爱泼斯坦是个具有传奇色彩的记者，1915年出生于波兰华沙，父亲曾因反对沙皇暴政而坐牢，母亲也曾流放西伯利亚，1917年父母带着年仅两岁的爱泼斯坦来到中国居住。后来天津的一家英文报纸《京津泰晤士报》见少年爱泼斯坦读书广博又善于观察，很具记者潜质，便聘15岁的爱泼斯坦当记者。
　　
　　延安采访毛泽东
　　
　　1937年日本侵略中国，此时已是合众社记者的爱泼斯坦当即奔赴抗日前线和沦陷区，台儿庄、冀中平原、广州、香港等等，到处都有他的身影。
　　1944年夏天爱泼斯坦来到延安和晋西北，在简陋的窑洞里，毛泽东单独接见了他，长谈了3个小时。事后爱泼斯坦说：“毛主席挺随便，他接受采访有个特点，要么干脆不见你，要么抽出半天时间来谈，既回答你的问题，也向你提问，了解一些事情。国际问题、战争问题、国共两党问题……他谈的都是些大事。后来时局的发展，完全证实了他所作的预见。然后，他就问我世界和美国的情况。他耐心地听你说，不会打断你的谈话。有的地方你说完了，他为你作纠正。我对他的印象是很健谈，很朴素，声音和风度都像个老师。当时的延安也是个很朴素的地方，高级领导在满是灰尘街上散步，也不见什么警卫，让人感到亲近而不是隔阂。”
　　临别时，毛泽东把亲笔签名的石印画像赠送给爱泼斯坦，这幅画至今仍然完好地挂在他家中进门可见的位置上。
　　在延安的90天访问，爱泼斯坦广泛地接触了中国共产党年轻的领袖们：朱德、周恩来、贺龙、王震、邓发等等，他把见闻写成许多文章，发表在英美及澳大利亚等国的大报上，向世界介绍解放区的面貌。他还帮助新华社改写英译稿，1944年新华社用手摇发电机从窑洞发向全世界的第一条英文稿便是爱泼斯坦订正的，冼星海《黄河大合唱》歌词的英译，也是爱泼斯坦和翻译家叶君健共同完成的。
　　
　　东方最完美的女性
　　
　　宋庆龄健在时，曾有人提出为她写传记，但宋庆龄没有同意，然而从1975年起，宋庆龄曾3次写信给爱泼斯坦，请他客观地写她的一生。1981年的一天，宋庆龄恳切地对爱泼斯坦说：“传记要写的话，艾培（爱泼斯坦的昵称）还是你来完成吧。”爱泼斯坦说：“这可能是我比其他作者更熟悉她、更立体了解事实的原因吧，我们相识、共事有40多年了。”宋庆龄提到写传记，当时她已患上白血病，脸色苍白，但她仍像往常那样，把头发整齐地盘髻脑后，那高雅形象，与她毕生从事的伟大事业显得那么协调。爱泼斯坦说：“她是我认识的东方最完美女性！”
　　他们认识于1938年初，那时爱泼斯坦才23岁，但8年的记者经历，早使他显得老成持重。早在见面之前，“保卫中国同盟”主席宋庆龄就已读过他不少文章，后来他应宋庆龄邀请，赴香港参加“保卫中国同盟”，从此他们建立了长达数十载的友谊。1951年，宋庆龄又邀请他出任对外英文刊物《中国建设》（现名《今日中国》）杂志总编辑，并一直把他视为可信赖的挚友。
　　
　　爱泼斯坦也很敬仰宋庆龄：宋庆龄出身在一个很阔的家庭，少年时代就到美国读书，受到纯西方教育的熏陶，又深爱自己的国家，是一位赤诚追求真理的革命者。孙中山先生逝世时，她还那么年轻，却能面对各种严峻的考验，奋斗不已，她是一个非常了不起的人！他还怀念说：“宋庆龄起草文件，特别是英文信件，总是坐在打字机前工作。当我们为八路军提供救援物资时，她还亲自参与打包。”说起生活中的宋庆龄，爱泼斯坦回忆说：“宋庆龄的秀逸娴雅，与生俱来。闲暇时，她会画画花草，做做小绣品。除美术、女红外，她对音乐、衣着都有品位。她不会花很多钱去打扮，但在任何场合都修饰得体，舒适大度。即使在病重期间她穿着病员服，依然是那么洁净素雅，头发梳理得整整齐齐，不失精神。见到她，不安也可以化作怡然。”
　　他为宋庆龄写传的工作开始于1983年，1987年正式动笔。他是个注重实际、严谨负责的记者，他极力反对杜撰，也反对垄断材料。在历时数年的写作过程中，他采访了数十人，收集了不少资料，同时还有几十年积累的亲身经历。他说：“像宋庆龄这么伟大的女性，让越多的人越早知道她的事迹、学习她的典范越好。”1992年年底，爱泼斯坦的《宋庆龄——20世纪的伟大女性》的中、英文版同时出版。
　　
　　以独特视野见证西藏
　　
　　爱泼斯坦很早就关注西藏的对外宣传，他以新闻记者的敏锐，希望世界能了解真实的西藏，可以说几乎没有一个外国血统的记者，像他那样始终如一地关注西藏的变化，并身体力行地肩承起报导西藏历史使命。
