老司机薛军: 拥有六本驾照的铁路变迁见证者 | A life on the line

https://v.qq.com/txp/iframe/player.html?vid=g0559ny9xdk&width=500&height=375&auto=0In China, every generation has its own memory of trains. 

在中国，每一代人都有一段关于火车的记忆：

People born in the 1970s are familiar with smoky and noisy steam locomotives, while those born in the 1980s will have a lasting impression of the crowded green trains with no air conditioning from that era. The memories of the post-90s generation are likely to be entwined with clean, fast electric trains. And youngsters born after 2000 will know little other than high-speed bullet trains.

“70后”的青春回忆里，一定有头冒黑烟、轰隆而鸣的蒸汽火车；“80后”的成长过程中，恐怕少不了人头攒动、没有空调的绿皮火车；“90后”印象最深的，多是干净平稳、速度较快的电力火车；“00后”所熟悉的，则是飞速前进的高铁动车。

A handful of train drivers still in the business have sat in the cab of many of these trains over the decades. In a career that has lasted 31 years with no terminus yet called, Xue Jun has acquired six different licenses necessary to drive each new type of train.

有一位火车司机，见证了整整四 代火车的变迁。30年间，他一共拿到了六本驾照，开过了所有火车车型。

Xue, from Jinan in east China’s Shandong Province, dreamed of being a train driver from a very early age. In 1987, after graduating from a railway school, he got his first driving license to operate steam locomotives running at 60 km/h.

薛军儿时的梦想就是开火车。1987年，他从铁路学校毕业，拿到了第一本驾照，开上了时速为60公里的蒸汽机车。可理想和现实总有差距，蒸汽机车的工作并不像他当初梦想的那般威风。

However, the reality did not match his dreams – steam trains were dirty and smelly, and driving one was a tough gig. As the train proceeded into the teeth of the wind, Xue’s cab would be filled with dust and coal ash. The drivers even made up a doggerel saying to make light of the grueling experience: “He looks like a sloppy beggar, or a dirty miner, but when he comes close, he’s actually a train driver.”

蒸汽火车在逆向行驶时，风就从煤斗子里刮进来，司机室灌满了灰尘和煤灰，以至于当时的火车司机们编了一段顺口溜：“远看像个要饭的，近看像个拾碳的，走到跟前一看，才知道是个机务段的。”

In the 1980s, with the popularity of diesel locomotives, steam trains receded. In 1992, as Xue says, he "kept up with the times" by obtaining his second driving license for diesel locomotives with a speed of 90 km/h.

80年代，蒸汽火车停产，内燃火车普及，改变了一整代人对火车的记忆。1992年，薛军不得不“随大流”，考取了时速为90公里的内燃机车驾照。

In 1997, China launched a campaign to step up the speed of railway networks to 160 km/h. Against this backdrop, Xue got his third license in 1998. Compared with before, working conditions on diesel locomotive were improved a lot. "There was at least a fan and an electric stove. I could also drive the train in clean clothes," Xue said.

1997年，中国铁路进行第一次大提速，时速提高到160公里。1998年，薛军考取了第三本驾照。相比以前，内燃机车的工作环境有了很大改善。对于薛军来说，最起码“有风扇了，有电炉子了，能穿着干净的工作服坐那儿开火车了”。

In 2006, he acquired his fourth license when electric locomotives were zooming across the country. He was so satisfied with the comfortable new berth that he determined to keep driving until he retires.

2006年，电动机车全国普及，薛军拿到了第四本驾照，从内燃机车改开电动火车。“电动火车工作环境很好，我打算就这样一直开到退休。”

However, Xue had to upgrade his skills once again when China ushered in a new era of high-speed trains in 2007. Bullets trains capable of 250 km/h were put into operation. In 2009, he got a fifth license to drive these vehicles. For the first time in his life, Xue felt what he calls the “Chinese speed” – "The trains can go 83 meters per second".

没想到第二年（2007年）动车组就正式投入运营，高铁时代就这样来了。动车组最高时速为250公里，薛军又得换驾照了。2009年，他拿到了第五本驾照，开上了动车组。生平第一次，薛军真切感受到了真正的“中国速度”：“动车一运行起来，每秒就能走83米。”

China is now one of the few countries in the world with the ability to develop bullet trains running at 380 km/h. In 2011, a new national campaign to further speed up the trains shortened the time needed to travel between Jinan in Shandong Province and Nanjing in the eastern Jiangsu Province from 10 hours to merely 130 minutes. It was in the same year that Xue got his sixth driving license.

2011年，动车组提速了，济南到南京的车程也从原来十小时缩短至两小时十分钟，最高时速从250公里提高到350公里，于是薛军第六次考取了驾照。

As Xue has pursued his childhood dreams with his own increasingly awesome train set, he has kept in mind that high speed could also mean high risk. He concentrates hard on his driving at all times to ensure safety.

迄今为止，薛军已经在中国铁路工作了31年。随着中国火车车型一代代更新，火车司机的工作环境也越来越好，可对于薛军来说，高速意味着高风险，在驾驶过程中必须集中精力、全神贯注才能保证每一趟火车安全抵达终点。

The highly qualified driver always remembers "There are more than 1,000 passengers on board, and their families are waiting for them.”

拥有六本驾照的薛军时刻牢记一句话：“我身后有一千名旅客，他们的家人也在惦记着他们的安全。”

Named by the Jinan Railway Bureau as a model member of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Xue has made many sacrifices in his career. He has even kept a strict diet to avoid any digestive crises which might lead to delays. 

今天，中国铁路运输经历了天翻地覆的变化，火车的行驶速度更快、密度更高。为了发挥中共党员的模范标兵作用，工作在一线的薛军做出了很多牺牲，他甚至严格控制饮食，因为一旦出现腹泻，就有可能影响全线列车晚点。  

"No 'incidents' for me!" said the 49 year old. The record is not only a sign of regard for his health, but also of Xue’s professional devotion and commitment to the hard-working and selfless principles of the CPC.

  “绝不能有那个万一！”这是薛军对自己的郑重承诺，是爱岗敬业的体现，更是一位共产党人的执着追求。 

Cameraman: Fang Zhijun

Film editor: Wang Na, Chang Weicheng 

Story written by: Xiao Qiong

English editor: Nick Yates

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