Yang Liwei: China’s First Astronaut in Space 杨利伟：中华飞天第一人

2003年10月15日9时，戈壁深处的酒泉卫星发射中心，火箭腾空而起，杨利伟乘坐"神舟"五号载人飞船，开始了中国人期待已久的太空之旅。20多个小时后，杨利伟在做完飞行的最后一个操作动作--割断降落伞伞绳后，轻松地跨出飞船返回舱，为中国人首次太空之行画上了圆满的句号。
At 9 a.m. October 15, 2003, Yang Liwei, aboard Shenzhou V manned spaceship, took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the Gobi desert in northwest China's Gansu Province, starting his long-expected trip in the space. More than 20 hours later, Yang Liwei finished his last action of this trip by severing the rope of the parachute and walked out of the reentry module of the spaceship, putting an end to Chinese people's successful trip to the space for the first time.
这位航天勇士在太空安全飞行21小时23分、60万公里，成为飞入太空的中国第一人，也是日行最远的中国第一人。随着这一飞，中国成为世界载人航天舞台上的第三个成员。
This brave astronaut flew 600,000 km within 21 hours and 23 minutes in the space, becoming the first Chinese people entering the space, as well as the first people to travel that far in China. His flight indicates that China has become the third member on the stage of the world manned spaceflight.
1965年6月21日，杨利伟出生在辽宁省绥中县一个教师家庭，父母都是教育工作者。他还有一个姐姐、一个弟弟，全家五口人和和睦睦，过着舒心平静的生活。
Liaoning Province on June 21, 1965. Both of his parents are teacher. He also has an elder sister and a younger brother. The family of five led a harmonious and quiet life.
1983年夏季，他考进中国人民解放军空军第八飞行学院。在4年的航校生活中，他的学习训练成绩一直很优秀，每个科目都是第一个"放单飞"。1987年，杨利伟从学院毕业，成为空军某师一名强击机飞行员。天生聪慧加上勤奋努力，不久便成了师里的飞行尖子。后来，他又成为一名优秀的改机型的歼击机飞行员。
In summer of 1983, Yang Liwei entered No.2 Aviation College of the PLA Air Force through examination. During the four years life in the college, his performances were excellent and he did quiet good in every single subject. In 1987, Yang Liwei graduated and became a pilot of attack airplane in a division of the air force. Because of his diligence and intelligence, he became the top pilot in the division. Later, he became a pilot of a modified fighter.
1998年1月，作为中国首批航天员之一，杨利伟带着他的梦想与追求，来到了北京航天员训练中心。不到两年时间，他学完了载人航天工程基础、航天医学基础等10多门高新技术课程，考核成绩全部达到优秀。为掌握过硬的航天技能，他不断挑战自我，超越自我，5年时间内圆满完成8大类、58个专业、近百项训练任务，熟练掌握了飞行程序和操作规程，以专业技术考核第一名的优异成绩入选首飞梯队。
In January 1998, as one of the first astronauts of China, Yang Liwei arrived in Beijing Astronaut Training base with his dreams and aspiration. Within less than two years, he learned more than 10 hi-tech courses such as basis of manned spaceflight, basis of spaceflight medicine. He got excellent marks in examinations. In order to master the concrete skill of spaceflight, he constantly challenged himself and completed nearly 100 training tasks in 58 specialties in eight categories within five years. He skillfully mastered the procedures and operation rules of spaceflight. During the technical examination, he got the highest mark and was seleced as one of the most possible astronauts for the first manned spaceflight.
"神舟"五号返回舱返回后，杨利伟被授予"航天英雄"荣誉称号，并颁发"航天功勋奖章"。
After the reentry module of Shenzhou V returned to the earth, Yang Liwei was honored the title of "space hero" and awarded the "Space Medal of Merit."
"是祖国和人民送我上太空，光荣属于祖国，光荣属于人民，光荣属于千万个航天人。"面对荣誉，他谦虚地说。
"It was my motherland and the people that sent me to the space. The glory belongs to my motherland, to the people and to millions of astronauts," facing the honor, he said modestly.
2005年，杨利伟出任被誉为"中国航天员成长摇篮"的中国航天员科研训练中心副主任。除了与其他航天员一同训练外，他还负责航天员选拔和训练工作。杨利伟结合自己的太空飞行经历，协助中心创建了具有中国特色的航天员选拔训练体系，探索建立了适应载人航天工程研制和试验任务要求的组织管理模式。
In 2005, Yang Liwei was appointed to be the deputy director of China Astronaut Research and Training Center, which is known as the "cradle for China's astronauts." He trains with other astronauts and is responsible for selecting and training astronauts. With his experience of spaceflight, Yang Liwei helped the center establish the system of selecting and training astronauts with Chinese characteristics and explore and set up the organization and management mode that meet the requirements of researching and experimenting manned spaceflight.
"我将继续努力工作，时刻准备接受祖国和人民交给我的任何任务！"杨利伟经常这样说。
"I will continue working hard and am ready to accept any task for me from my motherland and the people!" Yang Liwei often says like this.