Zhang Ailing adapted from Mr. Pu Han's novel.

Although the Chinese version of Pulitzer Prize winner JohnMarquand's novel Mr. Pu Han (1942) is a short story, it is still interesting to read as a template for Zhang Ailing's Half-Life (1948).

Judging from the writing style, Zhang Ailing's short stories are gorgeous. But in Half a Life, her writing suddenly turned elegant, which is in line with Mr. Pu Han's calmness. Secondly, the structure of the two books is very similar. Mr. Puhan is about a tale of two cities in Boston and new york, and Half-Life is about Nanjing and Shanghai. The setting of character relationship is even more strikingly similar. Pu Han corresponds, corresponds, Kay corresponds to Cui Zhi, and Bill corresponds. There are many repetitions in the design of plot and details, such as dogs, the smell of gas, suitcases and so on. The most shocking thing is that the stirring sentence "We can't go back" was directly translated from Mr. Pu Han!

Zhang Ailing herself does not deny the imitation of Mr. Pu Han. In a letter to her friend Song Qi, she clearly admitted. But in terms of emotional concentration, Half-Life is more full of resentment, more like a "bleak gesture". The narrative angle is changed to the third person, the plot is increased, and the relationship between characters is Shanghai-style. The passage of "Man Zhen" in the attic obviously combines Zhang Ailing's personal experience of being locked in the attic by her father in her early years. So Zhang Ailing's adaptation is still a kind of creation.

Coincidentally, when Zhang Ailing lived in Hong Kong, she found a job as a translator in the American Consulate General in Hong Kong. McCarthy, the director of Her Boss, mentioned in an interview: "In that year, Ma Kuande, who was quite famous in the United States and won the Pulitzer Prize, visited Hong Kong, and I was responsible for the reception. It was Sunday, and I invited him to have lunch with Aileen. Aileen's clothes aroused Ma Kuande's curiosity and interest. He secretly asked me why Zhang Ailing's toes were painted green. I asked Aileen, who was embarrassed for a while and said it was an external ointment. I gave another novel by Aileen to Ma Kuande for evaluation. He said that he had a lot of entertainment and might not have time to watch it. It rained heavily that night, and he finished reading at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong. I happened not to be at home when I called the next morning. He said to my wife, "I'm sure it's a first-class work." "He brought these two chapters back to the United States to help promote and publish this novel in the United States." The world is so interesting, and the twists and turns of fate seem to be arranged by heaven.