Lu Xun Literary Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (1995) Winner
Ji Xianlin
ジー・シェンリン
Ji Xianlin
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1911-08-06 （Linqing, Shandong, China）
- Died
- 2009-07-11 （Beijing, People's Republic of China） age 97
- Nationality
- Chinese
- Languages
- Chinese, Sanskrit, Arabic, English, German, French, Russian, Pali, Tocharian
- Residence History
- Linqing, Shandong → Jinan, Shandong → Tsinghua University (Beijing) → Göttingen, Germany → Beijing, China
Career
- Occupations
- Indologist, linguist, paleographer, historian, writer, translator, educator
- Active Years
- 1934-2009
- Affiliations
- Peking University (founding director of Department of Eastern Languages; professor; vice president), Chinese Academy of Sciences (commissioner, Department of Social Science), Research Institute on South Asia (director)
- Memberships
- Member/Commissioner of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Influenced By
- Chen Yinke (scholar, recommender), Ernst Waldschmidt (mentor)
- Influenced
- Wen Jiabao (politician; regarded Ji as a mentor), Numerous Chinese Indologists and translators
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tsinghua University | Western Literature | Western Literature | 学士 | 1930–1934 | China |
| University of Göttingen | Sanskrit and Classical Languages | Sanskrit Studies | PhD | 1935–1941 | Germany |
Tsinghua University
Western Literature
/ Western Literature
Degree:
学士
Period:
1930–1934
Year of Graduation:
1934
Country:
China
Graduated from Tsinghua; later shifted focus to Indology.
University of Göttingen
Sanskrit and Classical Languages
/ Sanskrit Studies
Degree:
PhD
Period:
1935–1941
Year of Graduation:
1941
Country:
Germany
Studied under Ernst Waldschmidt; researched Sanskrit and ancient languages.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Lifetime Achievement Award for Translation (China) | — | — | Government of the People's Republic of China | 受賞 |
| 2008 | Padma Bhushan | For contributions to Sanskrit studies and translation | — | Government of India | 受賞 |
Lifetime Achievement Award for Translation (China)
2006
Organization:
Government of the People's Republic of China
Result:
受賞
Padma Bhushan
2008
Work:
For contributions to Sanskrit studies and translation
Organization:
Government of India
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Cowshed: Memories of the Chinese Cultural Revolution
1998 memoir / non-fictionA memoir recounting his persecution during the Cultural Revolution, personal suffering, remorse, and reflections on his generation's responsibility.
persecution and survivalmemory and remorseresponsibility of intellectuals
Translations
- English translation by Jiang Chenxin (2016)
Ramayana (Chinese translation from Sanskrit, in poetic form)
translation / epic poetryA clandestine Chinese translation of the Ramayana from Sanskrit, preserving poetic form; translated during the Cultural Revolution and published later.
cultural exchangetranslation of classical literature
Ji Xianlin Collection (selected essays and academic papers)
academic / essaysA multi-volume collection (reported as 24 volumes) covering ancient Indian languages, Sino-Indian cultural relations, comparative literature, and translation studies.
comparative culturelinguisticstranslation studies
Bibliography
- Selected bibliography of Ji Xianlin
Translations of Works
- The Cowshed (English translation by Jiang Chenxin, 2016)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- erudite yet concise prosecomparative and interdisciplinary approachemphasis on poetic expression in translation
- Recurring Motifs
- cultural exchangevalue of translationcomparison of Eastern and Western civilizations
Health
-
dermatological condition (hospitalization)2002（夏）Hospitalized in summer 2002 for a dermatological condition; required treatment but continued scholarly work thereafter.
-
heart attack (cause of death)2009Died of a heart attack on July 11, 2009.
Legacy
Ji Xianlin was a major scholar in Indology, comparative cultural studies and translation in China. He is highly regarded as an ethical advocate for cultural exchange, contributed to Sino-Indian academic ties, and received national and international honors.
Museums
- Ji Xianlin Research Institute (established under China Confucius Foundation) Beijing, China Opened in 2005
Academic Societies
- Chinese Language Society
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (related organizations)
Archives
- Ji Xianlin Collection (held at Peking University and affiliated institutions)
Quotes
-
Cultural exchange is the main drive for humankind's progress. Only by learning from each other's strong points can people constantly progress.
Source: Interview / Essay -
The river of Chinese civilization has kept alternating between rising and falling, but it has never dried up, because there was always fresh water flowing into it. The two largest inflows came from India and the West, both of which owed their success to translation.
Source: Essay / Lecture
Trivia
- In 2008 he was awarded the Padma Bhushan by India, one of the first Chinese recipients.
- He kept an early-morning writing routine, reportedly rising around 4:30 a.m.
- He secretly translated the Ramayana from Sanskrit during the Cultural Revolution, preserving poetic form — a risky act at the time.
- He received a Chinese government lifetime achievement award for translation in 2006.