JING AN TIMES 7聚焦Focus Editor ：Tom Lee

责任编辑：李榕樟Email-lirongzang@126.com

Ding Ting丁 汀 Cai Tianshi, physically challenged since birth,is a local resident with only one intact limb - his left hand. A as70-year-old man, Cai Tianshi lives a good life. Mrs. Cai, aprofessor and his wife, has no time to care for her husbandother than being his driver during her vacation as work keepsher extremely busy most days of the week. With the help ofan hourly worker, Cai keeps himself busy with householdchores including: fetching something inside, taking foodoutside and going to the bathroom by relying on a solidsquare stool and a wheel chair. Cai can handle "normalhouse work" on his own.After his daughter got married and moved out, theatmosphere within Cai's studio became a little desolate.Fortunately, he is obsessed by his job when he sits in front ofhis seal-cutting table.

先天三肢残疾，唯独左臂及手完好的蔡天石，年已花甲，现在生活得很好，其体态略有发福。外孙半岁活泼可爱，身为教授的蔡夫人工作繁忙，除了节假期间当好外出车夫外，少有时间照应丈夫饮食起居。家务、店务除了钟点工，均由蔡天石自己担当：上下班、屋内取物、外出买盒饭、上厕所等事务，全靠一张结实的方凳和那辆手摇轮椅车。长期的磨砺，已使蔡天石能像常人一般自如地对付“一般性家务”。

女儿出嫁后，蔡天石的工作室显得冷清，所幸，他一旦扑上篆刻木台钳工作台，便全神贯注。

Thai Princess Sirindhorn Agreesto meet with Cai Tianshi

泰国公主诗淋通会见蔡天石

Cai Tianshi’s Seal Cutting Studio is located in a shikumenwith a No.2 house number, Yan'an Middle Rd. Calligraphy

works by famous artists such as Chen Julai, Su Juxian,Qian Juntao and Zhu Qizhan adorn the walls of his studio.A signboard inscribed by Ren Zheng takes pride of place onthat wall. Cai’s work is admired for its simplicity. He said: "No,l’m not busy, but I always seem to have something to do. Itis just different now. I'm now trying to step into a higher realmwith my work, to go beyond the past, seeking artisticperfection in my work." As Cai sat on his chair, he tried tomake a cup of tea for me but I hastened to make it myself.During our visit, he only went to the bathroom once. His chairsubstituted for his legs, which propelled his body forwardwhen being pushed by his lone arm.One of many photographs, which adorn the walls of hisresidence, was taken on July 22, 2010 - the day formerPresident Hu Jingtao paid a visit to the Life and SunshinePavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo. Cai had a chat withHu in front of Cai's seal cutting table. On the right is aphoto of the Thai Princess Sirindhorn who agreed to meetwith Cai. Cai received a commission from a local Shanghaicompany to create a small Chinese seal for the princess.

延安中路一个石库门弄堂2号门牌的“蔡天石篆刻斋”，宁静的店铺四周墙上挂满各路书法大家赠他的墨宝真迹：陈巨来、苏局仙、钱君匋、朱屺瞻等。店牌为任政所写。说起自己的篆刻业务，蔡天石一脸纯朴：“有活，滴滴答答不断，不太忙，只是

现在接一个活和过去的要求不一样，我现在追求篆刻的艺术境界：超越过去，追求意境。”坐在方凳上的蔡天石欲挪动身躯给我泡茶，我赶紧自己取杯泡茶。期间，他去卫生间时，只见方凳的四条腿代替着他失去的双腿，承受着他躯体的分量，在他那条独臂的驱动下呈对角挪动向前，相当自如，可见非一日之功。

墙上挂着胡锦涛于2010年7月22日视察上海世博园区“阳光生命馆”，在蔡天石的篆刻台前与之交谈的照片。右墙上，多了一幅泰国公主诗琳通在上海会见蔡天石的照片。原来，这是上海某家公司委托蔡天石为诗琳通公主刻了一枚小篆汉文石章，于是诗琳通后来会见了蔡，向他致意。

Father Changes Cai's Name父亲帮他改名字

Cai Tianshiw was physically challenged from birth, but hisfather, a middle school teacher still had faith in his son.Will- power like a stone can conquer any hardship. Hisfather's deep affections for his son made him change hisson's name from Weimin to Tianshi, encouraging his sonto go for a seal-cutting career.Unexpectedly, Cai's father was wrongly imprisoned forseven years, for alledgedly writing a fable about a Cat andDog, which was negatively interpreted by the authorities.Cai's mother experienced great hardships throughout herhusband's incarceration. She worked as a cleaner formore than 10 years on a meagre monthly income ofRMB18. Further, Cai was denied entry to school as aphysically challenged student. Moreover, young Caisuffered from a stone in his heart. What could he do for aliving? Mend shoes? Set a stall? He only had one arm.

