Abstract: As a representative case in the history of translating Chinese literature, the translation of Jin Ping Mei in French fully embodies the possibilities and inevitabilities associated with the historical generation and continuity of a classic text in a foreign language context. Through a comprehensive examination of this specific historical instance, the paper aims to elucidate the process of the continued vitality of the original text and the production of textual meaning. While emphasizing the subjectivity of translators in this generative process, the paper also seeks to uncover the constraints and influences imposed by the temporal possibilities on the act of translation, with the aim of providing historical insights for the current overseas translation and dissemination of Chinese literature.