A piece of predestination lyric prose between me and Nobel.

I read so many posts about the Nobel Prize on the Internet these days, and saw the discussion about the Nobel Prize in the WeChat group, which reminded me of some of my past experiences. This is also a fate between me and the Nobel Prize. ...

After graduating from medical school of Bonn University, I worked in Berne University in Switzerland and Oxford University in England for many years, and also spent some time in Graz University in Austria. In Bern, I followed my own "established policy" from the very beginning, and insisted on learning Swiss dialects, and insisted on direct communication and contact with local people in dialects, which gave me a chance to have a deeper understanding of the social habits there. In Oxford, I followed the advice of my British colleagues and went to the nearby "student bar" after work every day to drink and chat with some strange young people and practice my spoken English. Coincidentally, all the countries I have been to belong to the Germanic language family. In order to have a deeper understanding of these languages, I went to the Germanic Linguistics Department of Berne University to take some courses on phonetics and Germanic changes, and through my direct comparison with standard German, Swiss dialect (aleman), Austrian dialect and English, I personally realized the true meaning of "Germanic phonetic changes" and the historical changes of Germanic languages. It also gave me a preliminary understanding of Alemanian language popular in South Rhine and low German, Dutch and Scandinavian language popular in North Rhine. Besides being curious about the local language, I am more keen to integrate into the society and care about local life and cultural habits. Over the years, I have personally experienced the tenacity and stubbornness of Swiss mountaineers, the wine and cheese culture of French-speaking Switzerland, and the tradition of student bars in Oxford, England.

One day in the early 1990s, I received a notice from the Swiss National Science Foundation, and the academic jury decided to award me the "Swiss Scholarship for Outstanding Young People in Natural Science" to help me continue my research work in Sweden. So, I moved again and started my journey to the north for further study. This "Northern Expedition" is also a good opportunity for me to learn about Swedish and Scandinavian cultural traditions, and also gives me the opportunity to learn Swedish belonging to the North Germanic language family. ...

Speaking of my fate with Nobel, the full name of the institute I went to is: Nobel Institute of Neurophysiology, Royal Karolinska Medical College, Sweden. Before that, I always thought that Karolinska Medical College was the institution that awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine, so it should be reasonable to call the institute there "Nobel XX Institute". When I arrived at medical college, I discovered that there were only two "Nobel Institutes" among the numerous institutes there. After a while, I gradually learned that although Karolinska Medical College awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine, only a few in-service scientists in our hospital have won this prize, so there is an unwritten rule that when an in-service research institute of Karolinska Medical College wins the Nobel Prize in Medicine, his institute will be renamed as "Nobel XX Institute". The old director of our institute is granit, a famous neurophysiologist. 1967 won the nobel prize in medicine, and was the second winner of karolinska medical college at that time. Therefore, the institute of neurophysiology he led was renamed the Nobel Institute of Neurophysiology.

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden, also known as "Venice in the North". After arriving, I slowly learned that Stockholm is a water city on the Baltic Sea, distributed on 14 islands and a peninsula, and connected by more than 70 bridges. There are not only elegant and antique styles and prosperity all over modern cities, but also magnificent palaces, cathedrals, green spires and towering spires, while the narrow back streets and ancient buildings in the old city of Stockholm have that style. Immersed in the scene, I feel the infinite vitality brought to this northern water city by cars, bicycles, ships, airships, planes, osprey and seagulls in the ubiquitous competition of land, sea and air, and I can better appreciate the magical feeling of smoke and dreams brought by the green trees and sparkling waves.

I remember joking with a Swedish colleague at that time: "You Swedes are like sunflowers". Living in Stockholm at 59 degrees north latitude, you will really feel the absolute authority and charm of sunshine. In midsummer, it is dawn at 3 am, and the sun does not kiss the horizon calmly until around 0 pm. It can be said that "the day is long and the night is not black"; In the cold winter, especially in Stockholm before Christmas, the sun is always late, and the setting sun will come only between 18 in the morning and 3 pm, which can be described as "the night is long without darkness". There, I can feel how much these Swedes in the north cherish the sunshine and cherish every ray of sunshine. In summer, whenever there is an opportunity, Swedish locals will sit on the outdoor lawn, like a sunflower, leaning back, closing their eyes and enjoying the gentle touch of the sun. In winter, the windows of various buildings are brightly lit, and the lights of the whole city, candles and Christmas decorations, as well as the lights of passing cars, give people a unique warmth and seem to help people resolve their loneliness in winter.

