聆聽自然

至今仍讓我記憶猶新的是1887年夏天的很多往事，它們打開了我心靈的眼睛，讓我的靈魂恍然地蘇醒了。我整天用手去探摸我能接觸到的東西，然后學(xué)習(xí)并寫下它們的名稱。我探摸的東西日漸增多，更多東西的名字和用途就了解得越透徹，我越發(fā)高興和充滿信心，也越發(fā)感覺到外部世界充溢著無限的感情。

當(dāng)繁花似錦的夏日時光來臨時，蘇利文小姐和我去田納西河岸邊散步，她牽著我的手穿行在田野間，那里的人們正在翻土耕田。我們坐在溫軟的草地上，在這里，開始學(xué)習(xí)大自然的第一課。我明白了大自然施與人類的恩惠。我懂得了陽光雨露如何灌溉世間萬物，讓樹木在大地上茁壯成長起來；我懂得了鳥兒怎樣筑巢，怎樣繁衍，怎樣隨著季節(jié)的變化而南北遷徙；也懂得了松鼠、小鹿和獅子等動物如何覓食，如何繁衍生息。我越來越感到我所生活的這個世界是多么的美好，因為我對它的了解愈來愈多。蘇利文小姐先教我從粗壯的樹木、細(xì)嫩的草葉，還有我妹妹的小手去發(fā)現(xiàn)和領(lǐng)略一些事物的美，然后才教我怎樣去描述地球的形狀。她把對我的啟蒙同大自然聯(lián)系起來，讓花鳥樹木都與我結(jié)成快樂的伙伴。

但是這時發(fā)生的一件事，卻使我發(fā)現(xiàn)大自然并不總是那么和藹可親。那是一個明朗的清晨，我和蘇利文小姐隨心所欲地散步到稍遠(yuǎn)的地方。就在我們回家的路上，天開始變得悶熱起來，我們不得不停在路旁的樹下休息好幾次。最后是在離家不遠(yuǎn)的一棵野櫻桃樹下歇了一會，在蘇利文小姐的幫助下，我爬到枝葉旺盛又方便攀登的樹上去，找了個枝杈坐了下來。樹上涼快極了，于是蘇利文小姐提議讓我等她回去把飯拿來就在那兒吃午餐。我答應(yīng)她一定安靜地坐在那里，等她回去拿飯過來。

忽然風(fēng)云突變，太陽的溫暖瞬間消失殆盡，天空烏云密布，空氣中散發(fā)著混合泥土的一股怪味。我知道這預(yù)示著一場暴風(fēng)雨即將來臨。一種同親人隔絕、同大地分離的孤獨(dú)感，和一種莫名的恐懼涌上我心頭，并將我包圍。我一動不動地坐在枝杈上，冷得瑟瑟發(fā)抖，期盼著蘇利文小姐快點回來，更希望自己趕快從樹上下去。

一陣沉寂之后，強(qiáng)風(fēng)刮得樹葉嘩啦啦作響，似乎要將大樹連根拔起。我嚇得趕緊死死地抱緊樹枝，唯恐狂風(fēng)將我一把奪走。樹搖動得越來越厲害，落葉和折斷的小樹枝雨點般地向我打來。要不是萬分的恐懼阻擊著我，我會有一種從樹上跳下來的沖動。我蹲在樹杈上，任由樹枝抽打著我。似乎有什么沉重的東西掉到了地上，讓它一陣又一陣地震動著，這震動由下而上地傳到了我坐著的枝干上。驚恐到了極點的我，正在想著自己是否會和樹枝一起跌落時，蘇利文小姐及時趕到了，她抓住了我的手，把我扶了下來。我緊緊抱著她，我的雙腳又一次接觸到堅實的大地讓我異常高興。從這次驚險萬分的經(jīng)歷中，我又獲得了一種新的知識——大自然有時也會向她的兒女發(fā)脾氣，可怕的利爪原來就隱藏在她那溫柔美麗的外表下面！

這之后，我有很長一段時間不敢爬樹，滿腦子的畏懼仍然難以平復(fù)。直到有一天，受到繁花滿枝、香味撲鼻的含羞樹引誘，我將一切恐懼拋之腦后。春天一個美麗的清晨，我獨(dú)自坐在涼亭里看書，聞到了一股淡淡的香氣，仿佛有“春之神”穿亭而過，我不由得站起來伸出雙手。這是什么？我決定去看看，于是摸索到花園的盡頭，含羞樹就長在籬邊小路的拐彎處。在暖暖的陽光照射下，繁花緊簇的樹枝幾乎垂到青草上。世間難道還有什么東西比這更美嗎？只要輕輕一碰那艷麗的花兒，它們就會紛紛飄落，仿佛天上的樂園降落至人間，輕輕飛舞在閃閃爍爍的陽光下。我穿過繽紛的花瓣，走近大樹，在樹前站了片刻。爾后，我把腳伸到樹枝的空處，兩手抓住枝干準(zhǔn)備往上爬。樹干實在很粗，我的手抓不牢，又被樹皮擦破了，但我有一種美妙的感覺：我正做著一件美妙的事。因此我熱情洋溢地不斷往上爬，直到爬上一個舒適的座位。這個座位是很早以前別人砌在那里的小椅子，時日已久，已成為樹的一部分了。我在上面待了很久，好像漫步云端的仙女一樣。從那以后，我常在這棵天堂之樹上盡興玩耍，冥思遐想，在絕美的夢境里流連忘返。

MAKING FRIENDS WITH NATURE

I recall many incidents of the summer of 1887 that followed my soul's sudden awakening. I did nothing but explore with my hands and learn the name of every object that I touched;and the more I handled things and learned their names and uses, the more joyous and confident grew my sense of kinship with the rest of the world.

