Huynh Sanh Thong
Encyclopedia
Huỳnh Sanh Thông was a Vietnamese American
scholar and translator.
mother (Lâm Thị Kén) and a Francophile
primary schoolteacher
father (Huỳnh Sanh Thinh) in Hóc Môn, close to Sài Gòn (now Ho Chi Minh City
). When the family moved into Sài Gòn itself, Thông enrolled at the prestigious Lycée Petrus Trương Vĩnh Ký
where he studied French literature
, specializing particularly in the works of Molière
and La Fontaine
.
In 1945, he joined the clandestine Vietnamese independence movement
, opposed to the post-war
re-establishment of French colonial rule
in Vietnam. The following year, while working as a janitor
at the US consulate, he was arrested by the French and held in a concentration camp outside Sài Gòn
. Diplomatic pressure from the Americans resulted in his release, whereupon he fled to the United States
as a political refugee, arriving in Athens, Ohio
in 1948.
He graduated in Economics at Ohio University
in 1951, but was particularly interested in the issue of gender inequality
, which he saw as a serious problem both in the USA and in his native Vietnam. As he put it in 2008: "I looked for a way to
explain the difference between how responsible women and irresponsible
men were treated in society, as in my own family as well as in many others I could see."
He studied international relations
and anthropology
at the Universities of Georgetown
and Cornell
before starting work with Robert B. Jones
on a Vietnamese primer that was eventually published as An Introduction to Spoken Vietnamese (1960).
For the month of May 1957, Thông was appointed by the US government as the official "Vietnamese welcomer"
to Ngo Dinh Diem
. Later that same year, he joined the staff of Yale University
as a teacher of Vietnamese. He would remain associated with Yale for the rest of his life.
(Yale University Press, 1973, reissued several times), and for An Anthology of Vietnamese Poems: From the Eleventh through the Twentieth Centuries (Yale).
His translation of Flowers from Hell by the Vietnamese dissident poet Nguyen Chi Thien
won the 1985 prize at the Poetry International Festival in Rotterdam
.
He also founded the Lac-Viet book series, publishing work by Vietnam scholars such as O. W. Wolters; and the journal Vietnam Forum (16 issues, 1983–1997).
In 1999, he self-published The Golden Serpent: How Humans Learned to Speak and Invent Culture.
He was awarded the Harry J. Benda Prize in Southeast Asia Studies in 1981, and a MacArthur "Genius" Award
in 1987.
Vietnamese American
A Vietnamese American is an American of Vietnamese descent. They make up about half of all overseas Vietnamese and are the fourth-largest Asian American group....
scholar and translator.
Life
He was born to a rice-millerRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
mother (Lâm Thị Kén) and a Francophile
Francophile
Is a person with a positive predisposition or interest toward the government, culture, history, or people of France. This could include France itself and its history, the French language, French cuisine, literature, etc...
primary schoolteacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
father (Huỳnh Sanh Thinh) in Hóc Môn, close to Sài Gòn (now Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
). When the family moved into Sài Gòn itself, Thông enrolled at the prestigious Lycée Petrus Trương Vĩnh Ký
Le Hong Phong High School
Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted is a high school in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Established in 1927, the school is one of the oldest high schools still operating in Vietnam. The school is specialized for gifted students who show their exceptional talents in academic fields such as basic...
where he studied French literature
French literature
French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than French. Literature written in French language, by citizens...
, specializing particularly in the works of Molière
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
and La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine was the most famous French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his Fables, which provided a model for subsequent fabulists across Europe and numerous alternative versions in France, and in French regional...
.
In 1945, he joined the clandestine Vietnamese independence movement
Viet Minh
Việt Minh was a national independence coalition formed at Pac Bo on May 19, 1941. The Việt Minh initially formed to seek independence for Vietnam from the French Empire. When the Japanese occupation began, the Việt Minh opposed Japan with support from the United States and the Republic of China...