When I arrived in Stockholm, the first thing I did was register for the Swedish language class in the adult university there. Therefore, every Tuesday and Thursday at 7-9 pm, I attend Swedish elementary classes with strangers of different ages and foreign immigrants. Our teacher's name is Jenny. She is a college student in her early twenties. She is very enthusiastic and her lectures are lively. After a few weeks of classes, she took us shopping, went to the vegetable market, and went to the bar to drink with us, which gave us a chance to practice our spoken English. Once Jenny asked me after approving our homework: Have you studied Swedish before? She went on to explain that I think you are different from other students and have a good sense of language. We haven't talked about some grammar yet. You seem to have used it, so I asked. I briefly explained to her my previous experience in learning other Germanic languages. I thought that some grammatical rules in Swedish were similar to those in German, so I was so "free to play". After primary school, I happily went to the bookstore in the city to buy two original versions of Pippi Longstocking (Swedish: Pippi Lngstrump) and Goose Riding Adventure (Swedish: Nils Holgersons under Bararesa Genom Sverige), and then read these two books with a Swedish German dictionary, which means that I have continued to teach myself Swedish.

Many doctors and postdocs in our institute come from all over the world, so English is the language of scientific communication. But the technicians in the laboratory, the technicians in the workshop and the cleaners are generally Swedish, so I have been following my "established policy" from the beginning and insisting on direct communication and contact with the locals in Swedish. I told them that they don't have to worry about me, and they don't have to slow down their speech deliberately. They should talk when they should. If there is anything they don't understand or can't say, I can ask or answer in English. They are very happy to hear it, so they are always willing to chat with me when they have time. Anyway, I have been traveling all these years. I think this is not only a language problem, but also an emotional problem. Willing to communicate with others in the local language is a kind of respect for others and a kind of friendly and cordial performance. Only in this way can we really get in touch with others, understand others and learn their cultural traditions. ...

Sweden is a country that attaches great importance to openness and equality of citizens, with special emphasis on the transparency of state institutions. I didn't realize the role of transparency until the institute. First of all, every staff member is equal. Every afternoon, everyone sits together and drinks coffee, from the director to the cleaner, regardless of meanness. After coming in, they sat at the table. What surprises me most is that when the director is away, his office is always open, and every staff member can go in and out freely and browse the books on his bookshelf. As long as he leaves an iou, he can borrow this book home at any time ... a bit like the atmosphere of "* * *" that we yearned for when we were young.

Of course, I still feel very uncomfortable with all this. I can't adapt to it for a while, and I dare not make a move. One day, when the director was away, an elderly colleague saw that I was restrained and offered to help. He took me into the director's office and told me that although the bookshelf on the right wall of the door is the director's private library, periodicals and documents, we can read them for free; The desk in front of the door is full of personal letters from the director, so we can't touch it and so on. , and explained a lot of precautions to me in detail. Finally, he pointed to a metal chest of drawers next to his desk and solemnly told me that it was the director's top secret safe, which contained all the information of Nobel Prize nominees and the information collected by the director for this purpose. That's our absolute forbidden zone! !

After this experience, I found that the door of the director's office was always open except for him looking for someone to have a meeting, talk or make a phone call. I also found that he comes to the office from 9 am to afternoon every Saturday 1 on time, and then closes the door irregularly. All the staff of the institute know that this period of time is sacred, and it is absolutely not allowed to be disturbed if there is no major event related to people's lives. During this period, the director reviewed some information about Nobel Prize nominees without daily troubles, telephone calls and other people's interference.

In the early 1990s, we didn't have the Internet extending in all directions. In order to read the documents, we have to go to the library to read them, or at least to copy those documents. Of course, the director also needs to read some original documents about the Nobel Prize nominees. For the sake of confidentiality, all documents related to the Nobel Prize must be copied by the secretariat of the Nobel Selection Committee. One Monday morning, the director called me to his office and said that his secretary was ill today. Can I help him run? Then he gave me a sealed envelope (containing the documents he wanted to copy) and asked me to give it to Ms. A of the Secretariat of the Nobel Prize Selection Committee, and repeatedly stressed that she must bring back the receipt signed by Ms. A. When she got there, Ms. A received the envelope, checked its integrity first, and then signed the receipt. Finally, she took a thick, sealed A4 envelope (containing the previously copied documents) from the bookshelf behind her, and asked me to sign a receipt and give it to me. After returning to the office, I handed this thick envelope to the director. After checking its completeness, he filled in the date and time on a receipt, and we signed it separately. Then he put this thick envelope in the safe, and my work was finished!