　　还在西藏和平解放才三年多的1955年，爱泼斯坦第一次进藏。他从四川成都出发，沿着刚铺就的川藏公路走了12天才到达拉萨。他说：“颠得我骨头都快散架了，但一路景色如画，瑰丽多彩，难以描述。”
　　首次进藏，他用第一手的材料和独特视野，写就了《西藏从10世纪到20世纪之路》《西藏的新方向和新人》《西藏富裕的开端》等报道，刊载在美国的《新时代》刊物上，把西藏现状系列地介绍到国外。
　　1965年经历平叛后的西藏成立自治区政府，这年爱泼斯坦第二次进藏。他说：“在新中国我看到的所有变化中，世界屋脊上的变化是最引人注目的。西藏跨越了1000年，从农奴制和奴隶制一下子跳到了建设社会主义阶段。”他认为由本民族的人谈自己的生活经历，这很有说服力的，于是他着重采访了许多翻身当家作主的农奴。他看到昔日的奴隶当上各级政府干部，肩负起建设新西藏的重任，爱泼斯坦欣然写成《农奴出身的藏族干部》《拉萨工人拉珠一家》等报道，除在《中国建设》发表外，还在美国《东方地平线》等杂志发表。
　　爱泼斯坦第三次赴藏是刚刚结束“文革”的1976年。那时他刚从被关押了5年的冤狱走出。十年动乱给西藏造成破坏使他深感痛心，与前两次一样，他在西藏呆了两个多月，回京后他用大量的第一手资料和西藏史料，历时数年完成了堪称巨著的《西藏的变迁》。该书不仅让世人看到西藏和西藏人民的真实面貌，同时也看到了西藏已经发生和正在发生的深刻历史变迁，成为世人了解西藏的经典著作。
　　爱泼斯坦最后一次进藏是1985年，年近古稀的他这次作为西藏人民的老朋友应邀参加西藏自治区成立20周年庆典。尽管有高原反应，他仍然兴致勃勃地与当年采访过的老朋友相聚，人们称赞他是个爱国主义者，他说：“我走的是一条奇特的道路，从国际主义到爱国主义，而不是惯常的爱国主义到国际主义。”
　　
　　
　　来生仍愿当记者
　　
　　人生百年如在旅途，记者生涯充满颠簸和挑战。然而爱泼斯坦说：“如果有来生，我还是想做记者。”
　　 几十年来，他的采访笔记装了几大箱，这些笔记帮助他撰写了《人民之战》《我访问了延安》《未完成的革命》《从鸦片战争到解放》《中国劳工札记》《西藏的转变》《见证中国——爱泼斯坦回忆录》等许多反映中国革命、建设、改革的新闻报道和专著。他说：真正的新闻工作者，意味着报道事实，不要为了钱什么都干。作为记者本身，还是要讲职业道德，要维护自己的尊严，固守职业的神圣。
　　爱泼斯坦1957年加入中国籍，1964年加入中国共产党，是六、七、八、九、十届全国政协委员，在很多人安享晚年的时候，他仍不停地观察，不停地思考，不断地阅读，不断地写作，依然是个勤奋的记者和作家。
　　1937年他的父母移居美国，但爱泼斯坦坚决要留在中国，最终父母还是理解了这个独生子的意愿。
　　“您不在父母身边，常去看望过他们吗？”笔者问。
　　“几十年来只去过几次，现在也看不到了。我母亲1972年去世，父亲1979年去世，他们去世时，我都不在身边。只是后来去扫墓。我不是他们的好儿子。”爱泼斯坦深爱着自己的父母，尽管他有着钢铁般的意志与精神，说起这些他还是眼闪泪花。
　　
　　70余年的记者生涯，爱泼斯坦敏锐而忠实地记录了中华儿女争取自由民主、建设新中国的艰苦历程，他的一篇篇影响久远的独家报道，让世界知道了一个民族、一个时代正在发生的大事，为后人留下了历史见证。他说：“我这一生能够生活在中国人民之中，能从事新闻出版工作，亲历许多重大事件，深感庆幸。”
　　
　　Epstein: A Legendary Journalist
　　By Fang Xiaoning
　　
　　In the eyes of many Chinese, Israel Epstein (1915-2005) is a legendary journalist. He was born in Poland in 1915. His father was once jailed for his political position against the Czar and his mother was once exiled to Siberia. In 1917, The Epstein family moved to China. They settled down in Tianjin. A newspaper in Tianjin hired the 15-year-old Epstein to be its journalist.
