Well known author, commentator and historian Li Ao recently passed away on March 18, 2018. We met in 2001 through an introduction of my brother Jinzhong who is the chief editor of Open Magazine in Hong Kong. The last time I saw him was at his 80th birthday party three years ago. While I reminisced the moments we shared together and our friendship, I also thought about the article he wrote about one of my paintings in his collection, “From Mackay Practicing Medicine to Huang Dafu.”
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從「馬偕行醫圖」到黃逹夫
李敖
From Mackay Practicing Medicine to Huang Dafu
Li Ao
加拿大的義人馬偕，飄洋過海來到了東方、來到了中國台灣。從青春到老去，他為台灣，辛苦了三十年。他傳教、他拔牙，拔了兩萬一千顆牙。一九０一年，二十世紀的第一年，他死在淡水。台灣島上的人們，用醫院紀念他、用學校紀念他、用文獻紀念他，但是，人們遺漏了藝術，台灣島上該有一幅名畫紀念他，畫的名字就是「馬偕行醫圖」，就缺這張畫，人們給忘了。
Mackay, a righteous man from Canada, sailed across the seas to the Orient and came to Taiwan. From a young man to an old man, he contributed thirty years of his life to Taiwan during which he proselytized and pullet teeth – all 21,000 of them. He passed away in Danshui in 1901, the first year of the 20th Century. People on the island of Taiwan commemorated him through hospitals, schools and literature. They forgot about art however. Taiwan needed a great painting named Mackay Practicing Medicine to remember this great man. Somehow, they forgot about this painting.
給忘了，是含蓄的說法，事實上是如此巨擘、非俗手所能。直到大陸的藝術家冉茂芹移居抵台，當畫不讓的，他默默畫出人們的記憶，使島上的人們慎終追遠，重新頂禮馬偕；使人間的奇氣，得垂丹青。
“Forgot” is a kind way to put it when such a tremendous painting could not in fact be entrusted to ordinary painters. Eventually, the artist Yim Mau-Kun from China came to Taiwan and quietly took on the challenge of painting from people’s memories. The people on the island could present Mackay with their utmost respect at last; a fitting painting was finally made of a great man.
「馬偕行醫圖」成功了，但畫它的人，卻失敗了。冉茂芹藝高人歹運，他的成就，擋不住他的成分，他被人打壓嫉妒，他雖是大藝術家，但所遇不符比例原則，他被小化了、「馬偕行醫圖」被埋沒了。
Mackay Practicing Medicine was a success but its painter did not fare so well. Yim Mau-Kun’s talent was dogged by misfortune. His achievement was no match for his background so he was ostracized out of jealousy. An artist of his caliber deserved to be treated far better but he was marginalized while the painting Mackay Practicing Medicine was buried through neglect.
終於有一天，冉茂芹汗流滿面的，把他的名作搬到我家來。「還是送給李大師吧。」他有點淒涼的說，「畢竟李大師是這幅畫的知音。」就這樣的，「馬偕行醫圖」掛在我家書房的牆上，一掛多年。直到三年前，書房賣了，一千箱藏書傾箱而出，這幅名畫，也就封存在倉庫裏。
Yim came to my house one day carrying his painting with sweat running from his brow. “I think I should give this to you, Master Li.” He said with a hint of sadness. “After all, you truly understand this painting.” This was how Mackay Practicing Medicine ended up on the wall of my study where it would hang for many years. There it stayed until three years ago when I sold my study. Books were emptied from one thousand crates and this painting was stored away in the warehouse.
但我常常惦念起這幅畫，忝為「知音」，我想我該設法發揚光大它。
今年春天，因義受難的高信疆病倒在和信醫院裏，醫藥費是龐大的，絕非我送的一點小錢所能濟事。正巧五月二日，和信黃達夫院長接受他夫人的提議，請我到醫院演講，我突然從黃達夫想到馬偕、想到這幅長捐倉庫的名畫。於是，在我站上講台的時候，名畫也同我一起現了身。我當場提議：黃達夫院長以六百萬收購它，所得一半送給高信疆看病。其餘一半，三份之一捐給黃達夫基金會、三分之二由我處理，我在立法院三年的捐贈，早已趕過這一金額。要做的善事太多了，每覺力不從心，所以我就擅自分配了。
I still thought frequently of this painting though. As someone who “really understands” the painting, I felt I should restore it to its rightful place.
