He not only translated several of Tolstoy’s classic novels such as Anna Karenina into Chinese, he was also honored by Russia with the prestigious Maxim Gorky Literature Prize in 1987.

But as usual in obituaries for China’s “cultural workers,” the problematic 1960-1976 period is glossed over. An exception is Guangming Daily’s more forthright — and much more detailed — account (草婴：一辈子一件事). A few revealing factoids from the Chinese text: