Since the announcement on 6 October 2009 that Charles has been awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics,
we have received messages from friends from all over the world via the internet, fax, and email.
We are overwhelmed by the sea of congratulatory messages from so many people, and the many requests for interviews from the media.
A Nobel Laureate of Chinese ethnicity is a rare event and we understand the outpouring of happiness and pride for our people throughout the world wherever they live.
The Nobel Prize is an international prize and has been awarded for work done internationally.
Charles Kao was born in Shanghai, China, did his primary research in 1966 at Standard Telecommunication Laboratories
(STL) in Harlow, UK, followed through with work in the USA at ITT, over the following 20 years, to develop fiber optics into a commercial product and finally came to CUHK,
Hong Kong in 1987 to pass on his knowledge and expertise to a new generation of students and businessmen. Charles really does belong to the world!
In this open letter, we would like to thank all who have concern for his health. Unfortunately there is no cure at present for Alzheimer's.
Charles shares this problem of coping with Alzheimer with other eminent persons, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, to name a few.
Charles keeps fit playing tennis and with other exercises. He does not smoke, he enjoys eating and drinking in healthy moderation and sleeps well too.
The memory loss is getting more severe, but he enjoys life.
He is eminently proud of his past achievements and excited at becoming a Nobel Laureate –
an unexpected award. The press and media have interviewed him and he is happy they have found all the facts they need.
So he is more than ready to return to a quiet and undisturbed life now, and he asks that the media respect this.
Our greetings to everyone in Hong Kong, to staff, faculty and students past and present of CUHK,
to all our very good friends and especially to our tennis friends. Thank you for all your good wishes and congratulations.
Now you know who is responsible for the fiber optical cables that enable all the excessive information, both true and false, good and bad, that circulate on the internet.
Charles and May Wan Kao
13 October 2009
各位朋友：
十月六日，瑞典皇家科學院宣布 Charles 成為本年度諾貝爾物理學獎得主之一。消息公布後，海內外許多朋友經互聯網、傳真、電郵傳來賀電，各個媒體的訪問邀約接踵而至，我倆不勝欣感。
諾貝爾獎是國際獎項，旨在表揚造福人類的成就和貢獻。目前華裔得諾貝爾獎者尚為少數，今增添一員，全球華人的光榮喜悅，自是不言可喻。
Charles 生於上海，一九六六年在英國哈洛的標準通訊實驗室從事研究，後來赴美於國際電話電報公司研發纖維光學逾二十載，使之成為商用技術，一九八七年回到香港，在香港中文大學把所知所學傳授給下一代，同時致力向工商界推廣科技應用。 Charles 一生周遊列國，可謂不折不扣的世界人！
各界友好對 Charles 的關心，我們深表感謝。可惜阿茲海默症目前仍是不治之症，聞人如列根、戴卓爾夫人，亦不能免。
Charles 平日打網球，做運動，不抽煙，飲食均衡，起居正常，記憶力雖見衰退，仍能自得其樂。
對於昔日的研究成果， Charles 深感自豪；對於不期而得的諾貝爾獎， Charles 深感興奮。
Charles 接受媒體訪問，欣悉新聞界已得到所需的事實資料，故深盼重返平靜的生活，還請各位媒體朋友見諒。
我倆衷心感謝來自香港的問候和祝賀，並向各方友好致意，包括從前在中大共事的同仁，現正服務於中大的教職員工，所有中大學生和畢業生，還有我倆的深交摯友，尤其是那些不離不棄的網球同好。到了現在，你們應該都知道，高錕是光纖之父。也正是光纖，使那些真偽莫辨、良莠不齊的資訊得以充斥於互聯網上，不分畛域，無遠弗屆。
高錕、黃美芸同謹啟
二零零九年十月十三日
