Xiao Qian

Xiao Qian (Simplified: 萧乾; Traditional: 蕭乾; pinyin: Xiāo Qián; Wade-Giles Hsiao Ch'ien), alias Nuoping (若萍) (27 January 1910 – 11 February 1999) was a famous essayist, editor, journalist and translator from China. His life spanned the country before and after the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

Biography

Early years

Xiao was born on 27 January 1910 in Beijing, China. He was born into a sinicized Mongolian family. His father died before he was born, leaving only his mother to bring him up. His mother died when he was seven, and he was sent to live with his cousins. Xiao Qian's original name was Xiao Bingqian (萧秉乾 [蕭秉乾] , "Xiāo Bíngqián").

chool days

Xiao entered the Chong Shi School (崇实小学 [崇實小學] , "Chóngshí Xiǎoxué"), a Western-run church school, when he turned seven years old in 1917. He took up part-time jobs to pay for his tuition fees while studying there. His errands included weaving Turkish rugs, delivering milk and mimeographing lecture notes in the school administration office. He worked in the morning and studied in the afternoon.

About half a year before completing junior middle school in 1924, he worked as a trainee in a bookstore called Beixin Press during his summer vacation. This sparked his interest in literature. In the same year, he joined the Communist Youth League (中国共产主义青年团 [中國共產主義青年團] , "Zhōngguó Gòngchǎn Zhǔyì Qīngniántuán").

In 1931 Xiao enrolled in Furen University (辅仁大学 [輔仁大學] , "Fǔrén Dàxué"), where he met an American youth William Allen. Together they published an English magazine named "China in brief" (《中国简报》 [《中國簡報》] , "Zhōngguó Jiǎnbào") The eighth issue marked its closure due to the lack of sufficient funding. Still, it brought about a great deal of influence on the western readers in Beijing at the time. The existing version of the magazine carries works from certain famous authors such as Lu Xun (鲁迅 [魯迅] , "Lǔ Xùn"), Mao Dun(茅盾, "Máo Dùn"), Guo Moruo (郭沫若, "Guō Mòruò"), Wen Yiduo (闻一多 [聞一多] , "Wén Yīduō") and Yu Dafu (郁达夫 [郁達夫] , "Yù Dáfū"). Besides, during this period, he met Shen Cong-Wen (沈从文 [沈從文] , "Shěn Cóngwén") and became one of his students. Shen Cong-Wen greatly influenced Xiao's early writings.

Xiao then entered the Faculty of English in Yenching University (燕京大学 [燕京大學] , "Yànjīng Daxué") in 1933 and switched to the Faculty of Journalism during autumn of the same year. His teacher was an American journalist named Edgar Snow, and it was Snow who encouraged him to make use of various literary techniques in journalistic reporting, which marked the 'uniqueness' of Xiao's writings. He graduated from the University in June 1936. He then furthered his studies as a postgraduate student at Cambridge University, and became one of the lecturers at University College London soon after.

Life in England

In 1939, at the age of 28, Xiao Qian arrived in England to work as an instructor in modern Chinese language for the School of Oriential and African Studies (SOAS) [http://www.soas.ac.uk/] . SOAS was moved to Cambridge when Germany began the Blitz (a devastating bombing campaign) in London.

Xiao was politically active at the time and gave regular talks for the 'China Campaign Committee', a left-wing group which campaigned on behalf of China, against the Japanese occupation in China.

Marriage and family

Xiao's good friend and older sister Bing Xin once mentioned that a lack of love in his childhood made him an amorous man.

He married for a total of four times. He met his first wife, Wang Shucang, in 1936 while working on the Shanghai edition of the Takung Pao. However, the couple only stayed together for two years before he met and fell in love with another woman during his stay in Hong Kong. They had a son born in 1948, and this affair compelled Xiao to seek a divorce from Wang. However, because of her rejection, Xiao left China for England by ship.

In 1954, Xiao married his fourth wife, Wen Jieruo (文洁若 [文潔若] , "Wén Jiéruò") [http://www.people.com.cn/GB/wenhua/27296/2140865.html] . They had two sons and a daughter. The daughter was born on 30 January 1955, and was named Xiao Lizi (萧荔子 [蕭荔子] , "Xiāo Lìzi").

