今年(2011)四月中,收到欧阳谧(1944级机电系)和刘景昭(1945级机电系)伉俪之孪生千金平和安寄来请帖,为她俩的双亲九十华诞而举办庆祝寿宴,邀请亲友,同申庆贺。其请帖内涵,具见孝心不匮,朋情洋溢,欣佩之余,照录于下:
In appreciation of your friendship and help,
We invite you to join us to celebrate the good
Health and wonderful longevity
of our beloved parents
Mid and Ching Chao
Pam and Ann
On Saturday May 28th at 12:30 pm
At Tres Yan & Wu
(Formerly Tres Elena Wu)
3131 Route 38 at Larchmont Blvd
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
RSVP by May 7, 2011
Tel: 856-795-2504
平与安自从是幼稚园小女生以至成为医学博士,均住在英国,来美国之后,分别钻研成为心脏与肠胃专家,卅载以来,成绩斐然。两位之夫婿,均为医生,一门四医,无怪其“老少皆壮健、阖府永安康”了。
是日也,我和梅卿准时到达酒楼,喜见平和安家人,分立两旁迎宾,而由欧阳伉俪分别简介后,引客入座,中西宾主六十余人,气氛欢乐热闹而秩序井然。筵开六席,各置精致客人名单一张,既示来宾各就各位,又便彼此认识交谈。席上除名单之外,更有美感十足之菜单一张,(宴后有客人带回留念。)读之令人垂涎三尺。
活动准时开始,首由平致词,精简动听,并介绍其本人和丈夫以及子女个一位,又及其妹安夫妇和两名儿子,因为来宾绝大多数为其父母之亲友而为平和安之初次见面者,经此简介,宾主顿觉亲切非常。
平致词毕上菜,冷盘热荤,色香味全,众人大快朵颐之后,平离席宣告在下讲话,塞责之词,方家谅之:
A SPEECH AT BIRTHDAY
CELEBRATORY LUNCHEON
Ladies and gentlemen,
First of all, I sincerely wish Dr and Mrs. Ouyang a very happy birthday, a birthday of 90 years; and surely many many enjoyable returns! With the same hearty sincerity, we thank Dr Pam Ouyang and DR Ann Ouyang for inviting us to this grand and happy gathering.
My wife and I knew Dr Mid Ouyang and Mrs. Ching Chao Ouyang in 1942. That was 69 years ago. We were all in Xiamen University in China. Mid was a handsome young student with very outstanding achievements in every subject he took. Ching Chao being a tall and beautiful girl with graceful and elegant manners and high grade of intelligence was very admirable to many many male students, excluding me, including Mid of course.
My wife and I were then good friends and we both admired this wonderful and well-known couple very much and wished quietly to keep pace with them, but in the end we failed totally.
Firstly, Mid was admitted into the University in 1940, Ching Chao in 41 and we were left behind in 1942. It was our first failure.
Secondly, Mid and Ching Chao were both accepted to attend Electrical Engineering, Double E, the most academically and technically challenging department and only the most brilliant students dared to pursue. Together they had 2 double E, for a total of 4 E’s, whereas my wife and I only managed one E: my wife took Accounting and I, Education, thus we failed by 3 E’s. E means Excellence, I declare.
Moreover, Mid and Ching Chao obtained Tan Kah Kee Scholarship every year. This Scholarship was, and still is the highest and most honorable Scholarship in the University. Fortunately, my wife won that Scholarship in her 2nd year; even though I had none at all, it prevented us from total failure.
1n 1949, Mid and I won a scholarship from the British Council for further studies in England. They placed Mid as a Ph.D. candidate. As a secondary school principal, I was assigned to learn more about educational administration, so they registered me in a post graduate course called English Educational Thought and Practice for the 1st year and in an Associateship course for the following year. So Mid got his Ph.D. degree and I got no degree. Wasn’t it another failure?
In 1950 Ching Chao and my wife gave birth to babies in Taiwan. Ching Chao bore two very adorable twin-girls. They are today our most honorable hostesses, Drs Pam and Ann Ouynag (Applaud, please!) Two months later, my dear wife bore a beautiful girl, who now lives with her happy family in San Diego, California and is a grandma of a 3-year grand-daughter. Now considering Ching Chao and my wife contributing to the “baby boom in Taiwan”, in population increase we failed by half, and in order of time we failed by two months.
As time has gone by, all failures and successes seem unimportant to the minds of all old people, like the two aged couples just mentioned. They are simply feeling content and satisfied, and steadily enjoying their longevity and prosperity.
Now, let me sincerely wish you all, ladies and gentlemen, good luck, and live happy lives the way Dr and Mrs. Ouyang are living theirs.
Thank you for your patience and God Bless You!
讲者语毕,只觉歉惭不已,听者掌声,只是礼貌而已,随即大菜上席,于是回复平静气氛。
菜过数道,安的儿子向众简说公公婆婆之牺牲精神,养育女儿成才,建立完美家庭,而母亲和平姨亦继承其德行并传授给他的这一辈,他也希望薪传给他的下一辈,词意深远可嘉。
寿星公在品尝多道酒菜之后,即兴发言,说我在1984年创立《美洲校友会》有功,(其实他本人就是首任财务理事,建树不少。)又说我在1987年创刊《校友通讯》多才,(其实他是建议出刊的第一人,其后襄助该刊良多。)再说我记忆强、思想灵、口才好。(这全是因为我刚才报告了他许多辉煌历史而回报的客套话,千万不可当真,以免误信受骗。)他的话语,夹叙夹议,亦庄亦谐,博得掌声不少。
众人开怀大乐之余,起哄要在下讲笑话,于是应命说上两则,众人报以掌声,亦是礼貌而已。
宾客们饱尝珍馐美酒以后,继以寿面,再加生日美点,真是酒足饭饱,齿颊留香,于是落力高声合唱《祝你生日快乐》。这番寿宴的进行过程,气氛和乐、高潮迭起、宾主尽欢,可说是一次十全十美的欢聚盛事。