为什么中国网民都在搜索这位美国人？
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMsZev9wRyk
2026年5月27日
携手绿化沙漠。一则关于一位中国女性在内蒙古对抗沙漠化的电视报道，意外地开启了一段持续近三十年的友谊。被尹玉珍在毛乌素（中国第四大沙地）植树造林的决心深深打动，美国教师罗纳德·萨科尔斯基筹集了5000美元支持她的工作。如今，这份善举已在沙漠中种下了超过5万棵树。多年分离后，两人最近重逢，再次谱写了一段关于坚持、同情和中美两国人民友谊的动人故事。
00:00 - 引言
01:15 - 中国网民搜索“先生” S'
03:21 - 90年代真实的中国人
05:59 - 向中国农民捐赠5000美元
09:20 - 第一次去中国沙漠
12:42 - 为什么失去联系27年
17:57 - 中国发生的惊人变化
21:28 - 尊重教育
第一章：引言
0:00
一个繁荣的沙漠绿洲诞生于一段意想不到的友谊，随后是27年跨越太平洋的寻觅，以证明雄心勃勃的梦想可以成为现实。
0:1111 1999年，美国交换教师罗纳德·萨罗夫斯基在中国中部河南省銮阳市看到
0:1919 一则关于尹宇仁在中国内蒙古木斯沙漠抗击荒漠化的电视报道。被她的故事感动
0:2727萨科夫斯基筹集了5000美元帮助伊恩和她的丈夫。如今，这份善款已化作超过5万棵
0:3636沙漠中的树木。尹对所取得的成就充满感激和自豪，多年来一直在寻找
0:4444她的美国朋友。最近，中国网民自愿发起了一场全国性的寻人活动。在
0:5151五月，尹和萨科夫斯基终于通过电话重聚，回忆起他们二十年前的友谊。通过
1:001分钟萨科夫斯基的儿子，我也认识了这位美国教师，他与太平洋彼岸的中国朋友们一起
1:081分钟8创造了一个关于爱与尊重的难忘故事。
第二章：中国网民寻找“S先生”
1:151分钟15我简直不敢相信。这对我来说太不可思议了。
1:21 1分21 我从没想过会发生这样的事。我的姓是萨科尔斯基。
1:28 1分28 每个人都很难念出这个姓。所以我在中国和美国的所有学生都叫我S先生，大多数人都叫我S。
1:36 1分36 好的，S先生。很高兴见到您。真是荣幸。
1:42 1分42 你知道吗，您最近在中国成了最受欢迎的美国人。
1:53 1分53 我简直不敢相信。这对我来说太不可思议了。就像在做梦一样。
2:00 2分钟 嗯，这对我来说感觉不太真实。
2:04 2分4 没错。这一切都要从颜小姐说起，你20多年前帮助过她，想在伍沙漠——中国最大的沙地之一——引进更多森林。
2:12 2分12我一直在网上找不到她。
2:24 2分24我的一些中国学生和老师
2:35 2分35开始给我发短信和邮件。还有很多我不认识的人，
2:44 2分44中国人开始问我：“你是森林里的老师吗？”
2:51 2分51一开始，我以为这是个玩笑。我一开始不相信这是真的，直到我的校长比丰先生（来自里昂外国语学校）给我打电话，开始给我讲一些只有我们俩才知道的故事。
3:013分1 那时我才意识到这是真的，不是假的。
3:203分20 他跟你讲的哪个故事让你意识到这是真的？
第三章：90年代的真实中国人
3:283分28 1999年，我和学校的其他25位老师一起去中加嘉旅行，庆祝中国的国庆节。
3:353分35 那是1999年的国庆节假期。火车开了25个小时。
3:50 3分50秒 我现在听说，有了新火车，到荣嘉嘉只需要9个小时，但在99年的时候要25个小时。
4:01 4分1秒 我们一下火车就坐公交车去了酒店。
4:07 4分7秒 浴室里没有马桶，只有一个地洞。这一切对我来说都是全新的。
4:14 4分14秒 当时我才来中国两个月。
4:19 4分19秒 但是，当我跟那些中国老师一起住了一个星期后，
4:26 4分26秒 我每天都带不同的衣服。
4:31 4分31秒 中国男人晚上洗衣服，早上再穿。
4:41 4分41秒 他们让我和他们住在一个房间里，不到两个月，我就融入了他们的家庭。
4:48 4分48秒 两个月。在中国生活不到两个月，我就吃得像中国人一样，
4:54 4分54 睡得像中国人一样，生活也像中国人一样。你和伊恩小姐的故事是怎么开始的？
5:01 5分1 25年前，你是怎么想到要捐5000美元给一位身处内蒙古，试图植树的女士的？
5:10 5分10 我当时独自一人在中国生活。我的家人都回来了。
在美国。
5:20 5分20秒 我想知道世界上发生了什么事。所以，我看了中央电视台。
5:29 5分29秒 中午12点和晚上7点，因为他们会用英语播报半小时的新闻。
5:40 5分40秒 没错。
5:41 5分41秒 我不知道你们现在是否还这样做，但在1999年，中午12点
