英語晨讀精華 Week 8 Day 2 Three Days to See 假如給我三天光明
Three Days to See
下面的文字摘選自海倫·凱勒的自傳《假如給我三天光明》。海倫雖然自幼喪失了視力和聽覺，但卻是一個(gè)生活在黑暗中而給人類帶來光明的女性。她在1904 年獲得學(xué)位，成為優(yōu)秀的講師和作家。“我要把別人眼睛所看見的光明當(dāng)作我的太陽，別人的耳朵聽見的音樂當(dāng)作我的樂曲，別人嘴角的微笑當(dāng)作我的快樂。”她接受了命運(yùn)的挑戰(zhàn)，獲得了超越自己的喜悅。我們?yōu)橹袆拥牟粌H是文字本身的優(yōu)美和其中所含的真情，還包括字里行間所反映的那顆偉大心靈。
Most of us, however, take life for granted. We know that one day we must die, but usually we picture that day as far in the future. When we are in buoyant health, death is all but unimaginable. We seldom think of it. The days stretch out in an endless vista. So we go about our petty tasks, hardly aware of our listless attitude toward life.
…
I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being were stricken blind and deaf for a few days at some time during his early adult life. Darkness would make him more appreciative of sight; silence would teach him the joys of sound.
Now and then I have tested my seeing friends to discover what they see. Recently I was visited by a very good friend who had just returned from a long walk in the woods, and I asked her what she had observed. “Nothing in particular,” she replied. I might have been incredulous had I not been accustomed to such reposes, for long ago I became convinced that the seeing see little.
How was it possible, I asked myself, to walk for an hour through the woods and see nothing worthy of note? I who cannot see find hundreds of things to interest me through mere touch. I feel the delicate symmetry of a leaf. I pass my hands lovingly about the smooth skin of a silver birch, or the rough, shaggy bark of a pine. In the spring I touch the branches of trees hopefully in search of a bud the first sign of awakening Nature after her winter’s sleep. I feel the delightful, velvety texture of a flower, and discover its remarkable convolutions; and something of the miracle of Nature is revealed to me. Occasionally, if I am very fortunate, I place my hand gently on a small tree and feel the happy quiver of a bird in full song. I am delighted to have the cool waters of a brook rush through my open finger. To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug. To me the pageant of seasons is a thrilling and unending drama, the action of which streams through my finger tips.
——Helen Keller
[注釋]：
buoyant: having or marked by buoyancy 有浮力的，輕快的
unimaginable: 想不到的，不可思議的
vista: an awareness of a range of time, events, or subjects; a broad mental view 展望，回想
listless: lacking energy or disinclined to exert effort; lethargic 倦怠的，冷漠的，情緒低落的
incredulous: expressive of disbelief 懷疑的，不輕信的
accustom: to familiarize, as by constant practice, use, or habit 使習(xí)慣于
symmetry: exact correspondence of form and constituent configuration on opposite sides of a
dividing line or plane or about a center or an axis 對稱，勻稱
silver birch: 白樺樹
shaggy: having a rough nap or surface, as a textile 表面粗糙的
delightful: greatly pleasing 令人愉快的，可喜的
velvety: suggestive of the texture of velvet; soft and smooth 像天鵝絨的，柔軟的
remarkable : attracting notice as being unusual or extraordinary 不平常的，非凡的，值得注意
的，顯著的
convolution: a form or part that is folded or coiled 回旋，盤旋，卷繞
brook: 小溪
lush: having or characterized by luxuriant vegetation 青蔥的，豪華的
luxurious : fond of or given to luxury 奢侈的，豪華的
pageant: 壯觀
thrilling: 顫動的, 發(fā)抖的，令人振奮的
