在科研的道路上郑哲敏院士以其坚持不懈和对科学的热爱在干出汗水成就的同时也做出了不折腾人的选择他的故事
1964年春节过后，中科院院士白以龙成为郑哲敏的研究生。郑哲敏曾跟白以龙说过两句话，一句是“你要干出汗的活，不要想不出汗就出活，那种活是没意义的”，另一句是“你要干，就得比别人干得更好，你要是觉得干不了比别人好，你就别干”。这两句话让白以龙受用至今。
在郑哲敏的爆炸实验室里，做实验是一件很辛苦的事。“像抬钢板之类的杂活，郑先生也都跟着干。就这么看现象、看数据，最后他看出新问题了。”白以龙感慨，“他确实就是‘出汗’，他也确实做出了跟别人不一样的东西，能够发现新现象、提出新概念、建立新方法、解决新问题。”
中国地震局地震预测研究所研究员尹祥础也是郑哲敏的学生。在编写讲义时，他写固体力学部分，而谈庆明写流体力学部分，他们写一点交一点。“ Zheng Zhi-min looked at it very carefully, and pointed out all the small problems. I remember once, there was a formula in the elasticity chapter with an angle bracket written incorrectly, Mr. Zheng saw it.” Yin Xiao-cuo recalled.
中科院力学研究所研究员李世海在1984年成为郑哲敏博士生的时候，对于自己的工作要求很严格。他记得两个批评，这两次批评让他获益匪浅。一次是在读博期间，当时青年力学工作者组织青年力学学会，他担任“第三届青年力学学会”理事长，在各地办力量学讲习班到张家界组织年会等花了很多时间。Zheng Zhi-min knew about this and scolded him: “Do research seriously and deeply. Don't waste time on nonsense.”
第二次是在20世纪90年代初，他博士刚毕业，那时中科院要求一部分人投入国家建设主战场。他常年到深圳做技术服务，将不少时间用于关注科研经费赚钱，没有时间做研究。在一次谈话中,Zheng Zhi-min again severely criticized him for his lack of dedication to research.
这些批评让李世海潜下心来做学问，一步步从助理研究员做到副研究员，再到研究员和博士生导师。“Zheng Min does not value money; he has achieved many scientific results without much funding or even no funding at all,” Li Shi-hai said.
1988年6月，在Zheng Zhi-min's leadership, the nonlinear continuous medium mechanics open laboratory (LNM) was established. From 1988 to 1993, Zheng Zhi-min served as the first director of LNM, and later became LNM academic committee chairman until 2000. In 1995, LNM was evaluated as an excellent laboratory by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
After accepting national assessment and obtaining "excellent" results in 2001, Zheng Zhi-min solemnly advised LNM members,"The road ahead is heavy and long; we must avoid being complacent and keep climbing." Under his leadership,LNM formed a good tradition and atmosphere. The most outstanding feature is that LNM holds an annual academic conference every year. From its initial meetings attended by dozens of people to current conferences with over two hundred participants held in Zhongguancun or even in the field of mechanics worldwide.Li Shi-hai said: "In my memory,Zheng Min's words were like a sword cutting through clouds."
人们常说“一位大师的大去带走了一个时代”，但Zheng Min's departure will not let that era come to an end; his life has planted treesand grasses for others; his words actionsand spirit will remain in people's hearts foreverinfluencehis students,his students' students,his students' students...