When the time of daisies and buttercups came Miss Sullivan took me by the hand across the fields, where men were preparing the earth for the seed, to the banks of the Tennessee River, and there, sitting on the warm grass, I had my first lessons in the beneficence of nature. I learned how the sun and the rain make to grow out of the ground every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, how birds build their nests and live and thrive from land to land, how the squirrel, the deer, the lion and every other creature finds food and shelter.As my knowledge of things grew I felt more and more the delight of the world I was in.Long before I learned to do a sum in arithmetic or describe the shape of the earth, Miss Sullivan had taught me to find beauty in the fragrant woods, in every blade of grass, and in the curves and dimples of my baby sister's hand.She linked my earliest thoughts with nature, and made me feel that"birds and flowers and I were happy peers."

But about this time I had an experience which taught me that nature is not always kind. One day my teacher and I were returning from a long ramble.The morning had been fine, but it was growing warm and sultry when at last we turned our faces homeward.Two or three times we stopped to rest under a tree by the wayside.Our last halt was was under a wild cherry tree a short distance from the house.The shade was grateful, and the tree was so easy to climb that with my teacher's assistance I was able to scramble to a seat in the branches.It was so cool up in the tree that Miss Sullivan proposed that we have our luncheon there.I promised to keep still while she went to the house to fetch it.

Suddenly a change passed over the tree. All the sun's warmth left the air.I knew the sky was black, because all the heat, which meant light to me, had died out of the atmosphere.A strange odour came up from the earth.I knew it, it was the odour that always precedes a thunderstorm, and a nameless fear clutched at my heart.I felt absolutely alone, cut off from my friends and the firm earth.The immense, the unknown, enfolded me.I remained still and expectant;a chilling terror crept over me.I longed for my teacher's return, but above all things I wanted to get down from that tree.

There was a moment of sinister silence, then a multitudinous stirring of the leaves. A shiver ran through the tree, and the wind sent forth a blast that would have knocked me off had I not clung to the branch with might and main.The tree swayed and strained.The small twigs snapped and fell about me in showers.A wild impulse to jump seized me, but terror held me fast.I crouched down in the fork of the tree.The branches lashed about me.I felt the intermittent jarring that came now and then, as if something heavy had fallen and the shock had traveled up till it reached the limb I sat on.It worked my suspense up to the highest point, and just as I was thinking the tree and I should fall together, my teacher seized my hand and helped me down.I clung to hear, trembling with joy to feel the earth under my feet once more.I had learned a new lesson-that nature"wages open war against her children, and under softest touch hides treacherous claws."

After this experience it was a long time before I climbed another tree. The mere thought filled me with terror.It was the sweet allurement of the mimosa tree in full bloom that finally overcame my fears.One beautiful spring morning when I was alone in the summer-house, reading, I became aware of a wonderful subtle fragrance in the air.I started up and instinctively stretched out my hands.It seemed as if the spirit of spring had passed through the summer-house."What is it?"I asked, and the next minute I recognized the odour of the mimosa blossoms.I felt my way to the end of the garden, knowing that the mimosa tree was near the fence, at the turn of the path.Yes, there it was, all quivering in the warm sunshine, its blossom-laden branches almost touching the long grass.Was there ever anything so exquisitely beautiful in the world before!Its delicate blossoms shrank from the slightest earthly touch;it seemed as if a tree of paradise had been transplanted to earth.I made my way through a shower of petals to the great trunk and for one minute stood irresolute;then, putting my foot in the broad space between the forked branches, I pulled myself up into the tree.I had some difficulty in holding on, for the branches were very large and the bark hurt my hands.But I had a delicious sense that I was doing something unusual and wonderful, so I kept on climbing higher and higher, until I reached a little seat which somebody had built there so long ago that it had grown part of the tree itself.I sat there for a long, long time, feeling like a fairy on a rosy cloud.After that I spent many happy hours in my tree of paradise, thinking fair thoughts and dreaming bright dreams.

無聲而堅韌的愛

在擁有了語言的鑰匙后，我總是迫切地想要運(yùn)用它。通常來說，有聽力的孩子學(xué)習(xí)語言是很快的，因為他們可以輕而易舉地明白并模仿別人說出來的話。但是對于像我這樣耳聾的孩子卻必須在經(jīng)歷了無數(shù)的痛苦煎熬后，才能慢慢學(xué)會，但無論這個過程有多艱辛，結(jié)果對于我總是無比美妙的。我由斷斷續(xù)續(xù)地發(fā)音學(xué)起，從每一件東西的名稱慢慢學(xué)起，直到進(jìn)展到可以在莎士比亞的十四行詩中，獲得無限美妙的想象。

起初，老師告訴我一些新鮮事的時候，我?guī)缀跏遣惶釂栴}的，因為掌握的詞匯太少，腦子里的概念也是模模糊糊的。而隨著知識的增長，我的單詞量越來越大，涉及的面也越來越廣，所以我問的問題也越來越多，常常是就一個問題一再發(fā)問，一再地思索，非得探個究竟不可。有時從學(xué)習(xí)一個新詞，常常會將它和自己的種種經(jīng)歷聯(lián)想到一起。

我還記得有一天早晨，我第一次向蘇利文小姐問起“愛”的真正含義。當(dāng)時我知道的字寥寥無幾，我在花園里給我的老師摘了幾朵紫羅蘭。她高興得想吻我，可我那時除了母親外，不喜歡接受別人的吻，于是蘇利文小姐用一只胳膊輕輕地?fù)е遥谖艺菩钠磳懗觥拔覑酆悺边@幾個字來。

“愛是什么？”我問她。

蘇利文小姐把我更緊地攬入懷里，用手指著我的心說：“愛在這里。”我第一次感覺到心臟的跳動，可是當(dāng)時我對老師的話和動作依然迷惑不解，因為除了能觸摸到的東西外，我?guī)缀跏裁炊疾欢Ｎ衣劻寺勊掷锏淖狭_蘭，比比劃劃地問道：“愛就是花的香味兒嗎？”

