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Man of many words
By Mei Jia and Lin Shujuan (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-26 11:05
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This 1941 file photo shows Yang with Taylor, soon after their marriage. |
He grew up during a period of war and political turmoil in China, and suffered many losses, with the death of his only son in 1979 being the biggest blow.
He enjoyed a happy marriage and his love story with Taylor, whom Yang married in 1941, reads like a textbook romance.
They met in Oxford, attracted by the other's personality and talent.
As a token of their love, they jointly translated Li Sao (Sorrow of Parting), a long poetic essay written in traditional Chinese by Qu Yuan in the Warring States Period ( 475-221BC).
That translation attracted much interest among Chinese literati, including late Chairman Mao Zedong, who, as an acclaimed poet, had taken Yang's translation with a pinch of salt.
During an interview with Southern People Weekly in August, Yang recalled Mao asking him during their first meeting in 1953: "'Do you think that Li Sao can be translated?' asked Mao. And I replied without a second thought, 'Yes, Chairman, there's no literature work that can't be translated, I suppose.'"
The same year, the couple joined the Foreign Languages Press and embarked on a long and distinguished career of translating a series of literary works.
Yang often said his achievements owed a lot to his wife.
Over the decades, the couple established a unique and efficient method of translation. Yang would do sight translations while reading Chinese books, and Taylor would type them and then do revisions.
Yang's younger sister Yang Yi, also a well-known translator, once said: "My brother was the happiest when he heard others say 'without Taylor, he could never achieve anything so excellent'."
Zhao Heng, Yang's niece, later commented: "My uncle intended to be a researcher. But Aunt Taylor loved to translate and they enjoyed their life translating together."
At home, the couple communicated in English, and rarely lost their cool, said Zhao.
Yang only stopped translating in 1999 when he lost his lifelong companion.
Living in a tranquil courtyard home in Beijing's downtown area, Yang spent most of his retired life reading and smoking, especially after a stroke in 2003 left him paralyzed. He had to give up his beloved wine, for the sake of his health.
Close friends remember that even then he followed his own mind, the way he had always been throughout his life.
He had no fear of death and, in fact, even drafted a witty couplet to be hung on the wreaths at his memorial service. It says: Shao Shi Liao Liao, Da Wei Bi Jia;Zhong Nian Hun Hun, Lao Er Wu Chi, or, When one is smart as a child it doesn't ensure that he will be as smart as a grown up. One who loses his middle-age to drunkenness spends his later life without shame/teeth (a pun in Chinese).
Yang never ran out of such funny limericks, which have been an inspiration for many writers, according to Zang Di, a poet, who sees in Yang's poems an old man - generous, wise and an intellectual.
Says Li Hui, an old friend and biographer: "The world has lost another lovely old man, who was a good man throughout his life."
