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George Kao

George Kao (Chinese: 高克毅; pinyin: Gāo Kèyì;[1] 29 May 1912 – 1 March 2008) was a Chinese American author, translator, and journalist. He is best known for translating English-language classics into Chinese and for his efforts to bring Chinese classics to English-speaking audiences.

George Kao 高克毅
Born(1912-05-29)May 29, 1912
Ann Arbor, Michigan
DiedMarch 22, 2008(2008-03-22) (aged 95)
Winter Park, Florida
Resting placePalm Cemetery, Winter Park
Pen name喬志高 Qiao Zhigao
OccupationWriter, translator, journalist
NationalityAmerican
Alma materYenching University
University of Missouri
Columbia University
SpouseMaeching Li Kao 高李梅卿

Biography edit

Kao was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States to parents who were studying as Boxer Rebellion Indemnity Scholarship Program students and moved with them to China at age three, living in Nanjing, Beijing, and Shanghai. He graduated from Yenching University in 1933 and returned to the United States, enrolling in the University of Missouri School of Journalism, where he received a Master's degree in 1935, and Columbia University, where he received a Master's degree in 1937.

From 1937–47, Kao worked for the Publications Section of the Chinese News Service, Inc., a news agency sponsored by the Republic of China's Board of Information and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There he edited a daily news bulletin called The Voice of China based on radio reports from Chongqing, the Republic's capital during World War II.[2] In 1939, Kao was a journalist in New York. He served as a correspondent for China Press and China Weekly Review in Shanghai. In New York, an association named The Foreign Press Association was formed by foreign journalists. Kao was the only Chinese journalist among fifteen members. They wrote a book together called You Americans. In the book, Kao titled his chapter " Your Country and My People" as a play on Lin Yutang's book My Country and My People.[3]

From 1947–49, he worked for China's newly formed Government Information Office as director of the West Coast office and, later, as editor-in-chief of The Chinese Press (華美周報 Huá-Měi Zhōubào).From 1951–53, Kao was a Chinese-language Instructor at the United States Department of Defense's Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. In 1957, he became chief editor for the Washington, D.C. Voice of America's radio Chinese Broadcast, and later deputy director of the China Branch, and resided in nearby Kensington, Maryland. In 1972, he moved to Hong Kong as a visiting senior fellow at the newly founded Research Centre for Translation at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He returned to Kensington, Maryland in 1976 and lived in Rockville, Maryland and in Florida for the remainder of his life. His wife of 57 years, Maeching Li Kao (born ca. 1920), died on 25 July 2003 and Kao himself died in 2008 at the Mayflower retirement home in Winter Park, Florida.

Before his death, Kao established the George and Maeching Kao Endowment for Chinese Studies at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. The memorial funding, a living testimony to Kao's lifelong dedication to promoting mutual understanding between the American and Chinese peoples, provides funding for scholarship, language learning and library purchases each year.

Writings and translations edit

Kao was prolific as a translator from both English to Chinese and Chinese to English. He is known in the Chinese world as the translator of several classics of English-language literature and as the author of several books on the English language and about the United States. Among his literary translations are F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward Angel, and Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night. With his brother Irving K.Y. Kao, he was Co-Editor of a popular New Dictionary of Idiomatic American English, published by both the Chinese University Press and Peking University Press in traditional and simplified Chinese editions, respectively. He also translated numerous Chinese works into English. At the Chinese University of Hong Kong, he founded (in 1973) and served as Editor of the highly regarded Renditions which translates classical and contemporary Chinese literature into English. He also contributed a number of translations to the journal himself. He edited or translated several of Taiwan author Pai Hsien-yung's collections into English.