老師回答說：“不是。”

我又好好地想了想。此時此刻，陽光正溫暖地傾灑在我們的身上。“愛就是太陽吧？”我指著陽光射來的方向問，“太陽是不是就是愛？”

在我眼里，世界上最好的東西無疑就是太陽了，萬物因為它的溫暖才得以更加茁壯成長。但蘇利文小姐卻總是搖頭，我又困惑又失望，于是我很奇怪地問她，為什么不明明白白地告訴我，愛到底是什么呢？

過后的一兩天，我正用線穿一些大小不同的珠子，按兩個大的、三個小的這樣的次序。結(jié)果老是這里弄錯，那里也弄錯，蘇利文小姐耐心地在一旁為我糾正錯誤，最后，我發(fā)現(xiàn)有一大段很明顯地穿錯了，于是，我用心想著，到底應(yīng)該怎樣才能把這些珠子穿好。蘇利文小姐在我額頭碰了碰，使勁地拼寫出了“想”這個字。

我頓時靈光一閃，明白了這個詞指的原來就是正在我頭腦里進(jìn)行著的過程。于是，我第一次對概念有了抽象的領(lǐng)悟。

我一動不動地在那里坐了許久，并不是在想放在膝上的珠子該如何排列，而是竭力想根據(jù)這一新概念探尋到“愛”的含義。那天，天空中布滿了朵朵烏云，還不時下著一陣陣的小雨，但突然間光彩奪目的太陽突破云層從南面綻放出迷人的笑臉。

我又問蘇利文小姐：“愛難道不像太陽嗎？”

她回答說：“愛有點兒像太陽沒出來前空中的云彩般的東西。”但她這并不淺顯的話，在當(dāng)時對于我來說是困惑的。于是她又給我解釋說：“你摸不到云彩，但你能感覺到雨水，你也知道，在經(jīng)過一天的曝曬之后，花兒和大地能得到雨水會是多么高興，愛就是這種摸不著，但你卻能感覺到她所帶來的甜蜜的東西，沒有愛，你就不快活，也就不想玩了。”

就在那一瞬間，我領(lǐng)悟了其中美妙的道理——感到我與他人的心靈仿佛由無數(shù)條繩索連接著，這就是人與人之間千絲萬縷的情感吧！

從一開始蘇利文小姐教我，就像對待其他正常的孩子那樣，總是跟我對話，唯一的區(qū)別是，她不是用嘴說，而是把一句句話拼寫在我手上。當(dāng)我無法找到單詞或習(xí)慣用語來表達(dá)思想時，她便提供給我，若是我答不上來，她甚至?xí)盐覒?yīng)該回答的話也提示給我。

這種學(xué)習(xí)方法持續(xù)了多年，對一個耳聾的孩子來說根本不可能在幾個月甚至幾年的時間里，掌握并運(yùn)用最簡單的生活用語。正常的孩子學(xué)說話是靠反復(fù)地揣摩，大腦聽到大人的話并進(jìn)行思考，聯(lián)想到談話的內(nèi)容，進(jìn)而學(xué)會表達(dá)自己的思想，但耳聾的孩子卻是無法自然地進(jìn)行這個過程的。蘇利文小姐意識到這一點，她用各種方法來為我彌補(bǔ)缺陷。她盡最大可能，一字一句地重復(fù)著一些日常用語，告訴我應(yīng)該怎樣和別人交談。但過了一段漫長的日子之后，我才敢主動張口和別人交談，又一段更長的時間之后，才知道在什么場合說什么話。

對于又聾又啞的人來說是很難體會到交談的愉悅的，而他們在與人交流中遇到的困難就更難以想象了，在無人幫助的情況下，他們無法領(lǐng)會到談話者語調(diào)的高低升降、語氣的強(qiáng)弱輕重變化，以及所隱含的意思。同時，他們更看不見對方臉上的表情，不懂察言觀色，而神色恰恰是心靈的自然流露。

SILENT AND INDOMITABLE LOVE

I had now the key to all language, and I was eager to learn to use it. Children who hear acquire language without any particular effort, the words that fall from others'lips they catch on the wing, as it were, delightedly, while the little deaf child must trap them by a slow and often painful process.But whatever the process, the result is wonderful.Gradually from naming an object we advance step by step until we have traversed the vast distance between our first stammered syllable and the sweep of thought in a line of Shakespeare.

At first, when my teacher told me about a new thing I asked very few questions. My ideas were vague, and my vocabulary was inadequate, but as my knowledge of things grew, and I learned more and more words, my field of inquiry broadened, and I would return again and again to the same subject, eager for further information.Sometimes a new word revived an image that some earlier experience had engraved on my brain.

I remember the morning that I first asked the meaning of the word,"love."This was before I knew many words. I had found a few early violets in the garden and brought them to my teacher.She tried to kiss me, but at that time I did not like to have any one kiss me except my mother.Miss Sullivan put her arm gently round me and spelled into my hand,"I love Helen."

"What is love?"I asked.

She drew me closer to her and said,"It is here,"pointing to my heart, whose beats I was conscious of for the first time. Her words puzzled me very much because I did not then understand anything unless I touched it.

I smelt the violets in her hand and asked, half in words, half in signs, a question which meant,"Is love the sweetness of flowers?"

"No,"said my teacher.

Again I thought. The warm sun was shining on us.

"Is this not love?"I asked, pointing in the direction from which the heat came."Is this not love?"

It seemed to me that there could be nothing more beautiful than the sun, whose warmth makes all things grow. But Miss Sullivan shook her head, and I was greatly puzzled and disappointed.I thought it strange that my teacher could not show me love.

