“赛·考斯基”先生找到了！“你的5000美元，已长成5万多棵树！”|毛乌素|沙地|白帆|科尔|罗纳德|赛·考斯基

“你好，赛·考斯基先生，如果你能看到这个视频，我想邀请你回到中国，看看当年你捐赠的5000美元，已种下这片绿色的森林。”

近日，扎根毛乌素沙地治沙造林的全国劳动模范殷玉珍，寻找美国友人赛·考斯基的故事，引发全网关注。

17日，好消息传来，“赛·考斯基”找到了！得知当年的树苗全已成林，他非常惊喜，并表示会到内蒙古沙漠看看。

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.

殷玉珍是谁？

1985年，19岁的殷玉珍从陕西嫁到内蒙古鄂尔多斯乌审旗井背塘——一个在毛乌素沙地腹地、被黄沙包围的地方。她的婚房是半截埋在沙里的地窖，风沙常常一夜之间就把门堵死了。她对自己说了一句话，后来被很多人记住：“宁可种树累死，也不能让沙子欺负死。”

抱着这股倔劲儿，殷玉珍一头扎进沙漠，一场旷日持久的“人沙战斗”打响了。

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.

当时殷玉珍与丈夫的家

除了勉强填饱肚子之外，夫妻俩几乎把收入全部投入种树治沙中。为了得到更多的树苗，丈夫白万祥外出打工，只要树不要钱。

年复一年，殷玉珍和丈夫摸索出了用灌木挡风固沙，蓄水保墒，再层层设防的种树方法。他们种活的树越来越多，绿色在沙漠中不断延伸。

一笔能改变命运的钱用来买了树苗

1999年，在洛阳外国语学校任教的“赛·考斯基”，在电视节目中看到了殷玉珍的治沙故事。屏幕里，这位普通的中国农村妇女坚韧的身影、倔强的执念，深深震撼了异国文化背景下的“赛·考斯基”。

“赛·考斯基”当即做出决定要帮她，他通过一家基金会给殷玉珍捐了5000美元，还去了一趟毛乌素与殷玉珍见了一面。当时，“赛·考斯基”第一次看到殷玉珍在毛乌素沙地种树的画面时，连连摇头“不可能”。当时家里没有一件机械化工具，用的是最原始的铁锹、扁担，殷玉珍用麻绳捆着树苗，一捆一捆地背进起伏不平的沙地里，种下的树苗只有手指粗，怎么可能种活？

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.

当时的5000美元足够一个家庭盖房子、供孩子上学，甚至能改变一家人的命运。可殷玉珍只留下一张美元做纪念，剩下的钱全部买树苗。

之后，他们失去了联系。“赛·考斯基”结束任教离开了中国，殷玉珍还留在毛乌素，日复一日地栽树。

岁月流转，昔日小树苗如今早已枝繁叶茂。近日，殷玉珍想替这片万亩林海寻找老朋友“赛·考斯基”先生，诚挚邀请他重返毛乌素沙地，亲眼看看这片绿意盎然的树林。

“赛·考斯基”找到了！

16日晚，寻人迎来重大突破。记者成功联系到当年陪同“赛·考斯基”探访毛乌素沙地的关键人物——“赛·考斯基”先生当年的同事，原洛阳外语学校副校长白帆。据白帆介绍，1999年，“赛·考斯基”被派到中国任教，“他非常热爱中国！”

17日，白帆与“赛·考斯基”电话连线，得知当年的捐款都变成了树苗，并长成了森林，“赛·考斯基”说，“那太棒了！”他表示，愿意来中国，“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.