Abstract: Modern Chinese Poetry (1936) translated by Harold Acton and Chen Shixiang and Contemporary Chinese Poetry (1947) translated by Robert Payne are the earliest two English -translated anthologies of Modern Chinese Poetry. During their sojourn in China, action as well as Payne realized that the Western world knew little about modern China, and hoped to improve the Western understanding of China through poetry translation. The translation source selection for the two anthologies is not only influenced by the translator ’ s social intercourse in China, but also shows the fusion and collision of Chinese and Western literary concepts. The influence of these two collections in West and the controversy they caused in China reflect the different choices between translators and critics between communication value and academic value. This article hopes to back to the historical scene of the early English translation of modern Chinese poetry through the comparative study of the above two cases, summarize the experience and path of overseas dissemination of Chinese literature.