A day or two afterward I was stringing beads of different sizes in symmetrical groups-two large beads, three small ones, and so on. I had made many mistakes, and Miss Sullivan had pointed them out again and again with gentle patience.Finally I noticed a very obvious error in the sequence and for an instant I concentrated my attention on the lesson and tried to think how I should have arranged the beads.Miss Sullivan touched my forehead and spelled with decided emphasis,"Think."

In a flash I knew that the word was the name of the process that was going on in my head. This was my first conscious perception of an abstract idea.

For a long time I was still-I was not thinking of the beads in my lap, but trying to find a meaning for"love"in the light of this new idea. The sun had been under a cloud all day, and there had been brief showers, but suddenly the sun broke forth in all its southern splendour.

Again, I asked my teacher,"Is this not love?"

"Love is something like the clouds that were in the sky before the sun came out,"she replied. Then in simpler words than these, which at that time I could not have understood, she explained:"You can not touch the clouds, you know, but you feel the rain and know how glad the flowers and the thirsty earth are to have it after a hot day.You can not touch love either, but you feel the sweetness that it pours into everything.Without love you would not be happy or want to play."

The beautiful truth burst upon my mind-I felt that there were invisible lines stretched between my spirit and the spirits of others.

From the beginning of my education Miss Sullivan made it a practice to speak to me as she would to any hearing child, the only difference was that she spelled the sentences into my hand instead of speaking them. If I did not know the words and idioms necessary to express my thoughts she supplied them, even suggesting conversation when I was unable to keep up my end of the dialogue.

This process was continued for several years, for the deaf child does not learn in a month, or even in two or three years, the numberless idioms and expressions used in the simplest daily intercourse. The little hearing child learns these from constant repetition and imitation.The conversation he hears in his home stimulates his mind and suggests topics and calls forth the spontaneous expression of his own thoughts.This natural exchange of ideas is denied to the deaf child.My teacher, realizing this, determined to supply the kinds of stimulus I lacked.This she did by repeating to me as far as possible, verbatim what she heard, and by showing me how I could take part in the conversation.But it was a long time before I ventured to take the initiative, and still longer before I could find something appropriate to say at the right time.

The deaf and the blind find it very difficult to acquire the amenities of conversation. How much more this difficulty must be augmented in the case of those who are both deaf and blind!They cannot distinguish the tone of the voice or, without assistance, go up and down the gamut of tones that give significance to words, nor can they watch the expression of the speaker's face, and a look is often the very soul of what one says.

學(xué)習(xí)的樂趣

學(xué)習(xí)閱讀，是我受教育生涯中第二個比較重要的練習(xí)階段。

當(dāng)我能夠拼寫幾個字后，蘇利文小姐就給我一些上面印有凸起的文字的硬紙片。我立馬就明白了，每一個突起的字是用來代表某種物體、某種行為或某種特性的。我有一個字母架，可以用所學(xué)到的字在上面擺出短句子。但我在用這些硬紙片排列短句之前，習(xí)慣于用實物來表現(xiàn)句子，比如我會先把寫有“娃娃”、“是”、“在……上”和“床”的硬紙片找出來，將實物與每個硬紙片對應(yīng)上，然后再把娃娃放在床上，在旁邊擺上寫有“是”、“在……上”和“床”的卡片，這樣既用詞造了一個句子，又用在與之相對應(yīng)的物體上表現(xiàn)出了句子的含義。

有一天，蘇利文小姐讓我把“girl”（女孩）這個詞別在我的圍裙上，然后把“is”（是）、“in”（在……里）、“wardrobe”（衣柜）這幾個詞放在框架上，這是我最喜歡的一種游戲。有時我和老師一玩就是幾個小時，我們常常按語句把屋子里的東西進(jìn)行擺放。

這種拼卡的擺句子游戲是我進(jìn)入閱讀世界的初始階段。不久之后，我拿起“啟蒙讀本”，開始尋找我已經(jīng)認(rèn)識的字。當(dāng)我找到時，就像在玩捉迷藏時逮著人一樣興奮不已。就在這種方式下，我開始了閱讀。下面我就將談到我讀小說是從何時開始的。

在一段相當(dāng)長的時間里，我都沒有上過正規(guī)的課程。即使非常認(rèn)真地學(xué)，也只是像在玩游戲，而不像是上課。蘇利文小姐不管教我什么，總是會用到一些生動的故事和美麗的詩篇加以修飾和說明。只要發(fā)現(xiàn)我對什么東西感興趣，她也會像一個小女孩一樣，與我不斷地爭論。孩子們厭惡的事，不論是學(xué)語法，做算術(shù)題，還是較為嚴(yán)格地解釋問題，都成了我最美好的回憶。

蘇利文小姐對我的快樂和愿望所表現(xiàn)出的特有的包容，讓我無法理解，或許是和盲人長期接觸的緣故吧，她竟有一種生動而奇妙的描述事物的才能。那些枯燥無味的細(xì)節(jié)，她從來都是一帶而過；她也從不會責(zé)問我是否忘了前一天的功課。那些枯燥無味的科學(xué)知識，也被她生動逼真、循序漸進(jìn)地解釋出并灌輸進(jìn)了我的腦袋里，使我在不知不覺中很輕易便記住了她所講的內(nèi)容。

我們經(jīng)常到戶外，在灑滿陽光的樹林里讀書、學(xué)習(xí)。在林中，我學(xué)到的所有東西都有了森林的氣息——樹脂的松香味與野葡萄的芬芳混合在一起。坐在郁郁蔥蔥的樹蔭下，我懂得了世間萬物都能使我學(xué)習(xí)，并能給我以啟迪。那些嗡嗡作響、低聲鳴叫、婉轉(zhuǎn)歌唱或開花吐香的事物，都是我認(rèn)知的對象。我常常用手捂一些自己捉來的青蛙、螞蚱和蟋蟀，靜靜地等候著它們鳴叫出聲來。還有毛茸茸的小雞、綻開的野花、木棉、河邊的紫羅蘭，那柔軟的纖維和毛絨的棉籽，那微風(fēng)吹過玉米田時玉米葉子互相碰撞的颯颯聲，那被我們抓住的，在草地上吃草的小馬駒憤怒的嘶鳴，以及從它嘴里噴出的青草氣息，都在我的腦海里鐫刻并永久的定格下來。