Later years

During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), because Xiao Qian was regarded by the Communist Party of China as being a member of the Right Wing (右派, "Yòupài"), he was banished to the countryside. In 1968, he tried to commit suicide but in vain. In 1978, he received the redress of the mishandled case.

In 1999, Xiao Qian, at the age of ninety, died of myocardial infarction and renal failure in Beijing.

Major works of journalism

Early reports

Two of Xiao's early major reports in China were

#Report on the Flooding refugees in Shandong, published at Takung Pao (《大公报》 [《大公報》] , "Dà gōng bào")
#Impression on the war between Beiping and SuiyunFact|date=February 2007

These reports captured the attention of Chinese readers. Instead of simply reporting the facts, Xiao described the scenes in a vivid descriptive way. Many people were moved by his articles and this stirred up public debate over the state of Chinese society and China's internal problems.

Feature articles

Between the 1940s and the 1990s, Xiao wrote many famous articles. Many of his published feature reports are distinctive for their combination of news-accuracy and literary style of writing.

These reports are considered of great historical value by the academic community in China and are currently in the care of the Chinese Literature Society. Most of Xiao's featured reports were based on first hand experience from the front line. He selected scenes that he believed would reflect society at that time. He also used contour line drawings to vividly depict events, display emotions, and illustrate the story for the reader. His work acts like a camera, capturing moments of real life. Not only did his reports offer insights into the harsh realities of the time, they also reflected his deep sentiments toward his country and it's people.

Wartime writings

The following books were written between 1939 and 1946 and reflected Qian's experience during the Second World War (WWII) while he was living in the United Kingdom and Western Europe:

#Symphony of Contradictions
#Bloody September
#London under Silver Kites

These works were mostly concerned with the day to day life of ordinary English citizens. They contained little analysis or speculation about political and military matters. Though he was impressed by the determination of the English to defeat Germany, he found some of their cultural traits quite negative.

Major works of literature

Popular publications

As a journalist, he wrote various publications. One of the publications which is worth mentioning is his book: "xin bian wen shi biji cong shu" (新编文史笔记丛书 [新編文史筆記叢書] ,"Xīnbiān wénshǐ bǐjì cóngshū".) The series contains 50 books, in which 6,000,000 words were written. These series were written between 1980s and early 1990s. The books collected a range of anecdotes and highlights from over 2000 celebrities and researchers. The series became highly reputable and widely accepted when it was released. As the last volume of the series published in October 1994, another edition of the series were published in Hong Kong and Taiwan shortly after. The work was awarded the "Chinese Book Prize" (中国图书奖 [中國圖書獎] , "Zhōngguó tú shū jiǎng") as early as in 1993. (An external link on the website about the Prize was included)

Essays

In addition to his books Xiao also wrote several notable essays.

Though Xiao wrote no more than 20 essays, they played a very important role in the development of Chinese essay history. All his works were published under the name of "Tatamulin", an exiled Latvian merchant, between the years 1946 and 1948. His essays were satirical and often contained criticisms of contemporary political issues at that time.

His essays also include a considerable amount of poetry which express his strong feelings toward China at that time. The sole purpose of all his essays was to end the political dictatorship of the Nationalist Party in China, and thus promote a peaceful, democratic Utopia. His magnum opus is "Long talk by red hair" (红毛长谈 [紅毛長談] , "hóngmáo chángtán"). In the polarised political climate of that time in China, his two essays — “Ease, tolerance & personnel work" (放心、容忍、人事工作, "fàngxīn, róngrěn, rénshì gōngzuò") and "Why do people's presses become the government offices?" (人民的出版社为甚么变成衙门 [人民的出版社為甚麼變成衙門] ,"rénmín dí chūbǎnshè wèi shénme biàn chéng yámén") — caused him to be labelled a rightist in 1957.

Translations

Apart from his work as a journalist and a writer, Xiao also translated important works of European literature into Mandarin Chinese. He translated several books and plays by William Shakespeare, [http://www.millionbook.net/wg/l/likeke/xg/001.htm Stephen ButlerLeacock] † and Henrik Ibsen. These were widely published in mainland China and Taiwan.

