Florence Wheelock Ayscough

Florence Ayscough MacNair (21 January 1875 – 26 April 1942) was a sinologist, writer and translator of Chinese literature.

Early life and education Florence Ayscough, née Wheelock, was born in Shanghai, China, to Canadian father, Thomas Reed Wheelock, and an American mother, Edith H. Clarke. She was a student of Chinese art, literature, and sociology. and continued her translation work and documenting the history and culture of China.

She collected modern Chinese paintings, including work by Xu Gu. Her efforts introduced this Chinese art form to the American public.

Her writings included translations of classical poetry and essays on Chinese art, history, and philosophy. She work also attempted to correct previous inaccurate attempts to translate the cultures of ancient and contemporary China, for example perspectives of China as a stagnant culture. In addition to countering negative stereotypes with positive reevaluations, she also sought to correct misinformation. For example, her review of the 1931 novel The Good Earth by American writer Pearl Buck, Ayscough praised the choice of contemporary Chinese peasantry as the subject, but criticized the accuracy.

Ayscough had a strong influence on the work of her friend Amy Lowell, being the source of Lowell's interest in Asian culture and Chinese poetry. Ayscough introduced Lowell to Chinese paintings and poetry in 1917. On a visit to America, she brought with her Chinese word pictures that she translated into English, which Lowell turned into rhymed poetry. and Fire-Cracker Land. Her final work, Chinese Women Yesterday and To-day, published in 1937, examined contemporary Chinese women leaders as successors of a long line of capable, though secluded, Chinese women.

Ayscough also contributed articles to The Encyclopaedia Sinica.

Ayscough married her second husband, sinologist Harley Farnsworth MacNair, in 1935. The following year he published a biography of his wife titled The Incomparable Lady. He donated her collection of 1,292 Chinese-language books to the Library of Congress.