Selected works edit

Some works written or edited by George Kao include:

  • New Dictionary of Idiomatic American English: A Compendium of Popular Words and Phrases (coedited with Irving K.Y. Kao) (1994) ISBN 978-962-996-200-5
  • Cathay by the Bay: San Francisco Chinatown in 1950 (1987) ISBN 978-962-201-423-7
  • The Translation of Things Past: Chinese History and Historiography (1982) ISBN 978-0-295-95910-8
  • Two Writers and the Cultural Revolution: Lao She and Chen Jo-hsi (1980) ISBN 978-962-201-202-8
  • 紐約客談 (Niǔyuē Kètán) (1964) (in Chinese)
  • The Collected Wartime Messages of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, 1937–1945 (1946) ISBN 978-0-527-16800-1
  • Chinese Wit and Humor (1946) ISBN 978-0-8069-8003-4

Selected translations edit

References edit

  1. ^ Kao used a pen name, 喬志高 (Qiáozhì Gāo), a phonetic rendering of "George Kao" in Chinese characters, in works in Chinese.
  2. ^ William E. Daugherty. "China's Official Publicity in the United States." The Public Opinion Quarterly. 6.1 (Spring, 1942): 70-86.
  3. ^ 高克毅 (1912-2008) (2013). Mei yu xin quan. 2, Mou sha ying wen. Gao ke yi, (1912-2008), 高克毅, (1912-2008). Gui lin: Guang xi shi fan ta xue chu ban she. ISBN 978-7-5495-2662-8. OCLC 910304225.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Additional sources edit

  • Joe Holley. "George Kao; Writer-Translator Helped Readers in China, U.S. Share Cultures." (Obituary). Washington Post. 7 March 2008. p. B07.
  • at National Taiwan University Library website (in Chinese and English)

External links edit

  • 大亨小傳:增訂版前言 (The Great Gatsby: Introduction to the Expanded Edition by George Kao) at ReadingTimes.com (in Chinese)