, opposed to the post-war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
re-establishment of French colonial rule
French colonial empire
The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
in Vietnam. The following year, while working as a janitor
Janitor
A janitor or custodian is a professional who takes care of buildings, such as hospitals and schools. Janitors are responsible primarily for cleaning, and often some maintenance and security...
at the US consulate, he was arrested by the French and held in a concentration camp outside Sài Gòn
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
. Diplomatic pressure from the Americans resulted in his release, whereupon he fled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a political refugee, arriving in Athens, Ohio
Athens, Ohio
Athens is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Athens County, Ohio, United States. It is located along the Hocking River in the southeastern part of Ohio. A historic college town, Athens is home to Ohio University and is the principal city of the Athens, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area. ...
in 1948.
He graduated in Economics at Ohio University
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
in 1951, but was particularly interested in the issue of gender inequality
Gender inequality
Gender inequality refers to disparity between individuals due to gender. Gender is constructed both socially through social interactions as well as biologically through chromosomes, brain structure, and hormonal differences. Gender systems are often dichotomous and hierarchical; binary gender...
, which he saw as a serious problem both in the USA and in his native Vietnam. As he put it in 2008: "I looked for a way to
explain the difference between how responsible women and irresponsible
men were treated in society, as in my own family as well as in many others I could see."
He studied international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
and anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
at the Universities of Georgetown
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
and Cornell
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
before starting work with Robert B. Jones
Robert B. Jones (linguist)
Robert Burton Jones was a linguist whose research focused on the South East Asian languages, in particular Karen, Burmese and Thai. He was a professor at Cornell University....
on a Vietnamese primer that was eventually published as An Introduction to Spoken Vietnamese (1960).
For the month of May 1957, Thông was appointed by the US government as the official "Vietnamese welcomer"
Ngo Dinh Diem presidential visit to the United States
Ngo Dinh Diem, the President of South Vietnam, made a state visit to the United States, the main ally of his government, in 1957. Diem received a glowing welcome and was heaped with praise as a leader of a "free country" in the midst of the Cold War...
to Ngo Dinh Diem
Ngo Dinh Diem
Ngô Đình Diệm was the first president of South Vietnam . In the wake of the French withdrawal from Indochina as a result of the 1954 Geneva Accords, Diệm led the effort to create the Republic of Vietnam. Accruing considerable U.S. support due to his staunch anti-Communism, he achieved victory in a...
. Later that same year, he joined the staff of Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
as a teacher of Vietnamese. He would remain associated with Yale for the rest of his life.
Works and awards
Thông is best known for his English translation of Nguyễn Du's Kim Vân Kiều, published as The Tale of KiềuThe Tale of Kieu
The Tale of Kiều is an epic poem in Vietnamese written by Nguyễn Du , and is widely regarded as the most significant work of Vietnamese literature. It is even used as a source for bibliomancy. The original title in Vietnamese is Đoạn Trường Tân Thanh , but it is better known as Truyện Kiều...
(Yale University Press, 1973, reissued several times), and for An Anthology of Vietnamese Poems: From the Eleventh through the Twentieth Centuries (Yale).
His translation of Flowers from Hell by the Vietnamese dissident poet Nguyen Chi Thien
Nguyen Chi Thien
Nguyễn Chí Thiện, born in 1939 in Hanoi, Vietnam, is a dissident poet who spent a total of twenty-seven years in prison.- Biography :Thien was educated in private academies and was a supporter of Viet Minh revolutionaries in his early life...
won the 1985 prize at the Poetry International Festival in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
.
He also founded the Lac-Viet book series, publishing work by Vietnam scholars such as O. W. Wolters; and the journal Vietnam Forum (16 issues, 1983–1997).
In 1999, he self-published The Golden Serpent: How Humans Learned to Speak and Invent Culture.
He was awarded the Harry J. Benda Prize in Southeast Asia Studies in 1981, and a MacArthur "Genius" Award
MacArthur Fellows Program
The MacArthur Fellows Program or MacArthur Fellowship is an award given by the John D. and Catherine T...
in 1987.
External links
- Lac-Viet Book Series
- Vietnam Forum at Yale University Press