Lusin: Part One

In 1902, Lusin, who was evidently an exceptionally talented individual, was selected to go to Japan to study medicine. But even before he left China he had demonstrated his literary talents. His first articles were written when he was only 17 years old and still studying at the Naval Academy in Nanking.

He had only been in Japan for a year before he began to translate into Chinese works from European writers, mainly from Russia. However, he also translated two of the novels of Jules Verne (Journey to the Centre of the Earth and From the Earth to the Moon - a happy coincidence now that we have recently discovered Jules Verne's own strong support for and involvement in the Esperanto movement. (See my earlier articles about Jules Verne in this series for more details).

Just how Lusin managed to translate a considerable amount of fiction from several European languages while studying medicine in Japanese is quite beyond the comprehension of an idle loafer like me. It was something of a relief to learn that the task finally proved too much for Lusin too and, in 1906, he ceased his medical studies, giving up the idea of becoming a doctor so that he could spend more time writing and earn, at least part of his living, by his pen - or brush.

(This summary of Lusin's life and works will be concluded in my next article, scheduled to appear on Friday, February 23rd.)

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