His father, Zhao, is the dean of yenching university Institute of Religion. When studying at Yanda University, she often translated theoretical articles on foreign literature for Wen Xue, a short-lived magazine founded by Wen Yiduo. In her third year in Tsinghua, she began to translate Eliot's long poem The Waste Land at the invitation of Dai Wangshu. This translation was first published in the magazine "New Poetry" published by Shanghai New Poetry Publishing House 1937, and was prefaced by her teacher Ye Gongchao. Although The Waste Land was later translated by Qiu Xiaolong, Zhao's version of The Waste Land is still irreplaceable.
The publication of the Chinese translation of The Waste Land made Zhao famous. However, not many people in the reading circle know that this translator, who needs profound knowledge of Chinese and Western culture and Chinese and Western literature, is actually a young lady in her early twenties. At that time, Mr. Xing Guangzu commented: "Eliot's long poems are Ganoderma lucidum in the wasteland of modern poetry, while this volume translated by Zhao Nvshi is a wonderful work in the wasteland of China translation."
She is also one of the few scholars in China who have the honor to meet and talk with Eliot. 1In the autumn of 944, her husband, Chen, was invited to give a lecture in the United States and taught ancient philology at the University of Chicago. 1946 In the summer, Chen met Eliot who was visiting relatives in the United States at Harvard University. On the evening of July 9th, Eliot invited Zhao to have dinner at Harvard Club. The poet extemporaneously recited fragments of four quartets, and signed two books she brought with her, Poetry Collection 1909- 1935 and Four Quartet, and wrote on the title page of the former: "Signature Zhao, thanks for her translation.