"Shapiro would ride a bicycle to work every day while working for the magazine. He often translated the majority of the magazine's content and his works were so natural and vibrant thanks to his proficiency in both languages that they didn't even need to be polished," said Xiong Zhenru, 76, Shapiro's former colleague.

His career as a translator culminated in his translation of the classic novel Outlaws of the Marsh. As the story was set in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and written centuries ago, Shapiro found it hard to fully understand the novel. Fengzi would explain the parts he was not able to understand in plain Chinese to facilitate the process of translation.

It took Shapiro nearly 10 years to complete the undertaking. His version proved to be both fluent and accurate, winning wide recognition. Zhang Jinghao, a translator and translation theorist with the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, said that he liked Shapiro's translation of the novel because it managed to remain loyal to the original work without representing a word-for-word translation.

"It is both my profession and pleasure to translate Chinese literature. It enabled me to have the opportunity to 'know' as many Chinese and 'travel' to as many places as I would have been able to do in several lifetimes," said Shapiro.

Huang Youyi, Vice Chairman of the Translators Association of China and Shapiro's longtime friend, said that Shapiro has not only introduced China to the world through translating Chinese literary works, but more importantly, he helped train a group of competent translators for China.

"How well Chinese culture can be introduced to foreign countries often depends on how much translators know about foreign cultures. Shapiro distinguished himself by his deep understanding of both Chinese and Western cultures," said Zhou Mingwei, President of China International Publishing Group (CIPG), a Chinese media conglomerate targeting international audiences, members of which include the Foreign Languages Press, China Pictorial and Beijing Review.

On December 23, 2014, CIPG established a Sidney Shapiro Research Center in a bid to study Shapiro's life and works.

Deep involvement

In 1983, Shapiro became a member of China's top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). CPPCC members, who represent a range of political parties--the CPC and non-Communist parties alike--and various sectors of society, participate in the government's policymaking process by making proposals and offering consultations. Shapiro served that post for six successive five-year terms until his death, the longest period served by a foreign-born member.

During his service, Shapiro brought up many practical suggestions. For example, feeling that his residential area Shichahai was becoming too bustling due to the increasing number of bars in the neighborhood, he suggested many times that the area be rezoned so as to regain its original tranquil atmosphere. His proposals were taken on board and the Shichahai area has since become a cultural and historical preservation area of Beijing thanks to his and many other members' efforts.

In order to better understand the realities of Chinese society, Shapiro traveled to numerous parts of China with other CPPCC members. "Shapiro is a scholarly type. He would discover problems in real life and turn them into his research subjects," said Shu Yi, the son of noted writer Lao She (1899-1966). For example, Shapiro conducted research on economic reform in southwest China's Sichuan Province and published a thesis on this issue.

Having witnessed the changes in China over a time period spanning a little over a half century, Shapiro said in 2006 that the country has made remarkable progress compared with the extreme poverty and backwardness present in 1947 when he first came here. "Although it still has problems, its achievement is admirable on the whole," he said.

Shapiro returned to the United States several times. Although he was allowed to stay in his native country for as long as he wanted, he often came back only after two weeks because he felt more deeply attached to his adopted country.

"American society has changed a lot, and so have I. I don't have much to talk about with my former friends," Shapiro said.

"Shapiro was so deeply involved with China that he chose to remain in his traditional Chinese courtyard until his death," Huang said.

Profile

Sidney Shapiro (1915-2014) was of Jewish ethnicity and was born in Brooklyn, New York City. He graduated from St. John's University as a law major in 1937 and worked as a lawyer in the United States.

In 1963, he gained Chinese citizenship upon the approval of the then Premier Zhou Enlai, becoming one of the few naturalized citizens of China. In 1972, Shapiro transferred from the Foreign Languages Press to China Pictorial. In 1983, he retired from the publication. In 2010, Shapiro was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in Translation, one of most prestigious translation prizes in China.

Apart from the classic novel Outlaws of the Marsh, his works of translation encompass novels by renowned modern Chinese authors such as The Family by Ba Jin (1904-2005), and The Shop of the Lin Family and Spring Silkworms by Mao Dun (1896-1981). His written works include his autobiography I Chose China: The Metamorphosis of a Country and a Man, and A Sampler of Chinese Literature: From the Ming Dynasty to the Mao Zedong Era.

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