Yu Min: Father of China’s Hydrogen Bomb

张建

他二十八载隐姓埋名，填补了中国原子核理论的空白，为氢弹突破做出卓越贡献；他始终坚持淡泊明志、宁静致远的人生信念：他就是国家最高科学技术奖、“两弹一星”功勋奖章、“共和国勋章”等多项荣誉的获得者——于敏。

Yu Min,a Chinese1)nuclear [ˈnjuːkliə(r)] adj.原子能的；核能的nuclearphysicist,is regarded as the “father of China’s hydrogen2)bomb [bɒm] n.炸弹；核弹bomb”.

Born in north China’s Hebei Province in 1926,he committed his whole life to a career in national defense science and technology.In 1946,Yu Min went to Peking University to study physics where he was acknowledged as“the top student ever seen in many years” by his teachers.He ɡraduated in 1949 and continued his graduate study there.

In 1951,Yu was first involved in the research of3)atomic [əˈtɒmɪk] adj.原子的atomicnuclear theory in the Institute of Modern Physics,the Chinese Academy of Sciences（CAS）,which was then headed by famous Chinese physicist Qian Sanqiang.What he put forward with his cooperators about the model of nuclear structure filled a blank in China’s nuclear theory.

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be regarded as 被誉为

However,Yu didn’t hesitate when he was appointed to switch to the theoretical research of the hydrogen bomb in 1961.He hid his name for the next 28 years because the nature of his work was hiɡhly confidential.“I didn’t know Yu did such hiɡhly confidential work,” his wife said.In order to develop a self-reliant hydrogen bomb as soon as possible,Yu worked4)tirelessly ['taɪələslɪ] adv.不知疲倦地tirelessly,making breakthroughs and forming a complete design of the hydrogen bomb after three months of calculations.

The first hydroɡen bomb was successfully exploded on June 17,1967,two years and eiɡht months after China’s first atomic bomb explosion,makinɡ China the world’s fastest country to realize the proɡress,as it took over 8.5 years for France,over 7 years for the U.S.,and over 4.5 years for the UK.

In 1980,he was elected as a member of Chinese Academy of Sciences,the highest academic institution in China for comprehensive research in natural sciences and hiɡh technoloɡy.Since the 1980s,Yu’s team has made breakthroughs in key technologies in the development of second-generation nuclear weapons,brinɡinɡ China’s technoloɡy in this field to a new level.

Yu was awarded the Two Bombs,One Satellite Achievement Medal in 1999,and honored with the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award in 2014.He was awarded Pioneer of Reform in 2018 and Medal of the Republic for his outstanding contributions to promoting China’s reform and opening-up.

Despite his significant contributions to the country’s nuclear weapon development and multiple honors,Yu owed the achievements to5)nationwide [ˌneɪʃnˈwaɪd] adj.全国性的nationwideefforts.“One’s name will fade with time.I can contribute my little energy to the country’s prosperity.That’s enough to6)console [kənˈsəʊl] v.安慰consolemyself,”said Yu.

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be appointed to 委派到……

于敏，中国核物理学家，被誉为“中国氢弹之父”。

他1926 年出生于中国北方的河北省，终生致力于国防科技事业。1946 年，于敏到北京大学学习物理，被老师评为“多年来学得最好的学生”。1949 年，他大学毕业，并在学校继续他的研究生学习。

1951 年，于敏第一次在中国著名物理学家钱三强牵头的中国科学院近代物理研究所参与原子核理论的研究，他与合作者提出的原子核相干结构模型填补了中国核理论的空白。

然而，1961 年，当被委派转到氢弹理论研究时，于敏没有犹豫。在接下来的28 年里，他隐姓埋名，因为他的工作性质是高度机密的。他的妻子说:“没想到老于是搞这么高级的秘密工作的。”为了尽快开发一个自主的氢弹，他不知疲倦地工作，经过三个月的计算，终于取得突破并形成了氢弹的完整设计。

1967 年6 月17 日，中国第一颗原子弹爆炸两年八个月后，第一颗氢弹空投爆炸试验成功。从第一颗原子弹爆炸到第一颗氢弹试验成功，中国是世界上最快的国家，法国用了八年半多，美国用了七年多，英国用了四年半多。

1980 年，他当选为中国科学院学部委员（院士）。中国科学院是中国从事自然科学和高科技综合研究的最高学术机构。20 世纪80 年代以来,于敏的团队在第二代核武器的发展中取得了很多突破，使中国在这一领域的技术提高到一个新的水平。

1999 年,于敏荣获“两弹一星”功勋奖章并在2014 年荣获国家最高科学技术奖。由于对推动中国改革开放的突出贡献，他于2018 年、2019 年分别被授予“改革先锋”称号和“共和国勋章”。

尽管他为国家的核武器发展做出了重大贡献，并获得了多项荣誉，但他把这些成就归功于全国人民的努力。“一个人的名字，早晚是要没有的，能把微薄的力量融进祖国的强盛之中，便足以自慰了。”于敏说。