5:48 5分48秒 和晚上7点，你们会播报英语世界新闻。嗯，我们现在24小时播出，先生。
5:56 5分56秒 哦，太棒了。一位来自中央电视台的记者
第四章：为中国农民捐赠5000元
6:03 6分3 当时她正在做一个关于中国英雄的报道，每天都会介绍一位不同的英雄。
6:12 6分12 有一天，她介绍了尹女士和她的丈夫，以及他们如何
6:21 6分21 在沙漠里植树。她的丈夫病得很重，患有肺病。
6:30 6分30 他们一年只有250美元的收入。
6:37 6分37 他们把所有的钱都花在了中国沙漠里植树，以减少风沙的侵袭。
6:50 6分50 我简直不敢相信。
6:52 6分52 我的意思是，她如此热爱祖国，愿意奉献
7:02 7分2 她所有的一分钱或每一元，让中国变得更美丽，这让我感到非常震撼。 7:11 7分11它触动了我的心。我不知道为什么。我无法告诉你为什么，因为我
7:18 7分18不知道。它就这么发生了。我一边看新闻一边哭。
7:26 7分26所以我在电视上看到了她，我说我想帮助她。
7:32 7分32我想感谢中国，因为它已经教会了我很多。
7:39 7分39仅仅两个月，中国就让我成为了一个更好的人。
7:45 7分45所以接下来的两个月，每天晚上练完太极拳后，我都会回到我的公寓，然后
7:51 7分51我开始在网上搜索，寻找可以帮助尹小姐的人或组织。
8:02 8分2我找到了一些组织，但他们都想收取佣金才能把钱送到中国。我不会
8:12 8分钟12 同意，对吧？
8:14 8分钟14 要么全额捐款，要么不捐款。
8:19 8分钟19 最后，马萨诸塞州波士顿的一个组织（我不记得他们是谁了）说他们会给我5000美元。
8:32 8分钟32 嗯，尹小姐一年只有250美元的收入。
8:38 8分钟38 1999年的5000美元相当于她20年的收入。
8:46 8分钟46 所以，我不得不努力想办法把钱给她。
8:55 8分钟55 北京的中央政府愿意筹集这笔钱，然后他们承诺会把钱
9:04 9分钟4 给她，事情就是这样开始的。
9:10 9分10 我12月听说钱已经到了北京，之后就再也没有消息了。
第5章：第一次去中国沙漠
9:21 9分21 2000年5月，B先生对我说：“告诉你的学生们
9:30 9分30 你要离开一周。” 我问他：“我要去哪里？” 他
9:37 9分37 说：“我不能告诉你，但你会哭的。带上你的西装，你会哭的。”
9:45 9分45 我知道在中国，如果他们让我带西装，那肯定是有重要的事情。
9:54 9分54 所以我给我在纽约的导师打了电话，或者给我发了短信
10:02 10分2 （来自教师交流项目），问她：“你知道这次旅行的情况吗？”
10:11 10分钟 11 她说：“是的，我知道，但我不能告诉你，你会哭的。”
10:20 10分钟 20 所以我告诉了我的学生们，但是B先生告诉我，我很幸运能去
10:28 10分钟 28 去那蒙古的草原。他一直
10:35 10分钟 35 是的。内蒙古。他一直梦想着去草原，但他
10:42 10分钟 42 从未去过那里。B先生就像我的兄弟一样。
10:48 10分钟 48 所以我告诉他，我去的唯一条件是他们让他和我一起去，做
10:56 10分钟 56 我的翻译，因为我不会说中文。
11:01 11分钟 1 他们说B先生可以和我一起去。于是，我们飞到了呼和江。 11:08 11分8秒 嗯。内蒙古的省会城市。是的。
11:14 11分14秒 我们下了飞机，去了呼和合的一家酒店，当晚在那里举行了宴会。
11:25 11分25秒 我坐在圆桌旁，一张圆桌。按照中国传统，
11:32 11分32秒 我坐在贵宾席上。所以，我正对着宴会厅的门。
11:42 11分42秒 门开了，尹小姐走了进来。
11:48 11分48秒 我惊呆了。我转向B先生说：“先生，她就是十月份电视节目里的那位女士。”
12:00 他说：“是的，这就是你来的原因。” 我从座位上跳起来，像个
12:07 我走过去，给了她一个大大的拥抱。
12:13 中国传统女性不会在公共场合拥抱男性，尤其是在公共场合拥抱外国人。
12:21 而且她不会说英语，所以她非常非常害怕。
12:29 她平静下来后，我们回到餐桌旁，他们给我们上了晚餐。
12:37 内蒙古羊肉宴。她通过B先生告诉了你什么？
第 6 章：为什么失去联系 27 年
12:46 她告诉我关于森林的事情，以及她是如何种树的，还有在……下一个
12:5512分钟55一天我们要去她家。
13:0013分钟所以那天晚上宴会结束后大约晚上10:00，by先生对我说，“哦，
13:0813分钟8休息by
“这就是中国人的行事方式，”你总是等到最后一刻才告诉别人某件事。你从来不会提前告诉他们任何事。