Kao Hsin-Chang was a man who sacrificed much for his beliefs. When he was hospitalized at the Koo Foundation Sun Yat-Sen Cancer Center in spring this year, what little money I could give would not have made much of a difference to his huge medical bill. By coincidence, President Huang Dafu at the Cancer Center had, at the suggestion of his wife, invited me to give a speech at the hospital on May 2. My mind leapt from Huang Dafu to Mackay and then to this painting gathering dust in the warehouse. When I took to the stage for the speech I brought the painting along as well. I then made the following proposal: President Huang Dafu should purchase the painting for six million Taiwan dollars (approximately USD$200,000). Half would go towards Kao’s medical expenses, one-third of the remaining half would go to the Huang Dafu Foundation while I would dispose of the other two-thirds as I see fit. I had after all donated far more than this amount during my three years in the Legislative Yuan. I decided on this arbitrary distribution because there was just so much need for charity that I always wished I could do more.
演講一小時內，黃達夫院長坐在台下第一排，顯然被我說動了。他最後做了動人的結論。
For the next hour of my speech, President Huang sat in the first row in front of the stage and was obviously persuaded. He then gave a very moving concluding speech.
散會後，我接受記者採訪半小時，轉到張念雪護理長那邊處理簽名書。公關主任Rita何走過來，神秘的說：院長要她去找六百萬來，要留下這幅畫。我開玩笑問真的嗎？她說院長最守信用，說一不二，這件事就這樣敲定了。我說你找得到六百萬吧？她說一千萬她都找到過。我說你這「台獨」分子，真有辦法。我又說，我剛才演講時賣關子，沒說出畫家的名字，你知道這是誰畫的嗎？
Once the event was over, the media interviewed me for half an hour before I wandered over to Chief Nurse Chang Niann-cheue to do the book signings. PR Director Rita Ho then came over and told me in a whisper that the president wanted her to find six million Taiwan dollars from somewhere so they could keep the painting. I said jokingly: “Is this for real?” She said: “The president is a man of his word so it’s settled.” I then said: “You can find six million Taiwan dollars, right?” She responded: “I’ve even managed to find ten million before.” I said: “That’s very impressive for a Pro-Taiwanese Independence supporter like you.” I then said: “I pulled a fast-one during the speech by not saying the name of the painter. Do you know who it is?”
Rita何說，這種畫，別人沒有能力畫得出來，我看是冉茂芹畫的，他還畫過「先民渡海圖」，也畫得極好。我聽了，吃了一驚，想不到常跟我開玩笑的Rita何，竟有這麼好的眼力。隨著，Rita何補上一句：冉茂芹這幅畫價，一百萬而已，你大師要義賣六百萬？我說，什麼一百萬？一二十年來，台灣藝術市場對冉茂芹這樣貶低，公道嗎？何況，一幅畫，由誰收藏，又身價不同。宋朝謝元的「桃花」，因為張學良收藏，身價倍增又倍增。此外，還要看這藝術品為何脫手？別忘了這裏面的道義意義、也別忘了藝術品的主題何在，這畫畫的是誰啊？這又是誰畫的啊？Rita何啊，你這藝術水平是很高的，但在注意藝術品的「價格」以外，請多留意它的「價值」吧。
Rita Ho said: “Nobody else has the talent for this kind of painting. I am guessing it’s by Yim Mau-Kkun. His Crossing of Taiwan’s Forefathers was very well done too.” I was really taken back when I heard this. Though Rita often joked around with me, I didn’t expect her to have such a keen eye. Rita then added: “The price for this painting by Yim Mau-Kun is around one million. Why are you auctioning it for charity at six million?” I said: “One million? Do you think the Taiwanese art market has been fair on Yim Mau-Kun over the past ten or twenty years? The value of paintings also changes depending on their collector. The Peach Blossom by Hsieh Yuan from the Song Dynasty has doubled its price several times simply because it was in the collection of Chang Hsueh-Liang. You must also look at why this painting is being sold. Don’t forget its moral message or the theme of the artwork. Look at who this painting about! Look at who it was painted by! Rita, you know art very well but beyond knowing the ‘price’ of artworks, you should pay more attention to their ‘value’.”
英國文學家王爾得（Wilde）在「少奶奶的扇子」（Lady Windermere’s Fan）裏，諷刺「犬儒主義者」（cynic），說此輩但知「價格」（the price）而不知「價值」（the value）（A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.）Rita何是被我戲稱的「台獨」分子，尚不足上語「犬儒」水平，但她未能整體看出全部作業的「價值」，我又吃了一驚。因為我認為英國回來的Rita何，一定聽過王爾得這句話。
In Lady Windermere’s Fan, the English writer Oscar Wilde took a dig at “cynics” by describing them as people who “know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” Though I joke about Rita being “Pro-Taiwanese Independence” and not quite a full-blown “cynic” yet, I was surprised when she failed to see the true “value” of the whole work. Since Rita had studied in England I assumed that she must have heard of this quote by Wilde before.
到了五月五日，星期一，Rita何打電話來，說院長想以兩百萬收購「馬偕行醫圖」，大師同意嗎？我答道，我是不討價還價的，替我謝謝院長吧。她問畫要運回給我嗎？我說我會請人運回來。
On May 5, Rita Ho called me on Monday and said the president would like to purchase Mackay Practicing Medicine for two million dollars. Would I accept this offer? I told her that I never haggle so please thank the president for me. She then asked if I wanted to have the painting sent back to me. I said that I will send someone to bring it back.
我想起一個故事。在白色恐怖時代，我一路被打壓，不但坐牢失業，甚至長達十四年之久，台灣媒體與印刷品中，不能出現「李敖」兩個字。後來雖羅網漸疏，但抺殺照舊。東吳大學校長章孝慈，聽了學生黃宏成建議，居然把李敖請來開課，彰顯大學對李敖的肯定。後來章孝慈病倒了、形同植物人了，我義賣收藏，捐了七百萬給他（六百萬送他夫人和兩個小孩、一百萬以他名義送給東吳）。事後有人問我說：章孝慈不是你的仇人蔣介石的私生孫子嗎？你捐他這麼多，不後悔吧？我說我有先後兩個念頭：「第一念頭」是捐出七百萬；「第二念頭」是少捐一點，「捐個三分之一吧。」原來，在七百萬面前，我有兩個我，一個是十分豪邁的、一個是有點小氣的，我笑了我自己。於是，我開了記者會，當眾捐出七百萬，告訴人們，李敖多麼愛蔣介石的孫子；同時，我發表了與汪榮祖教授合寫的「蔣介石評傳」，告訴人們，李敖多麼恨章孝慈的爺爺。
This brings another story to mind. During the “White Terror” period I was persecuted by the government. I lost my job, ended up in prison, and for fourteen years the name “Li Ao” was banned from all Taiwanese media and publications. The pressure gradually eased but the blacklisting continued. At the suggestion of his student Huang Hong-chen, Dr. Winston Chang, the President of Soochow University, invited Li Ao to teach at the university in order to emphasize their academic regard of Li Ao. When Chang became ill and ended up in a virtually vegetative state, I held a charity auction of my collection and donated seven million to him (six million for his wife and two children, and one million in his name to Soochow University). Someone asked me afterwards: Isn’t Winston Chang the illegitimate grandchild of Chiang Kai-Shek, your sworn enemy? Don’t you regret donating so much to him? I said that two thoughts crossed my mind one after another: “The first thought” was to donate seven million; “the second thought” was to donate less, say around “one-third.” So I was in two minds when faced with seven million dollars. One mind was very generous while the other mind was a bit of a miser. At this, I could only mock myself. I ended up hosting a press conference to publicly donate seven million dollars and tell the world how much Li Ao loved the grandson of Chiang Kai-Shek; at the same time, I launched the book Jiang Jieshi Ping Zhuan that I co-wrote with Professor Wang Zurong to tell everyone how much Li Ao hated Winston Chang’s grandfather.
我想起這個故事，想起黃達夫院長。在六百萬面前，他可能遭遇到同我一樣的困惑。
也許我不該設定有兩個他。但我相信他面臨了「價值反應」和「價格反應」的困惑。「價值反應」是「第一個念頭」，往往是至善的；「價格反應」是「第二個念頭」，就雜念四起了。當「第二個念頭」繼起的時候，我們可以冒出一百個理由問心無愧，但是，當時過境遷以後，問心是無愧了，但卻於心有憾了。
I thought of this story and also thought of President Huang Dafu. He probably ran into the same conundrum that I did when faced with six million dollars.
Maybe he wasn’t in two minds but I am certain he had to choose between “reaction to value” and “reaction to price.” “Reaction to value” was “the first thought” and it is usually completely selfless; “reaction to value” was “the second thought” and all sorts of considerations start creeping in. Once “the second thought” emerges, we can come up with a hundred excuses. When that happens, we might believe in those excuses ourselves but we could’ve done more as well.
我老了，我回想當年捐出的七百萬，我會更成熟的「自欺」了自己：「七百萬和三分之一的七百萬，畢竟有著不同的『價值』。當我有能力和願望捐七百萬的時候，三分之一的七百萬是不好的。」
I am older now and when I think back on the seven million dollars that I donated all those years ago, I can now practice a more sophisticated form of “self-deception”: “Seven million and one-third of seven million are ultimately different in ‘value’. When I have the ability and the desire to donate seven million, then one-third of seven million is the wrong thing to do.”
佛蘭克林（Franklin）在「可憐的理察曆書」（Poor Richard’s Almanack）裏，提醒人們「錢的價值」（the value of Money），他把Money有意大寫，並且與value銜接，似乎提醒我們把「價格化」的金錢升等到「價值化」的意味。黃達夫院長為陳耀昌醫師「生技魅影」一書寫序，讚美陳耀昌「善盡知識分子的社會責任」，當年我為每人五十萬義助慰安婦、捐出一百件藝術品義賣三千萬的時候，其中一百萬，是由陳耀昌醫師「買單」的，那是一件胡適寫給李敖的條幅，若照「價格論者」的評價，當年陳耀昌醫師似應討價還價。但是，「善盡知識分子的社會責任」的名醫，自是「價值論者」，他在「生技魅影」的新書發表會上，還懸掛了胡適這幅字給大家看、給李敖看。我並沒對這件「吾家舊物」的離我而去而傷情，因為我割愛了這幅字，卻義助了兩位慰安婦，每人五十萬，又何樂而不為？胡適先生死而有知，也會樂見這樣犠牲了紀念品吧？
Benjamin Franklin reminded people about “value of Money” in the Poor Richard’s Almanack. He seemed to have capitalized Money and linked it with value as a way of reminding us of how “price” in monetary terms has been elevated into actual “value.” In the preface that he wrote for Dr. Chen Yao-Chang’s book My Cell Career, President Huang Dafu praised Chen for “fulfilling his social responsibility as an intellectual”. On one occasion, I wanted to give NT$500,000 to every surviving comfort woman so I auctioned 100 off artworks to raise thirty million Taiwan dollars. Dr. Chen had “footed the bill” for one million Taiwan dollars by buying a work of calligraphy that Hu Shih wrote to Li Ao. According to supporters of “Price Theory”, Dr. Chen should have haggled. As a doctor who “fulfilled his social responsibility as an intellectual” however, Chen was naturally a believer of the “Value Theory.” He even hung up the Hu Shih’s calligraphy for everyone and Li Ao to see during the book launch for My Cell Career. I did not feel sad about the departure of this “item from my household” at all because even if I did give it away, I still managed to help two former comfort women by giving them NT$500,000 each. Why pass up on an opportunity to perform a good deed? Perhaps Hu Shih himself would have applauded the sacrifice of this souvenir from beyond the grave?
黃達夫院長是我佩服的人，我並沒錯估他，所以我把「馬偕行醫圖」帶來了，他在第一時間，也叫Rita何去找了六百萬了，我很佩服他至善一面。只是，人生的無奈之一是，你會被你至善一面輕捏著，或在偶然、或在巧遇、或在天人交戰之際、或在始生初動之時，那一面的你，會輕輕捏了一下你，你被捏了，你會驀然回首、你會悵然若失。以「馬偕行醫圖」為例，誰知道它歸泊何處呢？
I admire President Huang Dafu as a person. I knew what kind of person he was so I brought Mackay Practicing Medicine with me. He immediately asked Rita Ho to find six million Taiwan dollars and I admire this selfless aspect of his. The unfortunate thing about life is that you sometimes get a tug from your selfless aspect. At other times, whether by chance or by coincidence, when you are truly divided or when a thought first pops into your head, the light tug comes from your other aspect. The result of that tug is a sense of loss when you suddenly take stock. Who knows where Mackay Practicing Medicine will eventually end up?
也許它真的掛進了馬偕紀念醫院、也許它真的停靠在淡水真理大學、也許它真的永駐於台北市立美術館、也許它真的過海飄洋、直抵馬偕加拿大的故鄉。……誰知道呢？只知「藝術永在」，而「時序漂泊」。也許有一天，當時序已盡、當李敖長眠在和信醫院太平間，黃達夫院長揮別了這位使他頭痛的朋友，也許驀然回首、也許悵然若失、也許對他的夫人歎息低語：「大師走了、天下太平了，當年啊，花六百萬留下那幅畫，該多好！」
Maybe it will end up hanging in the Mackay Memorial University. Maybe it will end up dropping anchor at the Aletheia University in Danshui. Maybe it will join the permanent collection of Taipei Fine Arts Museum. Or maybe it will sail across the seas and end up at Mackay’s hometown in Canada…. Who knows? In the end, “art is long” while “life is short.” Maybe one day when time finally runs out and Li Ao is lying in the mortuary of the Cancer Center, after saying farewell this troublesome friend President Huang Dafu might look back and feel a sense of loss as well. He may even sigh and say in a low voice to his wife: “The master is gone and there is peace at last. Now I wish I had spent six million dollars to keep that painting all those years ago!”
二００八年五月八日，在山之陽
South of the Mountain, May 8, 2008
