国无海军,不足耻也;国无陆军,不足耻也!国无大学,无公共藏书楼,无博物院,无美术馆,乃可耻耳。我国人其洗此耻哉!(二月廿一日)
三、写生文字之进化
(二月廿十一日)
赴巨册大版会,会员某君于下列四书中选读若干则:
(一)theophrastus(b.c.?-287?):characters.
(二)sirthomasoverbury(1581-1613):characters.
(三)johnearle(1601-1665):microcosmography.
(四)samuelbutler(1612-1680):characters.
〔中译〕(一)泰奥弗拉斯托斯(b.c.?-287?):《写生论》。
(二)s·托马斯·奥弗布雷(1581-1613):《写生论》。
(三)约翰·厄尔利(1601-1665):《缩写论》。
(四)塞缪尔·巴特勒(1612-1680):《写生论》。
皆写生之作(写生者,英文characterization)。此诸书皆相似,同属抽象派。抽象派者,举一恶德或一善行为题而描写之,如theophrastus(泰奥弗拉斯托斯)之《谄人》,其所写可施诸天下之谄人而皆合,以其题乃谄人之类,而非此类中之某某谄人也。后之写生者则不然,其所写者乃是个人,非复统类。如莎士比亚之hamlet(汉姆勒特),如易卜生之nora(娜拉),如thackeray(萨克雷)之rebeccasharp(丽贝卡)。天下古今仅有此一hamlet,一nora,一rebeccasharp,其所状写,不可移易也。此古今写生文字之进化,不可不知。
四、救国在“执事者各司其事”
(二月廿二日)
今日祖国百事待举,须人人尽力始克有济。位不在卑,禄不在薄,须对得住良心,对得住祖国而已矣。幼时在里,观族人祭祀,习闻赞礼者唱曰:‘执事者各司其事’,此七字救国金丹也。(二十一日答胡平书)
墨子曰:“譬若筑墙然,能筑者筑,能实壤者实壤,能欣者欣,(王引之曰:“欣当读为睎,望也。”《吕氏春秋·不屈篇》曰:“或操表掇以善睎望”是也。)然后墙成也。为义犹是也。能谈辩者谈辩,能说书者说书,能从事者从事,然后义事成也。”(《耕柱篇》)亦同此意。
五、婉而谑之乐观语
(二月廿二日)
attheageoffiftywediscoverthatnotmuchisdoneinalifetime,andyetthat,notwithstandingalltheimmeasurableignoranceandstupidityofthemajorityoftherace,thereisagradualandsensiblevictorybeinggainedoverbarbarismandwrongofeverykind.ithinkwemay,insomesort,consoleourselves.ifwecannotwinasfastaswewish,weknowthatouropponentscannotinthelongrunwinatall.
-trevelyan’slifeofjohnbright,page297.
〔中译〕年届五十,吾辈始发觉自己一生碌碌无为。然就某种意义言,吾辈尚可自慰。虽然大多数国人麻木不仁、愚昧无知、野蛮粗俗、丑态百出,但是,对此吾人仍渐渐地取得了较为明显的成绩。如果我们不能很快获得预期的成功,那么,从长远的观点来看,我们的对手也终将一无所获。
--约翰·布赖特:《特里维廉的一生》,第279页
上所录亦是乐观之语,而其言何婉而谑也!
六、范鸿仙
(二月廿二)
《民国报》第六号来,中有近来政府所暗杀及捕杀之民党若干人之遗像,其一人乃吾友范鸿仙(光启)也。戊申余在上海时,李辛伯、李警众及鸿仙创《安徽白话报》,余始识鸿仙。后鸿仙助于右任办《民呼》、《民吁》、《民立》各报。去年居上海,有贼数人夜攻其居,君身受四创而死。呜呼!惨矣!
