胡适留学日记卷十五二、希望威尔逊连任

卷十五二、希望威尔逊连任

　　（十一月九日）

　　此次美国总统选举，我自始至终望威尔逊连任，以其为美国开国以来第一流总统之一也。此次共和党候选人休斯（Charles E. Hughes）于选举竞争期内毫无所建白。其所主张无一非共和党之陈腐口头禅。故休氏之旧交如The N. Y. Evening Post主者O. G. Villard（《纽约晚邮报》主编维拉德）初袒之，后皆变而与之为敌。国中明达之士如President Charles W. Eliot，John Dewey（查尔斯·W·埃里尔特校长，约翰·杜威）皆助威氏而攻休氏。吾前语人，若此次休斯得胜，则此邦人士之政治知识，真足使我失望矣。前见《晚邮报》中之Simeon Strunsky亦作此语，喜其与余所见略同，故作书投之。

　　A Hughes Victory and Cynicism

　　To the Editor ofThe Evening Post:

　　Sir: As an absolutely disinterested student of American politics, I cannot refrain from writing you that in tonight's Post—Impressions. I find the most satisfactory argument in favor of President Wilson's reelection that has ever appeared during the whole campaign. The argument is as follows: "The reason why I want to see Mr. Wilson reёlected by an overwhelming majority is that I dread the thought of going cynical. If Mr. Hughes is the winner next Tuesday, I shall be driven into acknowledging that the world must be taken as you find it, and that habit is bound to triumph over the idea."

　　Having had the unusual privilege of witnessing two presidential campaigns during my student years in this county, I feel warranted to believe that the unexpected success of the Progressive Party in 1219 seems to indicate that Mr. Simeon Strunsky and those who hold the same views may yet be saved from "going cynical".

　　"SINAE"

　　New York, November 4

　　〔中译〕

　　休斯的胜利和犬儒主义

　　《晚邮报》主笔：

　　先生，作为一个对美国政治绝无偏见的学生，我忍不住要写信给你。因为在贵报“今晚印象”栏中我发现了在整个总统竞选运动中表示赞成威尔逊总统连任的最令人满意的论点。其语云：“我之所以希望威尔逊先生以压倒多数再次当选的原因，就在于我畏惧犬儒主义。如果休斯先生在下周二获胜，我将不得不承认世界就是这样了，那种玩世不恭的习惯肯定会占上风。”

　　我在美国留学期间已经历两次总统大选，这种不寻常的经历使我有理由相信：进步党1912年出人意料的成功看来将表明S·斯特拉斯基和那些持同样观点的人也许将幸免于“玩世不恭”主义罢。

　　胡　适

　　于纽约，11月4日

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