A self-portrait at the age of 17 (1943) hangs on the wall. His mother told him, "When painting figures, men should look younger, while women more beautiful than they actually are." It sounds an ordinary observation, but contains a basic truth if you think it over. "To be honest," he said, "translation is not my first interest. Painting is my favorite thing." [Photo by Chen Boyuan/China.org.cn]