Post by Isaac Ho, the Admin on Aug 31, 2014 15:37:47 GMT -5
THE FAMOUS WORK OF YANG XIANYI AND GLADYS YANG
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a review by Isaac Ho, the Admin & Founder of this Forum
My beloved dear readers to this Forum, today, I am going to tell you my recollection and my remembrance of this famous
couple, who in their life time, have had translated very successfully several classical novels of ancient China.
At one time, while the pair worked diligently at the Foreign Language Press in Beijing, they were also given an apartment by the
Chinese authorities so that they both could concentrate on churning out in English their interpretation and understanding of some
classic novels of China.
Briefly, Yang Xianyi was born at Tianjin on January 10, 1915 and passed away at the ripe old age of 84, on November, 2009.
While Yang was young and spending his time in England, he met and fell in love with Ms. Gladys Taylor, and they both got
married and returned to England, where both started as translators for the Foreign Language Press, a division of the Chinese
government. They had two daughters and one son, born in China.
They were well-versed in both the classic Chinese and in time, they had translated successfully several Chinese classic novels.
I could still remember that when I was employed by The Cycle & Carriage Co., Batu Road (now Jalan Tunku AbdulRahman),
my colleague and I who were (are) extremely fond of Chinese literature; Mr. Yap Poh Woh and I would go around the town
of Kuala Lumpur, in both the English and Chinese booksellers' stores looking for English translation of Chinese classical novels.
Our outings usually took place on Saturday noon onwards as it was half-day for us, riding around town on his quite powerful
motorcycle, looking for books on China.
At the Jalan Klyne street, and within a well-established Chinese book shop, we came across an English translation of the famous
Chinese novel - YuLin Whayshi - which Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang translated with the title: THE SCHOLARS, a rather thick
volume, some 600 pages in all, by the Foreign Language Press at Beijing, and the year published being 1954.
Then on subsequent Saturdays, we also were successful in our Chinese book hunting to acquire another translated volume,
entitled: THE COURTESAN'S JEWEL BOX, Short Stories from the Ming Dynasty by one of China's popular writer, Fung Menglung.
Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang selected what they think were the best selection from the Chinese volume composed of 40 stories,
within the Ku Chin Chi Kwan or Chinese Stories Old and New.
At the same time, Cyril Birch, an American professor of ancient Chinese literature, had earlier produced a volume based also
on Fung Menglung's book, the Ku Chin Chi Kwan, and he selected and translated about six stories from this short stories collection.
We both had also bought this volume to read as well on some Saturdays way back in 1957. Since we would rather forgo a meal
than to forgo buying books about our ancestral homeland of China.
(Presently, I lost touch with my former colleague, Mr Yap Poh Woh, whom I reckon would be in the 80s and hope he is still alive
and still actively persuing our mutual interest in acquiring and reading ancient Chinese literature. In 1960s, I visited him and then
he was living with his mother at Jalan Loke Yew, within the compound of the Old Folks' Home therein...!)
Yang Xianyi and Glady's Yang were fantastic translators and their body of work on English translations of Chinese classic novels
were known, popular and even recognized by both professional and learned societies in England.
Both translators had, in their life time, also managed to translated one of China's well-known classical novel: Hung Lou Meng or
they both rendered the title as Dream of the Red Mansion (in another volume published in England, the title was: Dream of
the Red Chamber). Their translated work in English was issued in three volumes and still in print today.
Additionally, the Yang Xianyi and his wife Gladys also translated from Chinese to English, THE TRAVELS OF LAO CAN, and
also the famous Chinese writer's work: The short stories of Lu Xun - including the acclaimed Ah Q story.
Ironically, Yang Xianyi was nearly arrested as he was politically labelled a "rightist" in 1957-58 for being too frank in speaking
out against the authorities...!
Nevertheless, they were both imprisoned for seven years as "class enemies" in1964 during Mao's destructive Cultural
Revolution.
During the Chinese students' rebellion and camping outside Tiananmen Square in 1988, the foreign television, filmed Yang
Xianyi, who spoke critically against the regime of Deng Shaoping. I think he was subsequently arrested for illegally supporting
the protesting Chinese students at Beijing.
In conclusion, Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang had contributed tremendously for the cause of Chinese classics and had been
successful in rending some popular and classical Chinese literature.
Indeed, they would be fondly remembered for their selfless work to those who couldn't read the ancient literature in Chinese.
The couple had since departed this world of the living and we pray that their souls rest in Eternal Peace...!!!