Zheng Kelu (; August 1, 1939 – September 20, 2020) was a Chinese translator best known for translating French literature. For his contributions to the introduction of French literature to foreign readers, he was honored with the French National Medal in Education (First Class) in 1987 by René Monory.
Biography
Zheng was born in Portuguese Macau on August 1, 1939. His grandfather
Zheng Guanying
Zheng Guanying or Cheng Kuan-ying (1842-1922 or 1923) was a Chinese reformist active in the late Qing Dynasty.Qing dynasty. In the third grade of primary school, Zheng went to study at Nanyang Model Primary School after his father's job transferred to Shanghai. After graduating from
No.1 High School Affiliated to East China Normal University
No.1 High School Affiliated to East China Normal University () moved to a new campus in August 2005. Each year, many graduates attend Tsinghua University, Peking University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, East China Normal University and other ...
in 1957, he was admitted by
Peking University
Peking University (PKU; ) is a public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education.
Peking University was established as the Imperial University of Peking in 1898 when it received its royal charter ...
. He liked
Russian literature
Russian literature refers to the literature of Russia and its émigrés and to Russian language, Russian-language literature. The roots of Russian literature can be traced to the Middle Ages, when epics and chronicles in Old East Slavic were c ...
and planned to apply for the Russian Department, but the Sino-Soviet relationship was so tense that the Russian Department did not recruit new students, so he entered the French department.
After university in 1962, he did his postgraduate work at the Institute of Foreign Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences under
Li Jianwu
Li Jianwu (; 17 August 1906 - 24 November 1982) was a Chinese author, dramatist and translator who was the president of French Literature Research Council. Li was an officer of the Chinese State Council and a member of National Committee of the C ...
. In 1969, he was sent to the May Seventh Cadre Schools to do farm works in Xi County, Henan. At the end of the Cultural Revolution, he reviewed French and recited French dictionaries in his spare time.
In 1979, he completed and published his first literary translation ''Longevity Potion'' (written by Honoré de Balzac) in ''World Literature'' magazine. Then he translated several pieces of Honoré de Balzac's works successively. From 1981 to 1983, he was a visiting scholar at the University of Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3. In 1984, he joined the faculty of Wuhan University and became director of its French Department and director of the Institute of French Studies. He joined the
China Writers Association
China Writers Association or Chinese Writers Association (CWA, ) is a subordinate people's organization of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC). Founded in July 1949, the organization was initially named the China National Liter ...
in 1984 and joined the Communist Party of China in 1985. On March 13, 1987, the French government bestowed its National Medal in Education (First Class) on him for his contributions to the introduction of French literature to foreign readers. He was transferred to Shanghai in 1987 and that same year became a professor at Shanghai Normal University, where he worked until his retirement in 2009. He died at
Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital
Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital () is a teaching hospital in Shanghai, China, affiliated with the School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The hospital was constructed beside Dishui Lake in Nanhui New City, near the Shanghai Free Trade ...
on September 20, 2020.
Personal life
Zheng married Zhu Biheng, an English literature translator.
Works
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Translations
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Awards
* 1987 French National Medal in Education (First Class) for his contributions to the introduction of French literature to foreign readers
* 2010 Title of "Senior Translator" by the Chinese Translation Association
* 2012 Fu Lei Translation and Publishing Award for translating '' The Second Sex''