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[upthera44.livejournal.com]

In Pushkin's "Я помню чудное мгновенье" I'm wondering about the translation of the word "гений"--

Я помню чудное мгновенье:
Передо мной явилась ты,
Как мимолетное виденье,
Как гений чистой красоты

This seems to literally translate to "like a genius of pure beauty," but it is normally translated as "like a spirit of pure beauty." First, can the word гений mean spirit? I don't see this as a definition in the dictionary. Secondly, why do you think Pushkin chose the word гений here?