On the afternoon of May 28, 2025, from 4:00 to 5:00 PM, Professor Zhao Baisheng, a distinguished scholar and doctoral advisor from the School of Foreign Languages at Peking University, graced the 69th session of “Business and Cultural Translation Forum” series. He delivered an insightful lecture titled “The Secret Weapon of Master Translators: Diaries,” revealing how these private writings served as crucial training grounds for refining exceptional translation skills.
Professor Zhao, who also serves as Director of the World Biography Research Center at Peking University, President of the Chinese and International Association for Biographical Literature, and founder of the International Auto/Biography Association (IABA), drew on his profound expertise in biographical and translation studies. He compellingly argued that diaries possess three irreplaceable qualities for cultivating “master translators”: 1) enabling sustained self-dialogue, 2) providing a private space for authentic practice, and 3) creating timeless life records. These traits, he explained, make diaries a core “secret weapon” for honing linguistic sensitivity, deepening cultural insight, and nurturing intellectual resilience.
Illustrating his thesis with diaries from three renowned translators, Professor Zhao offered vivid analyses: Yan Fu’s Diaries (Complete Works of Yan Fu, Vol. 23: Diaries) revealed the meticulous scholarship and historical consciousness that informed his translations of Western social science classics; Ji Xianlin’s candid Tsinghua Garden Diaries—emphasizing raw authenticity—laid the groundwork for his later precise, culturally fluid translations. Xu Yuanchong’s poetic Diaries from Southwest Associated University foreshadowed his later “Three Beauties” aesthetic theory in translation.
Projected images of aged manuscript pages, paired with Professor Zhao’s engaging narration, transported the audience into the very moments these masters honed their craft.
The lecture hall was filled to capacity, with faculty and students listening with rapt attention and taking notes. During the Q&A session, lively discussions ensued on topics like the relevance of diary-writing for today’s translation students and diary practices in the digital age. Professor Zhao emphasized that regardless of format, maintaining diary-like honesty in reflection and committing to rigorous linguistic and cultural “self-training” remain indispensable for mastering translation.
The session culminated in warm applause, having offered unique insights into the life practices behind great translation—and inspiring many to refine their own skills through dedicated daily writing.
Translated by Wang Qichao, Reviewed by Wang Qichao
