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Text1
ThreeDaystoSee
byHelenKeller
HelenKeller,blindanddeaffrominfancy,becameasuccessfullecturer,authorandeducatorwiththehelpofherteacher.Inthefollowingessay,shediscussedhowpeopleshouldvaluetheirabilitytosee.
Allofushavereadthrillingstoriesinwhichtheherohadonlyalimitedandspecifiedtimetolive.Sometimesitwasaslongasayear;
sometimesasshortastwenty-fourhours.Butalwayswewereinterestedindiscoveringjusthowthedoomedmanchosetospendhislastdaysorhislasthours.Ispeak,ofcourse,offreemenwhohaveachoice,notcondemnedcriminalswhosesphereofactivitiesisstrictlydelimited.
Suchstoriessetusthinking,wonderingwhatweshoulddoundersimilarcircumstances.Whatevents,whatexperiences,whatassociationsshouldwecrowdintothoselasthoursasmortalbeings?
Whathappinessshouldwefindinreviewingthepast,whatregrets?
SometimesIhavethoughtitwouldbeanexcellentruletoliveeachdayasifweshoulddietomorrow.Suchanattitudewouldemphasizesharplythevaluesoflife.Weshouldliveeachdaywithagentleness,avigor,andakeennessofappreciationwhichareoftenlostwhentimestretchesbeforeusintheconstantpanoramaofmoredaysandmonthsandyearstocome.Therearethose,ofcourse,whowouldadopttheEpicureanmottoof“Eat,drink,andbemerry;
”butmostpeoplewouldbechastenedbythecertaintyofimpendingdeath.
Instories,thedoomedheroisusuallysavedatthelastminutebysomestrokeoffortune,butalmostalwayshissenseofvaluesischanged.Hebecomesmoreappreciativeofthemeaningoflifeanditspermanentspiritualvalues.Ithasoftenbeennotedthatthosewholive,orhavelived,intheshadowofdeathbringamellowsweetnesstoeverythingtheydo.
Mostofus,however,takelifeforgranted.Weknowthatonedaywemustdie,butusuallywepicturethatdayasfarinthefuture.Whenweareinbuoyanthealth,deathisallbutunimaginable.Weseldomthinkofit.Thedaysstretchoutinanendlessvista.Sowegoaboutourpettytasks,hardlyawareofourlistlessattitudetowardlife.
Thesamelethargy,Iamafraid,characterizestheuseofallourfacultiesandsenses.Onlythedeafappreciatehearing,onlytheblindrealizethemanifoldblessingsthatlieinsight.Particularlydoesthisobservationapplytothosewhohavelostsightandhearinginadultlife.Butthosewhohaveneversufferedimpairmentofsightorhearingseldommakethefullestuseoftheseblessedfaculties.Theireyesandearstakeinallsightsandsoundshazily,withoutconcentration,andwithlittleappreciation.Itisthesameoldstoryofnotbeinggratefulforwhatwehaveuntilweloseit,ofnotbeingconsciousofhealthuntilweareill.
Ihaveoftenthoughtitwouldbeablessingifeachhumanbeingwerestrickenblindanddeafforafewdaysatsometimeduringhisearlyadultlife.Darknesswouldmakehimmoreappreciativeofsight;
silencewouldteachhimthejoysofsound.
NowandthenIhavetestedmyseeingfriendstodiscoverwhattheysee.RecentlyIwasvisitedbyaverygoodfriendwhohadjustreturnedfromalongwalkinthewoods,andIaskedherwhatshehadobserved.“Nothinginparticular,”shereplied.ImighthavebeenincreduloushadInotbeenaccustomedtosuchresponses,forlongagoIbecameconvincedthattheseeingseelittle.
Howwasitpossible,Iaskedmyself,towalkforanhourthroughthewoodsandseenothingworthyofnote?
