The content of the book "If you give me three days of light"

On the first day, I want to meet someone. Their kindness, gentleness and friendship make my life worth living. First of all, I hope to stare at the face of my dear teacher, Mrs. Anne Sullivan Macy, for a long time. When I was a child, she came to me and opened the outside world for me. Not only will I see the outline of her face, so I can treasure it.

In my memory, and in order to study her appearance, I found vivid signs of her tenderness and patience from sympathy. This is how she accomplished the arduous task of educating me. I hope to see in her eyes the strong character that can make her stand firm in the face of difficulties and the sympathy for all mankind that she often reveals to me.

I don't know what it means to see a friend's heart through the "window of the soul", that is, through the eyes. I can only "see" the outline of a face with my fingertips. I can detect laughter, sadness and many other obvious emotions. I know my friends by feeling their faces. However, I really can't describe their personalities by touching them. Of course, through other methods, through the thoughts they expressed to me, through any actions they showed me, I also learned something about their personalities. But I can't have a deeper understanding of them, and that kind of understanding, I believe, can be obtained by seeing them, observing their reactions to various expressed thoughts and situations, and paying attention to their eyes and facial reactions.

My friends, I know them very well, because many years later, they revealed all aspects of themselves to me; However, I have only an incomplete impression of my temporary friends. This impression came from a handshake, from the words I understood from their lips through my fingertips, or from their gentle touch in my palm.

You people with vision can quickly understand the essence of the meaning expressed by each other by observing each other's subtle facial expressions, muscle tremors and gestures. How easy and satisfying it is! However, have you ever thought about using your vision to grasp the appearance of a person's face and see through the heart of a friend or acquaintance?

I also want to ask you: Can you accurately describe the faces of five good friends? Some people can, but many people can't. In an experiment, I asked husbands the color of their wives' eyes. They often look embarrassed and admit that they don't know. By the way, wives always complain that their husbands don't pay attention to their new clothes, the color of their new hats and the changes in home furnishings.

People with vision, their eyes soon get used to the routine of things around them, and they actually only pay attention to amazing and spectacular things. However, even if they watch the most magnificent wonders, their eyes are lazy. Court records reveal how inaccurate the witness sees every day. An event will be "seen" by several witnesses in several different ways. Some people see more than others, but few people can see everything in their field of vision.

Ah, if you give me three days of light, how many things I will see!

The first day will be very busy. I will call all my dear friends, look at their faces for a long time and engrave the external traces of their inner beauty in my heart. I will also keep my eyes on a baby's face, so that I can capture that kind of longing and pure beauty before the personal consciousness caused by life conflict is established.

I will also look into the faithful eyes of my puppies-serious and quiet little scottie, lucky, strong and sensible big Dean and Helge. Their warm, childish and naughty friendship gave me great comfort.

On the first busy day, I will also observe the simple gadgets in the room. I want to see the warm color of the carpet under my feet, the paintings on the wall, and the intimate gadgets that turn the house into a home. My eyes will stay piously on the braille books I have read, but those books with printed fonts that people can read will make me more interested. In the long night of my life, the books I have read and read to me have become a brilliant and huge lighthouse, showing me the deepest passage of life and soul.

On the afternoon of the first day I can see, I will go hiking in the forest and let my eyes indulge in the beautiful scenery of nature. In a few hours, I will try my best to absorb the magnificent and vast wonders that are often displayed in front of people with normal vision. On the way back from the forest outing, I will walk on the path near the farm, so that I can see horses plowing in the fields (maybe I can only see a tractor) and carefree people living close to the land. I will pray for the dazzling sunset wonders.

At dusk, I will be glad to see foreign objects with artificial light. When nature announced the arrival of darkness, human beings created light to expand their horizons. On the first night when I have vision, I can't sleep, and my heart will be full of memories of this day.

On this day, I will take a quick look at the world, past and present. I want to see the miracle of human progress, the endless changes over thousands of years. How can you compress it into one day after so many years? Through the museum, of course.

On the second day with vision, I will get up at dawn and watch the night turn into a moving miracle during the day. I will look up at the magnificent panorama of dawn with awe, and at the same time, the sun wakes up the sleeping earth.

On this day, I will take a quick look at the world, past and present. I want to see the miracle of human progress, the endless changes over thousands of years. How can you compress it into one day after so many years? Through the museum, of course. I often visit the new york Museum of Natural History and touch many exhibits there with my hands, but I am eager to see with my own eyes the brief history of the earth and its residents-animals and humans depicted according to the natural environment, huge dinosaur fossils and saber-toothed elephants, which roamed the earth long before human beings appeared, and conquered the animal kingdom with their short stature and powerful brains; The museum also vividly introduces the development of animals, humans and labor tools. Humans use these tools to create a safe and reliable home for themselves on this planet. The museum also introduces countless other aspects of natural history.

I don't know how many readers of this article have seen all kinds of living animals depicted in that attractive museum. Of course, many people don't have this opportunity, but I believe that many people who have the opportunity don't make good use of it. There is really a good place to use your eyes. You can spend many meaningful days there with your eyesight, but I can only catch a glimpse of it with my imaginary three-day eyesight.

My next stop will be the Capital Art Museum, because just as the Natural History Museum shows the material face of the world, the Capital Art Museum shows countless aspects of the human spirit. Throughout human history, human beings' strong desire for artistic expression is almost as urgent as treating food, hiding place and reproducing offspring. Here, in the huge exhibition hall of the Capital Art Museum, the spirits of Egypt, Greece and Rome are displayed in their art and presented to me.

I clearly know the gods and goddesses of ancient Nile countries through my hands. I touched the replica in the Parthenon and felt the beauty of the rhythm of the Athens stormtroopers. Apollo, Venus, and Samorius, the god of victory with wings, all make me fondle admiringly. Homer's bearded face is extremely precious to me, because he also knows what blindness is. My hand doesn't want to miss the realistic marble carving in Rome and later period. My hand once touched Michelangelo's moving and heroic stone statue of Moses. I feel the power of Rodin, and I am in awe of the Goths' love for woodcut. These touchable works of art mean a lot to me. However, they are not so much for people to touch as for people to watch. I can only guess the beauty that I can't see. I can appreciate the simple lines of the Greek vase, but I can't see its patterns and decorations.

So, on this day, give me a bright second day, I want to find the human soul through art, and I want to see what I know through touch. Even better, the whole magnificent painting world will be open to me, from early Italian art with quiet religious color to modernist art with crazy style. I will carefully observe the oil paintings of Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Titian and Rembrandt. I want to appreciate the warm colors of Villone Sa, study the mystery of Al grieco, and re-observe nature from Koro's paintings. Ah, you people with eyes can appreciate such rich meaning and beauty in the art of past dynasties! During my short visit to this art hall, I couldn't comment on the great art world before me at all. I only got a superficial impression. The artist told me that in order to achieve profound and true artistic appreciation, we must train our eyes. People must learn from experience to judge the quality of lines, composition, form and color. How happy I would be if I had the vision to engage in such fascinating research! However, I heard that for many people with vision, the art world is still a world to be further explored.

I reluctantly left the Capital Art Museum, where the key to beauty was hidden. However, people who can see often don't need to go to the Capital Art Museum to find the key to beauty. The same key is still waiting on the shelves of smaller museums and even small libraries. However, in the limited visual time in my imagination, I have to choose a key to open the place with the greatest treasure in the shortest time.

On the second night of seeing the light again, I will spend it in the theater or cinema. Even now, I often participate in various performances in the theater, but the plot must be spelled out by my partner. However, how I want to see Hamlet's charming style with my own eyes, or Falstaff, who wears colorful Elizabethan costumes! How I want to see Hamlet's graceful movements and energetic Falstaff's strutting! Because I can only watch one play, which makes me feel embarrassed, because there are dozens of plays I want to watch.

