A Chinese Couple’s Scientific Revolution When Two Become One

By Ning Ken

王选 Wang Xuan

As China’s first-generation computer software specialists, Wang Xuan and his wife Chen Kunqiu were engaged in the comprehensive design of medium and largescale laser phototypesetting system. In an effort to catch up with the latest technology in the world, priority was given to the full-page printing, automatic page generation, pagination,and functionalized online modification for a display of modified on-screen samples.

Late 1976 ushered in the era of laser phototypesetting systems for printing Chinese characters.In their efforts to resolve the mechanical, optical and other technical issues of the second and third-generation phototypesetting systems and move the technology to the next stage, Wang and Chen pioneered the fourth-generation laser phototypesetting system, a feat thought to be unimaginable at the time, thus making a sudden quantum leap ahead and reaching a position which the Western world took four decades to realize.

On August 11, 1979, Wang hit the headlines at The Guangming Daily “Major breakthroughs in research and application of Chinese character processing,”with a subtitle reading, “China’s self-designed computerized laser editing and typesetting system for Chinese characters largely completed.”

He rose to fame overnight. He was awarded the gold medal at the 14th Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions, the UNESCO Science Prize and the National Top Award for Science and Technology Progress;appointed as a scholar of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the World Academy of Sciences; and was nominated to the offices of CPPCC National Committee Vice Chairman, Jiu San Society Central Committee Vice Chairman, and others. While on the other hand,his wife Chen’s contributions barely saw the light of day.

王选夫妇携手攻关

文/宁肯

王选和妻子陈堃銶都是中国第一代计算机软件专家，承担激光照排系统中大型软件的总体设计工作。他们把目光瞄向国外最新水平，不但要整页输出、自动成页、自动加页码，还增添了联机修改功能，以便在荧光屏上显示修改后的小样。

1976年年底，汉字激光照排系统的总体设计方案基本形成。王选、陈堃銶绕过二代机和三代机在机械、光学等方面的巨大技术困难，大胆选择了别人不敢想的第四代激光照排，一步跨越了西方走过的40年。

1979年8月11日，《光明日报》头版头条报道：“汉字信息处理技术的研究和应用获重大突破。”副标题为：“我国自行设计的计算机——激光汉字编辑排版系统主体工程研制成功。”

王选一夜成名，荣誉等身，摘得第14届日内瓦国际发明展览会金牌奖、联合国教科文组织科学奖、国家最高科学技术进步奖；担任“三院院士”——中国科学院院士、中国工程院院士、第三世界科学院院士，还身兼全国政协副主席、九三学社中央副主席等职。陈堃銶做了什么却很少被提及。

记者采访王选时，王选为妻子鸣不平：“我的妻子陈堃銶贡献也很大。我负责系统和硬件，她负责整个软件的设计。有十多年，她是整个软件的负责人，她的贡献和我差不多，也是激光照排的创始者。你们为什么不报道她？”

记者说，人们习惯聚焦一个人。王选说：“这是不对的，事实不是这样。我总觉得我剥削了她，两人的荣誉加在了一个人身上。”

1980年夏天，陈堃銶的软件核心部分调通。计算机激光汉字编辑排版系统成功排出样书——《伍豪之剑》，这是中国印刷史上第一次完全甩开铅作业，用激光照排系统印成的图书。全书只有26页，但字形优美清晰，封面古朴典雅。该书从文稿输入、编辑排版，到校对修改、添加页码等一系列工序都是在计算机控制下自动运行的。

王选和陈堃銶望着那本雅致的淡绿色样书，脸上露出会心的微笑。方毅副总理接到书，爱不释手地翻看着，他把样书带到中央政治局，分赠给委员们。这本貌似平凡的小册子，向中国最高领导层传递了一则重要信息：北京大学一位名不见经传的年轻助教，已经引发一场划时代的汉字印刷技术革命。

1980年10月，方毅带着邓小平的批示来到北大，看望王选及全体研制人员。陈堃銶在人员中微笑，王选想对副总理表明妻子的贡献，但欲言又止。

回到家后，陈堃銶对王选说：“行了，就这么定了，以后不要提我，就是你一个人。”

王选咕哝：“是我们两人。”

“两人太复杂了，”陈堃銶说，“我们还分吗？”

是的，陈堃銶嫁给王选后，自己便消失了。王选也消失了，他们变成了一个人。

（摘自《中关村笔记》北京十月文艺出版社）

王选的妻子陈堃銶Chen Kunqiu, Wangxuan’s wife

Wang protested at an interview, “My wife Chen Kunqiu has also done a lot. I dealt with the system and hardware, and she designed the software. For over a decade, she has been in charge of the software design. She’s also a creator of laser phototypesetting and has contributed as much as I did. But why didn’t she show up in the reports?” He queried.

The reporters replied simply that it was a common practice to focus on one person. Wang opposed, “It’s not true and it’s not right. I feel like a charlatan by being made to take credit for her contributions.”

In the summer of 1980, Chen Kunqiu debugged hard cores of the software and composed the sample book Wu Hao1’s Sword with the computerized laser editing and typesetting system for Chinese characters.It was the first book in Chinese printing history that was freed from the traditional difficulties of the hot lead typesetting system and was printed entirely with a laser phototypesetting system.Boasting legibly elegant fonts and a naturally exquisite cover,this 26-page book was printed entirely by computer, from text input to the editing, typesetting,proofreading, revision,pagination, and other ancillary processes.

At the sight of the elegant virescent book, Wang and Chen couldn’t hold back a grin of delight. Vice Premier Fang Yi flipped through the pages admiringly and distributed the copies to the members of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee. This seemingly ordinary booklet was signaling to China’s top leaders that, a littleknown young teaching assistant from Peking University had single-handedly staged an epochmaking revolution in Chinese character printing techniques.

Upon receiving official instructions from Deng Xiaoping,in October 1980, Fang visited Wang and other researchers in Peking University. Seeing his wife there with a bright smile on her face, Wang Xuan fought back his intention to reveal his wife’s contributions to the vice premier.

Back home Chen said to Wang,“Let’s make a deal. Don’t mention me anymore. There’s only YOU.”

Wang replied in a near whisper,“No, it’s you and me.”

“It’s complicating the situation,” Chen replied, “what’s the point in me taking separate credit from you? We worked on the project together.”

After her marriage to Wang Xuan, Chen Kunqiu faded into obscurity. So did Wang Xuan.They two had become one.

(From The Zhongguancun Notes, Beijing October Arts and Literature Publishing House,Translation : Yan Yiming)