As an academician, I think Mathematics is an intriguing and absorbing science. How ever, many of my students consider it an abstract science and they hate it because the equations are too difficult to absorb and to remember. I think my students would laugh if they knew how I became so interest in Math.
When I was a freshman in college, I also believe Math was a mere abstraction. Study it was like falling into a spinning abyss of numbers and symbols. Just thinking about it seems like an abuse of my brain. However, my entire tuition was financed by an academic scholarship, so I have to maintain high marks in all of my classes, including Math.
My most abstruse class was Advanced Calculus Mathematics. It was taught in a large lecture hall which abutted the North access gate of the University. Unlike many absentees in my class who often abstained from attending the boring lectures, I dare not absolve myself from this responsibility. Any degree of absenteeism would cause me to fail Math and to lose my scholarship. I was so afraid of failing that I even pledged abstinence from my abundant supply of alcohol.
It wasn't until the fourth week of Math class when I met the wonderful person who would accelerate my interest and understanding of this absurd subject. She was a foreign exchange student from Beijing. She was also a brilliant mathematician. She would come to the class everday in a coulorful silk scraf that accentuated her lovelt smile.
It was so nice to meet someone from my home country. She inspired me to love Math. Although we now live and teach in different countries, I still see her smiling face between every number I write!
作為一名學(xué)者，我認(rèn)為數(shù)學(xué)是一門既有趣又引人入勝的科學(xué)。然而，我的許多學(xué)生卻認(rèn)為這是一門抽象科學(xué)，他們憎恨數(shù)學(xué)，因為數(shù)學(xué)公式太難理解又太難記住。我想如果我的學(xué)生知道我是如何對數(shù)學(xué)產(chǎn)生興趣的，一定會哄堂大笑。
上大一時，我也覺得數(shù)學(xué)無非就是一種抽象，學(xué)數(shù)學(xué)就好像掉進(jìn)了數(shù)字和符號那令人眩暈的深淵。僅僅是思考數(shù)學(xué)問題似乎都在浪費大腦。但由于我的學(xué)費全靠學(xué)習(xí)獎學(xué)金，因此我不得不每門功課都拿高分，這自然也包括數(shù)學(xué)。
最深奧難懂的課非微積分莫屬。當(dāng)時在一個大講堂上課，這個課堂緊靠學(xué)習(xí)北門的入口。班里諸多缺席者常常是刻意回避那些無聊的講座，我卻不敢自作主張的免除聽課的責(zé)任。曠課次數(shù)無論多少都可能導(dǎo)致我數(shù)學(xué)的不及格，甚至還發(fā)誓要對自己充裕的酒類供應(yīng)加以節(jié)制。
數(shù)學(xué)課上到第四周，我才遇到那位促使我對這門荒謬的學(xué)科產(chǎn)生興趣繼而理解它的好人。她是從北京來的交換生，也是一位卓越的數(shù)學(xué)家。每天她都會系著一條色彩鮮艷的圍巾來上課，那條圍巾更襯托出她的笑臉。
能遇到同胞真是太好了。她激起了我對數(shù)學(xué)的熱愛。盡管我們現(xiàn)在在不同的國家生活和教學(xué)，我仍能在我寫下的各個數(shù)字間看到她微笑的臉龐！