Iwhocannotseefindhundredsofthingstointerestmethroughmeretouch.Ifeelthedelicatesymmetryofaleaf.Ipassmyhandslovinglyaboutthesmoothskinofasilverbirch,ortheroughshaggybarkofapine.InspringItouchthebranchesoftreeshopefullyinsearchofabud,thefirstsignofawakeningNatureafterherwinter'
ssleep.Ifeelthedelightful,velvetytextureofaflower,anddiscoveritsremarkableconvolutions;
andsomethingofthemiracleofNatureisrevealedtome.Occasionally,ifIamveryfortunate,Iplacemyhandgentlyonasmalltreeandfeelthehappyquiverofabirdinfullsong.Iamdelightedtohavethecoolwaterofabrookrushthroughmyopenfingers.TomealushcarpetofpineneedlesorspongygrassismorewelcomethanthemostluxuriousPersianrug.Tomethepageantofseasonsisathrillingandunendingdrama,theactionofwhichstreamsthroughmyfingertips.
Attimesmyheartcriesoutwithlongingtoseeallthesethings.IfIcangetsomuchpleasurefrommeretouch,howmuchmorebeautymustberevealedbysight.Yet,thosewhohaveeyesapparentlyseelittle.Thepanoramaofcolourandactionwhichfillstheworldistakenforgranted.Itishuman,perhaps,toappreciatelittlethatwhichwehaveandtolongforthatwhichwehavenot,butitisagreatpitythatintheworldoflightthegiftofsightisusedonlyasamereconvenienceratherthanasameansofaddingfullnesstolife.
IfIwerethepresidentofauniversityIshouldestablishacompulsorycoursein“HowtoUseYourEyes”.Theprofessorwouldtrytoshowhispupilshowtheycouldaddjoytotheirlivesbyreallyseeingwhatpassesunnoticedbeforethem.Hewouldtrytoawaketheirdormantandsluggishfaculties.
Supposeyousetyourmindtoworkontheproblemofhowyouwoulduseyourowneyesifyouhadonlythreemoredaystosee.Ifwiththeoncomingdarknessofthethirdnightyouknewthatthesunwouldneverriseforyouagain,howwouldyouspendthosethreepreciousinterveningdays?
Whatwouldyoumostwanttoletyourgazerestupon?
I,naturally,shouldwantmosttoseethethingswhichhavebecomedeartomethroughmyyearsofdarkness.You,too,wouldwanttoletyoureyesrestlongonthethingsthathavebecomedeartoyousothatyoucouldtakethememoryofthemwithyouintothenightthatloomedbeforeyou.
Ishouldwanttoseethepeoplewhosekindnessandgentlenessandcompanionshiphavemademylifeworthliving.FirstIshouldliketogazelonguponthefaceofmydearteacher,Mrs.AnneSullivanMacy,whocametomewhenIwasachildandopenedtheouterworldtome.Ishouldwantnotmerelytoseetheoutlineofherface,sothatIcouldcherishitinmymemory,buttostudythatfaceandfindinitthelivingevidenceofthesympathetictendernessandpatiencewithwhichsheaccomplishedthedifficulttasksofmyeducation.Ishouldliketoseeinhereyesthatstrengthofcharacterwhichhasenabledhertostandfirminthefaceofdifficulties,andthatcompassionforallhumanitywhichshehasrevealedtomesooften.
Idonotknowwhatitistoseeintotheheartofafriendthroughthat“windowofthesoul”,theeye.Icanonly“see”throughmyfingertipstheoutlineofaface.Icandetectlaughter,sorrow,andmanyotherobviousemotions.Iknowmyfriendsfromthefeeloftheirfaces.ButIcannotreallypicturetheirpersonalitiesbytouch.Iknowtheirpersonalities,ofcourse,throughothermeans,throughthethoughtstheyexpresstome,throughwhateveroftheiractionsarerevealedtome.ButIamdeniedthatdeeperunderstandingofthemwhichIamsurewouldcomethroughsightofthemthroughwatchingtheirreactionstovariousexpressedthoughtsandcircumstances,throughnotingtheimmediateandfleetingreactionsoftheireyesandcountenance.
