Sources: All of the information stated in this article is based on reliable sources, and is detailed at the end of the article
In 2014, the International Federation of Translators awarded the Northern Lights Award for Outstanding Literary Translation to a 93-year-old man who spoke at the ceremony: "Until now, there has not been a second person in the world who can translate Chinese into English and French, and at the same time translate English and French into Chinese, and can publish it all over the world!" ”
This old man who speaks wildly is Xu Yuanchong, and in the translation industry, it is said that he has always claimed to be "crazy but not arrogant". As long as he feels that he is right, he will speak out, and he even calls himself "the only person who translates poetry into English and French", but when he was young, this madness brought him a lot of trouble, and he was even scolded as a "sinner through the ages".
Suffering from cancer at the age of 86 and losing his wife at the age of 97, he has pursued the communication of "beauty" in the world of translation all his life......
The teenager was displaced
In 1937, with the tense situation of the Japanese invasion of China, Changsha Provisional University moved west to Kunming, and for a time the academic circles gathered here, and the Southwest Associated University was established the following year.
At that time, Jiangxi was ravaged by war, and students were inevitably in turmoil. In 1938, Xu Yuanchong of Nanchang No. 2 Middle School in Jiangxi Province was admitted to the Department of Foreign Languages of Southwest Associated University at the age of 17 after a year of tossing and turning.
Here, Yang Zhenning and Li Zhengdao were classmates, Zhu Ziqing and Shen Congwen were teachers, Ye Gongchao and Qian Zhongshu taught English, and the collision of literature and the stirring of beauty laid the foundation for Xu Yuanchong's future translation.
But during the Southwest Associated Congress, Xu Yuanchong was best known for his genius at a reception for foreign guests. At that time, United States promised to send the "Flying Tigers" into China, that is, a United States air force organized United States volunteers Chinese, to enter China to help fight against Japan.
The previous shattering of mountains and rivers made Xu Yuanchong choose to sign up without hesitation and contribute to the anti-Japanese resistance, however, at the reception of foreign guests, when the leader mentioned the "Three People's Principles" in his speech, the translator at that time was at a loss for a while, Xu Yuanchong stood up and said in a loud voice: "of the people, by the people, for the people!" ”
This translation made him assigned to the secretary's office, and the English version of the "Three People's Principles" was also left on the stamps of United States that year. At the age of 20, Xu Yuanchong realized that perhaps translation was his forte, a job he should pursue all his life.
The cannon still sounded
became famous as a teenager, but Xu Yuanchong is not a humble and simple character, in terms of translation, he is known for his loud voice and good debate, and has the nickname "Xu Cannon".
After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Xu Yuanchong went to France to study for a master's degree, and stopped his further studies after only three years because of the founding of New China. In order to build a nascent China, Xu Yuanchong returned to his home country to teach, cultivate the next generation of talents, and at the same time began his half-life pen work of sitting in wait and translating.
Just like his nickname when he was a teenager, Xu Yuanchong retains the enthusiasm and momentum of his time, and his translation style is to "adhere to the beauty of Chinese culture", conveying the beauty of literary works through poetry translation.
Xu Yuanchong never stopped scrutinizing the text, when translating Chairman Mao's poems, he skillfully translated the sentence "I don't love red clothes and love arms", life is not completely satisfactory, his wife said that if there is no translation support, people like Xu Yuanchong will not persevere.
Even after experiencing obstacles, Xu Yuanchong still insists on his own style. Chairman Mao's writings, he even used poems and biographies to translate. Some people say that he is an idiot, but perhaps only the things he loves can save a person's free soul in the miserable years.
Long road
In translation, Xu Yuanchong pursued "beauty" all his life. Yang Zhenning once said that the greatest contribution in his life is to help Chinese people overcome the psychology of being inferior to foreigners. Xu Yuanchong also has the momentum to flow the beauty of Chinese literature into his translated works, and walks on the road of translation.
Such a style is destined to be full of the beauty of "Xu Yuanchong style", and far from the humility of "Xindaya". Since he was able to work at his desk with peace of mind, Xu Yuanchong devoted himself to translation work, and at the same time picked up the whip again to cultivate talents for translators.
In 1955, the translation method of "Red and Black" aroused many discussions among his peers, and Xu Yuanchong insisted that the translation style should be kept away from the translation tone, and if literature had no beauty, there would be no need for literature to exist.
This is not the first time Xu Yuanchong has heard such criticism, and even the publishing house asked people to vote, and his "Red and Black" received 0 votes. Later, Qian Zhongshu comforted in the letter: The translation of colorless glass will offend the poem, and the translation of colored glass will offend the translation.
An obligation to translate, it seems that more people think of due diligence as conveying. However, the perceptive person is reluctant to ignore the beauty that exists in the world. Conveying beauty and pondering beauty has become the translation road that Xu Yuanchong has walked all his life.
In 1999, Xu Yuanchong was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. He had already translated more than 60 books this year, but he was far from stopping. Tang poems, Song poems, Yuan songs, the barriers between ancient Chinese culture and English and French are gradually dissolved in the sound of the keyboard typed word by word.
In 2007, 86-year-old Xu Yuanchong was diagnosed with rectal cancer, and he did not take special treatment measures, but became more and more devoted to his limited working life. And his translations, his conveyances and ideas of beauty, are increasingly amazed, accepted and disseminated by people.
In 2018, his wife Zhaojun, who had been with him for half his life, also passed away first. Xu Yuanchong still did not stop his translation work, which is his salvation, his sustenance, and his soul. Even if he only thinks about it a little bit and moves forward many times, such slow work is still a kind of happiness for an old man who is bent on pursuing beauty.
As he once said: I used to like to walk my way alone; Now I also like to walk my way alone; In the future, I will have to go my own way alone. In 2021, Xu Yuanchong passed away at the age of 100, leaving behind countless traces of beauty, between madness, madness and beauty, and walked the road that a person has to walk.
All his life, he was a young man who poured his blood for love.
Reference: People's Daily Online: 2021-6-17: 100-year-old translator Xu Yuanchong passed away: he has been making the world more beautiful all his life
Peking University: 2013-11-5: Doing what you want from the heart: the life of Xu Yuanchong in the translation industry
People's Information: 2021-6-17: Looking back on Mr. Xu Yuanchong's "poetic" life, he is still a teenager at the age of 100
Xinhuanet: 2021-4-16: Translator Xu Yuanchong: A lifetime of "poetry boat" broadcasts beauty, and he is still a teenager at the age of 100