Medals struck to honor renowned translator
One of the souvenir medals commemorating renowned Chinese translator Fu Lei and his wife, Zhu Meifu.
Souvenir medals commemorating renowned Chinese translator Fu Lei and his wife, Zhu Meifu, have been launched in Fu’s childhood home of Zhoupu in the Pudong New Area.
The medals, in four materials including silver and bronze, show the couple’s heads close together, a pose based on a sculpture by artist Sheng Yang.
Lu Dongsheng, Party chief of Zhoupu Town, said Zhu was also responsible for Fu’s success. She was not only his wife, but his lifelong assistant who sorted and copied every piece of his work.
Sheng said he hoped to reflect Fu’s good character and the couple’s closeness. The work had been highly regarded by Fu’s children and was used on the cover of “Fu Lei’s Family Letters,” a book of Fu’s letters to family and friends. First published in 1981, the book is still popular today.
On Sunday, Sheng sent a souvenir medal to the Fu Lei Library in Zhoupu, where Fu lived from the ages of 4 to 19.
The library covers some 5,500 square meters and has more than 200,000 books. It features Fu's archive with more than 500 books translated or written by him.
The Fu Lei Library in Zhoupu
Better known to many Western readers by the name Fou Lei, Fu is best known for his translations of French writers including Balzac and Voltaire.
“Fu is the treasure of Zhoupu. We will promote his spirit, explore his legacy and promote local culture,” Lu said.
Huang Wei, director of the Pudong Culture Sports and Tourism Bureau, said Pudong now had a former residence, library, school and foundation under Fu’s name, and in the future authorities will integrate resources to further promote Fu’s spirit and culture.