　　
　　Interviewing Mao Zedong
　　When Japan invaded China on a large scale in 1937, Israel Epstein, then a journalist for the United Press International, went to the front to cover the war against the invasion. During this period, he went to all the hot places in the war zones. In the summer of 1944, he visited Yan’an and interviewed Mao Zedong for three hours. He recalled the interview later: “Mao would decline an interview request. If he agreed to an interview, he would spend a long time answering questions and asking questions. He talked about important things and his prediction on the general trend proved accurate.?Mao gave him autographed painting as a gift. During his 90-day visit to Yan’an, Epstein met all the important revolutionary leaders. His reports on the Chinese Communists and situations at the revolutionary bases were published in major newspapers in Britain, USA and Australia. He also helped journalists at the Xinhua News Agency polish English versions of some news stories. In 1944, the Xinhua News Agency sent its first English news polished by Epstein to the world.
　　
　　Writing a Biography for Song Qingling
　　Madam Song Qingling (1893-1981) had declined on several occasions to get her biography written. But from 1975 onward, she wrote three letters to Israel Epstein, asking him to write an objective biography for her. In 1981, they met and talked about the biography. Epstein had known her for more than 40 decades by then.
　　 Epstein met Madam Song in 1938. Though only 25, he had been a journalist for eight years. Madam Song had read many of his reports on China. Song, then president of China Defense League, invited Epstein to join the league in Hong Kong. Their friendship started that year. In 1951, Epstein became editor-in-chief of China Reconstructs (the predecessor of the present-day China Today), at the invitation of Madam Song.
　　Epstein started research for the biography in 1983 and began writing in 1987. A serious and responsible writer, he was firmly opposed to fabrication or monopoly over raw materials. He interviewed dozens of people and read extensively, even though he had personally known a lot about Madam Song. In 2002, Woman in World History: Soong Ching Ling was published in both Chinese and English.
　　
　　Witnessing the Progress of Tibet
　　Epstein concerned himself with Tibet at a young age. With the professional sensitivity of a journalist, he wanted the world to know the truth of Tibet. His first visit to Tibet took place in 1955, three years after the peaceful liberation of the autonomous region. The journey started from Chengdu and he traveled along the Sichuan-Tibet highway which was just completed. It took him twelve days to reach Lhasa. The visit enabled him to write several news stories about Tibet. The reports were later published in an American magazine.
　　
　　Epstein’s second visit to Tibet occurred in 1965. He observed that the most eye-catching changes in China were taking place in Tibet. Leaving the slavery system and serfdom behind, the region had accomplished a historical leap into socialism. He interviewed many people who had been slaves or serfs and asked them to talk about their new lives in building a new Tibet. The stories he wrote on the trip appeared in China Reconstructs and a US magazine.
　　In 1976, Epstein visited Tibet for the third time after five years in jail for political reasons during the Cultural Revolution. He spent more than two months in Tibet and then spent a few years writing Tibet Transformed.
　　His last visit to Tibet was in 1985 at the age of 70. He was invited to attend the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the autonomous region. He met with many old friends he had made on previous visits.
　　
　　Wishing to be a Journalist in Next Life
　　For decades, Epstein wrote a number of influential books on China’s revolution, reconstruction and reform, including The People’s War, Unfinished Revolution, From Opium War to Liberation, etc.
　　Epstein maintained the integrity of a journalist. He became a naturalized Chinese citizen in 1957 and joined the CPC in 1964. He was a member of CPPCC for many years. In 1937, his parents migrated to USA, but Epstein stayed back in China. His mother passed away in 1972 and his father in 1979. Epstein said he was not a good son.
　　As a journalist for over 70 years, Epstein made truthful records of China’s fight for freedom, democracy and reconstruction. His influential exclusive reports were witness to China’s history. He said he felt fortunate to be living with Chinese and working as a journalist and experience historical events.
　　(Translated by David)