书城亲子从“放牛娃”到宋氏家族的奠基人
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第45章 附录三宋耀如海外书信选译(4)

I do not know exactly what I will do in this summer. But I had a plan fixed, which I expecting to carry out. (If God wills it) and that plan is—missionary lecture.

We have all kinds of Gods in our reading room, and if I were to come to Durham next May, I will bring them with me; so you may have the pleasure of seeing them or make a new acquaintance with the lifeless Deities, and learn of their characters. Well I have (to) close this letter for the present it is the time for recitation again. Please let me hear from you again.

Yours truly,

Charles J. Soon

2.致安妮小姐(1884年4月24日)

亲爱的安妮小姐:

没有给你写信真是有些时候了,可是你一定记得,在我收到这封来信之前,我给你写过一封信的。尽管你说过不管是否收到回信,我都应该写信,没错。但是,我每周有24小时要背诵课文,那些课文特别难且冗长。每学期除了正常学习,还有2000页的平行阅读要做,像课本一样也要考试的。所以,你看这一年里我有很多事情要做,但愿这些能够使我最尊贵的朋友见谅于我的怠慢。

期末考试将5月8日开始,22日结束。5月24日或25日,你可望收到我的长信,本想今晚我能有足够的时间给你写一封长信,但是不行。是的,我非常渴望见到你们,但是,今年夏天达勒姆之行取决于别人,而不是我自己。我盼望我能有办法解决我的旅费。

我必须以不久要进行的所有考试为准,所以要到考试结束后才能给你写信。噢,顺便告诉你,我写了一个剧本,想寄给你,但我并不认为你会喜欢,因为没有好东西出自拿撒勒基督少年时代居住地。,只因为这是我自己的创作。知道你们很好,我很开心。请代我向大家致以最诚挚的问候。

希望你在祈祷中想着我。

我不能确定今年夏天我干什么。但我一直有个计划想要实现,(如果上帝允许的话,)那就是传教士的演讲。

我们阅览室里有各种各样的神(像),如果明年五月份我能去达勒姆,我会把他们带给你。你会乐于见到它们,或者对这些没有生命的神有个全新的认识,并了解他们的特征。现在又到背诵时间了,我不得不结束这封信。请再次给我来信。

你真诚的

查尔斯·J.宋

1884年4月24日

于田纳西州纳什维尔范德比尔特大学

3.To Miss Annie (July 18th, 1885)

Plymouth, N. C.

July 18,1885

It did not take me very long to find out the writer of the letter. The language of a person, is a part of that being; so I did not have any guessing to go through. As soon as I saw the handwriting, I at once recognized who the writer was. It took me three days to go from Durham to Washington, in which time I could have gone to New York, [sin] city and back. I have very pleasant time at Washington, although I know but a few girls as yet. They say there are seven girls to one boy. And some of them are very beautiful, I have fallen in love with Miss Bell. Dont you think that is too bad? For I have to leave my heart in Washington and I go to China?

There isnt any danger of my fall in love with one of Uncle Rsdaughters; Miss Jennie is engaging to a young—fellow, he is only seven feet and 9 inches in height, and Miss Ross is too young, for she is only 15 and has gone to her sisters to spend summer. So you see theres no chance for me to fall in love, if I want to. I suppose you are in some where, where ever you may be I hope you are having nice time. Miss Annie, I must confess that I love you better and more than any girls at Durham. Dont you believe I do? I have exhibited my affection by writing to you—through letter. I am spending a few days with Rev. Mr. Ware, who was a schoolmate of mine Vanderbilt. He is a nice young man.

I came here last WednesdayI shall leave Plymouth next Monday afternoon for Washington, and from thence I will go to Greenville to visit another schoolmate of mine. And finally I shall proceed to Kenansville, in Duplin to visit Mrs. Farrior and will deliver a lecture and preach there. Please give my kindest regards to all.

Please let me hear from you again.