有時候，天剛蒙蒙亮，我就起身溜進(jìn)花園里，晨霧還朦朦朧朧地籠罩著花草。把玫瑰花輕柔地握在手心里的無限樂趣；抑或百合在徐徐晨風(fēng)中搖曳的美姿，是極少有人能體會得到的。有時我會在花叢中捕捉到些許昆蟲，我可以感覺到它們在外界壓力的重重折磨下，舉翅欲飛而發(fā)出的細(xì)微振動。

另外一個我最樂意的去處是果園。在那里，1到7月初果子便熟了。毛茸茸的大桃子，只要我伸手便可觸到。熟透了的蘋果有時會在一陣微風(fēng)掠過的時候掉落一地。我把落到腳旁的蘋果撿起來，兜在圍裙里，把蘋果光滑的表面緊貼在臉上，體味著上面太陽的余溫，那種美妙絕倫的感覺常使我快樂地飛奔著跑回家。

凱勒碼頭是我們最喜歡去散步的一個地方。那是田納西州河邊一個荒蕪破舊的碼頭，它是南北戰(zhàn)爭時為了部隊登陸而修建的。我們在那里一邊玩一邊學(xué)習(xí)地理知識，度過了許多歡樂的時光。我們用鵝卵石造堤、建島、筑湖、開河，盡情玩樂，從來沒想到過是在上課，卻也從中汲取了很多知識。蘇利文小姐給我講述了我們這個又大又圓的地球，地球上的火山、被埋在地下的城市、不斷移動的冰河以及其他許許多多奇聞軼事，這些讓我越聽越感奇妙。她還會用黏土給我制作立體地圖，讓我用手摸到凸起的山峰、凹陷的山谷和蜿蜒曲折的河流。這些不同的地圖我都很喜歡，可是卻常常分不清赤道和兩極。蘇利文小姐為了把地球形象化，用一根根線代表經(jīng)緯線，用一根樹枝代表貫穿南北極的地軸，這一切都那么逼真，以至只要有人提起氣溫帶，我腦子里就會浮現(xiàn)出許多一連串編織而成的圓圈。我想，要是有人騙我說白熊會爬上北極那根柱子，我也會信以為真的。

我唯一不喜歡的功課就是算術(shù)，一開始我就對數(shù)字不感興趣。蘇利文小姐教我通過擺弄草棍的方法來學(xué)習(xí)加減法，她會用線把珠子穿成串來教我數(shù)數(shù)。但這種方法每次總擺不了五六題，我就不耐煩了。每天做完幾道算術(shù)題后，我便會認(rèn)為當(dāng)天的任務(wù)已經(jīng)完成，然后飛跑出去找伙伴們玩。

在學(xué)習(xí)動物學(xué)和植物學(xué)的時候我們采用了同樣的悠閑方式。

一次，有一位先生給我寄來一些化石，我已記不起那位先生叫什么名字了。其中有美麗花紋的貝殼化石、有動物爪印的砂巖以及蕨類植物化石。這些展現(xiàn)了遙遠(yuǎn)地質(zhì)時代的化石打開我了解遠(yuǎn)古世界的心扉。我傾聽蘇利文小姐為我講述那些名字古怪而且很難發(fā)音的可怕的野獸。這些猛獸游蕩在原始森林中，撕斷大樹的枝葉當(dāng)食物，最后悄然地死在年代久遠(yuǎn)的沼澤地里。很長一段時間，這些怪獸會在我的夢里出現(xiàn)，那陰暗可怕的地質(zhì)時代與現(xiàn)在截然不同。陽光普照大地，百花爭芳吐艷，田野中回蕩著我那匹小馬悅耳的蹄聲，現(xiàn)在的人們是多么快樂啊！

還有一次，有人送了一個美麗的貝殼給我。蘇利文小姐就告訴我小小的軟體動物是如何為自己建造如此色彩斑斕的居所的；鸚鵡螺在寂靜的夜晚是如何乘著它的“珍珠船”，泛舟在蔚藍(lán)的印度洋上的。這一切我聽得津津有味，也讓我驚詫不已。我學(xué)了許多有關(guān)海洋生物生活習(xí)慣的知識和趣聞后，老師讀了《馱著房子的鸚鵡螺》一書給我聽，從書中我學(xué)到了軟體動物的造殼過程。同時我也領(lǐng)悟到，人類智慧的發(fā)展就如同軟體動物奇妙的造殼過程，把從外界吸入的物質(zhì)轉(zhuǎn)換成身體的一部分一樣，最終凝聚成一顆顆思想的珍珠。

我也從植物的生長中，學(xué)到了很多東西。我們把買來的一株百合花，放在陽光燦爛的窗臺上。很快嫩綠、尖尖的花蕾便伸展出來。花蕾外包著的葉子緩緩地綻放開來，如同人的纖細(xì)手指，好像極不情愿別人窺見它里面珍藏的秀美的花朵。可是一旦開放，葉子張開的速度便加快了，卻依然井然有序、有條不紊。眾多蓓蕾中總會有一朵最大最美麗的，要比其他的雍容華貴，似乎躲在柔軟、光滑的外衣里面的花朵知道神圣的百花之王就是自己。而等到她矜持的姐妹們脫下她們綠色的頭巾時，卻是那么羞澀，最后，整個枝頭鮮花滿布，芬芳襲人。