13:20 13分20 所以，B先生说，这很有趣，但却是真的。B先生在晚上10点告诉我：
13:28 13分28 早上9点我要发表演讲。
13:36 13分36 对500名共产党党员。
13:43 13分43 现在是晚上10点，我得写一份早上9点的演讲稿。
13:51 13分51 是的，我不会说中文。B先生说：“没问题。”
13:57 13分57秒 “我来翻译。”于是，我在和哈特一所小学给500名共产党员做了演讲。
14:09 14分9秒 所以他们就像是当地官员，也是和颜小姐一起负责植树造林项目的人，对吧？
14:18 14分18秒 是的，他们是当地人，还有一些来自北京的成员。我明白了。
14:25 14分25秒 我讲完后，央视的沙大莎在外面等我。
14:34 14分34秒 太棒了。
14:35 14分35秒 我们在沙地上开了好几个小时的车。没有路。
14:42 14分42秒 没有村庄，没有房屋。
14:47 14分47秒 在沙漠中央，有一个洞，一个大洞沙漠。
14:5414分钟54尹小姐从洞里出来了。
14:5814分钟58她正在为树挖一个水坑。
15:0515分钟5我们看见她了。我们打招呼。她开始指着沙漠各处。
15:1615分钟16她说：“这是你的森林。这是你的森林。 “这是你的森林。”说了三遍。
15:28 15分28 第三次她称之为我的森林。
15:32 15分32 我对B先生说，她为什么称之为我的森林？这不是我的森林。
15:39 15分39 B先生说：“北京中央政府把它叫做萨库尔斯基
15:46 15分46 森林。”我说：“不，我只是把这些钱凑起来，但我并没有
15:54 15分54 让这片森林以我的名字命名。”她给我看了那些小树苗。
16:01 16分1 让我告诉你，这些树苗比这支笔还小。
16:09 16分9 她种在沙漠里的树苗的大小。
16:16 16分16 用棍子挖个洞，然后把沙漠里的树苗。我明白了。
16:23 16分23 然后我们开车去了她家，她做了一道美味的面条。
16:31 16分31 我于2000年12月回到美国。
16:38 16分38 2000年6月，2000年12月。
16:45 16分45 我收到尹小姐寄给他的一封信，他让我转交给他。
16:54 16分54 他把信翻译成英文，并附上了一张沙漠里一块非常大的白色石头的照片。
17:03 17分3 石头上写着“萨库尔斯基森林”，并引用了我演讲的一部分。
17:09 17分9 摘录，是我关于这块石头的演讲的一部分。
17:15 17分15 哇。可惜的是，我在美国的学校长了黑霉。我不知道你是否了解黑霉是什么，但它非常……糟糕。
17:25 17分25秒 它是黑色的。它会爬满你的墙壁。它非常危险。我明白了。
17:31 17分31秒 所以，在学校里，他们把我所有的东西都扔掉了。他们把我的所有东西都扔掉了。
17:38 17分38秒 尹老师的照片，我所有森林的照片，那封信，所有的一切。他们把它们都扔进了垃圾桶。我失去了一切。
17:50 17分50秒 所以，我失去了联系27年。
17:55 17分55秒 你知道，因为在中国有一句谚语，十年才能长成一片森林。
第7章：中国的惊人变化
18:06 18分6秒 一百年才能造就一个人。
18:10 18分10秒 嗯，当然，这只是一个比喻，但它说明了一个人需要付出多少努力才能18:18 18分钟18 为了通过教育养育孩子。
18:23 18分钟23 这两个关于树的故事，一个关于一个人，一个关于连接你我两地的桥梁，真是太有趣了。
18:29 18分钟29 这两个故事，在27年后的今天，得到了非常美好的体现。
18:38 18分钟38 并在我们今天讨论的这个故事中得到了凝结。如果一位来自美国的普通
18:49 18分钟49 世界历史老师能够以某种方式
18:56 18分钟56 在中国内蒙古的沙漠中找到一位普通的中国妇女，
19:04 19分钟4 并以某种方式共同努力，创造了这片森林，那么世界就能找到合作的方式。
19:17 19分钟17 这并不容易。它需要克服很多障碍，也需要很多时间。
19:24 19分钟24 但在美国，我们说，如果有有志者事竟成。而我立下了决心。
19:32 19分32 我立志帮助她。她有一个梦想，那就是让中国变得美丽。
19:39 19分39 你知道，自从大约27年前从中国回到美国后，你的感受如何？
19:48 19分48 看到中国的变化，无论是火车，还是人民，人民的收入，森林。
19:57 19分57 我简直不敢相信很多人告诉我的关于中国变化的事情。我2004年回到了中国。
20:09 20分9 我曾在里昂外国语学校和毕先生一起教了一个月的课。
20:18 20分18 里昂短短四年的变化令人惊叹。
20:23 20分23 但现在我听说尹小姐，她家有一条路。我看到了一张森林的照片，