You have vision and can see any scene you like. When you watch a play, a movie or any scene, I don't know how many people know and appreciate the visual miracle that allows you to enjoy its color, beauty and action. Because I live in a range limited to touch, I can't enjoy the beauty of rhythm. But I can only vaguely imagine the beauty of a chin, although I know a little rhythmic pleasure, because I can often feel the beat of music when it vibrates the floor. I can totally imagine that rhythmic exercise must be the most pleasant sight in the world. I can infer several points by touching the lines of the marble statue with my fingers. If this static beauty can be so lovely, the dynamic beauty you see must be more exciting. One of my most precious memories is that Yue Se Jefferson asked me to touch his face and hands while he was talking and performing his beloved rib Van Wink.

Today, I will spend my time in the current daily world and go to places frequented by people who are busy with their lives. Where can I find so many activities and situations like new york? So this city became my destination.

The next morning, I will greet the dawn again, eager to find new happiness, because I believe that for those who can really see, the dawn of every day must be a new beauty that will be repeated forever. According to the deadline of my imaginary miracle, this will be the third and last day I can see. I won't have time to spend on regrets and ambitions, because there are too many things.

Want to see it. On the first day, I dedicated myself to my friends, both alive and lifeless. The next day, I saw the history of human and nature. Today, I will spend my time in the current daily world and go to places frequented by people who are busy with their lives. Where can I find so many activities and situations like new york? So this city became my destination.

I started from my home, a quiet little suburb of Frost, Long Island. Here, surrounded by green grass, green trees and flowers, there are neat little houses, full of happy voices and activities of women and children, very happy, and it is a quiet rest place for working people in the city. I drove across the steel belt bridge across the East River and got a brand-new impression of the strength and originality of the human brain. Busy boats rattle and rush in the river-fast boats, slow, snorting tugboats. If I can see one day in the future, I will spend a lot of time watching the cheerful scenery in this river. I looked ahead, and in front of me stood new york, a strange tall building, located in a city that seemed to have stepped down from myth. What a great building! These splendid church spires, these huge stone and steel banks and slopes-it's really like God built them for himself. This vivid picture is part of the daily life of millions of people. I wonder, how many people will look back? Very few, I'm afraid. They turned a blind eye to the magnificent scenery because it was all too familiar to them.

I hurried to the top of the Empire State Building, which is a huge building, because not long ago, I looked down at the city with my secretary's eyes, and I was eager to compare my imagination with reality. I believe that all the scenery displayed in front of me will not let me down, because it will be the scenery of another world for me. At this time, I began to travel around the city. First of all, I stood on a busy street corner, just looking at people and trying to understand their lives by observing them. Seeing their smiles, I feel happy; I am proud to see their serious decision; Seeing their pain, I can't help feeling sympathy.

I walk along Fifth Avenue. I look around, my eyes are not on a specific goal, but only on a kaleidoscope of colorful scenes. I'm sure that the color of women's clothes moving in the crowd must be a gorgeous scenery, which will never bore me. However, if I have vision, I may be like most other women-interested in the fashion style of personal clothes and not paying much attention to a lot of bright colors. Moreover, I'm sure I'll become a window customer with a habit that can't be changed, because it must be a pleasure to watch these countless beautiful exhibits.

Starting from Fifth Avenue, I will travel around the city-to Park Avenue, to slums, to factories, to parks where children play, and I will also visit foreign residential areas and make an overseas trip without going out. I always look at all the happy and painful scenes with my eyes wide open, so that I can investigate deeply and learn more about how people work and live.

My heart is full of images of people and things. My eyes never let go of a little thing easily. It tries to pay close attention to everything it sees. Some scenes are pleasant and intoxicating; But some are extremely sad and sad. For the latter, I will never close my eyes, because they are also a part of life. To close your eyes in front of them is to close your heart and mind.

The third day I can see is coming to an end. Maybe there are many important and serious things that I need to see and do in the remaining hours. However, I am afraid that on the last night, I will go to the theater again to watch a lively and interesting drama and appreciate the homophonic sounds in the human mind.

At midnight, my brief moment of getting rid of the plight of the blind ended, and the eternal night approached me again. In those short three days, I naturally couldn't see everything I wanted to see. Only when the darkness came to me again did I feel how much I had left behind. However, my heart is full of sweet memories, which leaves me little time to regret. After that, I touched everything, and my memory will clearly reflect the appearance of that item.

My brief description of how to spend these three days of seeing again may not be consistent with the arrangements you made for yourself when you knew you were going blind. However, I believe that if you really face that kind of bad luck, your eyes will try to focus on things you have never seen before and store them in your memory for the long night ahead. You will make better use of your eyes than before. Everything you see is so precious to you that your eyes will see everything that appears in your sight. Then, you will really see a beautiful world unfold before you.

Blind I can give a hint to those who can see-a piece of advice to those who can make full use of their natural eyesight: make good use of your eyes as if you would be blind tomorrow. The same method can also be applied to other senses. Listen to the beauty of music, listen to the songs of birds, and listen to the powerful tunes of the orchestra, as if you will be deaf tomorrow. Touch whatever you want, as if your touch will decline tomorrow. Smell the fragrance of all the flowers and taste every mouthful, as if you can't smell or taste it tomorrow. Make full use of every sense, and be proud of all the pleasant and beautiful details that the world has shown you through several means of contact endowed by nature! However, among all the senses, I believe that vision must be the most pleasing to the eye.

In the 20th century, a unique individual life shocked the world in her brave way. She is Helen Keller, a woman who lives in the dark but brings light to mankind, a lonely weak woman who has spent 88 years of life but survived 87 years of dull, silent and speechless.

However, it is such a claustrophobic person in the world of the blind and deaf who graduated from Degillif College of Harvard University and spent all his life running around and setting up charities to benefit the disabled. She not only proved it with actions.

The courage of human beings to overcome life also records their own pain and happiness to encourage future generations.

Helen Keller wrote 14 works in her life. My Life is her first novel. The author reproduces her life in the first 265,438+0 years with real and natural brushstrokes, leaving the world an unforgettable life song. This book was published in 1902. Dr. Haier, a famous American writer, commented: "The two most important contributions in literature from 65438 to 0902 were Kipling's Jim and Helen Keller's My Life."

100 years, we reread this book today, and we can still find its shining light-the human spirit far exceeds the limitations of time and space. The quality, will and endurance shown by the characters in the book strongly shocked us and washed our dusty hearts.

People with sound limbs may find it difficult to understand the pain of disability; Just like in peacetime, some people actually want the excitement of war. As we all know, life is fragile, and when all the assumptions come true, it will be too late. Therefore, no matter what age, love and courage are the basis of our existence, which is also the purpose of publishing this book.

Many excellent editions of My Life have been published in China, but most of them have not been reprinted, so it is difficult for readers to see this book in bookstores. In addition, many of Helen Keller's works have not been translated into Chinese and published, and people's understanding of her is limited to some simple introductions. On the basis of synthesizing these problems, we rewrote this book, compiling three books, My Life, out of the dark and Teacher, and the famous essay "If you give me three days of light" published in Atlantic Monthly, which completely and systematically introduced Helen Keller's rich, vivid, true and great life. Many words are the first time to meet readers in China.

In the process of writing, we have extensively referred to various published translations in China, especially The Story of My Life translated by Zhu Yuan (China Braille Publishing House, 2nd edition, 1998).

If I see it in three days, there are also many Chinese versions. We chose Liu Dongni's translation "If I See in Three Days" (translated from Classic of Foreign Prose) because the translation is beautiful and fluent, which cannot be surpassed or abandoned.

The compiler level is limited, and the translation error is inappropriate. Please correct me. You can't contact the translator when quoting the translator. I hope you can understand. Please contact the compiler for related matters. (echolh@sohu.com )

"Reading a good book is talking to a great soul." We hope that those exciting and inspiring works can be passed down forever.