Written in early Western Han Dynasty, Huainanzi is a masterpiece which synthesizes the ancient thoughts during the pre-qin period. It is also the last work with comprehensive characteristics before Confucianism taken as the official ideology in the Han Dynasty. It is of great value for the study of ancient Chinese thoughts, culture, and history. The translation and introduction of Huainanzi in the English world began in the 1880s with a history of more than 140 years. During this period, selected translation has been the main form of translation of Huainanzi, which effectively promoted the research and influence of Huainanzi in the English world. The selected translation of Huainanzi has gone through two stages, “footnotes of Laozi” and “thematic translation and introduction”, indicating a clear developing trend and the characteristic of translation-cum-research, reflecting the basic attitude and cognitive level of the English world towards ancient Chinese ideology and culture under different historical conditions. The study of selected translation activity can not only demonstrate the multi-dimensional value and modern significance of Huainanzi, but also reveal the interaction between translation and research in the field of Sinology, and provide references for our domestic translation activity of ancient Chinese classics.