Cao Yu

Chinese · 1910–1996

China's foremost modern dramatist, whose debut Thunderstorm at age twenty-three established spoken drama as a major literary form in China and remains its most performed play.

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“在这个世界上,最痛苦的事就是在梦中清醒。”

Chinese

“The most painful thing in this world is being awake in a dream.”

Thunderstorm

“人们总是在绝望中挣扎,却又总想寻找出路。”

Chinese

“People are always in a hopeless situation, yet they always try to find a way out.”

Thunderstorm (Preface)

“太阳升起来了,黑暗留在后面。但是太阳不是我们的,我们要睡了。”

Chinese

“The sun has risen. The darkness is left behind. But the sun is not ours; we shall sleep.”

Sunrise (Act IV)

“我写的是一首诗,一首叙事诗……我用的不是写实的笔墨,我要写出的是一种情绪。”

Chinese

“What I wrote is a poem, a narrative poem... I did not use realistic techniques; what I wanted to write was a mood.”

Preface to Thunderstorm