Gao Shi’s original name was Gao Shi, a native of Fuzhou, Fujian. He graduated from Tsinghua University in 1925 and received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1927. Just as he was preparing to apply for a graduate degree in the Department of Chemistry, his sister, who was in her prime, suddenly lost her precious life to the disease, so he resolutely transferred to the University of Chicago Medical School to study bacteriology, fighting against the disease to save the working people. Once while studying the encephalitis virus, he was unfortunately infected by the virus, which left him with a lifelong disability. But he was not intimidated by the disease and persisted in completing the doctoral program at the Institute of Medical Sciences despite his serious illness.
In 1930, Coatschi deliberately boarded a German cruise ship from New York and returned to China via a detour to more than a dozen countries in Europe and Asia. What he saw and heard along the way greatly broadened his horizons and made him more knowledgeable. They deeply experienced the gap between the motherland and developed countries, as well as the historical mission of their generation of scholars. After returning to China, his family, relatives, friends, classmates, and teachers all advised him to cure his illness before working. He witnessed epidemics spreading rampantly in various places and killing hundreds of people every day. "How can I stand in the way of this?" Just watching and recuperating alone? "Soon, with the help of a classmate studying in the United States, I applied to work at Nanjing Central Hospital as the director of the laboratory department. Hospitals in the old society were government and commercial institutions with a "shop plus yamen" style. Just as a folk song said: "The door of the hospital is open. If you are sick and don't have money, don't come in"! Gao Shiqi saw the corruption and darkness in the old hospital and resigned angrily without even buying a working microscope.
After abandoning his job, Gao Shiqi became unemployed. But he did not want to return to his father's house, fearing that his parents would be sad to see him so sick, so he came to Shanghai to live in the home of his good friend Li Gongpu, whom he met while studying in the United States, and made a living by translating, writing and being a tutor. Later, after being introduced by Li Gongpu, he met Tao Xingzhi, a famous educator who was advocating the "science popularization movement". At the invitation of Mr. Tao Xingzhi, he compiled the "Children's Science Series" together with Dai Botao, Dong Chuncai and others. In 1935, Li Gongpu founded the "Reading and Living Club" in Shanghai, and Gao Shiqi moved to the "Reading and Living Club" to have a place to settle down. In the "Reading Life Club", he met Ai Siqi, the deputy editor-in-chief of "Reading Life" and the author of "Popular Philosophy", a young philosopher, and became a close friend. Under the influence of Ai Siqi, he often read some progressive books and periodicals, and realized that the evil old society was a cannibal "big devil", which was better than the "little devil" who took the lives of his younger brothers and sisters and made him seriously ill. The devil is still abominable, but in order to eliminate the little devil, he must first eliminate the big devil. This is a leap in ideological understanding. At this time, the magazine "Taibai" edited by Chen Wangdao had just been launched. One day, he saw a new column in this magazine: "Science Sketch" and an article discussing science sketches, so he started reading it curiously. This sight attracted him. In particular, an article "Speaking of Dogs" written by Ke Shi (Zhou Jianren) vividly and vividly portrayed the "running dogs" of the old society, and it was so painful to scold them. Gao Shiqi felt that using this lighthearted literary style to write some easy-to-understand and interesting scientific essays could not only spread some scientific ideas and scientific knowledge to the people, but also criticize current ills, arouse the people, and fight against the reactionaries. It is a good form of combining science and literature to promote social progress. So he also picked up a pen to write scientific sketches, and published three articles in one go: "The Food, Clothing, Housing and Transportation of Bacteria", "Our Anti-Enemy Heroes", and "Hu Lie La" (Cholera), and changed his name to Gao Shiqi. The intention is to remove the people and not be an official, and remove the gold and do not need the money. Since then, he has embarked on the arduous road of popular science creation.
