Xu Yuanchong was a Chinese translator. He is best known for his translations of ancient Chinese poems into English and French.
Xu's translation career (生涯) began during his college years when he studied at the National Southwest Associated University in Kunming. In 1939, he translated a poem written by Chinese poet Lin Huiyin titled. Don't Cast Away, which is known as his earliest work. In the late 1940s, Xu went to France to study French literature (文学). Later he returned to China and began to work at Peking University.
While teaching at Peking University, Xu kept on his translation work. He was the first Chinese to translate Chinese poetry into English and French. For him, translated literature is a beautiful art. He once said, "The greatest joy on the earth is to introduce the beauty created by a people to the whole world."
Xu paid much attention to the beauty of language. He would leave something out and add something to make the translated works more beautiful. But other translators thought that made his translation a bit different from the meaning of the source text (原作). Xu had many debates (辩论) with them. He said, "I'm not afraid, because the truth becomes clearer with each debate."
Over the years, Xu's beautiful translation works have acted as a cultural bridge connecting the East with the West English-and French-speaking readers are able to better understand Chinese literature through Xu's translations. At the same time, Chinese readers can enjoy foreign works in the same way as they read works written in Chinese.
