罗兰·摩根(Rowland Mulkern)致孙中山函 (1912年1月4日)

(原文)

66 Clarendon Road, Holland Park,London W.,England,January 4th, 1912

My dear Sun,

My sister and I heartily congratulate you on your great movement and we wish you every success in the future.I still think as I have always thought, that you are the only man who can save China.

Why did not you come to see us when you were in London, last November.I had so many things to tell you.

Quite a long time ago two of your countrymen sent me a letter of introduction from you.I invited them to come and see me, but I have not heard from them since.

That your letter and theirs and was therefore unable to write to you, as I should wish to have done.

In October 1910, I started a new weekly journal called The Watchman, mainly with a view to supporting the Chinese cause in this country (on the first day of its appearance, the trustees of the Birkbeck Bank, commenced a libel Action against me and obtained an suppression in Chambers, restraining me from criticizing the bank and calling in all my first issue and the posters.I could not get a second number printed owing to the suppression and as my paper collapsed.The bank directors promised the court that they would expedite the trial of the Action, which might to have taken place in January 1911; but instead of doing this, they frittered away the time until last June, when the Bank impended payment and filed its petition in bankruptcy.The court has now dismissed the Actions for want of prosecution and ordered an enquiry as to the damage I have sustained.

It was the confusion and worry caused by the action and the preparation of the paper that caused me to lose the address of you and your friends.

It is a great grief to me, not to be with you and taking part in a cause, the preference of which, as you know, has always been the ambition of my life.Do you ever think of old times when we first met in London and used to conspire together.It is a long time ago now, and yet it seems to me but yesterday.

I shall never forget my first glimpse of China on that November morning in 1899, when I went & up to Shanghai. I can still see London bathed in such a sunshine as can only be seen in the great & beauty land.

Write to me when you seem spare a moment, for old times sake.

With kind regards and again wishing you every success.

Believe me to be,Your sincere friend,

Rowland Mulkern

P.S.The papers here say you are at Shanghai, so I suppose this letter will find you—indeed it will find you wherever you are.

(译文)

英国伦敦W.荷兰公园克拉伦登路66号,1912年1月4日

尊敬的孙:

我及我的姐妹们衷心祝贺您的伟大运动之成功,并祝您未来诸事顺遂。正如我一直认为的那样,我仍觉得您是唯一能够拯救中国的人。

去年11月份您在伦敦的时候为何不来看我们呢。我有好多事要告诉您。

老早以前,两个您的国人送给我两封您的介绍信。我邀请他们来见我,但再也没有收到他们的回信。

我本想给您回信的,但我把您的信和他们的信都弄丢了,也就回不成信。

1910年10月,我办了一个新的周刊,叫《观察者》,主要目的是在这个国家支持中国的事业。它面世的第一天,伯克贝克银行的董事们就着手指控我犯了诽谤罪,并获得法院禁令,禁止我批评银行,收回我所有的首期刊物和海报。由于这个禁令我不能出版第二期,所以我的报纸倒闭了。银行的董事答应法院,他们将会尽快于1911年1月起诉。但他们并没有这样做,一直拖延时间。直到去年6月银行停止支付,申请破产。现在,法院撤销原拟进行的起诉,并命令调查我所受的损失。

这场官司引起的混乱和忧虑及筹备出报,令我丢掉了您和您的朋友们的地址。

不能和您在一起参加您的事业对我是一件极大的憾事。如您所知,参与此事一直是我一生的抱负。您是否曾想起过去我们第一次在伦敦见面,并常常在一起图谋大计呢。这已是很久以前的事了,但对我而言宛如昨日。

我永远也忘不了1899年11月的一个清晨,当我到上海时对中国的惊鸿一瞥。我现在仍能看到伦敦沐浴在只能在这块壮丽的土地上看到的阳光里。

看在过去时光的份上,请有暇时写信来。

顺致诚挚问候并祝愿诸事如意。

您永远真诚的朋友 罗兰·摩根

附:报上讲您在上海,我相信这封信会到您手中——不论您在何处,它都能到您手中的。