1 Introduction

Lefebvre proposed that literary rewriting includes translation, anthology compilation, etc., which have a significant impact on the reputation and image construction of literary works. Living China "is the first comprehensive collection of English translations of modern Chinese novels, compiled by Snow and featuring 24 works by 15 Chinese authors. Selected works are the result of "local compilation", and the compiler is closely related to the source language culture, reflecting the cultural demands and social discourse of China at that time, with characteristics of the times and modern literature.

Overview of the Compilation of 'Living China'

In the late 1920s, as a writer for the Miller Review, Snow interacted with progressive Chinese figures and recognized the ideological frenzy and social critical power of the Chinese intellectual and creative circles. At that time, Western sinologists held a derogatory attitude towards modern Chinese literature. Snow decided to showcase the image of modern China after the May Fourth Movement through his collection "Living China", helping Western readers understand the spiritual, material, and cultural changes in China. The compilation of the anthology responded to the world left-wing movement of the 1920s. Snow supported Chinese left-wing figures and believed that modern Chinese novels had realistic criticality and were attractive to left-wing forces around the world. Meanwhile, the selection aims to elevate the status of modern Chinese novels within the Chinese literary system.

The Writing of Literary Images in Modern Chinese Fiction

The collection of "Living China" showcases the diversity and maturity of modern Chinese fiction by including 24 short stories. These works are mainly in first person and letter diary style, emphasizing individual voices and inner worlds, in contrast to the fictional and narrative nature of traditional novels. The anthology focuses on the lives and emotional experiences of ordinary individuals, reflecting the influence of social movements such as the New Culture Movement, women's movement, and left-wing ideology.

4 Conclusion

As a result of "local translation", "Living China" demonstrates its writing through the act of compilation, reflecting the social and literary discourse of the times. As the first appearance of modern Chinese novels in the English speaking world, it undertakes the mission of promoting modern China and breaking prejudices. Compilers have a lot of freedom in text compilation and can "rewrite" modern Chinese literature and images. By compiling and writing, the intertextual relationship between texts has been strengthened, and the modern literary image of Chinese novels has been constructed. Translation plays an important role in it, presenting a new literary world and meaning space in the selected texts, which is different from both Eastern and Western literature. The literary rewriting of this collection endows modern Chinese novels with modern value, establishes a "modern" literary image of Chinese modern novels, and promotes cultural exchange between China and the West. The Living China received sustained attention in the second half century after its publication, with multiple reprints and mentions, becoming an important anthology in the history of Chinese modern literature translation that comprehensively showcases the overall image of Chinese modern novels. It laid the foundation for the literary image of Chinese modern novels with left-wing, revolutionary, and anti traditional characteristics, and was not rewritten and rewritten until the 1960s.