20:30 20分30秒 森林中央矗立着一座巨大的建筑。
20:36 20分36秒 这对我来说太神奇了。我迫不及待地想回到中国。
20:43 20分钟43 去看看这些变化。但请让我告诉你，当我2000年离开中国时，
20:50 20分钟50 我在里昂向一群人发表了另一次演讲。我发表了一次
20:59 20分钟59 演讲，在演讲中我说，1999年我非常害怕
21:07 21分钟7 中国变得越来越西化，而且从我现在听到的情况来看，
21:14 21分钟14 中国正变得越来越现代化，这很好，但我希望他们不要失去对教育的尊重
21:22 21分钟22 尊重。
第8章：尊重教育
21:28 21分钟28 中国人。我在中国的学生一周七天都从早上8点到晚上9点上学。
21:39 21分39秒 美国学生绝不会那样做。绝不会。
21:45 21分45秒 但那是因为中国人比美国学生更尊重教育。
21:55 21分55秒 对。
21:57 21分57秒 我在中国的学生。自从我离开中国后，我一直和其中三个保持联系。
22:04 22分4秒 一个现在是北京的电脑技术员。
22:11 22分11秒 一个在英国驻武汉领事馆工作，一个是南京大学的教授。
22:19 22分19秒 太棒了。他们都用我教他们的英语。他们在工作中用英语，
22:29 22分29秒 这让我非常非常高兴，他们还用英语给我发邮件。
22:36 22分36 他们联系了我。两天前我收到了一封邮件。
22:43 22分43 是我的一个学生发来的。他叫李里奇（Richie Lee）。我不知道他的中文名字。
22:50 22分50 我要求我在中国的所有学生都取一个英文名字。所以我在中国的每个学生都必须有一个英文名字。
22:59 22分59 名字。有些学生没有中文名字，有些学生的名字很普通，有些学生的名字很有趣。我的课堂上只说英语。
23:10 23分10 多年来认识你的许多人将能够再次看到你，听到你的故事。而许多
23:19 23分19 现在不认识你的人，也会通过你的故事更好地了解你。所以，谢谢你。你有什么想对他们说的吗？
23:27 23分钟 27 我期待着安排在六月之后某个时候再来中国。
23:35 23分钟 35 可能是七月、八月或九月。
23:40 23分钟 40 我可能会回中国待一周或十天。大概十天吧。
23:47 23分钟 47 是的。我感谢中国为我所做的一切。它让我成为了一个更好的
23:53 23分钟 53 人。尹小姐真是太棒了。这是中国
24:01 24分钟 1 教会我的。中国教会了我珍惜简单的事物。所以我期待着回到中国
24:11 24分钟 11 去森林，回里昂，以及他们想让我做的任何其他事情，我都会去做。
24:21 24分钟21 非常感谢，我真的很感激你儿子帮助了我。我们通过网络认识了，
24:30 24分钟30 也很期待最终能听到你的故事。如果可能的话，我期待在中国和美国见到你。
24:37 24分钟37 很高兴见到你，谢谢你。是的，女士。谢谢。
Why are Chinese netizens all searching for this American
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMsZev9wRyk
2026年5月27日
Greening the desert, together. A TV story about a Chinese woman fighting desertification in Inner Mongolia unexpectedly sparked a friendship that would last nearly three decades. Deeply moved by Yin Yuzhen's determination to plant trees in the Maowusu, the fourth-largest sandy area in China, American teacher Ronald Sakolsky raised $5,000 to support her work. Today, that act of kindness has grown into more than 50,000 trees in the desert. After years apart, the two recently reconnected, reviving a remarkable story of perseverance, compassion, and people-to-people friendship between China and the United States.
