张首晟学生发文纪念恩师：他着迷区块链不是为了利润

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2018年12月6日，华裔物理学家、斯坦福大学物理学教授张首晟的家人发布声明，确认张首晟于12月1日因抑郁症意外去世。对此，知乎网友，同时也是张首晟学生@Heinsius就此发表了文章，他在文中对张首晟表示纪念同时对一些流言做出了回应。

以下是知乎作者@白无妨对原文做出的翻译：

我在这里为目前第二高票的答案作中文翻译。很多人在Heinsius的答案评论里向这个张教授在斯坦福的组里的学生提出了对中文翻译的需求，毕竟他有可能给出的是更为接近逝者的答案。

作为本科前两年和他一起不分日夜学习凝聚态理论的同窗，我想我有资格在这里为他写的悼念作一个翻译，这个资格也已经得到承认；而如作者指出，让他本人在如此悲痛中写出中文，可能会不够理性，实属不能。

原文附于最后。

正文：

我是张老师的学生，今晚突然知晓此事后一直沉浸在震惊和悲痛中。再无机会报答伯乐之恩，只得在这里写下我在并不算长的时间里所部分了解的张教授，以作纪念。希望对网络上的一些流言给予澄清，还逝者以安宁。请原谅我在特殊心情下使用能让我尽可能理性的语言。

张首晟教授是有着宏大图景的一个学者，同时也是一个悉心支持学生的导师和有着清晰的跨学科兴趣的投资者。但这都不是我要说的。我真正想说的是，他是以一个理念的真和美的追求者，论及生命的意义时，他是一个柏拉图主义者。每次我们开组会时，他都喜欢问这样的问题，我们觉得我们的结果是否美，有怎样的美；他总让我们留意科学里最基础的部分的进展。是他帮助我去想哪里会有种子般的（译者注：seminal. 不想翻译成创新性的，这个词被过度使用，可能无法capture基础科学的进步的美）工作可以做，如何去做，因为他真的对根本上颠覆性的看法有宏伟的远见和真的热情，不论在物理世界，还是社会中。

到这我想谈谈广为人知的他对区块链的着迷。他兴趣并不纯粹基于利润，而是有着更深远的考虑。我认为他更重视区块链精巧的设计和能够从根本上改变信用系统的潜力。这么说是因为，每当讨论这项技术的数学细节和技术前景时，他都显露出极大的愉悦，而这些（激情）是完全没有必要在私人场景里装出来的。

我的追忆并无法全部被张教授充满活力的、满意的和乐观的时刻占满。有的时候，可以明显看出来他被平凡而琐碎（译者注：trivial. ）的事情搞烦了。或者，做完一个报告之后他看起来很累，很沉默。这时候的精神状况和他讨论数论、量子引力的时候形成鲜明对比。他走前两周，加州的大火让他患了嗓子痛，开始经常咳嗽。

我没法合理地想象他作出这生命选择的直接原因是301调查，或者区块链经济当下的暴跌，或者那些流行的阴谋论。11月20日报告出来后，28日他像往常一样联系了我们，谈到了他下学期开的一门课。此外，他的投资品和兴趣都不包括通信IT和芯片这样的硬核技术；是企业家的熟人对于像他这样的著名投资人来说也再自然不过了。在我看来，对付最复杂的商业问题他也是有足够的能力和理性去解决的。所以，我宁可认为是他已经对这混乱的真实的世界感到失望和无趣久矣。我真的希望他已经得到了他这一生想要的结果，或至少，暂时想要的结果。

悲痛地，

匿名

原文来自@Heinsius

Prof. Zhang is a scholar with grand picture, a supervisor with careful support and an investor with well-organized interdisciplinary interests. While those are all not the main point of my observation. What I would really like to say is that, he is a seeker of conceptual truth and aesthetic, who is fond of Platonism when talking about the meaning of life.

Every time we hold the group meeting, he likes to ask how we believe our results beautiful, and always encourages us to keep an eye on interesting progresses in fundamental science. He helps me think where and how seminal works could be done, because he really possesses big visions and true enthusiasm in radically overturning views on both society and physical world.

In such context, I would like to mention his well-known craziness about block-chain. His interest is not purely based on profit, but has more profound intention. I believe that he truly values the beauty of its delicate design and its potentiality in substantially changing the credit system, because I could see his great pleasure when talking about the mathematical details and the prospects of the technology, which is totally unnecessary to be faked in the non-public environment.

While my reminiscence does not completely consist of the moments in which Prof. Zhang was energetic, satisfied and optimistic. It could sometimes be seen that he apparently gets bored by some trivial things, or looks tired and silent after a public presentation. Those mental conditions exhibit a sharp contrast with the ones in which he talks about number theory or quantum gravity. Two weeks before his leave, he caught a sore throat and began to cough a lot because of the wild fire in California.

I could hardly rationalize that Section 301 Investigation, or the temporary slump of block-chain economy, or current conspiracy theories are directly the cause of his sudden choice of life. After the report came out on Nov. 20th, he contacted us on 28th as usual and told us to be prepared for helping him in a course next quarter. Besides, his investments and interests do not involve any hard-core technology like communication IT and chips. To be an acquaintance of some entrepreneurs is more than natural for a famous investor like him. From my perspective, he is always reasonable and competent enough to handle the most complicated business. Therefore, I would rather like to think that he has long been disappointed and bored by most part of this chaotic realistic world. I truly hope that he has got whatever he wanted for this life, or at least for now.

With grief,

[not necessary to know who I am]