家里的整個窗臺上都擺著花盆，還有一個球形玻璃魚缸，一天，我興奮地發(fā)現(xiàn)，不知道誰在里面放了11只蝌蚪。我把手指放進(jìn)水里，第一次摸到蝌蚪，于是非常有趣地讓它們在我的手指間自由自在地游動。一天，一個膽大的家伙竟然從魚缸里跳躍而出，落在地板上，等我發(fā)現(xiàn)時除了輕微擺動的尾巴證明它仍活著外，它差不多已經(jīng)奄奄一息了。但是當(dāng)我把它放回水里后，它卻很快地潛入水底，活蹦亂跳地游起來。即使它曾經(jīng)歷過風(fēng)險，也跳出魚缸見過了世面，可是現(xiàn)在卻心甘情愿待在這倒掛金鐘花下的玻璃房子里，在水草下玩耍直到變成神氣活現(xiàn)的青蛙為止。那時它就會從花園那頭跳進(jìn)綠樹成蔭的池塘，用它那動聽的情歌把夏夜裝扮成一個優(yōu)雅的音樂的世界。

就這樣，我在生活中不斷地汲取著各種知識。是蘇利文小姐的到來，讓我將生命之初存在的各種可能變成了現(xiàn)實。她使我在愛的喜悅和驚奇之中生活得更加美好和無憂無慮，讓我生命中的一切都有了意義。她從不放過任何一個機(jī)會，讓我體會世間萬物都存在著美，她每時每刻都在動腦筋、想辦法，使我的生活變得美好甜蜜，更有意義。

正是蘇利文小姐非凡的才能、同情心和愛使我早年接受了如此色彩斑斕的教育。她總能尋找機(jī)會把最好、最適當(dāng)?shù)闹R灌輸給我，并讓我很快接受。她竭盡全力地付出，因為她認(rèn)識到孩子的心靈就像潺潺流動的溪水沿著河床百轉(zhuǎn)千回，才能匯成江河湖海，在透明的水面上映出連綿起伏的山脈，映出樹影、藍(lán)天，映出花兒美麗的容顏。

每個孩子都能被老師領(lǐng)進(jìn)學(xué)堂，但并不是每個老師都能使孩子學(xué)習(xí)到真正的知識。只有當(dāng)孩子感到他是自由的，他才會在不論繁忙或悠閑的情況下樂意學(xué)習(xí)。在安排他做一件使他不愉快的事情之后，他會表現(xiàn)出一種勝利后的興奮，或者一種失望后的沮喪，而毅然決定不再死死去啃那單調(diào)的教科書。

我和蘇利文小姐很親密，我們是難分難舍的，我從未想過我們會分開。我永遠(yuǎn)也無法分清我對所有美好事物的喜愛，有多少是自己與生俱來的，又有多少是受她影響的。我感覺她已經(jīng)成為我生活中不可割舍的一部分，我前進(jìn)的腳步也是沿著她的足跡。我生命中所有美好的東西都屬于她，我的才能、抱負(fù)和歡樂，每一樣都是在她的指導(dǎo)和點化下形成的。

THE PLEASURE OF STUDY

The next important step in my education was learning to read.

As soon as I could spell a few words my teacher gave me slips of cardboard on which were printed words in raised letters. I quickly learned that each printed word stood for an object an act or a quality.I had a frame in which I could arrange the words in little sentences.but before I ever put sentences in the frame I used to make them in objects I found the slips of paper which represented for example."doll""is""on""bed"and placed each name on its object;then I put my doll on the bed with the words arranged beside the doll thus making a sentence out of the words and at the same time carrying out the idea of the sentence with the things themselves.

One day Miss Sullivan tells me, I pinned the word girl on my pinafore and stood in the wardrobe. On the shelf I arranged the words in wardrobe.Nothing delighted me so much as this game.My teacher and I played it for hours at a time.Often everything in the room was arranged in object sentences.

From the printed slip it was but a step to the printed book. I took my"Reader for Beginners"and hunted for the words I knew when I found them my joy was like that of a game of hide-and-seek.Thus I began to read.Of the time when I began to read connected stories I shall speak later.

For a long time I had no regular lessons. Even when I studied most earnestly it seemed more like play than work.Everything Miss Sullivan taught me she illustrated by a beautiful story or a poem.Whenever anything delighted or interested me she talked it over with me just as if she were a little girl herself.What many children think of with dread as a painful plodding through grammar, hard sums and harder definitions is to-day one of my most precious memories.

I cannot explain the peculiar sympathy Miss Sullivan had with my pleasures and desires. Perhaps it was the result of long association with the blind.Added to this she had a wonderful faculty for description.She went quickly over uninteresting details and never nagged me with questions to see if I remembered the day-before-yesterday's lesson.She introduced dry technicalities of science little by little making every subject so real that I could not help remembering what she taught.

We read and studied out of doors, preferring the sunlit woods to the house. All my early lessons have in them the breath of the woods-the fine, resinous odour of pine needles, blended with the perfume of wild grapes.Seated in the gracious shade of a wild tulip tree I learned to think that everything has a lesson and a suggestion."The loveliness of things taught me all their use."Indeed everything that could hum or buzz or sing or bloom had a part in my education-noisy-throated frogs katydids and crickets held in my hand until forgetting their embarrassment, they trilled their reedy note, little downy chickens and wild-flowers the dogwood blossoms, meadow-violets and budding fruit trees.I felt the bursting cotton-bolls and fingered their soft fiber and fuzzy seeds.I felt the low soughing of the wind through the cornstalks, the silky rustling of the long leaves and the indignant snort of my pony as we caught him in the pasture and put the bit in his mouth-ah me!how well I remember the spicy clovery smell of his breath!