Yours …

Charles

3.致安妮小姐此信没有称呼,根据信中内容可知,是写给安妮小姐的。(1885年7月18日)很快我就知道此信的作者是谁了,一个人的语言是他的一部分,所以我不用怎么猜,一看字迹,立刻就认出此信是谁写的。从达勒姆到华盛顿我花了三天的时间,用这么多时间我都可以到纽约打一个来回了。在华盛顿我过得非常开心,尽管我只认得几个女孩。据说在华盛顿女孩和男孩的比例是七比一,其中有几个女孩很漂亮,我爱上了贝尔小姐。我得把心留在华盛顿,而人却要去中国,你不认为这很糟糕吗?

不存在爱上R叔叔女儿的任何危险。詹尼小姐要和一位年轻人订婚,他身高只有7尺9寸。罗斯小姐太小了,她才15岁,已去姐姐家度夏。所以你看即便我想坠入爱河,也没有机会。我猜想你在某个地方,不管你身在何处我都希望你过得开心。安妮小姐,我必须承认达勒姆女孩中我最爱你。难道你不相信吗?通过给你写信,我已经表达了我的感情。这几天我和韦尔牧师在一起,他是我范德比尔特的同学。他是个很好的年轻人。

我是上周二来这里的。下周一下午我会离开普利茅斯去华盛顿,然后从那里去格林维尔拜访另一个同学。最后,我会前往杜珀林的基南斯维尔拜访法里奥尔夫人,并在那里做一场报告和布道。请代我向大家致以最诚挚的问候。

请让我再次收到你的来信。

查尔斯

1885年7月18日

于北卡罗来纳州普利茅斯

4.To Mr. Southgate (June 14th, 1886)

Soochow, China, June 14, 1886

My dearest friend,

Your kind and highly appreciated letter of April the 30th came last Saturday (12th) and I was exceedingly pleased and glad to hear from you. This is a second letter I received from you since my arrived in China. Please accept my grateful appreciation for both of them. It is a matter of delight to know those shoes and tea have reached their intended destination and were so highly prized by the receiver.

Yes, the tea was intended for my most excellent friend, Mr. James Southgate of Durham.

I dont know why I made such awful blunder of his address, but as it was safely received, it is alright. I attributed my blunder to my noninfallibility and you are compelled to pardon me this time at least. Why dont and couldnt I make a mistake in reference to your address, I wonder?

Yes, I am walking once more on the land that gave me birth, but it is far being from a homelike place to me. I felt more homelike in America than I do in China.

No, I havent been to see my parents at yet. Dr. Allen said I may go during the coming Chinese New Year (Jan. 1887) and not before then. I am very much displeased with this sort of authority; but I must bear it patiently. If I were to take a rash action the people at home might not fail to understand the nature of the case, and they (my Durham friends especially) might think that I am an unloyal Methodist and a law breaker; so I have kept as silent as a mouse. But when the fullness of time has come, I will snake off all the assuming authority of the present Supt. in spite of all his protestation, assuming authority, and the detestation of native ministry. The great “mogul” (?)was the man that wanted to dismiss all the native ministers from preaching about a year ago. And he is the man that ignores my privilege and equality which I am entitled to. I dont like to work under him—I will apply for transmission to Japan.

If I go home at all, I want to go sometime in next spring.

For toward and during the Chinese New Year, the Chinese are very bad on the coast and on the island of Hainan.

Intelligence reached us last Saturday (12th) that the Board has decided to establish a mission operation in Japan. To which field the following gentlemen have appointed to work viz. Dr. J. W. Lambuth, Dr. W. R. Lambuth, (son of J.W.L.) and Dr. Dukes. None of these missionaries could stand the “one man power”at Shanghai.

As I am not feeling well this afternoon, I will this letter before it is half done.

Will write you again and longer in some other time.

Love to all.

Yours ever truly

Charlie

4.致索斯盖特先生根据信中内容所示,“最亲爱的朋友”即为詹姆斯·索斯盖特先生,是安妮小姐的父亲。(1886年6月14日)最亲爱的朋友: