Putting Down Roots in China

By+Ji+Jing

On Nanguanfang Hutong in Beijings historic Shichahai area located in the heart of the capital city lies a small antiquated courtyard adorned with flowers. For several decades， this was the place that renowned translator and author Sidney Shapiro called home. He arrived in China in 1947 and eventually chose to spend the rest of his life thereafter in the Middle Kingdom.

Now， Shapiros room lies empty as he passed away at the age of 98 on October 18， 2014， just two months shy of his 99th birthday. Though the man himself has shuffled this mortal coil， his legendary relationship with China remains a mystery to many. Some cannot help but ask why an American would choose to spend over two thirds of his life in China， even going so far as to gain Chinese citizenship in the process.

First impressions

Before coming to China in 1947， he joined the U.S. Army during World War II and was selected to study Chinese at Cornell University. He traveled to Shanghai that year by ship and through one of his Chinese friends in the United States， he met and quickly fell in love with an actress and author who had graduated from Shanghais prestigious Fudan University and wrote under the pen name of Fengzi， meaning “phoenix” in Mandarin. The two married in 1948 and their relationship was to last a lifetime， remaining together until her death in 1996.

At that time， the Communist Party of China （CPC） was fighting to overthrow the Kuomintang regime in the second， postWorld War II phase of the Chinese Civil War. For Shapiro， Shanghai was an immense disappointment. The city was then ruled by the Kuomintang and much to his dismay， Shapiro found that a wide gap existed between the rich and the impoverished. As a CPC member， Fengzi was secretly offering help to the Partys cause， so Shapiro was presented with the opportunity to get to know many influential Party members who introduced him to the ideologies of Marxism and Leninism.

“I saw that people lived an extremely hard life under the cruel rule of the Kuomintang， with a large number of people starving or freezing to death every day，” he told the Guangzhou-based Nanfang Metropolis Daily in 2006. “I realized that only revolution could solve Chinas problems.”

Shapiro went on to open a law firm in Shanghai and offered help to Fengzi and her Party comrades. He helped edit an English magazine advocating land reform and provided his office as a meeting venue for secret agents from CPC-controlled areas to discuss how to transport medical supplies to these areas across the Kuomintangs blockades.

Fengzi soon found herself on the Kuomintangs blacklist and the couple was forced to leave Shanghai. They had intended to go to a Communist-controlled area but gave up due to insurmountable difficulties and chose to go to Beijing instead. They arrived in the city in 1948. Compared with contemporary Shanghai， Beijing better fit how Shapiro had envisaged China.

“Beijing was quiet and had beautiful hutongs and the Palace Museum，” Shapiro said on a China Central Television talk show in 2006.

In Beijing， Shapiro was invited to attend the founding ceremony of the Peoples Republic of China on October 1， 1949 together with his wife. “It was a remarkable historic moment. People were so excited that they cried and laughed. At that time， I was curious to see what would become of this country，” Shapiro said.

Literary talent

As an American-educated lawyer， Shapiro found it difficult to land a job in Beijing. Instead he engaged in freelance translation at home on a casual basis.

He started by translating the novel Daughters and Sons， which represented the courage of Chinese guerrilla forces in fighting against Japanese invasion during World War II. The English version of the novel was published in the United States in the 1950s.

When he was translating the book， a friend of Fengzi visited the couple and found out that Shapiro was versed in the art of translation. The friend then offered to help Shapiro find a job as a translator with the Bureau for External Cultural Relations.

Shapiro later transferred to the Foreign Languages Press to work for its Chinese Literature magazine as a translator and editor. The monthly magazine， which was established in 1951 and ceased publication in 2001， played an important role in introducing Chinese literary works to the world in the latter half of the 20th century.

“Shapiro would ride a bicycle to work every day while working for the magazine. He often translated the majority of the magazines content and his works were so natural and vibrant thanks to his proficiency in both languages that they didnt even need to be polished，” said Xiong Zhenru， 76， Shapiros former colleague.

His career as a translator culminated in his translation of the classic novel Outlaws of the Marsh. As the story was set in the Song Dynasty（960-1279） and written centuries ago， Shapiro found it hard to fully understand the novel. Fengzi would explain the parts he was not able to understand in plain Chinese to facilitate the process of translation.

It took Shapiro nearly 10 years to complete the undertaking. His version proved to be both fluent and accurate， winning wide recognition. Zhang Jinghao， a translator and translation theorist with the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology， said that he liked Shapiros translation of the novel because it managed to remain loyal to the original work without representing a word-for-word translation.

“It is both my profession and pleasure to translate Chinese literature. It enabled me to have the opportunity to ‘know as many Chinese and ‘travel to as many places as I would have been able to do in several lifetimes，” said Shapiro.

Huang Youyi， Vice Chairman of the Translators Association of China and Shapiros longtime friend， said that Shapiro has not only introduced China to the world through translating Chinese literary works， but more importantly， he helped train a group of competent translators for China.

“How well Chinese culture can be introduced to foreign countries often depends on how much translators know about foreign cultures. Shapiro distinguished himself by his deep understanding of both Chinese and Western cultures，” said Zhou Mingwei， President of China International Publishing Group （CIPG）， a Chinese media conglomerate targeting international audiences， members of which include the Foreign Languages Press， China Pictorial and Beijing Review.

On December 23， 2014， CIPG established a Sidney Shapiro Research Center in a bid to study Shapiros life and works.

Deep involvement

In 1983， Shapiro became a member of Chinas top political advisory body， the National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference （CPPCC）. CPPCC members， who represent a range of political parties—the CPC and non-Communist parties alike—and various sectors of society， participate in the governments policymaking process by making proposals and offering consultations. Shapiro served that post for six successive fiveyear terms until his death， the longest period served by a foreign-born member.

During his service， Shapiro brought up many practical suggestions. For example， feeling that his residential area Shichahai was becoming too bustling due to the increasing number of bars in the neighborhood， he suggested many times that the area be rezoned so as to regain its original tranquil atmosphere. His proposals were taken on board and the Shichahai area has since become a cultural and historical preservation area of Beijing thanks to his and many other members efforts.

In order to better understand the realities of Chinese society， Shapiro traveled to numerous parts of China with other CPPCC members.“Shapiro is a scholarly type. He would discover problems in real life and turn them into his research subjects，” said Shu Yi， the son of noted writer Lao She （1899-1966）. For example， Shapiro conducted research on economic reform in southwest Chinas Sichuan Province and published a thesis on this issue.

Having witnessed the changes in China over a time period spanning a little over a half century， Shapiro said in 2006 that the country has made remarkable progress compared with the extreme poverty and backwardness present in 1947 when he first came here. “Although it still has problems， its achievement is admirable on the whole，” he said.

Shapiro returned to the United States several times. Although he was allowed to stay in his native country for as long as he wanted， he often came back only after two weeks because he felt more deeply attached to his adopted country.

“American society has changed a lot， and so have I. I dont have much to talk about with my former friends，” Shapiro said.

“Shapiro was so deeply involved with China that he chose to remain in his traditional Chinese courtyard until his death，” Huang said.