Biographical Note

The real name of PIERRE LOTI is LOUIS MARIE JULIEN VIAUD. He was bornof Protestant parents, in the old city of Rochefort, on the 14th ofJanuary, 1850. In one of his pleasant volumes of autobiography¹, "LeRoman d'un Enfant," he has given a very pleasing account of hischildhood, which was most tenderly cared for and surrounded withindulgences. At a very early age he began to develop that extremesensitiveness to external influences which has distinguished² him eversince. He was first taught at a school in Rochefort, but at the age ofseventeen, being destined³ for the navy, he entered the great Frenchnaval school, Le Borda, and has gradually risen in his profession. Hispseudonym is said to have had reference to his extreme shyness andreserve in early life, which made his comrades call him after "leLoti," an Indian flower which loves to blush unseen. He was nevergiven to books or study (when he was received at the French Academy,he had the courage to say, "Loti ne sait pas lire"), and it was notuntil his thirtieth year that he was persuaded to write down andpublish certain curious experiences at Constantinople, in "Aziyade," abook which, like so many of Loti's, seems half a romance, half anautobiography. He proceeded to the South Seas, and, on leaving Tahiti,published the Polynesian idyl, originally called "Raharu," which wasreprinted as "Le Mariage de Loti" (1880), and which first introducedto the wider public an author of remarkable⁵ originality⁶ and charm.

　　Loti now became extremely prolific⁷, and in a succession of volumeschronicled old exotic memories or manipulated the journal of newtravels. "Le Roman d'un Spahi," a record of the melancholy⁸ adventuresof a soldier in Senegambia, belongs to 1881. In 1882 Loti issued acollection of short studies under the general title of "Fleursd'Ennui." In 1883 he achieved the widest celebrity⁹, for not only didhe publish "Mon Frere Yves," a novel describing the life of a Frenchbluejacket in all parts of the world--perhaps, on the whole, to thisday his most characteristic production--but he was involved in apublic discussion in a manner which did him great credit. While takingpart as a naval⁴ officer in the Tonquin war, Loti had exposed in aParisian newspaper a series of scandals which succeeded on the captureof Hue¹⁰, and, being recalled, he was now suspended from the service formore than a year. He continued for some time nearly silent, but in1886, he published a novel of life among the Breton fisher-folk,entitled "Pecheurs d'Islande"; this has been the most popular of allhis writings. In 1887 he brought out a volume of extraordinary merit,which has never received the attention it deserves; this is "Proposd'Exil," a series of short studies of exotic places, in Loti'speculiar semi-autobiographic style. The fantastic romance of Japanesemanners, "Madame Chrysantheme," belongs to the same year. Passing overone or two slighter productions, we come to 1890, to "Au Maroc," therecord of a journey to Fez in company with a French embassy. Acollection of strangely confidential¹¹ and sentimental¹² reminiscences,called "Le Livre de la Pitie et de la Mort," belongs to 1891. Loti wason board his ship at the port of Algiers when news was brought to himof his election, on the 21st of May, 1891, to the French Academy.

　　Since he has become an Immortal¹³ the literary activity of Pierre Lotihas somewhat declined. In 1892 he published "Fantome d'Orient,"another dreamy study of life in Constantinople, a sort of continuationof "Aziyade." He has described a visit to the Holy Land in threevolumes, "Le Desert," "Jerusalem," "La Galilee" (1895-96), and he haswritten one novel, "Ramentcho" (1897), a story of manners in theBasque province, which is quite on a level with his best work. In 1898he collected his later essays as "Figures et Choses qui passaient." In1899-1900 Loti visited British India, and in the autumn of the latteryear China; and he has described what he saw there, after the seige,in a charming volume, "Derniers Jours de Pekin," 1902.

　　E. G.

1 autobiography   

n.自传

参考例句：

• He published his autobiography last autumn.他去年秋天出版了自己的自传。
• His life story is recounted in two fascinating volumes of autobiography.这两卷引人入胜的自传小说详述了他的生平。

2 distinguished   

adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的

参考例句：

• Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
• A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

3 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

4 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

5 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

6 originality   

n.创造力，独创性；新颖

参考例句：

• The name of the game in pop music is originality.流行音乐的本质是独创性。
• He displayed an originality amounting almost to genius.他显示出近乎天才的创造性。

7 prolific   

adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的

参考例句：

• She is a prolific writer of novels and short stories.她是一位多产的作家，写了很多小说和短篇故事。
• The last few pages of the document are prolific of mistakes.这个文件的最后几页错误很多。

8 melancholy   

n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
• He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

9 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

10 hue   

n.色度；色调；样子

参考例句：

• The diamond shone with every hue under the sun.金刚石在阳光下放出五颜六色的光芒。
• The same hue will look different in different light.同一颜色在不同的光线下看起来会有所不同。

11 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

12 sentimental   

adj.多愁善感的，感伤的

参考例句：

• She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
• We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。

13 immortal   

adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的

参考例句：

• The wild cocoa tree is effectively immortal.野生可可树实际上是不会死的。
• The heroes of the people are immortal!人民英雄永垂不朽！