Bulletin Special Supplement Ever in My Heart: Professor Ambrose King and The Chinese University

惜別晚宴 Farewell Dinner 41 步步向前，一步步走上成功的動力。 在一個亞洲上升的世紀中，我對中大 成為一間亞洲偉大學府充滿憧憬， 在卸下校長擔子的時候，想到中大 有一位像劉遵義教授那樣傑出的學 者的繼任者，我更對中大的前景充 滿信心。 各位同仁、各位朋友，在一萬二千個 日子中，我有許多難忘的人與事，我 有太多愉快的以及一些不算是頂愉快 的回憶。我是幸運的，我親身經歷了 中大的成長、茁壯與騰飛的歷史。我 不知我給了中大甚麼，但中大給了我 許多、許多，中大的日子成為我一生 中最珍貴的部分，中大使我感到歲月 沒有虛渡，充滿意義。如果人可以再 活一次，我還是會選擇我走過的人生 道路。各位同仁、各位朋友、中大剛 過了四十歲的生日，中大仍是年輕 的。其實，大學永遠是年輕的，大 學每年就有三分之一的年輕人踏入校 門，這是大學生命常青的秘密，但任 何一個中大人有一天都會老去。是時 候了，現在是我這個早已不再年輕的 中大人改換跑道的時候了！讓我悄悄 地告訴大家，對那種可優閑讀書、可 自在著述，可四處雲遊而不需靠 鐘 的退休的日子我已盼望很久！我要 向大家告別了，我要對大家說珍重， 再見！ o very devoted to the University. What has moved me deeply is their display of camaraderie and team spirit when the University is faced with grave challenges. What has empowered the University to ride out storm after storm is their optimism and conviction that the skies will clear. They constitute a powerful motivating force that steadily drives the University forward towards success. In a century that is to witness the rise of Asia, I am full of high hopes that The Chinese University will develop into a great Asian University. And as I relieve myself of my duties as Vice-Chancellor, my confidence in its bright future is further boosted, not the least by the thought that it will be led by as distinguished a scholar as Prof. Lawrence Lau. My dear colleagues and friends: in the last 12,000 days, there were numerous unforgettable people and events, very many happy memories, and a few not too happy memories. I am blessed to have experienced the University’s steady growth, maturation, and blossoming. I am not sure howmuch I have given the University, but the University has certainly given me a lot — a lot indeed. To it I owe the most cherished days of my life and the meaning and purpose of my career. If I were to live my life again, I wouldn’t want to change anything. Dear colleagues and friends, a university that has just turned 40 is still very young. In fact, universities are forever young. The secret to this lies in the youthfulness of those who enter their gates every year to replace those who are graduating. But then all of us mortals at The Chinese University are destined to age, though we have been young once. Now is the time for me, a mortal who is no longer young, to change tracks. This I speak softly to your ears: I have been yearning for my retirement for a long long time, when I can read at leisure, write for pleasure, and roam the world without commitment to alarm clocks. It’s time to say goodbye. Take care. And adieu! o