Sometimes I rose at dawn and stole into the garden while the heavy dew lay on the grass and flowers. Few know what joy it is to feel the roses pressing softly into the hand or the beautiful motion of the lilies as they sway in the morning breeze.Sometimes I caught an insect in the flower I was plucking and I felt the faint noise of a pair of wings rubbed together in a sudden terror, as the little creature became aware of a pressure from without.

Another favourite haunt of mine was the orchard, where the fruit ripened early in July. The large downy peaches would reach themselves into my hand, and as the joyous breezes flew about the trees the apples tumbled at my feet.Oh the delight with which I gathered up the fruit in my pinafore, pressed my face against the smooth cheeks of the apples still warm from the sun and skipped back to the house!

Our favourite walk was to Keller's Landing an old tumble-down lumber-wharf on the Tennessee River used during the Civil War to land soldiers. There we spent many happy hours and played at learning geography.I built dams of pebbles made islands and lakes and dug river-beds all for fun, and never dreamed that I was learning a lesson.I listened with increasing wonder to Miss Sullivan's descriptions of the great round world with its burning mountains, buried cities, moving rivers of ice and many other things as strange.She made raised maps in clay so that I could feel the mountain ridges and valleys and follow with my fingers the devious course of rivers.I liked this too;but the division of the earth into zones and poles confused and teased my mind.The illustrative strings and the orange stick representing the poles seemed so real that even to this day the mere mention of temperate zone suggests a series of twine circles;and I believe that if any one should set about it he could convince me that white bears actually climb the North Pole.

Arithmetic seems to have been the only study I did not like. From the first I was not interested in the science of numbers.Miss Sullivan tried to teach me to count by stringing beads in groups and by arranging kindergarten straws I learned to add and subtract.I never had patience to arrange more than five or six groups at a time.When I had accomplished this my conscience was at rest for the day, and I went out quickly to find my playmates.

In this same leisurely manner I studied logy and botany.

Once a gentleman whose name I have forgotten, sent me a collection of fossils-tiny mollusk shells beautifully marked, and bits of sandstone with the print of birds'claws and a lovely fern in bas-relief. These were the keys which unlocked the treasures of the antediluvian world for me.With trembling fingers I listened to Miss Sullivan's descriptions of the terrible beasts with uncouth unpronounceable names which once went tramping through the primeval forests, tearing down the branches of gigantic trees for food, and died in the dismal swamps of an unknown age.For a long time these strange creatures haunted my dreams, and this gloomy period formed a somber background to the joyous.Now filled with sunshine and roses and echoing with the gentle beat of my pony's hoof.

Another time a beautiful shell was given me and with a child's surprise and delight I learned how a tiny mollusk had built the lustrous coil for his dwelling place and how on still nights, when there is no breeze stirring the waves, the Nautilus sails on the blue waters of the Indian Ocean in his"ship of pearl."After I had learned a great many interesting things about the life and habits of the children of the sea-how in the midst of dashing waves the little polyps build the beautiful coral isles of the Pacific, and the foraminifera have made the chalk-hills of many a land-my teacher read me"The Chambered Nautilus"and showed me that the shell-building process of the mollusks is symbolical of the development of the mind. Just as the wonder-working mantle of the Nautilus changes the material it absorbs from the water and makes it a part of itself, so the bits of knowledge one gathers undergo a similar change and become pearls of thought.

Again, it was the growth of a plant that furnished the text for a lesson. We bought a lily and set it in a sunny window.Very soon the green, pointed buds showed signs of opening.The slender finger like leaves on the outside opened slowly reluctant I thought to reveal the loveliness they hid;once having made a start however the opening process went on rapidly, but in order and systematically.There was always one bud larger and more beautiful than the rest which pushed her outer covering back with more pomp, as if the beauty in soft, silky robes knew that she was the lily-queen by right divine while her more timid sisters doffed their green hoods shyly, until the whole plant was one nodding bough of loveliness and fragrance.

Once there were eleven tadpoles in a glass globe set in a window full of plants. I remember the eagerness with which I made discoveries about them.It was great fun to plunge my hand into the bowl and feel the tadpoles frisk about, and to let them slip and slide between my fingers.One day a more ambitious fellow leaped beyond the edge of the bowl and fell on the floor where I found him to all appearance more dead than alive.The only sign of life was a slight wriggling of his tail.But no sooner had he returned to his element than he darted to the bottom, swimming round and round in joyous activity.He had made his leap he had seen the great world and was content to stay in his pretty glass house under the big fuchsia tree until he attained the dignity of froghood.Then he went to live in the leafy pool at the end of the garden, where he made the summer nights musical with his quaint love-song.

Thus I learned from life itself. At the beginning I was only a little mass of possibilities.It was my teacher who unfolded and developed them.When she came, everything about me breathed of love and joy and was full of meaning.She has never since let pass an opportunity to point out the beauty that is in everything nor has she ceased trying in thought and action and example to make my life sweet and useful.

It was my teacher's genius her quick sympathy her loving tact which made the first years of my education so beautiful. It was because she seized the right moment to impart knowledge that made it so pleasant and acceptable to me.She realized that a child's mind is like a shallow brook which ripples and dances merrily over the stony course of its education and reflects here a flower, there a bush, yonder a fleecy cloud, and she attempted to guide my mind on its way knowing that like a brook it should be fed by mountain streams and hidden springs, until it broadened out into a deep river, capable of reflecting in its placid surface, billowy hills, the luminous shadows of trees and the blue heavens, as well as the sweet face of a little flower.

Any teacher can take a child to the classroom but not every teacher can make him learn. He will not work joyously unless he feels that liberty is his, whether he is busy or at rest;he must feel the flush of victory and the heart-sinking of disappointment before he takes with a will the tasks distasteful to him and resolves to dance his way bravely through a dull routine of textbooks.

