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　　Helen Keller: I Try to Make the Light in Other’s Eyes My Sun

　　All of Helen Keller’s knowledge reached her mind through her sense of touch and smell, and of course her feelings.

　　To know a flower was to touch it, feel it, and smell it. This sense of touch became greatly developed as she got older.

　　She once said that hands speak almost as loudly as words.

　　She said the touch of some hands frightened her. The people seem so empty of joy that when she touched their cold fingers it is as if she were shaking hands with a storm.

　　She found the hands of others full of sunshine and warmth.

　　Strangely enough, Helen Keller learned to love things she could not hear, music for example. She did this through her sense of touch.

　　When waves of air beat against her, she felt them. Sometimes she put her hand to a singer’s throat. She often stood for hours with her hands on a piano while it was played. Once, she listened to an organ. Its powerful sound made her move her body in rhythm with the music.

　　She also liked to go to museums.

　　She thought she understood sculpture as well as others. Her fingers told her the true size, and the feel of the material.

　　What did Helen Keller think of herself? What did she think about the tragic loss of her sight and hearing? This is what she wrote as a young girl:

　　“Sometimes a sense of loneliness covers me like a cold mist – I sit alone and wait at life’s shut door. Beyond, there is light and music and sweet friendship, but I may not enter. Silence sits heavy upon my soul.”

　　“Then comes hope with a sweet smile and says softly, ‘There is joy I forgetting one’s self.’ And so I try to make the light in others’ eyes my sun … The music in other’s ears my symphony … The smile on others; lips my happiness.”

　　

　　海轮.凯乐:我把别人看见的光明当作我的太阳

　　海伦.凯勒所有的知识都是通过触觉和嗅觉获得的,当然也通过她的感觉.

　　对于海伦.凯勒来说,要认识某种花,就是去触摸它,感受它,嗅它的味道.这种触觉随着她年龄的增长得到了加大的发展.

　　她曾经说,手会说话,几乎和言语一样.

　　她说,某些人的手触摸起来让他感到害怕.这些人几乎如此缺乏快乐,她摸着他们冰冷的手指是,感觉好像在与暴风雪握手.

　　她发现另外一些人的手充满了阳光和温暖.

　　令人不可思议的是,海伦.凯勒学会了怎样喜欢她所不能够听见的事物, 例如音乐.她用触觉来享受音乐.

　　当气浪袭在她的身上,她会感受到.有时她会把手放在歌者的喉咙上.当有人弹起钢琴的时候,她经常会用手摸着钢琴,在旁边一站就是站好几个小时.有一次,她听着风琴,强劲的风琴声竟然令她和音乐的节奏要摆起来.

　　她还喜欢去博物馆.

　　她认为她和别人同样懂得雕塑.她的手指告诉她雕塑的真实大小,和材料的质地.

　　海伦.凯勒是如何看待自己的呢?对于她视力和听觉的无情丧失,她是怎么想的呢?下面是海伦.凯勒年少时写下的文字:

　　“有时候一种孤独感会如冷霜般笼罩着我----我独自坐着,等候在紧闭生命之门旁边.门里面有光明,有音乐,有美好的友谊,但是,我却不得而入.寂静沉重地压迫着我的灵魂

　　“然后,希望带着甜美的微笑来到我身边,轻柔地说,’忘记自我就会快乐.’于是,我就尽力把别人眼睛看见的光明当作我的太阳…他人耳中的音乐成为我的交响曲…他人嘴角的微笑成为我的快乐.”