Spacecraft control specialists at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center monitor the operations of the Tianwen 1 Mars probe. CHINA DAILY
During a discussion with young Chinese people in 2013, President Xi Jinping praised them as “the most energetic and creative group of our society” and said that they should “stand at the frontline of innovation and creation”.
2013年，国家主席习近平在同各界优秀青年代表座谈时指出，“青年是社会上最富活力、最具创造性的群体，理应走在创新创造前列”。
To answer his call, Chinese scientists in their 30s have played a key role in some of the country’s greatest scientific and technological projects, China Daily reported.
据《中国日报》报道，30多岁的中国科学家纷纷响应号召，在国家一些重大科技项目中发挥了关键作用。
For example, the researchers behind the Chang’e lunar exploration program and the Shenzhou series of spacecraft have an average age of 35. The average age of the team that created the Beidou Satellite Navigation System is 37. For China’s FAST, the world’s largest radio telescope, its engineering and operation team has an average age of 39, while its on-site crew has an average age of 30, according to People’s Daily.
比如，嫦娥探月工程及神舟系列飞船幕后团队的平均年龄为35岁。北斗卫星导航系统研发团队的平均年龄为37岁。另外，据《人民日报》报道，全球最大的单口径的射电望远镜——我国的500米口径球面射电望远镜（FAST），其运维团队的平均年龄是39岁，现场团队的平均年龄为30岁。
The surge in young scientists is partly a result of improving research environments. In 2020, the total research and development spending hit 2.44 trillion yuan in China, accounting for 2.4 percent of the GDP, which set a record high, and ranked second worldwide, according to Hu Zucai, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission.
科研环境的改善是青年科学家大量涌现的原因之一。据国家发展改革委副主任胡祖才介绍，2020年，我国的研发经费投入总量达到24426亿元，占GDP的比重达到了2.4%，这是历史上最高的。
Zhao Hongzhou, an expert in the field of analyzing scholarly literature, said scientists usually make their biggest achievements between the ages of 25 and 45, with their productivity peaking around 37.
学术文献分析领域的专家赵洪洲表示，科学家作出重大贡献的年龄通常是在25—45岁，其最佳峰值年龄为37岁左右。
This trend is evident among the scientists and engineers working on those key projects. Meanwhile, the scientific spirit these young scientists have shown is also moving.
在这些重大项目的科学家和工程师身上，这一趋势显而易见。此外，这些青年科学家所展现出的科研精神也令人感动。
“Facing a problem is the least of my worries, because wherever there is a problem, there is an opportunity to do further research,” said Yao Rui, 37, a researcher who worked on FAST. “As a young scientist, I am lucky to align my personal passions with the needs of the nation, so I can improve and grow together with the country.”
“我最不害怕遇到问题，因为只要出现了一个问题，就说明出现了一次做进一步研究的机会，”现年37岁的姚蕊是FAST的一名科研人员，她如此说道。“身为一名青年科学家，我有幸能将个人爱好与国家的需求结合在一起，能够与国家共同进步成长。”
However, according to Jiang Peng, FAST’s chief engineer, although people often called their team exemplary, they regard themselves as just a group of ordinary people. “[We] joined the project in our 20s, and worked tirelessly for it well into our 30s and 40s,” Jiang said.
而FAST总工程师姜鹏则表示，尽管人们常常将他们的团队视为榜样，但团队成员们都认为自己只是一群普通人。“（我们）在20多岁的时候加入了这个项目，并为此孜孜不倦地工作到了30岁、40岁，”姜鹏说道。