The characteristic of Gao Shiqi's articles is that they integrate science, literature and political commentary, with narrative and discussion, which are both popular and vivid, insightful and unique. Therefore, as soon as the article was published, it was valued and welcomed by the cultural circles and readers, and many newspapers and periodicals came to request manuscripts. At this time, his writing hand was shaking. He had to write each word stroke by stroke for a long time, and he could only write a few hundred to a thousand words a day. The living conditions were also very poor, and the summer was muggy and hot, but he still kept writing day and night. In just over two years, nearly a hundred scientific sketches were published. His representative works are "The Autobiography of Germs" and the popular "Seven Phases of Life", "The Third Life of the Human Body", "The Immortal Spirit of Cells", "Aspects of Disease", "An Interview with Mr. Cholera", "Mr. Typhoid's Puppet Show", " "A Letter to the Poor People Suffering from Tuberculosis", "Listening to the Girl Playing the Flower Drum Talking about Mosquitoes", "The Plague Is Coming", "The Bastard in the Bed", etc. were all created during this period and were soon adopted by some The publishing house has compiled and published collections of scientific sketches such as "Our Anti-Enemy Heroes", "Bacteria and Humans", and "Anti-War and Epidemic Prevention".
After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Gao Shiqi, under the influence of Ai Siqi, determined to go to Yan'an to participate in the anti-Japanese and national salvation struggle. In the chaotic situation of the army, he stopped and walked along the way, suffering from hunger, and sometimes he couldn't even drink water. Thanks to the help of some kind-hearted people, we overcame many difficulties and spent nearly a month traveling from Shanghai, via Nanjing, Hankou, and Zhengzhou to the ancient city of Xi'an. In Xi'an, he spent two days finding the Eighth Route Army office and was warmly received by the Eighth Route Army office. The next day, the office used a military truck to transport him and a dozen progressive young people who had gone to Yan'an out of Xi'an.
After three days of bumpy mountain roads, we arrived at Yan'an, the Holy Land of Revolution, on November 25, 1937. Early the next morning, Ai Siqi came to see him. Only then did he learn that Ai Siqi had joined the Communist Party of China as early as 1935. Friends meet again, especially affectionate.
Gao Shiqi was the first scientist studying in the United States to defect to Yan'an to join the revolution, and he was also an emerging cultural figure in Shanghai - a writer of scientific sketches. Therefore, he received special attention and welcome from leaders such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, and Chen Yun. He was arranged to serve as a teacher at Northern Shaanxi Public School, and a Red Army soldier was sent to serve as his nurse and secretary. The party's care and concern made Gao Shiqi's revolutionary enthusiasm even higher. In addition to doing his job seriously, he enthusiastically and proactively participated in various anti-Japanese and national salvation activities in Yan'an, writing one article after another. He eulogized and introduced poems and articles about the anti-Japanese activities in the border areas. In February 1938, he gathered with more than 20 young people studying science, including Dong Chuncai, Chen Kangbai, and Li Shijun, and initiated the establishment of Yan'an's first science and technology group: "Border Area National Defense Science Society" ". Its purpose is: to research and develop national defense science, and to enhance the scientific knowledge of the public, so as to enhance the strength of the Anti-Japanese War and strive for the final victory of the Anti-Japanese War. After nearly a year of hard life training and tests in the revolutionary ranks, Gao Shiqi applied for party membership in the autumn of 1938, and was approved as a probationary member of the Communist Party of China in December 1938. He was so happy that he immediately wrote a letter to Chairman Mao, and Chairman Mao was also delighted and immediately wrote back a letter of congratulations, encouraging him to be a veritable model communist and to strive for life to realize the great ideal of communism.
Later, as Gao Shiqi's condition continued to worsen and the supply of medicines in Yan'an was extremely difficult, a special medicine he brought from Shanghai had also been taken. The party organization decided to send Gao Shiqi to him at all costs. He went to Hong Kong for medical treatment. In this way, under the escort of the party organization, he reluctantly bid farewell to Yan'an, the holy land of revolution, in April 1939. Head to Hong Kong via Xi'an, Chongqing, Kunming, Hanoi, and Haiphong. I experienced many thrills and hardships along the way. Fortunately, in Chongqing, he rested for three months in the Eighth Route Army Office and Beiyu in Hongyan Village, where he received careful care from Vice Chairman Zhou Enlai. He also lived in the same party group with Comrades Ye Jianying and Wu Yuzhang and lived an organizational life. I learned a lot from these revolutionary leaders, formed a deep relationship, and won their care and support in future science popularization work.
