(原文)
DAVID FREEMAN,ADVOCATE & SOLICITOR
9, Court of Justice,Kuala Lumpur,Selangor, Federated Malay States, 2nd February, 1912
Sir:
You may perhaps remember meeting me about four years ago in the Chinese Miners Association, at Seremban and subsequently at Kuala Lumpur.
I had then much talk with you as to the future, and I am writing to express my humble congratulations on the success that has at last crowned your strenuous efforts, and to arose you that in Kuala Lumpur—as I believed in England—you have sympathizers & supporters who are not all Chinese.
My friend Dr.S.C.Yin of Singapore has written to me of his interview with you when passing through that place recently.May I venture to add my hope to his that the movement which has started under rich fortunate auspices may not fail through a too speedy endeavor to accomplish a change that must take some years to be permanent.
If I am not presumption, may I add that many of your sincere England advisers fear that the new regime may in its zeal for reform copy the faults of western civilizations, instead of merely assimilating those advantages—worthy materials—that are capable of being grafted with success on your own and essentially different civilization.
Our social system in England and world all over Europe is so bad that there can be no doubt that the great bulk of our populations lived under happier conditions 200 years ago.Your friend fear that there may be introduced into China the horrible manufacturing system that has made Lancashire, Yorkshire, & the much country full of towns where the majority of the inhabitants are merely machines for making money—for other people.
Our dress, expensive, ugly, & unhealthy is the last thing that you should copy, and I earnestly hope that you officials will always on state occasions wear the dignified & beautiful robes, that I admired when attending the International Opium Commission at Shanghai a few years ago.
Our religion—we are ceasing to believe in ourselves.More elements of truth worldly contains one common to all the great ethical religions.Gautama Bhudda is for Asia what Jesus Christ is—or was—to ours for Europe.A nation that was a civilized nation when my ancestors were barbarians cannot without the prevent spiritual loss replace Confucius after for two thousand years having followed him with benefit.
Above all, do not give foreign concerns for mines, railways, harbours &.Do not except very the extremest necessity raise foreign loans.First the loan holder; then the gun-boat of the loan holder's government will follow.You have an example in the rejects against the use by your troops of the Tientsin-Hankow railway.
In this connection may I venture to call your attention to the letter written by the late Herbert Spencer to the Japanese Reformer—(the late Count Ito I think )that appeared in the Times after his death.It was written in the 1870's, in that letter, he warned the Japanese to view with the prevent suspicious any attempt by Europeans to establish themselves in Japan & he specially mentioned the holding of law & the working of mines.To his advice the Japanese understand largely over their independence to saving followed it.What a small nation can do, China can also.
In writing these, I am not anti-patriotic, I know the greed of our modern system of competition & finance.It has no conscience & knows no country.It has Europe & America in its grasp.Do not let it get a hold in China, for our sakes as well as yours.
In writing thus I am conscious that I may have committed some breach of etiquette, if so trust that my good intentions may excuse me.
May you be as successful as honour & more happy than every year.In any case you have & will have the sympathy & respect of all friends of liberty & proper the world over.
I am, sir,Yours obedient servant,
David Freeman
(译文)
大卫·弗里曼,推事兼律师。
马来联邦雪兰莪州吉隆坡第9法院,1912年2月2日
先生:
您也许还记得,大约4年前我们在芙蓉的华人矿工协会里见过面,也经常在吉隆坡见面。
当时我们就未来形势进行了长谈。我致信对你们历经艰苦奋斗终于成功表示由衷祝贺。我深信无论是在英国还是在吉隆坡你们都拥有许多同情者和支持者。他们并非全是中国人。
我的朋友,新加坡的颜博士,写信给我谈到最近路过当地时他和您的晤谈。我也希望这场获得非常广泛而幸运的支持而发动的运动,不应因为急于求成而导致失败。一场变革必须花费数年才能巩固成果。
如果我不是妄自菲薄,请允许我补充一点,您的许多诚恳的英国顾问担心,新政权在改革热情之下,可能会照搬西方文明的缺点,而不仅仅是吸收那些优点——有价值的物质文明,这些物质文明能够成功地融合你们自身独特的文明。
我们在英国和全欧洲的社会制度是如此糟糕,毫无疑问,200年前,我们的人口中的多数人生活在更加幸福的环境中。您的朋友们担心,中国可能引入了可怕的工业制度。这一制度使得兰开夏郡、约克郡,以及国家大部分地区小镇林立,那里的大多数居民只是为他人赚钱的机器。
我们的服饰,又丑又贵,还不健康,你们绝对不要照搬。另外,我真诚地希望在举行国家大典时贵国官员永远穿着那些庄严美丽的长袍。几年前在上海出席国际鸦片委员会会议时,我对长袍就非常羡慕。
我们的宗教——我们自己都不再相信,尘世中更多的真理元素包含着所有宗教伦理的共同点。佛教轮回对亚洲的重要性相当于耶稣对欧洲的重要性。当我的祖先是野蛮人的时候,一个民族就建立起文明,在跟随孔子两千年且受益后,孔子要被取代,势必造成巨大的精神损失。
最重要的是,不要把煤矿、铁路和港口方面给外国公司。除非在非常必要的情况下,不要向外国借款。否则,贷款者以及他们背后政府的炮舰就会接踵而至。你们被拒绝使用津汉(天津—汉口)铁路运输军队就是一个证明。
在这方面,请允许我冒昧地提请你注意已故赫伯特·斯宾塞写给日本改革家(我想是已故伊藤伯爵)的信,这封信在他去世后在《泰晤士报》发表。这封信写于19世纪70年代,他在信中警告日本,要防止欧洲人可疑地试图在日本建立自己的地位,他特别提到了法律的制定和矿山的开采。在他的建议下,日本人基本上理解了独立的重要性,也遵循了这一点。一个小国能做到,中国也能。
写下这些,我并非反爱国主义,我知道我们现代竞争和金融体系的贪婪,它没有良知,也毫无国家意识。它掌握着欧洲和美国,为了我们和你们的利益,不要让它在中国占有一席之地。
在写这些时,我意识到我可能有冒犯的语气,但请相信我是出于善意。
祝愿你们成功且荣耀,年年都更幸福。无论如何,你们已经获得,也将会永远得到全世界崇尚自由的朋友们的支持和尊重。
大卫·弗里曼 敬上