01:15 - Chinese netizens search for 'Mr. S' 03:21 - Real Chinese people in 1990s 05:59 - $5,000 donation for Chinese farmer 09:20 - First trip to China's desert 12:42 - Why lost contact for 27 years 17:57 - Amazing changes in China 21:28 - Respect for education 0:00
A thriving desert oasis born from an unlikely friendship followed by 27 years search across the Pacific to prove that an ambitious dream can become reality.0:11
11秒钟
In 1999, Ronald Sarovski, an American exchange teacher in the city of L Yang in central China's Hanaman province, saw0:19
19秒钟
a TV report about Yin Yu Jen's fight against desertification in the Mus desert of Inner Mongolia of China. Moved0:27
27秒钟
by her story, Sakovski raised $5,000 US to help Ian and her husband. Today, that gift has grown into more than 50,0000:36
36秒钟
trees across the desert. Filled with gratitude and pride in what has been achieved, Yin spent years searching for0:44
44秒钟
her American friend. Recently, Chinese nizens volunteered and launched a nationwide campaign to help find him. In0:51
51秒钟
May, Yin and Sarakosski finally reunited over the phone, reminiscing about their friendship from two decades ago. Through1:00
1分钟
Sakoski's son, I also came to know this American teacher who together with his Chinese friends across the Pacific1:08
1分钟8秒钟
created an unforgettable story of love and respect.1:15
1分钟15秒钟
I cannot believe this. This is overwhelming for me.1:21
1分钟21秒钟
I never thought anything like this was going to happen. My last name is Sakolski1:28
1分钟28秒钟
and everybody has trouble saying it. So all my students both in China and1:36
1分钟36秒钟
America know me as Mr. S and most just call me S.1:42
1分钟42秒钟
All right, Mr. S. Good to see you. What a pleasure. It is my honor.1:48
1分钟48秒钟
you know, you have become uh the most popular American in China these days.1:53
1分钟53秒钟
I cannot believe this. This is overwhelming to me. It's like I'm dreaming.2:00
2分钟
Um it just does not seem real to me.2:04
2分钟4秒钟
Right. Well, it's all be started from Miss Yen who you helped uh more than 202:12
2分钟12秒钟
years ago to try to bring more forest into the Woo Desert, which is one of the biggest sandy area in China.2:24
2分钟24秒钟
I could never find her on the internet.2:29
2分钟29秒钟
And some of my students and teachers in China2:35
2分钟35秒钟
started to text me and email me. And a lot of people that I do not know, just2:44
2分钟44秒钟
people from China started to ask, "Are you the teacher from the forest?"2:51
2分钟51秒钟
At first, I thought it was a joke. I didn't believe this was happening um until Mr. Bifon, my principal from3:01
3分钟1秒钟
Lyon Foreign Language School, called me on the telephone and he started to tell me stories3:11
3分钟11秒钟
that only he and I would know. And that's when I realized that it was real and not a fake.3:20
3分钟20秒钟
What was the story that he told you that helped you to assess that it's a real thing going on?3:28
3分钟28秒钟
I went on a trip for national for the national holiday for China's national3:35
3分钟35秒钟
holiday with 25 other teachers from my school to Jung Ja Jia3:44
3分钟44秒钟
in 1999. It was a 25hour train ride.3:50
3分钟50秒钟
I understand today with the new train it's only like 9 hours to Jung Jajia but in 99 it was 25 hours.4:01
4分钟1秒钟
Right when we got off the train we took a bus to the hotel.4:07
4分钟7秒钟
The bathroom did not have a toilet. It had a hole in the ground. This was all4:14
4分钟14秒钟
new to me. I had only been in China for two months.4:19
4分钟19秒钟
But when I stayed with those Chinese teachers for a week,4:26
4分钟26秒钟
I brought different clothes for every day.4:31
4分钟31秒钟
Chinese men washed their clothes at night and put them back on again in the morning.4:41
4分钟41秒钟
They let me stay in the room with them and I became part of the family within4:48
4分钟48秒钟
two months. Within two months of living in China, I was eating like the Chinese,4:54
4分钟54秒钟
sleeping like the Chinese, and living like the Chinese. How did the story with Miss Ian begin?5:01
5分钟1秒钟
How did you come up with the idea of trying to donate $5,000 US at the time 25 years ago to a woman in the middle of5:10
5分钟10秒钟
uh inner Mongolia who tried to plant trees?5:14
5分钟14秒钟
I lived in China by myself. My family was back in the United States.5:20
5分钟20秒钟
I wanted to know what was going on in the world. So, I watched CCTV5:29
