supremelord!wewhoareabouttodie
salutethee!wehavecomeallatthycall
tolaydownstrengthandsoulandallinall,
withoutamurmuring,norknowingwhy!
butah!howwildroamtheselastthoughtsofours!
howvividwerecallthethrillinglore
ofthoseal·angiants,whoofyore
daredmetetheirstrengthagainstthywrathfulpowers;
andbroughttheefromtheheavensandcaptivedthee,
tillallfourseasonspassedbyandtheearth
withmirthbadewelcometothethirteenthbirth
ofthenewmoonsincethycaptivity!
andknow’stthouwhatthesedyingeyesbehold?
“midsthumananguishandwar’sthund”ringstorms,
therehavearisentwonewgiganticforms
ofceaselessgrowthandpotencyuntold.
andintheiradventweheartoll’dthyknell!
they-loveandlaw-shallrightallhumanwrong,
andpeaceandjusticebemankind’snewsong.
sobeouridlewish:nowfaretheewell!
〔中译〕告马斯
垂死之臣敬礼陛下
至高无上之神啊!垂死之臣
向汝敬礼!吾人皆奉召而来
向汝奉献吾人之力量、灵魂和一切,
没有一丝呻吟,不问任何缘由!
啊!垂死之臣思绪万千,心潮澎湃!
回忆起有关亚兰巨人之传说
这令人激动之传说在眼前栩栩如生,
惟有这些巨人胆敢冒犯汝暴怒之龙颜;
他们将汝撵下天庭,捆缚结实,
一年四季悄悄地流逝了
吾人满怀欣喜祝贺汝之新生
成阶下囚十三个月后汝又降临!
汝可知垂死之眼注视着什么?
在人类之苦难和战争之硝烟中,
出现了两个崭新之巨人形象,
他们持续生长,力大无比。
他们一来就把汝之丧钟敲响!
他们--爱和法律--将匡正人类之过失,
和平和正义将为人类谱写新曲。
此乃吾人之愚愿:祝汝顺利!
二四、致留学界公函
(三月十九夜)
anopenleitertoallchinese
students
mydearbrethren:
ifimayjudgefromthesentimentsexpressedinthelastissueofthemonthly,iamafraidwehavecompletelylostourheads,andhavegonemad.“fightandbevanquished,ifwemust”,saysoneclub.evenmr.w.k.chung,achristianofmaturethought,declaresinfieryeloquence:“evenifwefightandbedefeatedandconsequentlysufferthedisgraceoflosingourcountry,-eventhiscourseshouldbeinevitableandpreordained,istillsay,wecouldnotbutchoosetofight...letusfightandbeconqueredlikebelgium.”evenoureditor-in-chiefwhoinhiseditorialsadvisedusthathotheadshavenoplaceinthedeliberationofsuchgreatnationaldangerandthatweshouldconsultourheadsaswellasourhearts.-evenhewritesonanotherpage:“thechinesewillhavenochoice(whichtheywillnothesitatetomake)buttofight!”
now,letmesaythatallthisispureinsanity.wehavelostourheads.weareexcited,nervous,nay,“patrioticallyinsane.”mybrethren,itisabsolutelyuselesstogetexcitedatsuchacriticalmoment.noexcitement,norhigh-soundingsentiments,norsensationalsuggestions,haveeverhelpedanynation.talkingoffighting“onpaper”isthemostshallowcourseforustotake,whocallourselves“students”and“capablemen”.
itseemstomethattherightcourseforusstudentstotakeatthismomentandatthisdistancefromchina,isthis.letusbecalm.letusdoourdutywhichistostudy.letusnotbecarriedawaybytheturmoilofthenewspaperfromourseriousmission.letusapplyourselvesseriously,calmly,undisturbedlyandunshakenlytoourstudies,andprepareourselvestoupliftourfatherland,ifshesurvivesthiscrisis-asiamsureshewill,-ortoresurrectherfromthedead,ifitneedsbe!
mybrethren,thatisourdutyandourrightcourse!
isay,talkingoffightingjapanatthispresentmomentisinsanity.forhowcanwefight?oureditor-in-chiefsaysthatwehavethefightingstrengthofonemilliondeterminedsoldiers.letuslookatthefacts,wehaveatmost120,000soldiersthatcanbecalled“trained”,butpoorlyequipped.andwehaveabsolutelynonavy:thelargestvesselinournavyisathird-classcruiserwithadisplacementof4,300tons.andhowaboutmunitions?whatshallwefightwith?
