The first episode of a 30-part TV series Translation: A Life-long Pursuit has been completed, portraying the career of poet and translator Tu An.

The series, which started filming in September 2011, aims to record the life stories of 30 translators, most of whom are in their 80s and 90s, and the development of contemporary Chinese translation.

Another 10 episodes will be finished by the end of this year, and the whole project is expected to take up to five years.

According to Guo Xiaoyong, deputy president of the Translators' Association of China, the documentary series is an unrepeatable rescue project for the Chinese translation circle.