Yang Xianyi

An email popped up from a Fan Weili. She mentioned that she had read a story about me in a magazine, Villa Life and asked if I would consider meeting a man she had befriended. This man was Yang Xianyi who was a renowned Chinese literary scholar and who along with his wife, Gladys, had translated many of the Chinese classics into English and many English classics into Chinese.

Villa Life is a glossy magazine distributed to those who live in upscale villas mostly in the part of Beijing called Shunyi near the airport. Despite the fact that I have yet to accomplish much they interviewed me about my work in Beijing. We really hit it off and the editor, his journalist and photographer spent about 2 hours with me.

Weili is a Chinese-American who was a member of the first class to enter University after the Cultural Revolution, the class of 1977. Plucked from working in the fields to enter school and study English literature. There she became familiar with Yang and Gladys Xianyi. Only years later after studying in Montana along with her husband and then becoming quite successful in Chicago, did they move back to China with their two teen-age children. Back in Beijing she developed a wonderful friendship with Yang Xianyi who she refers endearingly as Yang Lao ("Old Yang), visiting and spending time with him weekly.

Astri and I were invited to meet Yang Lao at his hutang home where he lived with his daughter. It was a rare privilege to meet such a man who had accomplished so much, had been so brave and to meet him in his own home. He remained fluent in English with no accent, witty, and content. When I mentioned that it was a great honor to meet him and that I heard so much about him, he said, "then you must have heard some lies". We also had the honor of getting a copy of "The Dream of the Red Chamber" Yang and his wife had translated, with his autograph.

Unfortunately, Yang Xianyi passed away on Monday, November 23 at the age of 94.

We look forward to reading his classic translation and to our continued friendship with Weili and Jerry.

I think you might be interested in reading Yang Xianyi's obituary in the Guardian.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/23/yang-xianyi-obituary