化一于1955年12月3号出生在上海。自幼聪颖文秀，深得父母钟爱。至学龄，先就读于上海市黄浦区六合路小学，三年级时被选入上海外语学院附属小学。他不喜言谈，擅手工，且手巧异常。低年级时就爱 摆弄飞机模型，也无人教他，他自己看说明，琢磨图纸，很快就能拆装自如。到三、四年级，拆装的就是半导体了，也是无师自通。
Huayi was born on December 3, 1955 in Shanghai, China. He spent two years at Shanghai Liuhe Road elementary school before being transferred to the elementary school affiliate of Shanghai University of Foreign Languages. There he laid a solid foundation of English. He was quiet, but very handy, and enjoyed many Do It Yourself projects, assembling many things such as an airplane model and radio.
就读于上海市成都中学时。 他不仅文理兼优，又喜于音乐，是校文艺宣传队的二胡演奏员。
He then studied at Shanghai Chengdu Middle School, where he excelled in both liberal arts and science. There he became interested in music, and joined the school band.
1972年中学毕业，化一被分配到上海新新机器厂当钳工。在做好本职工作之外开始学习哲学，观察社会，考虑人生，并且写过不少关于时事政治的文章。因此被誉为厂里的“秀才”。他对自然科学一直抱有浓厚的兴趣。利用业余时间自习了微积分，理论力学等课程。
In 1972, Huayi was assigned to a factory in Shanghai as a fitter where he had a reputation for being a responsible and handy worker. In his free time wrote many articles about political affairs and social issues. He also maintained a study list and studied hard so that he could attend college after the end of the Cultural Revolution. One of his favorite topics was natural science.
1977年恢复高考，化一以优异的成绩考入中国科技大学近代物理系。这是他人生中的一大转折点。 当时科大数学系的一位教授在高考前到上海作招生宣传，偶然从他的亲戚那里得知化一的自学经历。于是就找上门出了一份数学考卷。一改完卷子他就动员化一报考科大。结果就促成了化一和科大的缘分。
When the Chinese government re-established college entrance exams in 1977, Huayi
was well prepared. With high exam scores, he was admitted to the Chinese University of Science and Technology, majoring in Physics. This was a major turning point in his life.
科大是化一人生中一个重要的阶段。由于之前的自学，起点比大多数同学高，他担任了班级学习委员。
但他不对分数过分看重。却注重知识的广度和深层理解，善于独立思考，不随意附和。课余时间，积极参加各种活动。利用自己的才艺和英语功底，自编自导英语舞台剧《半夜鸡叫》代表本系参加全校汇演；组织并参演男声四重唱，广受师生好评。在校期间，
化一热心帮助同学，不论是学习上答疑解难，还是情感上疏通解惑。他发起组织校际联谊会，为同学提供交友机会并促成恋爱对象。科大给化一提供了人生起飞的平台。经三年刻苦学习，
提前考取系里CUSPEA两个名额之一，成了同学膜拜的榜样。离开科大后，化一心系科大，是科大海外校友基金会发起及最大捐资人之一，
也是1997年科大“爱心行动”捐款最多的校友。
University was a critical stage in Huayi’s life. As a result of prior self-study, he had a head start compared to the rest of the class and was
selected as class representative in charge of studies for the class. He was a dedicated student and worked hard to broaden his knowledge base and gain a deeper
understanding of various subjects. He was also an independent thinker and refused to blindly follow others. But Huayi wasn't just a dedicated student, he was also very involved in extracurricular activities. He
screen-wrote and directed an English stage play《The rooster crows at
midnight》and organized a male quartet group whose performances were well
received. During college life, Huayi often helped his fellow
classmates. Whether it be tutoring academic subjects or resolving emotional
issues, Huayi did his best to help. University provided a
good platform for Huayi to launch to his next phase in life. After 3
years of hard work, he took the CUSPEA exam a year ahead of graduation and
became one of 2 students in his department to pass, becoming the idol of
the class. After graduation, he never forgot about supporting USTC. He was an
initiator and one of the largest donors of the USTC Oversea Alumni
Fund. He was also a generous donor for the 1997 USTC Fund Drive for
Supporting Under-Privileged Students.
CUSPEA是由美籍华人物理学家，诺贝尔奖得主李政道教授发起的“中美物理联合招考”考试。作为这个高声望项目的第一期赴美学生， 化一于1981年九月来到美国弗吉尼亚州黑堡镇的
弗吉尼亚理工大学物理系攻读物理博士，在David Roper教授指导下研究物理计算理论，于1987年获得物理博士学位。
The CUSPEA (China-US
Physics Examination and Application) program is sponsored by Professor
Tsung-Dao Lee, a Chinese American physicist and a Nobel Prize Laureate. Huayi was in the first batch of students from this prestigious program. He matriculated at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA in 1981 for the Ph.D. program in physics, studying and conducting research in computational physics under Professor
David Roper before receiving his Ph.D. in 1987.
在弗吉尼亚理工大学期间，化一的同学朋友们对他的睿智，成熟和远见非常尊重和钦佩。他广读博览，知识渊博，被大家称为“智者”。他平时多思少语，但在讨论分析问题时逻辑清晰令人信服。
During his
years at Virginia Tech, Huayi was well respected and admired by his friends and
classmates for his wisdom, maturity and foresight. He read extensively and was
considered a “wiseman” by many of his friends. He spoke little, but often displayed
great clarity and logic when he did.
除了在学术上非常出色，化一热爱生活，拥抱美国文化。他坚信使美国伟大的基础：个人自由。如何保护这些自由成为他下半生最热情地追求之一。
In addition to excelling in academics, Huayi loved life, embraced American culture, and deeply believed in its foundation, the individual freedom. Preserving and defending this freedom became one of his great passions later in his life.
化一人生中另一个重要的里程碑也是发生在黑堡：他在这里认识了郑秀玲女士，恋爱结婚。以后三十多年，他们相濡以沫，互敬互爱，直到他人生的最后一刻。
It was also in Blacksburg where Huayi had another life-changing event: he met, fell in
love with and married the love of his life, Siuling. They have been together for three decades, up until the last day of his life.