soisaywithallsincerityandwithalldevotiontochina,thatitispurenonsenseandfoolishnesstotalkoffightingwhenthereisnottheslightestchanceofgaininganythingbutdevastation,anddevastation,anddevastation!
andyoutalkofbelgium--ofheroicbelgium!mydearbrethren,letmetellyouwithallmyheartandsoulthattoresistthetideofanoceanwithasinglehandisnoheroism,andthattostrikeaneggagainstarockisnoheroism!moreover,belgiumdidnotcontemplatesuchanutterdefeat.readsuchbooksashowbelgiumsavedeuropebydr.charlessaroleaofbelgium,andyouwillseethatshewassureoffrenchassistanceandofbritishsupport.andshewasconfidentofherliegeandherantwerpwhichhadthereputationofbeingthestrongestfortificationsintheworld.sobelgiumstakedallherfortuneforthe“glory”ofbeingaheroicnation!wasthattruecourage?wasthattrueheroism?
andmybrethren,thinkofbelgiumandofthebelgiansoftoday!isthe“glory”ofheroismworthallthesacrifice?
iamnotblamingthebelgians.whatiwanttopointouthereisthatbelgiumisnotworthchina’simitating,andthatwhosoeverwisheschinatofollowbelgium’spathandfateissinningagainstchina.
inconclusion,letmerepeat:donotgetexcited:letusdoourdutywhichistostudy.
thefinalsolutionofthefareasternquestionisnottobesoughtinfightingjapanatpresent;norinanyexternalinterferencebyanyotherpowerorpowers;norinanytemporaryreliefsuchastheequilibriumofpowersorthatoftheopendoor;norinanysuchproposalasthejapanesemonroedoctrine.therealandfinalsolutionmustbesoughtsomewhereelse-far,fardeeperthanmostofusnowsuspect.idonotknowwhereinitlies:ionlyknowwhereinitdoesnotlie.letusstudyitoutcalmlyanddispassionately.
readthislettercarefullybeforeyoucondemnme.
veryearnestly,
yourbrother,
suhhu
ithaca,n.y.
〔中译〕致留学界公函
诸位:
以上月期刊中各位所表示之义愤观之,余担忧吾辈皆头脑发热,理智失常。某一学生会以为“吾辈非战即死”。甚至连这位通情达理之基督徒--w·k·钟君也义愤填膺,宣称“倘使吾辈命中注定:凡战必败,终要遭受亡国之辱,余仍要说,吾辈别无选择,只有决一死战……宁可像比国人一样,非战即死。”甚至连该刊主笔先生,日前还在社论中劝诫众人,在此民族危亡之际,切不可鲁莽行事,乱了方寸,义愤之馀还须诉诸理智,如今他也在另一文中写道:“中国人别无选择,只有决一死战!(国人将毫不犹豫作此选择)”
此刻,余要说上述言论完全是疯话。吾辈情绪激动,神经紧张,理智失常,可以说是得了“爱国癫”。诸位,在此危急关头,情绪激动是决无益处的。激动之情绪,慷慨激昂之爱国呼号,危言耸听之条陈,未尝有助于国。吾辈自称“学子”、“干材”,若只是“纸上”谈兵,则此举未免过于肤浅。
以余观之,吾辈学子,远去祖国,爱莫能助;当务之急,当以镇静处之。让吾等各就本分,各尽责职;吾辈之责任乃是读书学习。不可让报章上所传之纠纷,耽误吾辈之学业。吾等正要严肃、冷静、不惊、不慌,安于学业,力争上流,为将来振兴祖国作好一番准备,只要她能幸免于难--余深信如此--若是不能,吾辈将为在废墟上重建家园而努力!
诸位,这才是吾辈之责任!才是吾辈之当务之急!
余以为,此刻言及对日作战,简直是发疯。我何以作战?主笔先生说,我有一百万敢决一死战之雄狮。且让大家来看一下事实:我仅有十二万士兵谈得上是“训练有素”的,然其装备甚为简陋。而且,我海军毫无战斗力:军中最大之战舰乃一三等巡洋舰,其排水吨位仅为四千三百吨。另外,军火又如何呢?我何以作战?