After Gao Shiqi arrived in Hong Kong, under the careful care of the underground party, he was arranged to be hospitalized in one of the best hospitals in Hong Kong, Ma Li Hospital. This is an aristocratic hospital full of copper odor and snobbery. It often treats poor people like Gao Shiqi with a blank stare. Gao Shiqi's mood became more and more depressed and distressed, and his condition became more and more serious. Once he was in a coma for several days, and the hospital was ready to send him to the morgue, but Gao Shiqi miraculously survived. In order to get rid of him, the hospital spread rumors that he was crazy and forcibly sent him to the Hong Kong Psychiatric Hospital. After the responsible comrades of the underground party learned about it, they immediately sent someone to negotiate and rescued him from the tortured "prison" and prepared to find a better hospital to treat him. Gao Shiqi was very grateful for the party's care, but he no longer wanted to suffer discrimination from those aristocratic hospitals and hoped to return to his comrades. The party respected Gao Shiqi's wishes and rented a building in Kowloon for Gao Shiqi to live there to recuperate. It also sent a nurse, Xie Yanhui, to take care of him. Comrades from the underground party, progressive people, and progressive youth also often visited him. His mood improved quickly and his condition was greatly alleviated. Gao Shiqi was a restless person. When his illness improved a little, he got up and started writing. At this time, it was very difficult for him to write, so he dictated and the nurse took notes. With a dry mouth, he wrote one scientific sketch after another, which was published in Hong Kong's "Ta Kung Pao".
In December 1941, the Pacific War suddenly broke out. Gunfire, artillery fire, and sirens came one after another. Residents of Kowloon and Hong Kong fled one after another. Social order was in chaos, and transportation from Hong Kong to Kowloon was also cut off. The underground party organization lost contact with Gao Shiqi. Gao Shiqi fell ill in bed and had not eaten for two or three days. Fortunately, he was discovered by an old neighbor lady who stayed behind and cooked some porridge to feed him every day, so that he did not starve to death. After Kowloon and Hong Kong were occupied by the Japanese army in less than half a month, Comrade Huang Qiuyun, appointed by the underground party organization, was able to travel from Hong Kong to Kowloon and find him. He was overjoyed to find that he was still miraculously alive. Later, Comrade Huang Qiuyun went through many difficulties and dangers, and cleverly broke through the heavy inspections of the Japanese army. He was transferred from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, and from Guangzhou to Guilin, and was taken care of by the underground party organizations in Guangxi.
He lived a relatively stable life in Guilin, and his condition improved. Based on his request and expertise, the party organization arranged for him to serve as the technical advisor of the Southeast Allied Service Office and the director of the Food Research Institute. By visiting some famous local brewing factories and using his knowledge of microbiology, he quickly developed several delicious nutritious foods using local common plant raw materials to supply to the front line. He also discussed with the famous poet Liu Yazi after work He also solved some problems in poetry creation, published some scientific sketches in local newspapers, and conducted research on pinyin and logic called "scientific letters".
At this time, Xie Yanhui, a nurse who had been separated from him in Kowloon, also returned to him after many setbacks and became an honorary couple with him in order to take better care of him. There was also a daughter who claimed to be his father's friend: Miss Li, who also volunteered to be Gao Shiqi's nurse and assisted Xie Yanhui in taking care of Gao Shiqi. This can be said to be the happiest time since he lived a wandering life. But the good times did not last long, and Japanese imperialist planes began to bomb Guilin. In the chaos of Guilin's retreat, Xie Yanhui, who had gone out to seek help, suddenly died of a heart attack. Miss Li, who "voluntarily came" to take care of Gao Shiqi, also He took the opportunity to flee, not even leaving him a mosquito-proof net, and locked him in the room. When Gao Shiqi realized that something was wrong, he had no way to seek help, and had nothing to eat. His eyes were black from hunger, and swarms of mosquitoes bit him all over his body at night. The troubled Gao Shiqi once again fell into Dilemma. Ma Ning, a young writer appointed by Xinhao's underground party organization who often visited Gao Shiqi, went to see General Ye Ting's family after going to great lengths to see him. He was not sure whether Gao Shiqi had evacuated, so he went to see him. look. Only then did he find that Gao Shiqi was locked in the room, and then he was rescued. Later, the party organization managed to get a small boat and sent Ma Ning and his wife to take him from Guilin, which was bombarded by Japanese artillery fire, to Zhaoping County. After getting off the boat, you have to climb a mountain to find accommodation. Gao Shiqi did not want anyone to carry him, and insisted on walking with the help of his comrades. His feet were bruised and bleeding, but he did not say a word. He stayed at a Guandi temple that night and was discovered by Ma Ning and his wife. They had no ointment, so they mixed some anti-inflammatory medicine with tea oil instead of Vaseline and put it on him. Unexpectedly, there were so many rats in Guandi Temple. At night, when the rats smelled the scent of tea oil, they came in groups to eat Gao Shiqi's heels. Gao Shiqi was sleepy and tired. He slept in a trance and was bitten with blood. He was not woken up until a piece of his flesh was bitten off. Gao Shiqi discovered that it was a group of big and fierce rats attacking him, so he struggled to sit up and covered his heels with his hands. Rats can bully people and bit his fingers without fear. It wasn't until early the next morning that Ma Ning and his wife discovered Gao Shiqi's tragic situation, and they were so heartbroken that they cried. Everyone who witnessed this tragic situation shed tears. After that, Gao Shiqi was placed in Huangyao, a small town surrounded by mountains and rivers in Zhaoping County, and was cared for by the family of Zhou Xingxian, a revolutionary comrade who fled from Shanghai to Guangxi. After a period of time, he recuperated and wrote. , lived a peaceful life while studying, until Japan surrendered.
After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the party took Gao Shiqi from Huangyao to Guangzhou. He also experienced hardships along the way. He waited for two months in a small town called Babu. Gao Shiqi felt this and wrote a series of poems expressing his feelings and criticizing current affairs, such as "Farewell, Huang Yao", "The Light Has Not Completely Come", "We Are Still Wandering", "Electronics", " Darkness and Light", "My Question", "My Atoms Are Exploding Too", etc. After that, a series of political events occurred in our country, such as the "Jiaochangkou Incident" in Chongqing, the death of the conscripts and Yang Zao, and the martyrdom of Ye Ting, Wang Ruofei, etc., which prompted him to write "To the Bleeding Friends" and "Mourning the Four Martyrs". ” and other battle poems. While in Guangzhou, he also wrote a long scientific poem full of passion, philosophy and belief in the victory of the revolution and the people's mastery of the country: "March of Heaven". This poem has 41 stanzas and 288 lines. From what the sky is, to the development and changes of the sky, the development and changes of human understanding of the sky, and the unity of opposites of the substances that constitute the sky, it finally boils down to the fact that the sky is not an unchanging sky, the sky is not a die-hard sky, and the sky is not a stubborn one. The heaven for molecules is the heaven for the people! This is a representative work of great influence in his early scientific poetry creation, and laid the foundation for writing poetry as his main form of popular science creation from then on.