I learned Swedish some time ago, and I feel that I have a certain reading ability, so I want to realize a wish: to read the original Nobel will. The original intention of reading the original text is to know why Nobel set up the Nobel Prize, and what special rules does he have for this prize? The first time I read the original text, I felt a lot of doubts. I was afraid that I didn't fully understand his meaning, so I read it several times and referred to the English and German translations, but it was always the same meaning: "… Please turn my property into a fund, and use the interest of this fund as a bonus every year to reward those who made outstanding contributions to mankind in the previous year …". It seems that what Nobel wants to set up is the annual "Science Oscar Award" to reward the scientific research achievements of the previous year; What puzzles me is that Nobel didn't mention "how many people can win prizes every year" or "only the living can win prizes" in his will. ...

The staff of Karolinska Medical College know that we are not allowed to talk about or comment on the Nobel Prize in Medicine in research institutes or colleges, nor are we allowed to ask the members of the Selection Committee and the Nobel Plenary Session about the prize. What's more, the members of the Selection Committee and the Nobel Plenary Session are not allowed to discuss the award in private or exchange views with the nominees except in the specified meeting occasions. In other words, each member can only judge those nominees by his own conscience and judgment. The director of our institute is Professor grina, who is a world-famous neurophysiologist. During my work in the institute, he was first the vice chairman of the Nobel Prize in Medicine, and then the chairman. At that time, I hesitated and asked him if he was a "foul" with these questions.

Once when we were chatting, I told him my understanding of Nobel's will and those doubts. I wonder if he can give me an explanation. He smiled and said to me, "No problem! The questions you asked are all about more than 50 years ago, so they have exceeded the "confidentiality period" and are all open secrets. He told me that Nobel is an industrialist, so his original intention of "making outstanding contributions to mankind" is tangible contributions, not the theory of "on paper". At the beginning of the last century, when the Nobel Prize in Medicine was put into practice, the Nobel Committee encountered some specific problems, including the number of winners, how to treat the dead scholars, and most importantly, how to treat those important theories with strategic significance, including Einstein's theory of relativity, which could not be proved at that time. After years of debate and discussion, I also sought the opinions of Nobel's relatives. Finally, the plenary session decided by more than three-quarters of the majority to amend the Charter for the Selection of the Nobel Prize in Medicine, which made new and more specific provisions on these issues. After that, the articles of association have not changed except for the appropriate amendments to the winners of the Nobel Prize in Medicine and how to deal with the deceased before the award.

After working in the Royal Karolinska Medical College in Sweden, you will feel the glory of the Nobel Prize all the time, and sometimes even feel that you have gained a little advantage. When I used to work in Berne University, even in Oxford University, it was difficult to communicate with those world-famous scholars or invite them to give lectures. It is even more difficult for a young "unknown teenager" like me. Eating at the door is a common practice. But after arriving in Stockholm, it was different. Those world academic authorities, who are well-known and originally difficult to hire, will now volunteer and even give us a speech in karolinska institutet at their own expense. What's more, some world-renowned universities and some academic authorities will take the initiative to propose cooperation projects to us and are willing to bear the required funds. Therefore, during my two years working in karolinska institutet, I met many future Nobel Prize winners and drank and chatted with them. I also took them and their families to visit Stockholm; I also cooperated with their research.

Of course, most of the contacts with these "world academic authorities" belong to "equivalence", and there is nothing to talk about, let alone "trust". Nevertheless, I still have some opportunities to talk with them on an equal footing. Sometimes when I drink too much, they will say a few words from the heart. In short, these contacts made me deeply realize their vanity and deepened my understanding of their feelings. Come to think of it, they are people, too. How can people be unselfish? As long as everyone can abide by the basic laws and regulations of the scientific community, it is beyond reproach to fight for themselves. On the other hand, if you think about yourself, sometimes you will feel ashamed of your remaining "Smith" thought.

Among these future Nobel Prize winners, one is younger, and I can call him a friend. After leaving Stockholm for Gottingen, we continued to cooperate and even published some articles in first-class magazines such as Nature. He complained a lot in front of me and told me some of his wishes. Once his youngest son didn't know where to go after graduating from middle school and didn't want to practice in his father's laboratory, so he called me and asked his son to practice in my laboratory. I remember that after he won the Nobel Prize, I immediately sent him a congratulatory email: Congratulations on finally getting what you want! He replied: Thank you for your congratulations! Yes, now you can do what you want!

