Chinese writer Chen Zhongshi died this morning in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. He was 73. His masterpieces include “White Deer Plain,” which won him China’s top literature prize.
中国著名作家陈忠实先生于今日清晨在陕西省西安西京医院去世，享年73岁。陈忠实先生曾写过多部作品，其中最有名的作品之一《白鹿原》使其获得中国顶级的文学奖项。
Chen was born in June 1942 in Xi’an. He started writing prose in 1965 and finished his magnum opus “White Deer Plain” in 1992, for which he won the Mao Dun Literature Prize in 1997, one of most prestigious literature prizes in China. With the novel’s publication in 1993, Chen shot to fame almost overnight. Critics described his works as a “realistic reflection of Chinese contemporary history.”
陈忠实于1942年6月份出生于陕西西安。自1965年起，他开始着手写散文，在1992年完成了其代表作《白鹿原》，并凭借该作品在1997年获得中国最负盛名的文学奖项——茅盾文学奖。随着《白鹿原》在1993年正式出版，陈忠实也可谓一夜成名。评论家评价陈忠实的作品为“中国当代历史的现实写照”。
“White Deer Plain,” which has sold 1.6 million copies thus far, has been adapted into various art forms including Shaanxi Opera, stage drama, dance drama, comic strips and sculptures. The story tells of the hardships and spiritual pursuits of several generations living on White Deer Plain, mirroring the radical changes that took place in the Chinese countryside over a near-half-century.
迄今为止，《白鹿原》这一作品已发行近160万册，并被改编成包括秦腔、舞台剧、舞蹈剧、连环画以及雕塑在内的多种艺术形式。《白鹿原》讲述了居住在白鹿原这片土地上几代人艰苦奋斗的民族史诗以及这些人的精神追求，反映了近半个世纪以来中国农村地区的沧桑巨变。
“If this novel can arouse the interest of readers and help them to gain a real sense of the history it relates and of the background against which contemporary China walks, I will feel totally satisfied,” he once said.
陈忠实曾经说过：“如果这部小说能够引发读者兴趣，并帮助他们从真正意义上了解作品中涉及的当时中国经历的那段历史背景，我就非常满足了。”
In 2010, this novel was adapted into a film of the same name directed by Wang Quan’an and starring Zhang Fengyi, Zhang Yuqi and Duan Yihong. The film competed in competition for the Golden Bear at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival, where Lutz Reitemeier won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Achievement in photography.
2010年，这部小说被改编成电影。该电影由王全安导演执导，集结了张丰毅，张雨绮以及段奕宏等演员联合出演，并获得第62届柏林国际电影节金熊奖提名。《白鹿原》的德国摄影师卢茨·赖特迈尔还凭借该作品获得了该届国际电影节最佳摄影银熊奖。
The book was also listed in a must-read selection by China’s Ministry of Education for university students.
与此同时，《白鹿原》还被中国教育部认定为大学生必读作品之一。
In 1979, he became a member of the Chinese Writers Association and then served as the association’s vice chairman between 2001 and 2006.
1979年，陈忠实成为中国作家协会的成员，并且在2001年至2006年期间担任该协会的副主席职务。