In May 1946, Gao Shiqi returned from Guangzhou to Shanghai, where he had been away for 10 years. Shanghai was still a paradise for the rich who indulged in life and debauchery, and it was also a hell for the poor who were destitute and plagued by epidemics. Gao Shiqi fell ill as soon as he arrived in Shanghai. The rich man couldn't afford the aristocratic hospital, so he was admitted to a "civilian hospital". But the "civilian hospital" didn't care about civilians. Because Gao Shiqi couldn't pay in advance for several months at a time, he was stopped from providing food and had to ask someone to buy some bread from outside and soak it in boiling water to eat. After this incident was reported in the newspaper, it aroused the sympathy of many readers, who extended a helping hand to him. There was an endless stream of money, medicine, flowers, and food, and many people wrote enthusiastic messages. Overflowing condolences. Comrade Deng Yingchao made a special trip to visit him after learning about it, and brought cordial condolences from Comrade Zhou Enlai, who was in Shanghai at the time. Mr. Tao Xingzhi, the people's educator, and Qian Zhiguang, the head of the Shanghai Party Organization, also visited him and appointed Comrade Bai Hua to be Gao Shiqi's nurse to take care of Gao Shiqi. Gao Shiqi was deeply moved and encouraged, and wrote a poem of thanks with very emotional verses: "Return to the Sublime Condolences", which was published in "Literary Life".
In July of this year, Li Gongpu and Wen Yiduo were brutally killed by Kuomintang agents in Kunming in broad daylight. One of these two was his friend for many years, and the other was his classmate at Tsinghua University. Gao Shiqi was extremely sad and furious. Then his old mentor-like friend Mr. Tao Xingzhi, who had cared for and helped him many times, also passed away in Shanghai. In accordance with Comrade Zhou Enlai's instructions, the Shanghai party organization held an unprecedented public memorial meeting for Mr. Li, Wen and Tao at Jing'an Temple. Considering Gao Shiqi's mobility difficulties and his illness, Gao Shiqi was not notified.
After he learned about it, he repeatedly asked the girlfriend of a nurse who came to see someone to tell him the news unintentionally to take him to a public memorial meeting. After the meeting, he immediately wrote "The fishy wind of July will never be extinguished." The tragic poem "The Wrath of the People".
Because Gao Shiqi successively published some radical poems criticizing the dark rule of the Kuomintang government and calling for democracy and progress, and was found to have been to Yan'an, he was blacklisted. After learning about it, the underground party quickly transferred him to Suzhou, and later transferred him from Suzhou to Taipei via Shanghai. It was not until January 1949, when the KMT's power was over, that it agreed to his request to return to the liberated areas and escorted him from Taiwan to Hong Kong for standby. Soon Peiping was liberated, and then Nanjing was liberated. In May, he was escorted from Hong Kong to Tianjin. He rested in Tianjin for a week and arrived in Peiping on May 31. From then on, Gao Shiqi ended his ten-year wandering life, got rid of several dangerous situations on the verge of death, and lived a stable and happy life. It is no exaggeration to say that it was the cordial care of the party organization, the meticulous care of many underground party comrades who were responsible for contacting and caring for him one after another, and the timely rescue at great risk, as well as the help of some well-intentioned people at critical moments. Only with a helping hand did Gao Shiqi escape from death after ten years of suffering. Without the Communist Party and without the kind and respectable people, there would be no Gao Shiqi. Gao Shiqi also firmly established a deep relationship with the party and the people, and even more loved this new China that countless revolutionary martyrs had sacrificed their blood and lives for.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Gao Shiqi successively served as consultant to the Science Popularization Bureau of the Ministry of Culture of the Central People's Government, consultant to the All-China Science and Technology Popularization Association, standing committee member and consultant to the China Association for Science and Technology, and honorary president of the China Science Popularization Creation Association, China Honorary director of the Institute of Popular Science Creation, etc., and has served as a director of the Chinese Microbiology Society, a director and consultant of the Chinese Writers Association, a member of the National Committee of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, a director of the China Disabled Persons Welfare Foundation, and a member of the Chinese People's Committee for the Defense of Children, from the first to the first Representative to the Sixth National People's Congress. In order to prosper my country's popular science creation, especially scientific literary and artistic creation, he established and strengthened the science popularization team, advocated theoretical research on science popularization, built and developed science popularization undertakings, carried out extensive and in-depth science popularization activities, especially activities for young science and technology enthusiasts, and restored and revitalized The Association for Science and Technology has made significant contributions.