Lu Yao’s stories capture the experiences shared by many Chinese people. CFP
Though he has only two published works, Lu Yao (1949-1992) is one of the most celebrated Chinese writers of the 20th century.
尽管只有两部出版作品留世，但路遥却是20世纪最负盛名的中国作家之一。
Dec 2 would have been Lu’s 70th birthday. Bookstores, universities and writers’ associations around China have held lectures and reading campaigns to commemorate the writer.
今年12月2日是路遥的70周岁诞辰。全国各地的书店、大学以及作家协会都纷纷举办了讲座和读书活动来纪念这位作家。
What makes Lu stand out even today?
为何路遥至今仍有如此深广的影响力？
“His stories focus on every ordinary young person in the great transformation of Chinese society,” said Li Jingze, vice chairman of the China Writers Association.
“他的故事写出了中国社会巨大变革中每一个普通人的故事，”中国作家协会副主席李敬泽表示。
In his book Life, we read about the tortuous life of a young man named Gao Jialin. Graduating from high school in the 1980s, Gao is ambitious and wants to work hard in the city for a better life. However, due to his identity as a poor and powerless man from a small village, he loses his job and eventually has to return to his hometown.
在他所著的《人生》一书中，我们读到了一个名为高加林的年轻人曲折的一生。上世纪80年代，高中毕业生高加林满怀雄心壮志前往城市打拼，希望过上更好的日子。然而由于小村庄出身的他既不富裕也没有背景，他丢了工作，最终不得不回到家乡。
His story mirrors the real lives of many young people at the time.
他的故事反映了当时许多年轻人的真实生活。
“When I first read Life during my college years, I burst into tears. I felt that my life path and fate resonated with his. It seems that his blood is flowing in my blood vessels,” said Chinese writer Ge Fei.
“大学初读《人生》这本书时，我泪流满面。我觉得我的生活道路、人生命运跟他发生了某种共振。仿佛他的血流在我身上。”中国作家格非说道。
Lu’s works not only feature the fates of young people but also “the heartbeat of the time”, CGTN noted.
路遥的作品不光写出了年轻人的命运，也写出了“时代的心跳”，中国国际电视台指出。
As a realistic piece of work, the story in Ordinary World spans from early 1975 to 1985, and aims to panoramically reflect the huge historical changes of urban and rural life in China.
作为一部现实主义作品，《平凡的世界》讲述了一段从1975年初到1985年的故事，意在全景式地反映中国当代城乡生活的历史巨变。
In this book, which won the Mao Dun Literature Prize, Lu tells the story of two brothers – Sun Shaoping and Sun Shao’an – pursuing their dreams. He presents what he saw in that era: the conflict between the new ideas of city life and the traditional views of village life as society developed.
在这部曾获茅盾文学奖的小说中，路遥讲述了孙少安和孙少平两兄弟追梦的故事。他展现了自己在那个时代的所见所闻：随着社会发展，城市生活的新思想和乡村生活的传统观念之间产生了冲突。
Nowadays, young people who leave their hometowns to follow their dreams in a big city face similar dilemmas. This book still inspires young people confronted with difficulties and setbacks.
如今，离开家乡在大城市逐梦的年轻人也面临着类似的困境。这本书依然激励着那些遭遇困难与挫折的年轻人。
“In the past 40 years, millions of Chinese people have had new experiences, emotions, dreams and pains amid great changes. They are deep in people’s hearts and Lu Yao wrote it out,” Li Jingze told CGTN. “His works inspire many to walk ahead, out of passion for life, with the trends of the time, and provide a sense of meaning to their lives.”
“在过去的四十年间，数百万中国人在巨变之中都有了全新的经历、情感、梦想与痛苦。它们深入人心，而路遥把这些都写了出来，”李敬泽在接受中国国际电视台采访时表示。“他的作品鼓励了许多人要满怀对生命的热爱，随着时代潮流前行，为他们的人生带来了意义。”
