Yan Fu

Yan Fu (January 8, 1854 - October 27, 1921) was born in Houguan County, Fuzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, and his ancestral home was Gushi, Henan. Chinese modern enlightenment thinker and translator. He was the president of Fudan University, the president of Beijing Normal University, and one of the Six Gentlemen of the Security Council. Yan Fu systematically introduced Western sociology, politics, political economics, philosophy and natural science to China, and translated works such as "The Theory of Heavenly Evolution", "Original Riches", "Qunxue Yiyan", "Qunjiquanquanwen", "Society General Interpretation", "Famous Theory", "A Brief Introduction to Famous Studies", and "Mill's Famous Studies". His translation had a huge influence at the time and was the most important enlightenment translation in China in the 20th century. Yan Fu's translations were sophisticated and rigorous, and each translation was carefully considered. The translation standards he proposed of "faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance" had a profound impact on the translation work of later generations.