In 1990, as invited by Nanjing YiLin Publication (南京译林出版社 [南京譯林出版社] ,"Nánjīng Yìlín chūbǎnshè"), he translated Ulysses(尤利西斯)by James Joyce (詹姆斯·乔伊斯) into Mandarin, assisted by his wife Wen Jieruo, who was fluent in both English and Japanese. When the book was released in 1994, it became a surprise best-seller in China. Because of this, he received the Caihong Translation Prize (彩虹翻译奖 [彩虹翻譯獎] ,"cǎi hóng fānyìjiǎng") and the Best Foreign Literature Book-First Class (全国优秀外国文学图书一等奖 [全國優秀外國文學圖書一等獎] ,"quán guó yōu xiù wài guó wén xué tú shū yī děng jiǎng").

The English-based magazine "The Economist" complimented his work as being The Odyssey in China.

NB: † external link that written in Chinese only

Beliefs

As an author

Xiao views were shaped by the poverty and hardships of his childhood. He witnessed the suffering of the lower classes at first hand. His reports attempted to address the injustices and disparity in Chinese society.

Xiao strongly believed that the truth is what moves people, and his writings often encouraged his readers to come to their own conclusions. His writings "Lu Xi Liu Ming Tu" (《鲁西流民图》 [《魯西流民圖》] ,"Lǔxī liú mín tú") and "Lin Yan Fa Ru Yu" (《林炎发入狱》 [《林炎發入獄》] ,"Lín yánfā rù yù") best illustrate his beliefs.

As a journalist

Xiao entered the field of journalism in April 1935. He first worked for Tianjin's "Takung Pao" (《大公报》 [《大公報》] , "Dà gōng bào"), where he published his early writings including his first novel, as an editor for "Literary arts" (《文艺》版 [《文藝》版] , "wén yì bǎn"). In 1936, he moved to Shanghai to prepare for the publication of Shanghai's Takung Pao. Then in 1938, when full-scale war against the Japanese broke out in China, Xiao was offered a job by the Takung Pao in Hong Kong to work as an editor and journalist.

Later in 1939, He travelled to London, United Kingdom, and continued his job as a journalist for Takung Pao until 1946. While the British took part in the Second World War, he gave up his place at the University of Cambridge in 1944, and became the only Chinese war correspondent in Western Europe.

As WWII came to an end, he produced a number of reportages such as "Symphony of Contradictions," "Bloody September" and "London under Silver Kites", which all reflected the (often harsh) reality during wartime. Thereafter, he worked for several newspaper companies such as the English version of People's China (《人民中国》 [《人民中國》] , "Rénmín Zhōngguó").

While being a journalist in the WWII, Xiao entered Rhine with the 7^th troop of the Allied Forces. When the Allied Forces entered Berlin, Xiao was one of the very first journalists who entered the city. He attended and collected news from the Potsdam Conference in July 1945, which was one of the most significant conferences marking the end of the WWII.

In May 1945, Xiao gained fame after writing a piece of exclusive news about Molotov (莫托洛夫) inviting Song Ziwen (宋子文, "Sòng Zǐwén") to sign the "Sino-Soviet treaty of mutual non-aggression" (中苏互不侵犯条约 [中蘇互不侵犯條約] ,"Zhōng Sū hù bù qīnfàn tiáoyuē") during his trip to San Francisco while doing reports on the United Nations Conference. He was also involved in the reporting of the trials of Nazis in Nuremberg, Germany.

Literary friends

According to Xiao's autobiography, he met the English novelist E.M. Forster, on 9 May 1941 at the Tagore Memorial Meeting. The event was organised by the English PEN Club.

The two became very close friends and often exchanged letters despite the fact that they disagreed with each other over the issue of homosexuality (Xiao was opposed to legalisation). The friendship, however, did not last. Xiao, fearing for the safety of his family during the Cultural Revolution, destroyed all the letters he had received from Forster and asked Forster not to contact him again. Because Forster might have assumed that Xiao was ignoring him, he burned some of the letters he had kept as a memento of their friendship.

External links

* [http://english.ccnt.com.cn/?catog=literature&file=050201&ads=service_001 China Culture Information Net]
* [http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/36108.htm "Letters Reveal Writer's Later Years"]
* [http://www.pac.org.cn/htm/nianjian/2000/active/tsh/tsh-seven.asp "Prize of Chinese Books Website"]
* [http://www.booker.com.cn/big5/paper23/21/class002300005/hwz154463.htm "A very Recent Comment on the character by an editorial in China"]