Given the widely-held belief that the Cultural Revolution launched in 1966 ended all cultural activities in China, including translation practices, this paper provides a reflective account of the prodigious resilience and tenacity of Chinese translators during this turbulent period of Chinese cultural history. It first of all sets out to dispel the myth that the country was bedeviled by a cultural wilderness. This is true only to some extent and the real situation was far more complicated. Contrary to common impression, translation into English and some other languages never ceased even during the most tumultuous time of the period. After the stoppage of other normal translation activities, organized translation for restricted “neibu faxing” (internal circulation) ensued in a circumspect manner, constituting some subterranean translation. This peculiar form of collective translation will be under close investigation. Finally, the paper will also examine “private” translation. As an ultimate gesture of defiance and endurance, some translators resorted to this anomalous translation practice, which was not intended for publication. But such translated works did see the light of day after the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976 when China underwent an intense cultural revival.