The Friendship between Yen Fun and Wei-Ching Williams Yen and the Study on the Translation of Western Terminology in the Late-Qing Period

摘要

Yen Fuh (1854-1921) and Wei-Ching Williams Yen (1877-1950) were both famous translators in the late Qing dynasty. They got acquainted with each other through activities organized by the Shanghai YMCA and the World's Chinese Students' Federation. In the Palace Examination at Peking for students abroad held by the Qing government, Yen Fuh happened to be Wei-Ching Williams Yen's examiner and thereby they developed a teacher-student relationship. Wei-Ching Williams Yen was deeply influenced by Yen Fuh and highly affirmed the logical terms created by Yen Fuh. Later, Wei-Ching Williams Yen presided over the compilation of AnEnglishandChineseStandardDictionary', which adopted the terms established by Yen Fuh in his translated works. Yen Fuh wrote the preface to the dictionary, where he spoke highly of Wei-Ching Williams Yen's hard work. They also worked together in the Qing government's noun hall and created Western Returned Students' Club. Obviously, the sense of camaraderie developed between Yen Fuh and Wei-Ching Williams Yen was conducive to the creation and unification of terminology in the late Qing Dynasty. Also, it promoted the development of student abroad groups, expanded the influence of Yen Fuh's translated works and terminology translation, and facilitated the construction of various disciplines in modern China. Moreover, it made outstanding contributions to the communication of Chinese and Western cultures.