Xiao Qian
Xiao Qian (萧千[蕭乾], pinyin Xiāo Qián, Wade-Giles Hsiao Ch'ien), alias Nuoping (若萍) (27 January 1910 – 11 February1999) was a famous essayist, editor, journalist and translator from China. His life spanned China 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 passed away even before he was born, leaving only his mother to bring him up. Xiao Qian's original name was Xiao Bingqian (萧秉干[蕭秉乾], Xiāo Bíngqián).
- School Days
In 1921 Xiao entered the Chong Shi School (崇实小学[崇實小學], Chóngshí Xiǎoxué) when he turned eleven years old, a Western-run church school. He took up part-time jobs to pay for his tuition fee 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. In that very same year, his mother died.
After graduating from junior middle school in 1926, 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).
Xiao enrolled in Furen University (辅仁大学[輔仁大學], Fǔrén Dàxué), where he met an American called William Allen. Together they published a magazine called 'China in brief'. The eighth issue marked its closure due to the lack of sufficient funding. During this period, he met Shen Cong-Wen (沈从文[沈從文], Shěn Cóngwén) and became one of his students. As a writing teacher of Xiao, Shen Cong-Wen imposed a great deal of influence on Xiao's early writings.
Xiao then entered Yenching University (燕京大学[燕京大學], Yànjīng Daxué) in 1933 and studied in the Faculty of Journalism. His teacher was an American journalist named Edgar Snow, and it was Snow who influenced 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. After graduating, he furthered his studies as a postgraduate student in the University of Cambridge, and became one of the lecturers in the University College London soon after.
Major works
- Early Reports
Two of Xiao's early major reports in China were
- Report on the Flooding refugees in Shandong
- Impression on the way between Beiping and Suiyun
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 more concerns over societal problems and devastations within the country.
- 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.
- Feature articles
Many of Xiao's published feature reports are distinctive for their combination of news-accuracy and literary style of writing.
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, accurately capturing moments of real life. Not only did his reports offer insights into the harsh realities of the time, they also reflected his deep feelings towards his country and its people. Furthermore these reports are considered of great historical value by the academic community. Therefore, Xiao's reports have been greatly treasured by the Chinese literature society.
- Popular publications
As a journalist, he wrote various publications. One of the publications which is worth mentioning is his book: Xīnbiān wénshǐ bǐjì cóngshū (新编文史笔记丛书[新編文史筆記叢書]). The series contains 50 books, in which 6,000,000 words were written. 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. It was later published in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The book was also awarded 'the Prize of Chinese Books' (中國圖書獎). (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", a Latvian exiled 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 love and hatred for reality. The sole purpose of all his essays was to mock and to expose 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" (紅毛長談). But in that special era in China, his two essays — “Ease, tolerance, personnel work" (放心、容忍、人事工作) and "Why do people’s presses become the government offices?" (人民的出版社為甚麼變成衙門) — caused him to be labelled a rightist in 1957.
- Translations
Apart from his work as a journalist and a writer, Xiao also translated some of the most controversial and seminal texts in modern English Literature, for example, he translated a work written by William Shakespeare, Stephen ButlerLeacock^ , Henrik Ibsen and so on, which were widely published in the mainland China and Taiwan.
In his later years, he translated Ulysses by James Joyce into Mandarin, along with his wife Wen Jieruo, who was fluent in both English and Japanese. His translation of Ulysses became a surprise best-seller in China. Moreover, the English-based magazine "The Economist" complimented his work as being The Odyssey in China.
NB: ^ external link that written in Chinese only
Major beliefs
- As an author
Xiao witnessed and underwent the despairing and disheartening reality from his lowborn and destitute life. Having witnessed the unfairness and undisclosed grievances suffered by the lower classes, a character of praising the good and denouncing the bad was gradually cultivated within him. As a journalist, spreading righteous beliefs and reporting the truth were the first obligation he abided by.
As Xiao strongly believed that the truth is what moves people, his writings often became food for thought, and allowed room to think for his readers to come up with their very own conclusions. His writings Lu Xi Liu Ming Tu (《魯西流民圖》) and Lin Yan Fa Ru Yu (《林炎發入獄》) best illustrate his beliefs.
- As a journalist
Xiao entered the field of journalism in 1935. He first worked for Tianjin's Takung Pao (《大公報》) as an editor for "Literary arts" (《文藝》版). 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 (《人民中國》).
While being a journalist in the WWII, Xiao entered Rhine with the 7th 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 Moluotuofu (莫托洛夫) inviting Song Ziwen (宋子文) to sign the "Sino-Soviet treaty of mutual non-aggression" (中蘇互不侵犯條約) during his trip to San Francisco while doing reports on the United Nations Conference. He was also involved in the reporting of the judging of the Nazi in Nuremberg, Germany.
Life in England
In 1939, at the age of 28, Xiao Qian arrived England to work as an instructor in modern Chinese language for the School of Oriential and African Studies (SOAS) [1]. The SOAS was moved to Cambridge when Germany began the Blitz (a devastating bombing campaign) on 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.
Love and marriage
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 fourth. He met his first wife, Wang Shucang, in 1936 while working on the Shanghai edition of the Takung Pao. However, the couple were only together for a couple of years, Xiao then met and fell in love with another woman during his time in Hong Kong. In addition, they have a son born in year of 1948 The affair compelled Xiao to seek a divorce from Wang. However, because of her rejection, Xiao left China for England by ship.
In 1954, Xiao finally married his fourth wife, Wen Jieruo (文洁若[文潔若], Wén Jiéruò) [2] He had two sons and one daughter. The daughter's name is Xiao Lizi (萧荔子[蕭荔子], Xiāo Lìzi) and she was born on 30 January 1955.
Foreign friends
According to Xiao's autobiography, he met the English novelist E.M. Forster, on the 9th, 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. Unfortunately, the friendship 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. Forster assumed Xiao was ignoring him and because of this, burned some of the letters he had kept as a momento of their friendship.
Later years
During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), because Xiao Qian was regarded by the Chinese Communist Party 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 failed. 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.