“你好,賽·考斯基先生,如果你能看到這個視頻,我想邀請你回到中國,看看當年你捐贈的5000美元,已種下這片綠色的森林。”
近日,扎根毛烏素沙地治沙造林的全國勞動模范殷玉珍,尋找美國友人賽·考斯基的故事,引發全網關注。
17日,好消息傳來,“賽·考斯基”找到了!得知當年的樹苗全已成林,他非常驚喜,并表示會到內蒙古沙漠看看。
A Chinese woman who has spent four decades greening a stretch of Inner Mongolia desert has tracked down the American who donated $5,000 to her afforestation work 27 years ago, after her early May video plea went viral on Chinese social media.
殷玉珍是誰?
1985年,19歲的殷玉珍從陜西嫁到內蒙古鄂爾多斯烏審旗井背塘——一個在毛烏素沙地腹地、被黃沙包圍的地方。她的婚房是半截埋在沙里的地窖,風沙常常一夜之間就把門堵死了。她對自己說了一句話,后來被很多人記住:“寧可種樹累死,也不能讓沙子欺負死。”
抱著這股倔勁兒,殷玉珍一頭扎進沙漠,一場曠日持久的“人沙戰斗”打響了。
Yin Yuzhen, a national model worker who has voluntarily planted trees in the Mu Us Sandy Land with her husband since the 1980s, had long sought to thank donor Ronald Sakolsky, 69, a retired US high school teacher, but lost contact. In her video, she invited him to return to China, saying the $5,000 he contributed through an American foundation had since grown into a large forest.
![]()
當時殷玉珍與丈夫的家
除了勉強填飽肚子之外,夫妻倆幾乎把收入全部投入種樹治沙中。為了得到更多的樹苗,丈夫白萬祥外出打工,只要樹不要錢。
年復一年,殷玉珍和丈夫摸索出了用灌木擋風固沙,蓄水保墑,再層層設防的種樹方法。他們種活的樹越來越多,綠色在沙漠中不斷延伸。
一筆能改變命運的錢用來買了樹苗
1999年,在洛陽外國語學校任教的“賽·考斯基”,在電視節目中看到了殷玉珍的治沙故事。屏幕里,這位普通的中國農村婦女堅韌的身影、倔強的執念,深深震撼了異國文化背景下的“賽·考斯基”。
“賽·考斯基”當即做出決定要幫她,他通過一家基金會給殷玉珍捐了5000美元,還去了一趟毛烏素與殷玉珍見了一面。當時,“賽·考斯基”第一次看到殷玉珍在毛烏素沙地種樹的畫面時,連連搖頭“不可能”。當時家里沒有一件機械化工具,用的是最原始的鐵鍬、扁擔,殷玉珍用麻繩捆著樹苗,一捆一捆地背進起伏不平的沙地里,種下的樹苗只有手指粗,怎么可能種活?
In 1999, Sakolsky learned about Yin through a television program and was deeply moved by her efforts to combat desertification.
He later donated $5,000 through a foundation and traveled to the Mu Us Desert to meet her in person. Seeing Yin carrying bundles of saplings across the dunes with only basic tools, Sakolsky repeatedly said "impossible", struggling to believe that the finger-thick trees could survive in such harsh conditions.
當時的5000美元足夠一個家庭蓋房子、供孩子上學,甚至能改變一家人的命運。可殷玉珍只留下一張美元做紀念,剩下的錢全部買樹苗。
![]()
“賽·考斯基”捐贈5000美元
之后,他們失去了聯系。“賽·考斯基”結束任教離開了中國,殷玉珍還留在毛烏素,日復一日地栽樹。
歲月流轉,昔日小樹苗如今早已枝繁葉茂。近日,殷玉珍想替這片萬畝林海尋找老朋友“賽·考斯基”先生,誠摯邀請他重返毛烏素沙地,親眼看看這片綠意盎然的樹林。
“賽·考斯基”找到了!
16日晚,尋人迎來重大突破。記者成功聯系到當年陪同“賽·考斯基”探訪毛烏素沙地的關鍵人物——“賽·考斯基”先生當年的同事,原洛陽外語學校副校長白帆。據白帆介紹,1999年,“賽·考斯基”被派到中國任教,“他非常熱愛中國!”
17日,白帆與“賽·考斯基”電話連線,得知當年的捐款都變成了樹苗,并長成了森林,“賽·考斯基”說,“那太棒了!”他表示,愿意來中國,“我都等不及了。”
The search made a breakthrough on May 16, when reporters contacted Bai Fan, a former colleague of Sakolsky.
According to Bai, Sakolsky came to China to teach in 1999. During a phone call on May 17, Sakolsky learned that his donation had grown into a forest of trees. He said he "can't wait" to visit China again soon.
![]()
如今的毛烏素沙地
據了解,“賽·考斯基”是殷玉珍記憶里的名字,毛烏素沙地紀念石碑上的名字“賽·考斯基”,也是按照她的記憶去刻的,已經時隔二十多年,她也不確認是否完全準確。經與白帆確認,“賽·考斯基”的真實姓名為Ronald Sakolsky(羅納德·薩科爾斯基),他更喜歡別人叫他“S先生”。
這段跨越山海、歷經歲月的中美友誼故事,終于迎來一個溫暖的后續。
來源:人民日報微信綜合奔騰融媒 中國日報網
跟著China Daily
精讀英語新聞
“無痛”學英語,每天20分鐘就夠!
特別聲明:以上內容(如有圖片或視頻亦包括在內)為自媒體平臺“網易號”用戶上傳并發布,本平臺僅提供信息存儲服務。
Notice: The content above (including the pictures and videos if any) is uploaded and posted by a user of NetEase Hao, which is a social media platform and only provides information storage services.