Jin Di was born in Wuxing County, now known as Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province in September, 1921. In the early-1940s, he began to publish poetry and prose while studying at the foreign language school of Southwestern United University.
His translation career commenced when, in collaboration with British poet Robert Payne, he began to translate Shen Congwen’s collection of stories, The Chinese Earth, into English and had it published in Britain in 1947.
Mr. Jin delved into the translation and research of James Joyce's Ulysses in 1976, and since then he has carved out a career as a specialist that has brought him scores of awards. He currently works in the English department at the University of Oregon as a visiting professor.
Mr. Jin is the first Asian to be conferred with an honorable membership in the Irish Translators' and Interpreters' Association (ITIA). He was recognized not only for the translation of Ulysses, but also for many other literary works and his contributions to the theory of literary translation.
(China.org.cn July 29, 2008)
