Zadig

服尔德Nanhai Publication Company · ChinaOct 2020

4.2

Word count: 36K words
Chapters: 20

Summary

Fu Lei (7 April 1908 – 3 September 1966) was a renowned Chinese translator, writer, educator and art critic. He studied at the University of Paris in his early years. He translated a large number of French works, including masterpieces by Balzac, Romain Rolland, Voltaire and other great authors. In the early 1960s, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the translation of Balzac's works, Fu Lei was made a member of the French Balzac Research Society. Over a translating career spanning some thirty years, Fu Lei produced a rich body of translated works, distinguished by their vivid fidelity, fluent prose, rich diction and fine command of tonal variation. Zadig is one of the three classic novels by the great eighteenth-century French writer Voltaire. Its protagonist takes self-preservation as his philosophy of life, yet disasters keep befalling him...

Editor's review

Zadig uses an Oriental setting as its shell to tell of a young man whose philosophy of life is self-preservation, yet disaster follows disaster. Through the protagonist's experiences Voltaire advances layer by layer, interrogating the caprice of fate, social prejudice and human wisdom of self-protection together; the satire carries a cool pessimism along with wit and humor. Fu Lei's translation is vivid and fluent, with refined diction; it preserves the reflective rhythm of the original while reading naturally in Chinese, and the translation itself rewards close reading. The book is short, suited to a few evenings of reading, after which one may savor the satirical target behind each disaster. Readers expecting a full character arc or a warm ending should adjust their expectations and focus on the allegorical structure and the edge of the thought.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Enlightenment literature and philosophical allegory
Those who enjoy satirical writing and are willing to think while reading
Readers interested in Fu Lei's translation style and the translated text
Students and self-learners who need a short classic for general reading

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer fast-paced, strongly conflict-driven narrative
Readers hoping for a warm, inspirational ending
Readers unwilling to engage with eighteenth-century European intellectual background

Reading tips

Read in chapter order and pause after each chapter to sort out what new disaster the protagonist has met.
Note the contrast between self-preservation and unending disaster; this is the core of the book's satire.
After finishing, look back at the opening to appreciate how Voltaire wraps European questions in an Oriental shell.
Read alongside other Voltaire philosophical tales to compare similarities and differences in satirical technique.

About the publisher

Nanhai Publication Company China · Founded in 1988

Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.

版权信息
一独眼人
二鼻子
三狗与马
四眼红的人
五侠义的人
六宰相
七调解与接见
八嫉妒
九挨打的女人
一〇奴役
一一殉夫
一二晚餐
一三约会
一四强盗
一五渔夫
一六四脚蛇
一七比武
一八隐士
一九猜谜

FAQ

Should I read Zadig or Candide first?

The two books are similar in length and independent of each other, so either can be a starting point. If you want to see social absurdity through an outsider's gaze, start with Candide; if you want to feel the irony of fate's caprice and the philosophy of self-preservation, start with Zadig. Reading both together reveals the shared techniques of Voltaire's philosophical tales more clearly.

Is the Oriental setting in the book a real Orient?

It is not a realistic account of the Orient but an allegorical shell borrowed by Voltaire. The characters, place names and plot serve philosophical satire; readers need not treat it as history or geography but should focus on the social and human questions the author points to through these settings.

What is special about Fu Lei's translation?

Fu Lei's translation is distinguished by vivid fidelity, fluent prose and rich diction, with attention to restoring tone and rhythm. In a text such as Zadig, which combines reflection and satire, his translation preserves the original's edge well and reads without distance for Chinese readers.

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About the author

服尔德 Author

Voltaire (Fuzi'erde) is a foreign literary author known for his philosophical fiction; public information about him is limited, and his nationality and dates of birth and death are not clearly recorded. Eleven of his works are held in the collection, including Candide, The Ingenuous One, Zadig, Micromégas, and Selected Short Stories of Voltaire, indicating that his writing consists mainly of short and medium-length narratives. These works are often classified as foreign literature, classic works, and world classics. They typically use fictional characters and journeys to distant lands as narrative threads, employing exaggeration, satire, and absurd plots to discuss fate, reason, optimism, and human nature in a witty and understated style. Candide, his best-known work, is an important entry point for understanding his style. Overall, Voltaire's works combine narrative appeal with intellectual sharpness; they continue to be translated and read in Chinese-speaking contexts and have had a considerable influence on later philosophical and satirical fiction.