"To Bei Wai Fu - Wishing you all the best from space!"
Jiang Yinglin
姜英林
This is Yinglin Jiang. I was a playboy at Bei Wai Fu. I can still remember
how I made my best shot at school by spouting “qimenxin” water into the girls’
dorm at night. When the Russians were coming in 1969, I packed my bag and
run away. I bet the girls had a best sleep the day I walked out of Bei Wai
Fu.
No matter what a mess I left in your memory, we did share the most beautiful
one when we watched the French movie “Qi Qiu Lu Xing” together. Our planet
Earth seen from the flying balloon was so amazing that our dreams were running
wild with the boy’s in the movie.
This evening, the dream of one of us has become true. The International Space
Station (ISS) is welcoming Astronaut Michael Fincke back to earth, and NASA
is having a party for him. Invited to the party are the scientists and engineers
who support the ISS flight, and the playboy is one of them.
Together we are watching Mike's own movie in Mission Expedition 9. This is
the second time in my life I feel like dreaming with all of you during the
French movie. I am amazed at the other planets way way up there, but the most
amazing is still our planet Earth. Her beauty seen from our flying ISS in
space is beyond any humanly word can describe.
Now back to reality. We are in a line for Mike’s autograph after the movie.
It’s my turn. "To whom to sign?” Mike is looking at my badge. I don't
know how I’ve changed my mind. "Please don’t use my name on the badge,
I would like you to write the name of my elementary and middle school."
"Is it in China? How to spell it?" "Yes, it was in China. Bei,
it's one word; Wai, another word; Fu, last word." "Here you are."
Mike has autographed his own picture for our Bei Wai Fu.
"Thank you so much, I also have a Bei Wai Fu T-shirt. Would you mind
to sign it too?" I can’t believe I just said that. Anyway, it’s worth
it to have a thick skin once for Bei Wai Fu. "O.K., how do I do it? Can
I use my pen?" It seems Mike’s pen is too small for the T-shirt, but
the pen can never be too small for a man’s big heart. “Yes, please as big
as you can" "Done, here you go." "Thank you so so very
much," I don’t know how to pick a right word to thank him. "Ni Hao,
Xie Xie," Mike is saying “Hi, thanks” to our support work in Chinese.
Our work is out of our best education, and mine started at Bei Wai Fu. “To
Bei Wai Fu - Wishing you all the best from space!” This is from Astronaut
Michael Fincke, who has risked his life for 186 days to live and work in space
for all our mankind. To the courageous Astronaut, Bei Wai Fu is wishing you
all the best too!
PS: This is my journal at Astronaut Michael Fincke’s welcome back to Earth
party on 01/12/05. I am sending it to my Wai Fu roommate Weilin Tu with two
pictures. Weilin will help put the journal and pictures at Wai Fu’s web site
with his own story about how he and I made the plan to make the T-shirt when
he was at the 40 years’ reunion party in Beijing.
“致北外附——来自太空的最好祝愿”
姜英林
我是姜英林，曾经是北外附的一名花花公子。我依然记得，我自己创下的最佳射击记录，是在学校的时候大晚上用气门芯装水滋射女生宿舍。1969年，苏联人发起进攻的时候，我打起背包撤了。打赌我离开北外附的那天晚上，女生们睡了一个好觉。
不管我留给你们的印象多么糟糕，我们共同分享的记忆却最为美好，那时我们一起看法国电影《气球旅行》。从飞行气球上看过去，我们的星球——地球是那么的奇妙，以致于我们也和电影里的男孩一样梦想狂热。
今天晚上，我们当中的一人梦想成真。国际空间站（ISS）迎接宇航员爱德华·迈克尔·芬克（Edward Michael Fincke）重返地球，NASA为他举办晚会。应邀出席晚会的有给予ISS飞行支持的科学家、工程师，而那个花花公子就是其中一员。
我们一起观看了迈克在远征9号执行任务的影片，这是我平生第二次感到象和你们一起在那部法国电影中寻梦。我惊诧于那些遥远的星球，而更令人惊诧的仍莫过于我们的星球——地球，从飞行在太空中的ISS望去，她的美妙无法言表。
回到现实，电影结束后，我们排队等候迈克签名。轮到我了，“签给谁呢？” 迈克看着我的徽章。我莫名其妙地就改了主意；“请别用我徽章上的名字，我希望你能写上我读小学和中学的那所学校。”“不是在中国吗？怎么拼呢？”“是的，是在中国，Bei是第一个字，Wai是第二个字，Fu是最后一个字。”“好了。”迈克已经在他的照片上亲笔签上了我们的Bei Wai
Fu。
“太谢谢你了，我还有一件Bei Wai Fu T恤衫，你能也给我签个名字吗？”我真不相信我就那样说了。不管怎么样，值得为北外附做一次厚脸皮。“Ｏ.Ｋ.，我怎么签呢？用我的钢笔吗？” 对于一件T恤衫来说，迈克的钢笔似乎太小了，但对于男子汉的胸怀来说，这钢笔永远太会显得太小的。“来，请尽量写大些。”“好了，给你。”“特别特别感谢你。”我不知道如何措辞来表达我对他的感谢。“你好，谢谢。”迈克用中文对我们的支持工作表达他的谢意。
我们的工作来自我们良好的教育，而我的源自北外附。“致北外附——来自太空的最好祝愿。”这是来自宇航员爱德华·迈克尔·芬克的，他为全人类冒着生命危险在太空生活、工作了１８６天。对这位勇敢的宇航员，北外附同样致以最好祝愿。
附：这是我０５年１月１２日参加欢迎宇航员爱德华·迈克尔·芬克重返地球晚会的日记，我把它和两张照片一起寄给我的外附室友涂为林。为林帮我把这篇日记和照片加在北外附网站上。在北京的４０周年聚会上为林和我通电话，当时我们决定，我们将做一件北外附T恤衫，让ＩＳＳ一位宇航员穿到太空里面去。后来得知，这是不允许的。不过，我们还是能在晚会上得到一位宇航员（他或她）的签字的。现在，我们已经有了。
译者注：
师兄交给的任务，我是丝毫不敢怠慢的，态度认真，但惟恐水平有限，伤及原文，所以《和平门》上一定要有原文。另，在翻译过程中有一个细节值得与大家分享：我在翻译到“I don't know how I’ve changed my mind. ‘Please don’t use my name on the badge, I would like you to write the name
of my elementary and middle school.’”这段话的时候，忽然泪如泉涌，我不得不停下来先擦眼泪。我想我是能理解这种在“I don’t know”（不自知）状态下流露出来的真情的——真实、自然、发自心底，而这样质朴的感情也是最感人致深的。
彭蓉
姜英林的经历颇为复杂。 大学读地质， 工作在位于天津港的 海洋石油。 85年去美国求学， 主修地球物理， 还是与大学的专业 相关。 他从未回过国。
但经常与我们电话联系。有一次我去美国， 从东部走到西部， 他电话一直追着我。 我们无所不聊。 还象在 附校读书的时候。 有几件事印象很深， 一是在美国改名叫约翰-刘，
一是读书期间得到一个慈祥的美国老太太照顾， 另外就是他读书的
历史很长， 拿了Ｎ个学位。
附校的小四入校４０周年聚会时，姜英林的电话又从美国跨洋打过来。 法语班的同学轮流与他通话。此时的姜英林刚刚在休斯敦宇航系统 就职。此文即展现了他的近况与他的附校情结。其实，我们这些
同学无论后来做什么， 这附校的烙印却都是深深的．．．．．．
（马君海）