American-born translator bestowed with lifetime achievement award
- Source: Global Times
- [08:57 December 07 2010]
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Translator Sidney Shapiro.
Sidney Shapiro, an American-born Chinese translator of Chinese literary works, received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Translation from the Translators Association of China (TAC) Thursday in Beijing.
Shapiro, three weeks shy of 95, won the award for his outstanding work in helping people overseas learn about China's past and present.
He became the first laureate born outside of China to receive the award.
Shapiro was born in New York on December 23, 1915. While serving in the US army during World War II he was selected to learn Chinese in preparation for a possible American landing in Japanese-occupied China. After leaving the army, he continued to study Chinese language, culture and history.
Shapiro first came to China in 1947 and was granted Chinese citizenship in 1963.
After the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, Shapiro devoted himself to translating Chinese literature and gained recognition for his English translation of Chinese classic Outlaws of the Marsh.
He worked as an expert in the Foreign Languages Publishing and Distribution Administration, rounding off the English versions of modern Chinese literary works such as The Family and The Immense Forest and Snowfield. In his opinion, translation was an important way to let the world know about China.
"Translators like us have the responsibility to let the world know that China has the richest tradition of virtue," he said in an earlier interview.
TAC first granted the Lifetime Achievement Award in Translation in 2006 as the highest honor for living translators who have outstanding academic achievements and widespread recognition.
Agencies
