All the manuscripts of
Fu Lei (1908-1966), one of the greatest literary translators of contemporary China, were donated to
National Library of China last week by his sons
Fu Cong and Fu Min.
Fu Lei was born near
Shanghai, studied art and art theory in
France during 1928–1932. Upon his return to China, he taught in
Shanghai and worked as a journalist and art critic until he took up translating. His translations, which remain highly regarded, include
Voltaire,
Balzac and
Romain Rolland. He developed his own style, the "Fu Lei style", and his own translation theory. His family letters to his son
Fu Cong, a world-renowned pianist, were published posthumously and have become a bestseller in
China to this day.
When I was an university student, I read quite a lot of books translated by
Fu Lei, including
Romain Rolland's
Jean Christophe and Les Trois Vies (
Vie de Tolstoï,
Vie de Michelange and
Vie de Beethoven), and was deeply impressed by them.
National Library of China has a special collection of contemporary notable authors. There was an exhibition of Fu Lei's manuscripts upon the donation ceremony.
Fu Lei dedicated himself to literary translation with a kind of religious passion, which is very rare in contemporary China. At the exhibition, I see even 3-4 versions of manuscripts for one title during his translation, and all the manuscripts were written carefully with pens or Chinese writing brushes. The manuscripts themselves are models of Chinese calligraphy.
Today is the Lunar New Year Eve. Tomorrow will be the Chinese Year of Ox.
