Lin Shu or Lin Qinnan 1852-1924

Now best known for his translations of Western fiction into classical Chinese, which he produced with the help of bilingual collaborators, Lin himself, however, valued his own achievements as a writer of classical prose much more highly than he did his translations. Born in Fujian, Lin obtained the juren degree in 1882, but failed the metropolitan examination seven times. A staunch monarchist, he made eleven pilgrimages to the grave of Qing Emperor Guangxu (r.1875¡Ð1908). He was also a leading spokesman against the vernacular language (baihua). Thought often labelled a writer of the Tongcheng school, the spontaneity and sense of humour in his writing show that in fact he had developed a style of his own.

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