二、希望威爾遜連任

（十一月九日）

此次美國(guó)總統(tǒng)選舉，我自始至終望威爾遜連任，以其為美國(guó)開(kāi)國(guó)以來(lái)第一流總統(tǒng)之一也。此次共和黨候選人休斯（Charles E. Hughes）于選舉競(jìng)爭(zhēng)期內(nèi)毫無(wú)所建白。其所主張無(wú)一非共和黨之陳腐口頭禪。故休氏之舊交如The N. Y. Evening Post主者O. G. Villard（《紐約晚郵報(bào)》主編維拉德）初袒之，后皆變而與之為敵。國(guó)中明達(dá)之士如President Charles W. Eliot，John Dewey（查爾斯·W·埃里爾特校長(zhǎng)，約翰·杜威）皆助威氏而攻休氏。吾前語(yǔ)人，若此次休斯得勝，則此邦人士之政治知識(shí)，真足使我失望矣。前見(jiàn)《晚郵報(bào)》中之Simeon Strunsky亦作此語(yǔ)，喜其與余所見(jiàn)略同，故作書(shū)投之。

A Hughes Victory and Cynicism

To the Editor of The 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

〔中譯〕

休斯的勝利和犬儒主義

《晚郵報(bào)》主筆：

先生，作為一個(gè)對(duì)美國(guó)政治絕無(wú)偏見(jiàn)的學(xué)生，我忍不住要寫(xiě)信給你。因?yàn)樵谫F報(bào)“今晚印象”欄中我發(fā)現(xiàn)了在整個(gè)總統(tǒng)競(jìng)選運(yùn)動(dòng)中表示贊成威爾遜總統(tǒng)連任的最令人滿(mǎn)意的論點(diǎn)。其語(yǔ)云：“我之所以希望威爾遜先生以壓倒多數(shù)再次當(dāng)選的原因，就在于我畏懼犬儒主義。如果休斯先生在下周二獲勝，我將不得不承認(rèn)世界就是這樣了，那種玩世不恭的習(xí)慣肯定會(huì)占上風(fēng)?！?

我在美國(guó)留學(xué)期間已經(jīng)歷兩次總統(tǒng)大選，這種不尋常的經(jīng)歷使我有理由相信：進(jìn)步黨1912年出人意料的成功看來(lái)將表明S·斯特拉斯基和那些持同樣觀(guān)點(diǎn)的人也許將幸免于“玩世不恭”主義罷。

胡　適于紐約，11月4日