英若誠（1929-2003），著名話劇錶演藝術傢、導演、翻譯傢、政治傢，1949年畢業於清華大學外國語言文學係，曾任中華人民共和國文化部副部長、北京人民藝術劇院的建院成員。他在話劇《龍須溝》《雷雨》《茶館》中扮演過重要角色，1979年把老捨的《茶館》翻譯成英文在國外齣版，1983年他又將美國當代著名作傢阿瑟米勒的代錶作《推銷員之死》譯成中文，並與米勒閤作將其搬上北京人藝舞颱，同時在劇中成功塑造瞭主角威利·羅曼。他參加演齣並導演瞭30多部話劇、10餘部電影和電視劇，同時還翻譯瞭200多萬字的作品，其中包括莎士比亞的著作。英若誠被譽為“全世界最傑齣的十名中國藝術傢之一”，在舞颱、銀幕和文化外交上做齣過重要的貢獻。

Review

"A gem, not to be missed by any student of Chinese culture or politics. . . . The passages on prison are among the most detailed and vivid we have in the literature. And throughout the volume there is a refreshing bluntness. . . . Voices Carry has been a major project for Conceison, a labor of love, persistence, and understanding. She has gone to great lengths to offer context in endnotes for readers who may need them. It is hard to think of any US-PRC literary collaboration more complex and valuable than this one, or to think of a personal cultural bridge between the PRC and the West as active and influential as Ying . . . it is quite clear Ying had his faults, but I found the book totally engaging." --Modern Chinese Literature and Culture

"Ying's vitality, ingenuity, humor, and creativity as an artist and a larger-than-life character are in full display, making the book a great joy to read. . . . Conceison should also be commended for skillfully and fluidly weaving Ying's life together in the chapters and for corroborating, supplementing, or occasionally correcting Ying's memories with historical records and/or recounts from family members in her introduction, epilogue, and thirty-five pages of endnotes. . . . Her serious scholarship is augmented by skillful writing and organization." --Theatre Journal

"A truly excellent book. It is full of information and insight into the life of a wonderfully generous and learned human being, a most unusual Chinese and man of the theatre, a man who understood the theatre both of his own country and of the West, and who had highly practical and valuable experience in both. As for the author whose job was to transmit this character to a readership, her knowledge and feeling for her subject is exemplary, as is her ability to write that kind of English that conveys his character and views sympathetically and truthfully. This is not only a lively read but also a convincing one." --Asian Theatre Journal

"A must-read for anyone interested in the performing arts. Furthermore, [celebrated Chinese actor Ying Ruocheng's] life touched on fascinating aspects of Chinese history and society seldom discussed. What happened to the Manchus after the 1911 revolution? What was it like being a Catholic in those years? How did (and perhaps does) the government collect information on foreigners? How does it treat its political prisoners? How are personnel decisions made? This book is one man's attempt to make sense of cataclysmic events." --China Review International