Abstract: Since the publication of Wellek's "The Crisis of Comparative Literature" (1959), the study of literary influence has been legion, either focusing on (un) intentional misreading or misunderstanding. The perspective of influence is vital to clarifying the mechanism of Chinese new poetry's production. This article aims to illustrate, through a detailed survey of the intrinsic relation between Xu Zhimo's translation and poetic writing, how he creatively transformed modern western poetry, which not only brought vernacular Chinese poetry prosperity, but interrupted the predominant unpoetic trends by giving new poetry aesthetic temperament, though not yet so satisfactorily. The "anxiety of influence" became motivation to innovate. This was almost the same case with such modern poet-translators as Guo Moruo, Wen Yiduo, Feng Zhi, Dai Wangshu and Bian Zhilin, which reminds us of the importance of such influence (s) .

Key words: Xu Zhimo, mutual production, translation, writing, creative transformation