A Survey of Major English Versions of Lu Xun’s Short Stories in the 20th Century

Abstract

Lu Xun (1881-1936) has been acclaimed father of modern Chinese literature. He is the first writer to use the vernacular to write fiction. His stories have laid a solid foundation for the development of modern Chinese fiction. Call to Arms (1923) and Wandering (1926) represent the greatest achievement of Chinese story-writing at that time. His short stories are not only profound in thinking, but also worthy of admiration for their great value and innovation in art. Since the 1920’s, Lu Xun’s stories have been translated into various languages and published throughout the world, enjoying an international reputation. Only their English versions in the 20th century are discussed within this paper. These versions are different with various features, especially in dealing with Chinese traditional culture according to different purposes and towards different English readers.