5分钟29秒钟
at 12:00 at 12:00 noon and 7:00 at night because they did a halfhour news broadcast in English.5:41
5分钟41秒钟
I don't know if they I don't know if you still do it now, but in 1999 at 12 noon5:48
5分钟48秒钟
and 7:00 at night, you did World News in English. Well, we do 24 hours a day now, sir.5:56
5分钟56秒钟
Oh, awesome. A reporter from CCTV6:03
6分钟3秒钟
was doing a story on heroes of China, and every day she would show a different hero.6:12
6分钟12秒钟
On this one day, she was showing Miss Yin and her husband and how they6:21
6分钟21秒钟
were planting trees in the desert. Her husband was very sick. He had a lung disease.6:30
6分钟30秒钟
They only made $250 a year.6:37
6分钟37秒钟
And they spent all their money to plant trees in the desert of China to cut down on the sand getting into the wind.6:50
6分钟50秒钟
I could not believe this.6:52
6分钟52秒钟
I mean, this was amazing to me that she loved the motherland so much that she was willing to give7:02
7分钟2秒钟
every penny or every yuan that she had to making China beautiful.7:11
7分钟11秒钟
It It touched my heart. I don't know why. I can't tell you why because I7:18
7分钟18秒钟
don't know. It just happened. I was crying as I watched the news.7:26
7分钟26秒钟
So I saw her on the TV and I said I want to help her7:32
7分钟32秒钟
and I want to thank China cuz it had already taught me many lessons.7:39
7分钟39秒钟
Just in two months, China had made me a better person.7:45
7分钟45秒钟
So every night after Tai Chi, I went back in my apartment for two months and7:51
7分钟51秒钟
I started to research on the internet to find somebody or some organization that would help Miss Yin.8:02
8分钟2秒钟
I found a couple of organizations, but they all wanted to take a commission to get the money to China. I would not8:12
8分钟12秒钟
agree to that, right?8:14
8分钟14秒钟
It was either all the money or no donation.8:19
8分钟19秒钟
Finally, an organization in Boston, Massachusetts, who I do not remember who they are, said that they would give me $5,000.8:32
8分钟32秒钟
Well, Miss Yin only made $250 a year.8:38
8分钟38秒钟
$5,000 in 1999 was 20 years of income.8:46
8分钟46秒钟
So then I had to work to find a way to get the money to her.8:55
8分钟55秒钟
central government in Beijing was willing to get the money and then they promised that they would get the money9:04
9分钟4秒钟
to her and that's how it all started.9:10
9分钟10秒钟
I heard in December that the money had arrived in Beijing and then I never heard anything else.9:21
9分钟21秒钟
In May of 2000, Mr. B said to me, "S tell your students9:30
9分钟30秒钟
you are going away for a week." I said to him, "Where am I going?" He9:37
9分钟37秒钟
said, "I cannot tell you, but you will cry. Bring your suit and you will cry."9:45
9分钟45秒钟
I knew in China if they told me to bring my suit, it was something important.9:54
9分钟54秒钟
So I called my I texted my supervisor in New York City10:02
10分钟2秒钟
from the teacher exchange program and I said to her, "Do you know anything about this trip?"10:11
10分钟11秒钟
And she said, "Yes, I know, but I cannot tell you, but you will cry."10:20
10分钟20秒钟
So I told my students and but I Mr. B told me that I was very lucky to go to10:28
10分钟28秒钟
the to Na Mongol to the grassland in Na Mongol. He had always10:35
10分钟35秒钟
Yes. Inner Mongolia. He had always dreamed to go to the grassland, but he10:42
10分钟42秒钟
had never been there. Mr. B had become my brother.10:48
10分钟48秒钟
So I told him the only way I would go was if they let him come with me to be10:56
10分钟56秒钟
my translator because I do not speak Chinese.11:01
11分钟1秒钟
They said Mr. B could come with me. So, we flew to Hohhat.11:08
11分钟8秒钟
Mhm. The provincial capital of Inner Mongolia. Yes.11:14
11分钟14秒钟
We got off of the plane and we went to a hotel in Hohhat where we had a banquet that night.11:25
11分钟25秒钟
I was sitting at the round table, one of the round tables. In Chinese tradition,11:32
11分钟32秒钟
I was in the guest of honor seat. So, I was facing the door of the banquet room.11:42
11分钟42秒钟
The door opened and Miss Yin walked in the door.11:48
11分钟48秒钟
I was stunned. I turned to Mr. B and I said, "Mr. by that's the lady from the television show in October.12:00
12分钟
And he said, "Yes, that's why you're here." I jumped out of my seat and like an12:07
12分钟7秒钟
American, I went over and I gave her a big hug.12:13
12分钟13秒钟
