Lazy Person's Idle Thoughts

Author: J. Jerome
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: When it comes to the British humorist Jerome K. Jerome, many Chinese readers may be unfamiliar with him, after all, it has been nearly a century. But if you have studied English, you might remember a popular English reading material in China called "Three Men in a Boat," which is Jerome's breakthrough work. Jerome was born on May 2, 1859, in Staffordshire, England. In his childhood, he experienced various changes in his family's fortune, from prosperity to decline. His first job was as a railway clerk, later he traveled around the British Isles with a traveling theater troupe, and then he worked as a journalist, teacher, commission agent, and assistant at a law firm, and so on. The ever-changing roles gave him rich social experience, preparing him with ample material for future writing. In 1892, the monthly magazine "The Lazy Man" was launched, and he became its editor. The following year, he also founded the weekly magazine "To-day." Unfortunately, neither magazine survived, and thereafter Jerome devoted his energy to writing plays. When it comes to the British humorist Jerome K. Jerome, many Chinese readers may be unfamiliar with him, after all, it has been nearly a century. But if you have studied English, you might remember a popular English reading material in China called "Three Men in a Boat," which is Jerome's masterpiece. Jerome was born on May 2, 1859, in Staffordshire, England. In his childhood, he experienced various changes in his family's fortune. His first job was as a railway clerk, later he traveled around the British Isles with a traveling theater troupe, and then he worked as a journalist, teacher, commission agent, and assistant at a law firm, and so on. The ever-changing roles gave him rich social experience, preparing him with ample material for future writing. In 1892, the monthly magazine "The Lazy Man" was launched, and he became its editor. The following year, he also founded the weekly magazine "To-day." Unfortunately, neither magazine survived, and thereafter Jerome devoted his energy to writing plays. On June 14, 1927, Jerome passed away due to a cerebral hemorrhage. Jerome was a versatile artist and a prolific writer. But what he did not expect was that his highly valued novels and plays would eventually be forgotten, while his essays and sketches, which he considered minor skills, have been published continuously for over a century. His writings are humorous, wise, and unbound in style, with words and phrases coming effortlessly, unafraid of colloquialism. If compared to modern Chinese writers, Jerome can be said to combine the leisurely charm of Lin Yutang and Liang Shu-ch'iu with the humor and satire of Lu Hsun.