The Woman Behind Chinese Reader's Digest

"Both her use of language and her actions express her resolute, intelligent, and lively personality. Whether in China or abroad Anor has always appeared somewhat different, but she has never thought of herself as someone special. If one day I should discover that her true genius had shot forth like rays of light from those bright eyes of hers, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised."

The above is a paraphrase of the words written forty years ago by the American Nobel prize winning author Pearl S. Buck describing Lin Tai-yi (Anna), daughter of the master of humor, Lin Yu-t'ang, as a fifteen-year-old girl.

Forty years later Anor, who now resides in Hong Kong, is no longer a little girl. And she's no longer only "Lin Yu- t'ang's daughter" but the holder of a quite well-known title in Chinese society--editor-in-chief of the Chinese Reader's Digest.

Ever since she was a child, Lin Tai-yi has followed in her father's footsteps. She has lived in China, the United States, and various European countries. Imbued with her father's excellent command of Chinese and English, she has made both languages her mother tongue.

At the age of fifteen, Lin Tai-yi and her sister Lin Ju-ssu, translated Diary of a Female Soldier into English and published it after her father did the editing. She has also translated the famous Ching dynasty (1644-1911) novel Ching-hua yuan, or Flowers in the Mirror, into English on behalf of the United Nations Educational Science and Cultural Organization. What's more, she has written six novels in English.

In 1962, the American Reader's Digest set out to publish a Chinese language edition. They needed a person with a firm command of both Chinese and English to fill the position of editor. They spent two years looking for just the right person before selecting Lin Tai-yi, a graduate in European and American Literature from Columbia University.

In June 1964 Lin Tai-yi, together with two businessmen, began preparations in a small room which could only fit three tables and chairs. Half a year later, the Chinese language edition of Reader's Digest was formally published. At that time, the content was purely a translation of the English, which she did by herself or invited others to help out. She did all the work of editing "At that time we were not so sure of ourselves," Lin Tai-yi recalls. "If we couldn't do a good job we could always go home and cook."

Much to her surprise, the Chinese language edition of Reader's Digest was widely accepted as soon as it was distributed. Not only did it create a sensation in Hong Kong but also in Taiwan as well, where it sold out on the first day that it hit the stands.

At present, the Chinese Reader's Digest has monthly sales totaling 300,000 copies per month. This is a big increase compared to the 7,000 copies per month sold in the beginning.

It's not an easy thing to translate such a collective periodical from English to Chinese, grasp the essence of the work, make it appeal to the Chinese reader, while at the same time maintain the quality and characteristics of the original. The Japanese language edition of Reader's Digest was discontinued two years ago due to poor sales.

At the start, the Chinese Reader's Digest was basically a translation of the English edition. However, over the past eighteen years the number of essays by Chinese authors has increased. Occasionally, there are interviews or articles by the editor.

After a chat with Lin Tai-yi you'll discover that her manner of expressing herself, like the style of Reader's Digest itself, is concise and to the point. When asked if she had inherited her father's good sense of humor she laughed saying, "That's not for me to say. What do you think?"

Flora L. K. Tsang, who has worked with Lin Tai-yi for seven years editing, describes her as "broadminded, humorous, and trusting of others."

Lin Tai-yi, one of three children, has always been the most uncompromising, the most daring, and the one who loves to ask the most questions. We can see this from My Family, a book compiled from the diaries of the three sisters as children.

"Who made me a girl? I don't like being a girl. I want to be a boy. Who decided that I should be a girl anyway? Does he know that I don't like being a girl? Who said that I should be born on April 1, 1926? And who said that I was to be born with ten fingers, two eyes, and one mouth?"

The above was written by Lin Tai-yi as a child. It's no wonder that Pearl S. Buck thought she was "stubborn--whether in China or abroad she has always been different."

Her sister A T'ai says, "Without a doubt she was an excellent student. She always prepared her lessons late into the night. Father would tell her to quit for the night, but she would go on reading and writing."

Lin Tai-yi herself says, "For me, making the choice to work for Reader's Digest has fulfilled my father's saying, 'there's a time to do things seriously.'"

Lin Tai-yi's husband, Li Ming, was formerly head of the Hong Kong Information Services Department. They have one son and one daughter, who are now living in the U.S. When Lin Tai-yi retires she plans to move to the U.S. and live with her daughter.

"It's a bit difficult leaving after 23 years," she says. "But the groundwork for the Chinese language edition of Reader's Digest has been set. Now I would like to give up my seat to a young person. I hope that I can have some time to write and do the things I've been wanting to do." For now, her greatest desire is to compile her father's posthumous works and his diary.

[Picture Caption]

A group photo of the three Lin sisters with their father, Lin Yu-t'ang. Lin Tai-yi (left), Lin Hsiang-ju (middle), and Lin Ju-ssu (right). (photo courtesy of Dr. Lin Yutang Memory Library)

Lin Tai-yi with a group of workers from the Chinese Reader's Digest. Tung Ch'ao, (far right) is the new editor-in-chief.

A group photo of the three Lin sisters with their father, Lin Yu-t'ang. Lin Tai-yi （left）, Lin Hsiang-ju （middle）, and Lin Ju-ssu （right）. （photo courtesy of Dr. Lin Yutang Memory Library）

Lin Tai-yi with a group of workers from the Chinese Reader's Digest. Tung Ch'ao, （far right） is the new editor-in-chief.