Chinese traditional women do not hug men in public and especially a foreigner in12:21
12分钟21秒钟
public and she does not speak English so she was very very scared.12:29
12分钟29秒钟
After she calmed down, we went back to the table and they served us dinner.12:37
12分钟37秒钟
Inner Mongolian lamb banquet. What did she tell you through Mr. B?12:46
12分钟46秒钟
She told me about the forest and how she had planted the trees and at the next12:55
12分钟55秒钟
day we were going to go to her house.13:00
13分钟
So that night after the banquet like 10:00 at night, Mr. by says to me, "Oh,13:08
13分钟8秒钟
by the way," which is typical Chinese, you always wait to the last minute to tell somebody something. You never tell them anything in advance.13:20
13分钟20秒钟
So, Mr. B tells, it's it's funny, but it's true. Mr. by tells me at 10:00 at13:28
13分钟28秒钟
night that in the morning at 9:00 in the morning I'm going to give a speech13:36
13分钟36秒钟
to 500 Communist Party members.13:43
13分钟43秒钟
This is 10:00 at night and I have to write a speech at for 9:00 in the morning.13:51
13分钟51秒钟
Yeah, I don't speak Chinese. Mr. by said, "No problem.13:57
13分钟57秒钟
I will translate." So I did a speech in a small elementary school in Hohhat to 500 communist men.14:09
14分钟9秒钟
So they were like the local officials and also people responsible for implement the project of forestation together with Miss Yen, right?14:18
14分钟18秒钟
Yes, they were locals and some members from Beijing. I see.14:25
14分钟25秒钟
When I was done and Dasha Sha from CCTV was outside waiting for me.14:34
14分钟34秒钟
That's terrific.14:35
14分钟35秒钟
And we drove for hours over the sand. There were no roads.14:42
14分钟42秒钟
There were no villages. There were no houses.14:47
14分钟47秒钟
In the middle of the desert, there was a hole, a big hole in the desert.14:54
14分钟54秒钟
Miss Yin came out of the hole.14:58
14分钟58秒钟
She was digging a water hole for the trees.15:05
15分钟5秒钟
I saw her. We said hello. And she started to point all around the desert.15:16
15分钟16秒钟
She said, "This is your forest. This is your forest. This is your forest." Three times.15:28
15分钟28秒钟
The third time she called it my forest.15:32
15分钟32秒钟
I said to Mr. B, why is she calling it my forest? It is not my forest.15:39
15分钟39秒钟
And Mr. by said, "Bijing central government is calling it the Sakulski15:46
15分钟46秒钟
forest." I said, "No, all I did was put this money together, but I did not do15:54
15分钟54秒钟
this for the forest to be named after me." She showed me the little saplings.16:01
16分钟1秒钟
Let me when I tell you that the saplings were no bigger than this pen. That was16:09
16分钟9秒钟
the size of the saplings that she was putting in the desert.16:16
16分钟16秒钟
Digging a hole with a stick and dropping the sapling in the desert. I see.16:23
16分钟23秒钟
Then we drove to her house and she made a delicious noodle dish.16:31
16分钟31秒钟
M I came back to America in16:38
16分钟38秒钟
June of 2000 in December of 2000.16:45
16分钟45秒钟
I got Mr. by sent me a letter that Miss Yin had sent her to him to send to me,16:54
16分钟54秒钟
and he translated it into English with a picture of a of a very large white stone17:03
17分钟3秒钟
in the desert, calling it the Sakulski forest with an17:09
17分钟9秒钟
excerpt, a part of my speech on the stone.17:15
17分钟15秒钟
Wow. Sadly, my school in America got black mold. I don't know if you know what black mold is, but it's very bad.17:25
17分钟25秒钟
It's It's black. It goes all over your walls. It can be very dangerous. I see.17:31
17分钟31秒钟
So, at a school, they threw all my stuff away. So, they threw away all my17:38
17分钟38秒钟
pictures of Miss Yin, all my pictures of the forest, the letter, everything. and they threw in the garbage. I lost everything.17:50
17分钟50秒钟
And so I I lost contact for 27 years.17:55
17分钟55秒钟
You know, as um because in China there is a traditional saying, it takes 10 years to make a forest.18:06
18分钟6秒钟
It takes a 100red years to build a person.18:10
18分钟10秒钟
Uh, of course this is an analogy but it shows how much effort one needs to make18:18
18分钟18秒钟
in order to raise a child through education.18:23
18分钟23秒钟
And it's so interesting that there these two stories about the trees about a18:29
18分钟29秒钟
person and about a bridge between your part of world and this part of world really beautifully reflected18:38
18分钟38秒钟
