TEHRAN- Mohammad Taqi Ghiasi, a distinguished literary critic and translator of French literature, passed away in France on Sunday. He was 92.

Born in 1932 in northern province of Gilan, Ghiasi completed his primary education in Khomam, secondary education in Rasht, and pursued higher education in French language and literature in Tehran. At the age of 30, he went to Paris on a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture of the Iranian government, where he earned a doctorate in French literature from the Sorbonne University. His doctoral thesis was titled "The Influence of Stendhal on Gide." 

Upon returning to Iran, he served as a full professor at the University of Tehran until his retirement, and also taught French language and literature for several years in the doctoral program at the Islamic Azad University.

In addition to his French-Persian dictionaries and numerous educational books published for teaching French, Ghiasi has an extensive portfolio of translations of literary works by French authors. 

His translations include notable works such as "The Gods Are Athirst" by Anatole France, "The Share of Hunting Dogs" by Émile Zola, and "Holy Week" by Louis Aragon.

SAB/