Arthur Waley preferred self-taught status to an academic chair

Evidence

When, in the following century, Arthur Waley, self-taught in Chinese and a great translator of its poetry, was offered the Cambridge Chair, his response was ‘I would rather be dead’. — Robert Irwin, For Lust of Knowing, 280

Categorization

• CANDY: A delightful aphoristic put-down from a great translator — great light conversation material.