The image of a national literature bears on its reception in the receiving culture in which translation· anthologies play a vital role in constructing that image. Taking the translation anthologies of modern Chinese literature published in America from 1931 to 1990 as the research object, this paper analyzes editors preference in text selection and the commonalities in their interpretation framework, and on that basis, traces the course of the image of modern Chinese literature in America. This study shows that in America, from the 1930s to 1940s,modern Chinese literature was mainly represented by left-wing literature and thus appeared distinctly “red”; from the founding of the People’ s Republic of China to the Cultural Revolution years, modern Chinese literature was considered to have little to offer in terms of form and style; the years following the inception of Reform and Opening-up saw a shower of dissent literature anthologies, which gave the impression that modern Chinese literature was little more than sheer social critique.