A statue of Tang Xianzu in Wuzhou, Jiangxi Province. Photo: IC

Editor's Note:

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the deaths of China's Tang Xianzu and Britain's William Shakespeare. To commemorate these influential playwrights, the Global Times launched a translation competition on Sina Weibo featuring selections from Tang's and Shakespeare's writings. Here are our top winners:

Chinese to English

情不知所起,一往而深,生者可以死,死可以生。生而不可与死,死而不可复生者,皆非情之至也。－汤显祖

@mymelbourne: Unconsciously, the affection emerged and grew deeper. It anguished the living to die and raised the dead to come alive. In both, one realized love. Without both, it was not the full emotion.

@hello1900: Love is an unknown force. It stems from nowhere but defeats life and death.

@逗比我是小娃娃：Love comes from nowhere but lasts forever. It could force the living to die and the dead to bring back to life for their beloved ones. Any relationship that could not exceed the life and death could not be named after love.

English to Chinese

To be, or not to be, that is the question. - William Shakespeare

@雨逅2010：去兮,留兮,难已！

@HM在画画：是也非也,存也亡也,思而行

@没有光的好望角：虑之所及生死,不知择何而定焉。