There is a very interesting old rule in Karolinska Medical College, that is, the winners of the Nobel Prize in Medicine should not only make public academic speeches, but also attend the beer party held by medical graduate students and young scholars the night before the Nobel Prize awarding ceremony, and they are obliged to drink and chat with young people. I remember that the winners of 1994 were Gilman and Rodbell from America, and I also attended the beer party. In Karolinska Medical College, the activities organized by the Nobel Foundation are very attractive, not only because of the content of the activities, but also because they provide more food and drinks, so many people came that day, everyone dressed casually, and some people felt like a sea of people. I also had a drink with them with a glass of beer and talked a few words. What I remember best is that a student asked Gilman, "How can I win the Nobel Prize? Is there any trick? " Gilman laughed after listening: "If you want to do scientific research and win the Nobel Prize, you might as well go to the wheat lottery, because the chances of winning the first prize in the lottery are much greater than winning the Nobel Prize!" So we can only engage in scientific research based on personal interests. As for who can win the Nobel Prize? He looked up at the sky and said, "Only God knows! "This may be an explanation of" Man proposes, God disposes "in the West!

Talking about my fate with the Nobel Prize is not all related to the Nobel Prize. More importantly, I learned from those who live in Nobel's hometown that I love nature and take things easy. ...

Stockholm archipelago is a large archipelago in the Baltic Sea. It extends about 60 kilometers from Stockholm to the east, adjacent to the island of Oran, Finland. The whole archipelago consists of about 24,000 islands and islets. In the past, most residents of the islands were fishermen. Today, Stockholm has become a weekend and summer resort for urban residents. I remember/kloc-in the midsummer of 0/994, a Swedish friend named Martin invited me and a Spanish colleague to spend the weekend at his holiday home on an island, so he drove a speedboat across the dotted islands and looked at the blue sky and white clouds. The island is covered with lush vegetation and twittering birds, colorful Nordic huts are hidden among green trees and leaves, and sailboats dock on the shore. Anchored in Martin's island, "after dozens of steps, it suddenly became clear. The land is flat and spacious, and the house is like a beautiful field, belonging to the genus Mulberry. There are white daisies between the grass and the breeze, which bring the fragrance of wild roses in the bushes. I am convinced that the paradise in Tao Yuanming's Peach Blossom Garden is no more than that.

Herring in the Baltic Sea is a common food in Sweden. It is a very happy thing for Swedes to catch herring at ordinary times, and midsummer is the season when groups of herring swim through the waters of Stockholm archipelago, so Martin takes us to a mysterious herring road, which others don't know. We rowed the boat slowly to the waters not far from the shore and waited quietly for a while. Suddenly, thousands of herring swam around in droves, crowded back and forth. The vast blue sea water suddenly flashed silver in the warm sunshine, which made people see things in a blur, so we used the prepared vegetable basket "bamboo basket to fish" and fished on the boat full of baskets. The scene was spectacular, because several of us also ate fish at the same time. When we arrived at his hut, we ate fresh herring barbecued by wildfire, drank wine to our heart's content, talked a lot, and finally had a good time. After dinner, Martin took us for a slow walk on the island. Along the way, we talked about the pioneering research work of Gao Benhan, a famous Swedish sinologist, in the field of Chinese dialects and language history. I think of a Swedish linguist who can combine China's traditional phonology with western linguistic methods by using modern experimental phonology and structural analysis, and initiated the study of modern phonology in China, which makes me deeply admire him.

After walking for more than an hour, it was already early in the morning. Martin took us to the sauna they built by the sea, and we took off our clothes and walked into the sauna. Rock has been barbecued on a hot stove for a long time, and the temperature is almost above 80℃. When we were sitting on the wooden bench with bath towels, Martin splashed water on the hot rock with a small spoon. The sudden impact of steam filled the hut, so hot that you couldn't breathe. Although this sauna room has French windows by the sea, you have no idea to look at the exterior at this time. You just feel that when your head is hot, your mind is empty and you have no other thoughts. It seems that there is only steam and high temperature in the world. The only thing you can do is focus on breathing, instinctively looking for oxygen to kill people and your insignificant survival in the hot air. ...

Almost ten minutes later, Martin opened the door and we ran out after him naked. After this, we jumped into the Baltic Sea, and suddenly our whole body was cold. The fatigue of running around suddenly disappeared and we felt comfortable. At this time, I began to observe the surroundings, and began to experience the silence of this moment slowly in the sun with the gradual sunset. Looking at the vast sea and orange horizon, sparkling and gentle waves, I sigh. I only used Du Fu's poems to express my feelings: "This scene should only be seen in the sky, and it can be seen several times on earth." So work and society seem to be far away, and the busyness and noise on weekdays are like smoke and dreams. Only this vast sea, gentle sunshine and naked body is the real life. At this time, Martin said a very simple but philosophical sentence: "We all came from God naked, and one day we will return to God naked. Look at us naked without pockets. Where can money, fame and power go? What's the use? " . This moment is like a dream, but it is natural and real. I think fairyland on earth is so much. ...