FriendswhoareneartomeIknowwell,becausethroughthemonthsandyearstheyrevealthemselvestomeinalltheirphases;
butofcausalfriendsIhaveonlyanincompleteimpression,animpressiongainedfromahandclasp,fromspokenwordswhichItakefromtheirlipswithmyfingertips,orwhichtheytapintothepalmofmyhand.
Howmucheasier,howmuchmoresatisfyingitisforyouwhocanseetograspquicklytheessentialqualitiesofanotherpersonbywatchingthesubtletiesofexpression,thequiverofamuscle,theflutterofahand.Butdoesiteveroccurtoyoutouseyoursighttoseeintotheinnernatureofafriendoracquaintance?
Donotmostofyouseeingpeoplegraspcasuallytheoutwardfeaturesofafaceandletitgoatthat?
Forinstance,canyoudescribeaccuratelythefacesoffivegoodfriends?
Someofyoucan,butmanycannot.Asanexperiment,Ihavequestionedhusbandsoflongstandingaboutthecoloroftheirwives'
eyes,andoftentheyexpressembarrassedconfusionandadmitthattheydonotknow.And,incidentally,itisachroniccomplaintofwivesthattheirhusbandsdonotnoticenewdresses,newhats,andchangesinhouseholdarrangements.
Theeyesofseeingpersonssoonbecomeaccustomedtotheroutineoftheirsurroundings,andtheyactuallyseeonlythestartlingandspectacular.Buteveninviewingthemostspectacularsightstheeyesarelazy.Courtrecordsrevealeverydayhowinaccurately“eyewitnesses”see.Agiveneventwillbe“seen”inseveraldifferentwaysbyasmanywitnesses.Someseemorethanothers,butfewseeeverythingthatiswithintherangeoftheirvision.
Oh,thethingsthatIshouldseeifIhadthepowerofsightforjustthreedays!
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课文一
假如我有三天光明
海伦·
凯勒
海伦·
凯勒自幼就又盲又聋,在老师的帮助下成为一名成功的讲师、作家及教育家。
在这篇文章里,海伦·
凯勒讨论了人们应该怎样珍惜自己的视觉能力
我们大家都读过这样一些惊心动魄的故事,故事中的主人公能活的时间有限而具体,或长达一年,或短至24小时。
但是我们总是感兴趣的是,行将死亡的人究竟愿意怎样度过他的最后时光。
当然,我说的是能进行选择的自由人,而不是活动范围受到严格限制的囚犯。
这些故事启迪我们思考,诱发我们想象,当我们处于此类情况时,该怎么做呢?
作为常人,我们在最后的时刻会急于想干些什么,体验些什么,联想些什么呢?
回首往事时,我们又能领略到何种快慰,何种悔恨呢?
有时我想,如果我们度过每一天时都假定明天即将去世,这会是个极好的准则。
这样的处世态度会强烈地突出生命的价值。
我们会亲切地、朝气蓬勃地、感受强烈地来度过每一天,而这一切却往往在日复一日延续的时光与岁月之中消失。
当然,有些人会奉行享乐主义“吃喝玩乐”的信条,但是大多数人则会因死亡就在眼前而使心灵得到净化。
在故事中,那死神呼唤的主人公通常在最后时刻交上好运而获得拯救,但他的价值观几乎总是发生了变化。
他更加珍视生命的意义及其永恒而神圣的价值。
人们常常注意到,那些生活在或者曾经生活在死亡的阴影下的人,对他们所做的每一件事都赋予甜美的色彩。
然而,我们中间大多数人则把生命视为理所当然。
我们知道,总有一天我们会死去,但通常我们又把那一天想象为遥远的未来。
当我们身体健康