and crystallization in this story that we are talking about today 27 years later. If a simple18:49
18分钟49秒钟
world history teacher from America can somehow18:56
18分钟56秒钟
find a simple Chinese woman in the desert of China in Inner Mongolia19:04
19分钟4秒钟
and somehow someway work together to create this forest. the world can find a way to work together.19:17
19分钟17秒钟
It's not easy. It takes a lot of obstacles and a lot of time.19:24
19分钟24秒钟
But in America, we say if there's a will, there's a way. And I had a will. I19:32
19分钟32秒钟
had a will to help her. And she had a dream to make China beautiful.19:39
19分钟39秒钟
What is it like for you, you know, since coming back from China about 27 years ago uh to America19:48
19分钟48秒钟
and see the changes in China, whether it's a train or it's the people, people's income, the forest.19:57
19分钟57秒钟
I cannot believe what many people have told me about the changes in China. I went back to China in 2004.20:09
20分钟9秒钟
For one month, I taught with Mr. Bi at the Lyan Foreign Language School.20:18
20分钟18秒钟
The changes in just four years in Lyon were amazing.20:23
20分钟23秒钟
But now I hear Miss Yin, there's a road to her house. I saw a picture of the20:30
20分钟30秒钟
forest with a giant building in the in the middle of the forest.20:36
20分钟36秒钟
is it is amazing to me. I cannot wait to get back to China20:43
20分钟43秒钟
to see the changes. But please let me tell you this. When I left China in20:50
20分钟50秒钟
2000, I gave another speech to a group of people in Lyon. I gave a20:59
20分钟59秒钟
speech and in there I said in 1999 I was very scared21:07
21分钟7秒钟
that China was getting too westernized and from what I'm hearing now it's21:14
21分钟14秒钟
getting more and more modern which is good but I hope they don't lose their respect21:22
21分钟22秒钟
for respect and their respect for education.21:28
21分钟28秒钟
Chinese. My students in China went to school seven days a week from 8:00 in the morning till 9:00 at night.21:39
21分钟39秒钟
American students would never do that. Never.21:45
21分钟45秒钟
But that's because the Chinese respect education much more than American students do.21:57
21分钟57秒钟
my students in China. I have stayed in touch with with three of them since I22:04
22分钟4秒钟
left China. One is now a computer technician in Beijing.22:11
22分钟11秒钟
One works for the British consulate in Wuhan and one is a professor at Nanjing University.22:19
22分钟19秒钟
Amazing. They and they all use their English that I taught that I started to teach them. They use their English in22:29
22分钟29秒钟
their jobs which makes me very very happy and they email me in English.22:36
22分钟36秒钟
They have reached out they have reached out to me. Two days ago I got an email22:43
22分钟43秒钟
from a student of mine. His name is Richie Lee. I don't know his Chinese name.22:50
22分钟50秒钟
I made all my students in China get an English name. So every one of my students in China had to have an English22:59
22分钟59秒钟
name. Some had nor some had normal names and some had funny names. The only talking in my classroom was English.23:10
23分钟10秒钟
Many of the people got to know you over the years will be able to see you hear your story once again. And many of23:19
23分钟19秒钟
those who do not know you now get to know you much better through your stories. So thank you for that. Anything you want to say to them?23:27
23分钟27秒钟
I am looking forward to making arrangements to come back to China sometime after June.23:35
23分钟35秒钟
Probably July, August or September.23:40
23分钟40秒钟
I I will probably come back to China for a week or 10 days. About 10 days.23:47
23分钟47秒钟
Yeah. I thank China for everything it has done for me. It made me a better23:53
23分钟53秒钟
person. And Miss Yin is she's just amazing. And that's something China24:01
24分钟1秒钟
taught me. And China taught me to appreciate the simple things. So I am looking forward to coming to China to24:11
24分钟11秒钟
going to the forest to going back to Lyon and anything else that they want me to do when I'm there I will do.24:21
24分钟21秒钟
Thank you as I really appreciate that uh your son helped me. Uh we got to know each other uh through the internet and24:30
24分钟30秒钟
also to hear your story eventually. I'm looking forward to seeing you if possible in China and in the United24:37
24分钟37秒钟
States as well. So wonderful to see you and thank you. Yes, ma'am. Thank you.