My teacher is so near to me that I scarcely think of myself apart from her. How much of my delight in all beautiful things is innate and how much is due to her influence I can never tell.I feel that her being is inseparable from my own and that the footsteps of my life are in hers.All the best of me belongs to her-there is not a talent or an aspiration or a joy in me that has not been awakened by her loving touch.

圣誕節(jié)的驚喜

在我的經(jīng)歷中，最盛況空前的一個節(jié)日，是蘇利文小姐來到塔斯比亞后的第一個圣誕節(jié)。家里的每個人都在準(zhǔn)備一些意想不到的禮物送給我，而最有趣的是，我和蘇利文小姐也在為他們準(zhǔn)備著各種讓人意想不到的驚喜。他們到底會給我什么禮物呢？我心醉神迷地猜想著。他們也想盡辦法逗我玩，故意讓我猜來猜去，還不時向我透露一點兒線索。我和蘇利文小姐就玩著猜謎游戲。我從中學(xué)會了比上課時學(xué)到的還要多得多的許多詞的用法。這成了我們每天晚上坐在暖和的火爐旁必玩的游戲之一，也讓我們激動且興奮。

圣誕節(jié)前我們被邀請到塔斯比亞鎮(zhèn)上和學(xué)生們一起度過平安夜。教室中間立著一棵掛滿了神奇的果子又很漂亮的圣誕樹，在柔和的燈光下閃爍著光彩。那是最幸福的時刻，我興奮不已，在繽紛耀眼的燈光下，我們圍著圣誕樹又蹦又跳。我很高興，因為我得知每一個孩子都可以得到一份禮物。那些好心的人們讓我給小朋友們分發(fā)禮物。我忙得不可開交，也樂不可支，連自己的禮物都顧不上看一眼。在做完這一切之后，我心急如焚地盼著圣誕節(jié)的到來，我知道這個晚上得到的禮物比家里人暗示的東西還要好得多，因為蘇利文小姐告訴過我。不過她叫我耐心些，明天一早答案自然會揭曉。

那天晚上，我把襪子掛好，躺在床上閉著眼睛假裝睡著，想看看圣誕老人來時會做些什么。但后來實在抵擋不住困意，摟著我的新洋娃娃和小白熊睡著了。第二天早上，誰都沒我起得早，全家人都被我的“圣誕快樂”喚醒了，我不僅在長襪里找到了意外的禮物，桌子上，椅子上，甚至門檻以及每個窗欞上，幾乎只要我每邁出一步，就有包裝得精致的圣誕禮物呈現(xiàn)在我眼前。當(dāng)蘇利文小姐把她準(zhǔn)備的金絲雀遞給我時，我心中的喜悅已經(jīng)到了無法抑制的地步。

這是一只名叫“蒂姆”的金絲雀。小蒂姆既靈巧又溫順，常常在我手指上跳來跳去，我會把手中的紅櫻桃喂給它吃。蘇利文小姐教我如何照顧好小蒂姆。每天早上吃完早飯后，我會給它洗澡，并且把籠子打掃得干干凈凈，給它的小杯子里裝滿新鮮的草籽和從井房里打來的水，然后再在跳架上掛上一小捆繁縷草。

一天早上，我把籠子放在窗臺上，然后轉(zhuǎn)身去給它打洗澡水。回來開門時，一只大貓從我腳邊躥了出去。起先我并沒有在意，當(dāng)我把一只手伸進(jìn)籠子，發(fā)現(xiàn)蒂姆沒有拍打它的雙翼，我也觸不到它尖尖的小嘴時，我才知道我那可愛的小歌唱家就這樣和我永別了。

CHRISTMAS SURPRISE

The first Christmas after Miss Sullivan came to Tuscumbia was a great event. Every one in the family prepared surprises for me, but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else.The mystery that surrounded the gifts was my greatest delight and amusement.My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set of lessons could have done.Every evening, seated round a glowing wood fire, we played our guessing game, which grew more and more exciting as Christmas approached.

On Christmas Eve the Tuscumbia schoolchildren had their tree, to which they invited me. In the centre of the schoolroom stood a beautiful tree ablaze and shimmering in the soft light, its branches loaded with strange, wonderful fruit.It was a moment of supreme happiness.I danced and capered around the tree in an ecstasy.When I learned that there was a gift for each child, I was delighted, and the kind people who had prepared the tree permitted me to hand the presents to the children.In the pleasure of doing this, I did not stop to look at my own gifts;but when I was ready for them, my impatience for the real Christmas to begin almost got beyond control.I knew the gifts I already had were not those of which friends had thrown out such tantalizing hints, and my teacher said the presents I was to have would be even nicer than these.I was persuaded, however, to content myself with the gifts from the tree and leave the others until morning.

That night, after I had hung my stocking, I lay awake a long time, pretending to be asleep and keeping alert to see what Santa Claus would do when he came. At last I fell asleep with a new doll and a white bear in my arms.Next morning it was I who waked the whole family with my first"Merry Christmas!"I found surprises, not in the stocking only, but on the table, on all the chairs, at the door, on the very window-sill;indeed, I could hardly walk without stumbling on a bit of Christmas wrapped up in tissue paper.But when my teacher presented me with a canary, my cup of happiness overflowed.

Little Tim was so tame that he would hop on my finger and eat candied cherries out of my hand. Miss Sullivan taught me to take all the care of my new pet.Every morning after breakfast I prepared his bath, made his cage clean and sweet, filled his cups with fresh seed and water from the well-house, and hung a spray of chickweed in his swing.

One morning I left the cage on the window-seat while I went to fetch water for his bath. When I returned I felt a big cat brush past me as I opened the door.At first I did not realize what had happened, but when I put my hand in the cage and Tim's pretty wings did not meet my touch or his small pointed claws take hold of my finger, I knew that I should never see my sweet little singer again.