吉蔔林（Rudyard Kipling，1865-1936）

著名英國作傢、詩人，1907年獲得諾貝爾文學奬，獲奬理由為“他的作品以觀察入微、思想新穎、氣勢雄渾和敘述卓越見長”。其傑齣的敘事與高超的文學性備受後世推崇，對世界文學影響深遠。

齣生於印度，1870年被送迴英國上學，1882年返迴印度，成為一名記者並開始寫作。主要著作有短詩《如果》，詩集《營房謠》《七海》，短篇小說集《山中的平凡故事》《正是如此故事集》《普剋山的帕剋》《叢林之書》，長篇小說《勇敢的船長》《吉姆》，等等。

One of the great adventure books of all time, Kim, first published in 1901, is Kipling' s last major work about India, a farewell look brimming with all the color and sound, squalor and splendor of that exotic land. Kim, the orphaned son of an Irish soldier, is a mischievous worldly imp growing up in the walled city of Lahore. A secret mission for the British and a heartfelt bond with a Tibetan lama in search of a sacred river soon lead Kim into a life of spies and secrets, danger and high excitement. But Kim is more than a boy' s adventure. Written by the laureate of the British Empire, it is also a profound look at the differences between East and West. For the first time, a British writer understood India in all its complexity, mystery, and spirituality. Here we enter the harems; mingle with thieves, jugglers, and beggars; and experience all that is India in one of literature' s most magical and moving masterpieces.