七、蒋翊武
(二月廿二日)
又有蒋君翊武,曾肄业中国公学。革命军起,立功为军事顾问。及第二次革命失败,君亡命广西,死焉。年二十九。《民国报》载其小传,谓“善杨卓林,与创《竞业旬报》,以通俗体鼓吹民族主义,为端方摧残。卓林遇害,蒋潜归澧……”此则不甚确。蒋与杨皆竞业学会会员,而《旬报》则非其所创也。吾主《旬报》且一年,知之颇详,亦识卓林。卓林穷困,寄食旬报社中,吾时时见之,蒋则不常见也。
〔附记〕《旬报》主笔前后共三人:傅君剑(钝根),张无为(丹斧),及余也。
八、海外学子之救国运动
(三月一日)
自中日最近交涉之起,吾国学子纷纷建议,余无能逐诸少年之后,作骇人也壮语,但能斥驳一二不堪入耳之舆论,为“执笔报国”之计,如斯而已矣。
此间学子开特别会,议进行方法,余以事不能莅会,乃留一柬云:
吾辈远去祖国,爱莫能助,纷扰无益于实际,徒乱求学之心。电函交驰,何裨国难?不如以镇静处之。……
交会长读之。读时,会中人皆争嗤之以鼻。即明达如叔永,亦私语云:“胡适之的不争主义又来了!”及选举干事,秉农山起言:“今日须选举实行家,不可举哲学家。”盖为我而发也。司徒尧君告我如此。
九、为祖国辩护之两封信
(一)致thenewrepublic书
sir:
ireadwithgreatinteresttheletterfrom“afriendofchina”,publishedinyourjournalforfebruarythesixth.iheartilysharehisoptimismthat“thesituationnowdevelopingmaybeofdecidedadvantagetoallconcerned”,butientirelydisagreewithhiminhisnotionofthewaysinwhichhisoptimisticdreamsaretoberealized.heseemstoholdthatthesolutionofthefareasternquestionliesinjapan’stakinga“responsibleandeffectivedirectionofchina’saffairs”.that,inmyhumblejudgment,canneverbetherealsolutionoftheproblem.
“afriendofchina”seemstohaveignoredtheimportantfactthatwearenowlivinginanageofnationalconsciousness.heforgetsthateventhephilippinescannotrestcontentedundertheapparently“beneficial”ruleoftheunitedstates.inthistwentiethcenturynonationcaneverhopepeacefullytoruleoverortointerferewiththeinternaladministrativeaffairsofanothernation,howeverbeneficialthatruleorthatinterferencemaybe.thechineserationalconsciousnesshasexterminatedthemanchurule,and,iamsure,willalwaysresentanyforeignruleor“direction”.
moreover,yourcorrespondenthasbeentoodrasticinhisestimationofthecapacityofthechinesepeopleforself-governmentandself-development.“therepublic,”sayshe,“helduptotheworldasevidencingtheregenerationoftheeasthasproved,aswasboundtobethecase,adismalfailure...chinaasaprogressivestatehasbeentriedandfoundwanting.sheisincapableofdevelopingherself.”sorunshisaccusation.butletmeremindhimthatthetransformationofavastnationlikechinacannotbeaccomplishedinaday.readsuchbooksasjohnfiske’s“thecriticalperiodofamericanhistory”,anditwillbeclearthateventheestablishmentoftheamericanrepublicwasnotachievedbyasuddenandmiraculousfiat.thechineserepublichasbeennomoreafailurethantheamericanrepublicwasafailureinthosedismaldaysunderthearticlesofconfederation.thechineserevolutionoccurredinoctober,1911.threeyearshavehardlypassedsincetheformationoftherepublic.canweyetsay,oyeoflittlefaith!that“chinaasaprogressivestatehasbeentriedandfoundwanting,”andthat“sheisincapableofdevelopingherself”?
isincerelybelievewithpresidentwilsonthateverypeoplehastherighttodetermineitsownformofgovernment.everynationhastherighttobeleftalonetoworkoutitsownsalvation.mexicohastherighttorevolution.chinahasherrighttoherowndevelopment.
52书库推荐浏览: 胡适