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Students get expert tips on translation

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Lee Wing-Sze

Mainland translator Professor Xu Yuanchong shared his knowledge and experience in translation with local students and scholars at a lecture.

Professor Xu, 79, has been proclaimed by Chinese Culture News as the only expert in the world who can translate Chinese poetry into English and French rhyme.

His achievements include translating classical Chinese literature such as Book of Poetry, Poetry of the South and Selected Poems of Mao Zedong into English and French. He has also translated many world masterpieces from English and French to Chinese.

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Starting his career at the age of 21, Professor Xu has been a translator for almost 60 years. 'There isn't any poem that cannot be translated into foreign languages,' he said.

Professor Xu sees translation as a kind of creativity. 'Creativity is supreme beauty,' he said.

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Professor Xu teaches international culture and literary translation at Peking University.

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