁住过三年之久！似乎太不协调了。在我的印象中，高尔基的形象应当总是在喀山的流浪儿中，在伏尔加河的纤夫中，在《母亲》的红旗中。他怎么竟也会在这没有红旗、没有呐喊的卡普里山水中流连？
其实，二者是可以协调的。使人摆脱流浪、摆脱拉纤的苦难的，主要是什么？ 当然有那些昨天的呐喊，但并不是无知和愚昧的呐喊，更不是以“不怕流血”对自由的恫吓。给人类带来美好和自由的，首先是智慧，冷静里透出理性的智慧。 有什么比卡普里更能使人感受到这种智慧的冷静的美！有什么比卡普里更能引起人们对自由天地的响往！高尔基是对的。
夜更深了，卡普里已经睡去。我盼着有机会再来卡普里。
看这海洋多么美丽，
多么激动人的心情。
看这大自然的光辉，
多么使人陶醉......
下一次一定要唱着这首《重归苏莲托》，再来享受对自由的追求！
１９８７年６月２１日写于翡冷翠，康塔梯诺山庄
《重访卡普里》巫宁坤英文翻译
《 CAPRI REVISITED 》
translated by Wu Ningkun
Capri is a small island in the Bay of Naples. In the eyes of the Italians, Capri is perhaps just like the legendary Land of Peach Blossoms in the eyes of the Chinese: natural, peaceful, and free of mundane pollution.
I have visited Capri twice, once in 1983, once in 1987. The purpose of the first visit in 1983 was simply sightseeing. The tour, as first planned, was to do Naples only. In the space of two days, we did nearly all the sights in Naples: from the palace and opera house of the time of the Kingdom of Naples to the monastery where Thomas Aquinas wrote his Summa Theologia, the ruins of Pompeii, etc. Most of the group who were well contented with what they had seen decided to end the tour and return to Rome. But the rest preferred to revisit Capri, I among them. At the time, the reason why I made this choice was perhaps that I had felt, subconsciously, the need for a mental balance. For, after seeing too many things which had a lot to do with ideologies, one could not but feel rather tense, even though they were only traces of ancient strifes. So, to seek relaxation after tension, we came again to Capri.
The atmosphere in Capri was indeed altogether different, although the passage from the port of Naples took only an hour and a half. Here there were no medi castles that were black like clotted blood, no crucifixes that were too large and too heavy, no frenzied dissipations of Pompeii, no statues of heroes who always looked down at you with swords unsheathed. Here there were only wind, water, and sunshine, only sunlit colorful sails gliding along placidly. All sounds receded, even tourists waxed silent as if forbearing to disturb the transparent atmosphere.Only the rhythmic beating of the waves responded to distant songs. Across the sea could be seen dimly blocks of red buildings and green trees marking Sorrento, the homeland of "Solo Mio" and "Santa Lucia".
In 1987 I came to Capri for the second time, but not to seek mental balance. Rather, for the sake of astronomy although it was also after having too much "sightseeing" of ideology, and modern ideology at that. Now there is a very small observatory on the island which is used for the study of the sun, as the sun is particularly bright over here and it is therefore easier to see clearly the black spots in its brightness. The observatory belongs to German astronomers. Due to inconvenience in administration, the Germans offered to close down the observatory and sell the estate. The Italian Ministry of Education, which was inclined to buy it, therefore asked the International Centre for Relativistic Astrophysics to make an uation first. As a member of the Centre, I took part in the uation.
卡普里风光（图片来自维基百科，版权归原作者所有）
The Capri Observatory, like the island itself, is small and exquisite, very fascinating. It does not boast an imposing telescope dome, neither is it built on the top of a hill. It is housed in a villa overlooking the sea. Like the other villas in the neighborhood, it has a large forest and extensive lawns, amid which stand small white buildings .There is a sun tower at the observatory, which also stands in the midst of trees, and is also white and so very tranquil that it seems to have the solemnity of a graveyard. It occurred to me that the German astronomers who worked here must have often recalled the epitaph of Immanuel Kant:
The starry heavens above me and the moral law within me fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the oftener and the more steadily we reflect on.
As it was vacation time, we did not meet the German astronomers. There was only a caretaker around, who knew nothing of astronomy, but who very obligingly showed us around the place. He told us as much as he knew about the observatory, including the facilities and the working and living conditions, and also a nearby country inn which he said was the finest in all Capri.
When we dined at the inn, the table was set under the shade of the trees, surrounded by tall grass with insects flying about. An Italian friend remarked casually, “Everything in Capri is so friendly. Look, there are many small animals and small winged insects here, but none of them does man any harm. There are varieties of trees and grasses here, but none is poisonous."My uation followed spontaneously: The Capri Observatory may have no special scientific value, but it may be an observatory that can best embody the spirit of astronomy. There are many areas of research in astronomy, but not a single one of them does any harm to mankind. Astronomy seeks neither worldly vanities, nor overbearing power and influence .It seeks only understanding of the heavens ,and accepts only direct revelation from the heavens .In the entire world of science ,astronomy is the Island of Capri, clean, noble, inspiring.
Of course, astronomy does not stand aloof from the world. On the contrary, more understanding and more revelation will lead to more firmness, a firmness of conviction that cannot be got any other way. Likewise ,the moral law within man will rise to a higher level,after one is cleansed by the wind and water of Capri.
When you stand on Monte Salero, the highest peak on Capri, you will find the waves looking smaller and the surface of the sea becoming more and more an ideal plane ,open and boundless. Yes, the whole world should be like this: ideal, open, and boundless. At this time, there grows in your mind not only disgust and disdain at the curses by totems, uncivilized barbarities ,the addiction to lies, and the worship of the non-existent ,but a feeling of pity, pity for ignorance. I came to understand how Galileo must have felt when murmured:"The earth is still rotating!"What he felt was a pity for the world which was still replete with ignorance. Being a man who knew clearly how the sun rotated and how the universe evolved, what else but pity could he feels for those ignoramuses who persisted in a primitive creed? The age of Galileo was long past, yet not quite past.
When night came, these thoughts of mine grew even stronger. For one thing ,as Capri at night was even more quiet and more natural, you could feel only your own thoughts when everything else receded. For another we stayed at a hotel at a distinctive location-----Via Mulo or the Alley of Mountain Mules----on a hillside. Next to the hotel stood a very elegant villa with a marble plaque beside the door, on which was inscribed:
Maxim Gorky lived here from February 1911 to November 1913.
What, Gorky had stayed next to us for nearly three long years! It seemed so inharmonious. For in my mind, the image of Gorky should always be among the waifs of Kazan, the boat trackers on the Volga, and the red flags of The Mother. How could he have also lingered among the hills and waters of Capri where there were neither flags nor warcries?
But actually, the two can be brought into harmony. What is it mainly that enables man to free himself from the sufferings of homeless waifs and trackers ?To be sure, the warcries of yesterday did help, but certainly not warcries of ignorance and benightedness, nor even less, threats of bloodshed against freedom. What brings man happiness and freedom is first of all wisdom, a wisdom that manifests reason in sobriety. What could more make a man feel the sober beauty of this wisdom than Capri? What could more inspire a man's yearning for a free heaven and a free earth than Capri? Gorky was right.
The night grew late and Capri was fast asleep. I felt I was already looking forward to another visit to Capri.
Lovely is the sea around me
Like your deep blue eyes a-dancing
Wakes memories entrancing
Starts me dreaming, dear, of you...
Next time I come I will certainly sing this song "Come Back to Sorrento" and enjoy once again the pursuit of freedom.
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