The second stage: from 1936 to 1949

Wang Chi-chen, a Chinese scholar who taught Chinese language and culture at Columbia University, was a prominent translator of Lu Xun’s works in this stage. Wang translated eleven of Lu Xun’s short stories including Our Story of Ah 0, Reunion in a Restaurant, The Divorce, The Story of Hair, The Diary’ of a Madman, My Native Heath, The Cake of Soap, The Widow, Remorse, A Hermit at Large and Cloud over Luchen, and had them successively published in China Today, Far East (New York) and T’ienhsia Monthly (Shanghai) in the 1930s. All these 11 publications were compiled by Wang into the book Ah 0 and Others — Selected Stories of Lusin (Lusin and Lu Hsun, were variant spelling of Lit Xun) that was published by Columbia University Press in 1941. Two years earlier, Wang had drafted the first English version of “Lusin: a chronological record, 1881-1936,” and it was published in China Institute Bulletin. Volume III. In 1944, Columbia University Press issued Contemporary Chinese Stories, and two of Wang’s translations, What's the Difference and Peking Street Scene were included, hr 1945, Selected Stories By Lu Xun (English - Chinese version) was co-compiled and translated by Wang Chi-chen and Liu Wugou, and later it was re-published by the Orient Press. Works selected included Professor Kao translated by Wang Chi-chen and A Happy Family together with Benediction, both translated by Liu Wugou.

In 1938, Looking Back to the Past by Feng Yu-sing was printed by T'ien Hsia Monthly in Shanghai. In 1946, Contemporary’ Chinese Short Stories, edited and translated by Yuan Chiahua and Robert Payne, was published by Noel Carrington Transatlantic Arts. This book started with then^- co-translation of The Wave of the Wind. In 1947, Remorse translated by Chen Limin was published by World English Publishing House in Shanghai. Also in 1947, The Comedy of the Ducks by

C.H. Kwock was published in the Journal of Oriental Literature, 1st issue. In 1949, At Dawn translated by Joseph Kalmer was published in the Life and Letters, 60th volume, 137 th issue.

There are notable features of the English translations of Lu Xun’s short stories during this stage. First, English translations of story collections began gaining attention and interest overseas. Take Ah 0 and Others - Selected Stories of Lusin by Wang Chi-chen for example: after the first edition was issued by Columbia University Press in 1941, the book was reprinted by Greenwood Press in 1971, gaining wide popularity in the English-speaking world. Second, compared with the previous translations, Wang Chi-chen’s versions were better received than earlier translations by English-speaking readers due to Wang’s mastery of idiomatic expressions and cultural notes. Motivated to spread Chinese culture and help Western readers gain further knowledge of Chinese literature. Wang adopted foreignization as Iris main translation strategy. Though Wang’s translations made it possible for the targeted readers to leant about Lu Xun and his works, they were often criticized for excessive purposeful rewriting and over-interpretation. Third, English translations of Lu Xun’s works, most of which derived from the translators' personal interests, had not attracted much attention until later decades. Seen within the broader historical context, this period was a time when Chinese literature held a marginal place among readers in the English-speaking world.

The third stage: from 1949 to 1981

Since the founding of the People’s Reprrblic of China in 1949, the Chinese central government has highly valued introducing Chinese classics to foreign countries, hi 1952, the Foreign Languages Press was established as a major national facilitator of cultural exchange. That year, Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang (to be referred to in this paper as the Yangs) were recruited by the Press as in-house translators.

The Yangs contributed considerably to introducing Lu Xun’s works to the English-speaking world. They translated Lu Xun’s 33 short stories into English between 1953 and 1981, including Selected Stories of Lu Hsun ( 13 stories; 1954), four volumes of Selected Works of Lu Hsun (1956-1961), Selected Stories of Lu Hsun (18 stories; 1960) and Old Tales Retold (1961). After the first publication of Selected Stories of Lu Hsun (16 stories) in 1960, the Press republished it in 1963 and 1972 respectively, followed by an English - Chinese bilingual version in 2000. Old Tales Retold was later republished twice in 1972 and in 1981.

The Yangs’ translations over time also became popular among the Western presses. In 1981, Indiana University Press published The Complete Stories of Lu Xun: Call to Arms - Wandering. Major presses in Elong Kong and beyond continued to publish the Yangs’ versions into the 21st cennuy, as is further discussed in the fourth stage.

These are some features of the English translations of Lu Xun’s works in this third stage. Fu st, with support of the Chinese government, translation of Chinese modem literature in general has seen great yields, significantly promoted by the translation and spread of Lu Xun’s short stories in the English-speaking world.

To increase the potential for modem Chinese literature to enjoy a wider audience in foreign countries, the Foreign Languages Press was established, and many scholars and in-house translators were recruited. Second, to ensure the spread of Chinese culture to the West, the Yangs adopted foreignization as their main translation strategy. Third, the Yangs’ translations had an extensive reach and influence both at home and abroad. Their translations have been republished many times and have been well-received by both peers and reading audiences. Fourth, overseas presses during this stage increasingly started to publish translated Chinese literatur e. A number of foreign presses managed to acquire copyr ights to the Yangs’ Selected Stories of Lu Hsun.