After his father was released from prison, he stayed onfarm to work. On one of his trip back to Shanghai to visithis family, he asked his son to learn the skill of seal cuttingand calligraphy by himself. He even bought stones, knivesand books. Little Tianshi was asked to do it all by his lefthand.

蔡天石先天严重残疾，但当中学教师的父亲不失望，仍以“天生残疾，战胜意志，坚如磐石”的深厚父爱，将原名蔡伟民的他改为“蔡天石”，以此来激励儿子走一条超常磨难的篆刻之路。

不料，时年37岁的父亲，因一篇寓言文章《狗与猫》而犯了大忌，被错划为右派。他强词抗辩竟身陷囹圄7年之久。

蔡父受折磨期间，蔡母为家庭操碎了心，十多年做清洁工，只有 18 元月薪。而且，残疾人学校拒绝他入学。但苦难对于心中有“石头”的少年蔡天石而言，恰恰成了发奋图强的导火索。面临每天的衣食之忧，他能干什么呢？修鞋？摆摊？仅有一条完整左手臂的他显然心有余而力不足。刑期结束后留农场劳动的父亲趁着回沪探亲之际，要求儿子自习刻图章，练书法谋生，并付之行动买来石方、刀具及篆刻书籍，令小天石以左手习字、篆刻。

Blood by Blood泣血“炼狱”

It's hard to imagine the hardships to Cai, having toacquaint himself with the art of seal cutting. Strength wasrequired for this art form, and with his right arm holding thewooden vise for hours at a time; he was constantly hurtinghimself with the sharp blade. Day or night, he was alwaysfound pouring over his books. He was always searchingfor cheap organic glass and ox horn in an effort to learnhow to cut. A few years later, he set up a seal-cutting stallin a kitchen in a lane located at Shimen No.1 Rd. At theoutset, he could only get several yuan for cutting a organicglass seal or an ox horn seal, he had finally found his truecalling and his life was finally his own.Notwithstanding his trials and tribulations, Cai didn't wantto be just a seal cutter. In 1980, his father, still beset withhis troubles, secured the services of Duoyun Xuan andChen Julai, both master tutors for his son. Under theirtutelage, Cai’s talents greatly improved. As Chen's lastapprentice, Cai never forgot his teacher's edification.In 1987, Cai made a seal for Jiang Zemin, the Shanghaimayor at that time. Jiang wrote him a letter back in July 19,1987. In 1998, he made a seal for Mr. Bush, the president ofthe United States. A lot of celebrities have Cai's seal madeonly with his left hand, including Deng Xiaoping, DengPufang, superior officers from the United Nations, ItzhakPerlman, the world famous violinist and Andrea Bocelli. I amlucky to have one too. The seal cut by "Tianshi" made mysecond book signing a memorable ocassion.

不难想象蔡天石在练习篆刻过程中的泣血艰辛，由于用力过猛，尖利的刻刀常常戳得扶紧木台钳的右手皮开肉绽，鲜血淋漓。他熬住泪，依然没日没夜地苦练刻章，四处找来廉价的有机玻璃、牛角练习刀法；找废报纸练书法。这近乎疯狂的

“炼狱”式的努力，终于点燃了小天石胸中对篆刻、书法艺术的灵感之火。几年以后，他在石门一路一条弄堂里的灶披间摆起了刻章摊。尽管刻一枚有机玻璃、牛角章仅赚几块钱，但他开始了自食其力的人生之路。

蔡天石不甘愿停留在篆刻工匠的水平上，1980年，仍身陷困境的父亲先后为他从“朵云轩”请来恩师王开霖、让篆刻大师陈巨来指导。入木三分的指点迷津，犹如旱田逢甘霖，滋养着蔡天石的篆刻技艺突飞猛进。作为陈巨来先生的关门弟子，蔡天石至今未忘恩师的严苛教诲。

1987年，蔡天石给上海市市长江泽民刻了一枚印章，江市长于1987年7月19日亲笔给他回了一封信；1998年，他为美国总统老布什夫妇刻章；邓小平、邓朴方、联合国高级官员、世界著名小提琴演奏家帕尔曼、著名盲人歌唱家安德烈·波切利，艺术界名望人士均拥有出自蔡天石左刀法的艺术印章。所幸作者也“轧了一脚”，那方刻有“天石”二字的石章为我的二次签名售书增色添彩，我至今好生珍藏。

蔡天石篆刻

蔡天石和外孙近影

Cai Tianshi, One-Armed Seal Cutting Master独臂篆刻家蔡天石今昔

和谐社会

学海无涯苦作舟

Thai Princess Sirindhorn AgreesThai Princess Sirindhorn Agreesto Meetto Meet with Cai Tianshiwith Cai Tianshi泰国公主诗淋通会见蔡天石泰国公主诗淋通会见蔡天石