Arthur Cooper (translator)
Arthur Cooper was a British diplomat, who became a translator of Chinese literature after retirement. He is best remembered for his translations of the Tang dynasty poets Li Bai and Du Fu, but is also known for his original research on the early Chinese script.Life
Cooper was born to Anglo-Irish parents in 1916. He developed an early interest in languages, learning Icelandic before turning to Japanese and Chinese. He worked for the British Foreign Office from 1938, serving in Hong Kong and Singapore from 1939 to 1942, and for several years in Australia under the British High Commission. He retired in 1968, and thereafter devoted himself to Chinese language and literature. His work On the Creation of the Chinese Script revealed great insight. He also taught, one of his students being Michael Loewe.Writings
