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One Hundred Years, Many People, Many Things
Yang Yi, a beloved Chinese translator and centenarian, invites readers into her extraordinary life in this intimate oral memoir. Born into a prominent aristocratic family in early 20th-century Tianjin, she recounts her sheltered yet constrained childhood, shaped by traditional family hierarchies and the shadow of her mother’s concubine status. Her journey takes a dramatic turn during the Sino-Japanese War, as she escapes her stifling home to study at the renowned Southwest Associated University in Kunming, where she befriends literary giants like Ba Jin and Shen Congwen, falls in love with fellow scholar Zhao Ruihong, and discovers her passion for translation. The memoir traces her post-war years in Chongqing and Nanjing, the joys and struggles of marriage and motherhood, and her later rise to fame for translating *Wuthering Heights* into Chinese. More than a personal story, it’s a vivid firsthand account of China’s turbulent 20th century, told with warmth, candor, and the sharp memory of a woman who lived through a century of change.
Original Title: 一百年，许多人，许多事 Original Language: Chamorro
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