Shaboli, formerly known as Sidney Shapiro, is an American-born Jew who has been particularly fond of China since he came to China in April 1947, not only marrying a Chinese wife, but also joining Chinese nationality, and eventually becoming a member of the Chinese Writers Association and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
Chabori
Today we will explore why Shaboli, a Jew born in the United States, is particularly fond of China.
First, the current situation needs to learn Chinese, in order to decipher to come to China
Born in New York in 1915, Chabery studied law at St. John's University and became a lawyer after graduation. During World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Army as an anti-aircraft artillery soldier.
At that time, due to the needs of the situation, the United States decided to train a group of soldiers to learn the world language, and Saboli was sent to learn the history and culture of Chinese and China, and since then he has developed a strong interest in the mysterious country of the far East.
After retiring from the army, Shaboli used the discharge allowance to enter Columbia University to further study Chinese and Chinese history and culture, and then transferred to Yale University to continue his studies. At Yale, Mr. Shaberi met many Chinese classmates, and after getting to know each other, they joked, "Is the Chinese you studied Mandarin or Cantonese?" ”
Old photograph of Shaboli
The jokes of the classmates made Sha Boli realize that if he wanted to learn Chinese well, he had to go to China. In the spring of 1947, with a yearning for the oriental country, Sha Boli held the psychology of "going to China to see", and came to Shanghai alone with only $200 of savings, what he did not expect was that this decision made him indissoluble with China from then on.
Second, meet a beautiful girl and devote herself to revolutionary work
When Sha Boli traveled far and wide to Shanghai, China, everything he saw was completely different from the China he imagined and introduced in the books, and because he was in the dark period of Kuomintang rule, "the China I saw at that time was very terrible." The masses are very bitter, the ruling class beats and bullies people, and the people are very poor. ”
Chaboli felt a great psychological gap, and he wanted to leave, but he was really unwilling. I had to return to my old business, open a law firm, and settle down temporarily. Just when he was confused, through the introduction of yale classmates, he met a beautiful girl, fengzi, who later became his wife.
Wedding photo of Sha Boli and Fengzi
Fengzi is two years older than Sha Boli, graduated from Fudan University, starred in many dramas such as "Thunderstorm" and "Sunrise", and her public identity is an active figure in Shanghai's literary and art circles, and the editor-in-chief of "Human World" magazine. The appearance of The Phoenix dispelled the bad impression of the original Chinese in Sha Boli's brain, she was full of emotions, when she was angry, her eyes would burst into flames, and when she was happy, she smiled like a child, which made Sha Boli feel that Chinese was no longer nothing, but the same real richness.
As a result, Sha Boli began to learn Chinese with Fengzi, which allowed him to Chinese level by leaps and bounds, and he also learned more about Chinese culture. He even happily gave himself Chinese name "Shaboli", which means "erudite and sensible".
As the two became more and more in contact, Sha Boli gradually discovered another identity of Fengzi, an underground member of the Communist Party. "It is remarkable that a young girl is engaged in such a dangerous job under the high-pressure policy of the Kuomintang." Chaboli admired Fengzi very much, and under the inspiration of Fengzi and her friends, he resolutely threw himself into revolutionary work.
Chaboli photo
Chaboli took the initiative to use his American status to provide cover for everyone, and his law firm became a place for underground party organizations to connect, and often risked transporting medicines to the liberated areas, although these jobs were very risky, but he was never timid. He said: "I participated in the anti-fascist war in the United States, came to China, saw that the Chinese Communist Party is the representative of advanced forces, I respect them, I hope to help them do something." ”
After a year of acquaintance with Fengzi, in May 1948, the two entered the palace of marriage. However, shortly after the two married, Fengzi's underground party identity was exposed, and the Kuomintang began to arrest her. In order to avoid being arrested by the Kuomintang, Fengzi took Sha Boli all the way north to Beiping, and then rushed to the Liberated Area.
A few months later, Peiping was peacefully liberated. On that day, Sha Boli excitedly pedaled his bicycle to Xizhimen to welcome the People's Liberation Army into the city. On October 1, 1949, because Ofsa Boli and Fengzi had made outstanding contributions to the revolution, they were invited to attend the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China and witnessed the founding of New China on the viewing platform.
The old translator Chaboli
The moment Chairman Mao Zedong announced that "the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China was established today", Although not a Chinese, Sha Boli felt that passion and emotion spread throughout his body like an electric current. He truly realized that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the poor Chinese people finally stood up. This moment also suddenly made Sha Boli decide that he could do more meaningful things in China than in the United States, and he wanted to stay forever!
Third, join the Chinese nationality and let the world know a real China
Since he stayed in China, Sha Boli decided to combine his own personal experience to let the world know a real China. Just after the founding of New China, Sha Boli was arranged to work in the Foreign Cultural Liaison Bureau, engaged in translation work, so he gave full play to the advantages of proficiency in English and Chinese, and devoted himself to his work with enthusiasm, translating a large number of excellent Chinese modern and contemporary literary works.
When translating "Water Margin", one of the four famous works in China, I encountered the classical Chinese literature in half-text, and even many Chinese had a hard time reading it, let alone an American. Chabori is almost the equivalent of relearning a language.
Through careful deliberation and slow deliberation, Cha Boli climbed through the "Water Margin" a hundred times word by word, he ate the meaning of the original text thoroughly, rolled in his stomach ten times a hundred times, "passed on its god without limiting its shape", before and after 8 years, and finally completed this "landmark and wonderful translation in the history of Chinese translation".
Translation of Water Margin
In addition to translations, Chaboli has also authored many works such as "My China" and "The Criminal Law of China's Feudal Society", which have been published in China, the United States, Israel, Singapore and other countries, which have aroused great repercussions.
In 1963, after several sincere applications and with the approval of Premier Zhou, Sha Boli became a Chinese citizen. Excitedly writing in his autobiography, he said: "I feel that I have a stronger sense of responsibility for my work and what has happened in China. I was no longer a caring helper, but a complete participant! ”
In 1983, Sha Boli was elected as a member of the Sixth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and since then he has served as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference for six consecutive terms, becoming the longest-serving "foreign member" in the country. He has always actively participated in the administration and discussion of state affairs, often visited all parts of the country, put forward bills on some issues, and still paid great attention to the work of the CPPCC at the age of 98.
Certificate of Chinese Nationality
In December 2010, Cha Boli won the highest award in the Field of Chinese Translation, the "Lifetime Achievement Award for Chinese Translation Culture". Because of his contributions to Chinese culture, he has been called "a sincere friend who has accompanied the people of Chinese for more than half a century."
In short, Sha Boli, a Jew born in the United States, because he witnessed the Chinese Communist Party saving The once suffering China, and the profundity of Chinese culture, and was particularly fond of China, he not only joined the Chinese nationality and married a Chinese wife, but also used his advantages to try to let the world know a real China by translating many Chinese cultural works.
Sha Boli's experience fully confirms the greatness of the Communist Party of China and truly highlights the charm of Chinese culture. We should learn from his fearless spirit of resolutely choosing to change his nationality for the sake of truth, always follow the Communist Party, and strive for the prosperity and strength of the country, the rejuvenation of the nation, and the well-being of the people.
Sha Boli attended the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
This article is original by "Such As Day Zhongtian 54", welcome to pay attention, learn together, and make progress together!