george, other, uses, george, disambiguation, chinese, 高克毅, pinyin, gāo, kèyì, 1912, march, 2008, chinese, american, author, translator, journalist, best, known, translating, english, language, classics, into, chinese, efforts, bring, chinese, classics, english. For other uses see George Gao disambiguation George Kao Chinese 高克毅 pinyin Gao Keyi 1 29 May 1912 1 March 2008 was a Chinese American author translator and journalist He is best known for translating English language classics into Chinese and for his efforts to bring Chinese classics to English speaking audiences George Kao 高克毅Born 1912 05 29 May 29 1912Ann Arbor MichiganDiedMarch 22 2008 2008 03 22 aged 95 Winter Park FloridaResting placePalm Cemetery Winter ParkPen name喬志高 Qiao ZhigaoOccupationWriter translator journalistNationalityAmericanAlma materYenching UniversityUniversity of MissouriColumbia UniversitySpouseMaeching Li Kao 高李梅卿 Contents 1 Biography 2 Writings and translations 2 1 Selected works 2 2 Selected translations 3 References 4 Additional sources 5 External linksBiography editKao was born in Ann Arbor Michigan in the United States to parents who were studying as Boxer Rebellion Indemnity Scholarship Program students and moved with them to China at age three living in Nanjing Beijing and Shanghai He graduated from Yenching University in 1933 and returned to the United States enrolling in the University of Missouri School of Journalism where he received a Master s degree in 1935 and Columbia University where he received a Master s degree in 1937 From 1937 47 Kao worked for the Publications Section of the Chinese News Service Inc a news agency sponsored by the Republic of China s Board of Information and Ministry of Foreign Affairs There he edited a daily news bulletin called The Voice of China based on radio reports from Chongqing the Republic s capital during World War II 2 In 1939 Kao was a journalist in New York He served as a correspondent for China Press and China Weekly Review in Shanghai In New York an association named The Foreign Press Association was formed by foreign journalists Kao was the only Chinese journalist among fifteen members They wrote a book together called You Americans In the book Kao titled his chapter Your Country and My People as a play on Lin Yutang s book My Country and My People 3 From 1947 49 he worked for China s newly formed Government Information Office as director of the West Coast office and later as editor in chief of The Chinese Press 華美周報 Hua Mei Zhōubao From 1951 53 Kao was a Chinese language Instructor at the United States Department of Defense s Defense Language Institute in Monterey California In 1957 he became chief editor for the Washington D C Voice of America s radio Chinese Broadcast and later deputy director of the China Branch and resided in nearby Kensington Maryland In 1972 he moved to Hong Kong as a visiting senior fellow at the newly founded Research Centre for Translation at the Chinese University of Hong Kong He returned to Kensington Maryland in 1976 and lived in Rockville Maryland and in Florida for the remainder of his life His wife of 57 years Maeching Li Kao born ca 1920 died on 25 July 2003 and Kao himself died in 2008 at the Mayflower retirement home in Winter Park Florida Before his death Kao established the George and Maeching Kao Endowment for Chinese Studies at Rollins College in Winter Park Florida The memorial funding a living testimony to Kao s lifelong dedication to promoting mutual understanding between the American and Chinese peoples provides funding for scholarship language learning and library purchases each year Writings and translations editKao was prolific as a translator from both English to Chinese and Chinese to English He is known in the Chinese world as the translator of several classics of English language literature and as the author of several books on the English language and about the United States Among his literary translations are F Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby Thomas Wolfe s Look Homeward Angel and Eugene O Neill s Long Day s Journey Into Night With his brother Irving K Y Kao he was Co Editor of a popular New Dictionary of Idiomatic American English published by both the Chinese University Press and Peking University Press in traditional and simplified Chinese editions respectively He also translated numerous Chinese works into English At the Chinese University of Hong Kong he founded in 1973 and served as Editor of the highly regarded Renditions which translates classical and contemporary Chinese literature into English He also contributed a number of translations to the journal himself He edited or translated several of Taiwan author Pai Hsien yung s collections into English Selected works edit Some works written or edited by George Kao include New Dictionary of Idiomatic American English A Compendium of Popular Words and Phrases coedited with Irving K Y Kao 1994 ISBN 978 962 996 200 5 Cathay by the Bay San Francisco Chinatown in 1950 1987 ISBN 978 962 201 423 7 The Translation of Things Past Chinese History and Historiography 1982 ISBN 978 0 295 95910 8 Two Writers and the Cultural Revolution Lao She and Chen Jo hsi 1980 ISBN 978 962 201 202 8 紐約客談 Niǔyue Ketan 1964 in Chinese The Collected Wartime Messages of Generalissimo Chiang Kai shek 1937 1945 1946 ISBN 978 0 527 16800 1 Chinese Wit and Humor 1946 ISBN 978 0 8069 8003 4Selected translations edit The Great Gatsby 大亨小傳 F Scott Fitzgerald 1971 in Chinese ISBN 978 957 13 3524 7 Long Day s Journey Into Night 長夜漫漫路迢迢 Eugene O Neill 1973 in Chinese ISBN 957 39 0215 X Look Homeward Angel 天使 望故鄉 Thomas Wolfe 1985 in Chinese ISBN 978 7 108 00003 3 Taipei People 台北人 Pai Hsien yung 白先勇 2000 in Chinese and English ISBN 978 962 201 859 4 四十自述 Autobiography at Forty 胡适 Hu Shih 2016 in Chinese and English ISBN 978 7 5135 7429 7References edit Kao used a pen name 喬志高 Qiaozhi Gao a phonetic rendering of George Kao in Chinese characters in works in Chinese William E Daugherty China s Official Publicity in the United States The Public Opinion Quarterly 6 1 Spring 1942 70 86 高克毅 1912 2008 2013 Mei yu xin quan 2 Mou sha ying wen Gao ke yi 1912 2008 高克毅 1912 2008 Gui lin Guang xi shi fan ta xue chu ban she ISBN 978 7 5495 2662 8 OCLC 910304225 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Additional sources editJoe Holley George Kao Writer Translator Helped Readers in China U S Share Cultures Obituary Washington Post 7 March 2008 p B07 George Kao 高克毅 at National Taiwan University Library website in Chinese and English External links edit大亨小傳 增訂版前言 The Great Gatsby Introduction to the Expanded Edition by George Kao at ReadingTimes com in Chinese Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title George Kao amp oldid 1188827286, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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