A good bilingual dictionary is based on translation from one language to another and thus calls for a good dictionary in the mother tongue The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary is such a dictionary, having been well received by a wide range of readers since its publication. With an overall distribution exceeding 40 million copies, its social influence can hardly be overestimated. The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary is characterized by its well-designed goals, impeccable format, felicitous selection of entries, ac-curate definitions, and concise examples. By organizing the translation of' this dictionary into English and publishing it in a bilingual format, Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press has made an originative contribution to the publication of Chinese-English dictionaries in China.