ThreedaystoSee英文翻译.docx

ThreedaystoSee英文翻译.docx

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ThreedaystoSee英文翻译

参考译文

1.课文一

2.课文二

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。

当我们身体健康时，死亡是件难以想象的事，我们几乎不会想到它。

岁月无穷