这本被誉为“世界文学史上无与伦比的杰作”的《假如给我三天光明》，就是这位美国著名聋盲女作家的代表作。该书以自传体散文的形式，真实记录了这位聋盲女性丰富、生动而伟大的一生。作者| Helen Keller朗读| Barbie背景音乐：《琵琶语》
Three Days to See ( Excerpt )假如给我三天光明（节选）All of us have read thrilling stories in which the hero had only a limited and specified time to live. Sometimes it was as long as a year, sometimes as short as 24 hours.我们都读过震撼人心的故事，故事中的主人公只给再活一段很有限的时光，有时长达一年，有时却短至一日。But always we were interested in discovering just how the doomed man chose to spend his last days or his last hours.但我们总是想要知道，注定将要离世的人会选择如何度过自己最后的时光。I speak, of course, of free men who have a choice, not condemned criminals whose sphere of activities is strictly delimited.当然，我说的是那些有选择权利的自由人，而不是那些活动范围受到严格限定的死囚。Such stories set us thinking, wondering what we should do under similar circumstances.这样的故事让我们思考，在类似的处境下，我们该做些什么呢？What events, what experiences, what associations should we crowd into those last hours as mortal beings?作为终有一死的人，在临终的几个小时内我们该做什么事、经历些什么或做哪些联想？What happiness should we find in reviewing the past, what regrets?回忆往昔，什么使我们开心快乐？什么又使我们悔恨不已？Sometimes I have thought it would be an excellent rule to live each day as if we should die tomorrow.我常常想，如果把生命中的每一天都当作最后一天来过，也不失为一种极好的选择。Such an attitude would emphasize sharply the values of life.这种态度会使人格外重视生命的价值。We should live each day with gentleness, vigor and a keenness of appreciation which are often lost when time stretches before us in the constant panorama of more days and months and years to come.我们每天都应该以优雅的姿态、充沛的精力、抱着感恩之心来生活。但当时间以无休止的日、月和年在我们面前流逝时，我们却常常没有了这种感觉。There are those, of course, who would adopt the Epicurean motto of “Eat, drink, and be merry”. But most people would be chastened by the certainty of impending death.当然，也有人奉行“吃、喝、享受”的享乐主义信条，但绝大多数人还是会受到即将到来的死亡的惩罚。
In stories the doomed hero is usually saved at the last minute by some stroke of fortune, but almost always his sense of values is changed. He becomes more appreciative of the meaning of life and its permanent spiritual values.在故事中，将死的主人公通常都在最后一刻因突降的幸运而获救，但他的价值观通常都会改变，他变的更加理解生命的意义及永恒的精神价值。It has often been noted that those who live, or have lived, in the shadow of death bring a mellow sweetness to everything they do.我们常常注意到，那些生活在或曾经生活在死亡阴影下的人无论做什么都会感到幸福。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.然而，我们中的大多数人都把生命看作是理所当然的。我们知道有一天我们必将面对死亡，但总认为那一天还在遥远的将来。When we are in buoyant health, death is all but unimaginable. We seldom think of it. The days stretch out in an endless vista.当我们身强体健之时，死亡简直不可想象，我们很少考虑到它。日子多的好像没有尽头。So we go about our petty tasks, hardly aware of our listless attitude toward life.因此我们一味忙于琐事，几乎意识不到我们对待生活的冷漠态度。The same lethargy, I am afraid, characterizes the use of all our faculties and senses.我担心同样的冷漠也存在于我们对自己官能和意识的运用上。Only the deaf appreciate hearing, only the blind realize the manifold blessings that lie in sight.只有聋子才理解听力的重要，只有盲人才明白视觉的可贵。Particularly, does this observation apply to those who have lost sight and hearing in adult life.这尤其适用于那些成年后才失去视力和听力的人。But those who have never suffered impairment of sight or hearing seldom make the fullest use of these blessed faculties.但是那些从未受过丧失视力或听力之苦的人很少充分利用这些高贵的能力。Their eyes and ears take in all sights and sounds hazily, without concentration and with little appreciation.他们的眼睛和耳朵模糊地感受着周围的景物与声音，心不在焉，也无所感激。It is the same old story of not being grateful for what we have until we lose it, of not being conscious of health until we are ill.这正如我们只有在失去才懂得珍惜一样，我们只有生病后才意识到健康的可贵。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.我经常想，如果每个人在年轻的时候都有几天失明失聪，也不失为一件幸事。Darkness would make him more appreciative of sight; silence would teach him the joys of sound.黑暗将使他更加感激光明，寂静将告诉他声音的美妙。
