Selected Works of Lin Shu (Annotated Edition)

Author: Xu Guiheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: Lin Shu was a renowned litterateur in China's modern and contemporary literary history, an outstanding and unique translator who introduced a large number of Western literary works to China. He was the pioneer of the "shipping route for transporting spiritual food" (as described by Lu Xun). His translations greatly broadened the literary horizons of Chinese intellectuals, allowing them to appreciate the unique artistic techniques and charm of Western novels. He led Chinese readers into "a new world, a world distinct from Water Margin, Journey to the West, and Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (as described by Qian Zhongshu)," profoundly influencing and greatly promoting the development of Chinese literature in the 20th century. Lin Shu's prose was profound in thought, extensive in content, concise and elegant in style, natural and fluent, witty and humorous, vivid and subtle, marking an important turning point and milestone in the transition of Chinese prose from ancient to modern.
In his youth, Lin Shu was concerned with world affairs and believed that China must learn from the West to become strong and prosperous. In middle age, he "bought all the translated works from the East and West in China and read them, summarizing the essence and grasping the key points to understand the overall picture, becoming a model for the rising talents in the province." Unable to read foreign languages or the original works, he relied on "exploring translated texts and imprinting them in his mind," often asking teachers and students at the Ma'wu Naval Academy about doubts in Western books. Later, he collaborated with friends such as Wang Shouchang, Wei Yi, Wang Qingji, and Wang Qingtong to translate foreign novels, writing down the works of dozens of authors from over a dozen countries, including the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Belgium, Russia, Norway, Switzerland, Greece, Japan, and Spain. Throughout his life, he was prolific in writing and translation, translating over 200 novels, a rare feat in China's modern translation circles, and was once hailed as the "King of Translation."