Luo Xuanmin is an author about whom little public information is available; his writing and translation work are chiefly situated in literary translation and the study of foreign literature. Judging from the two works held in the collection, River Songs: Selected Translations by Luo Xuanmin presents his long-standing practice of literary translation in the form of a personal anthology, drawing on foreign literary texts, while A General Interpretation of Literature shows that his interests extend beyond the craft of translation to expository writing on literary theory and criticism. Together these works sketch the profile of a writer who combines translation practice with literary study: on one hand bringing foreign literature into the view of Chinese readers through translation, and on the other clarifying literary knowledge and discussing literary ideas in general interpretive works. Because his dates of birth and death, nationality, education, and honors cannot be verified, a fuller account of his life is not possible at present; his contribution lies mainly in sustained efforts to spread classic works and foreign literature, and his works themselves are the primary basis for understanding his interests and style.
