Chapter1 The Story of My Life-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《假如给我三天光明Three Days to See》

The Story of My Life 我的生活 TO ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL Who has taught the deaf to speak and enabled the listening ear to hear speech from the Atlantic to the Rockies, I DEDICATE This Story of My Life 致 亚历山大·格雷厄姆·贝尔 “他教会了聋人说话，使得倾听的耳朵能够听得见 从大西洋到落基山脉之间的话语。” 谨献 《我的生活》 The Story of My Life CHAPTER 1 TT IS WITH a kind of fear that I begin to write the history of my life.I have, Las it were,a superstitious hesitation in lifting the veil that cling about my childhood like a golden mist.The task of writing an autobiography is a difficult one.When I try to classify my earliest impressions,I find that fact and fancy look alike across the years that link the past with the present.The woman paints the child's experiences in her own fantasy.A few impressions stand out vividly from the first years of my life;but "the shadows of the prison house are on the rest."Besides,many of the joys and sorrows of childhood have lost their poignancy;and many incidents of vital importance in my early education have been forgotten in the excitement of great discoveries.In order,therefore,not to be tedious I shall try to present in a series of sketches only the episodes that seem to me to be the most interesting and important. I was born on June 27,1880,in Tuscumbia,a little town of northern Alabama. The family on my father's side is-descended from Caspar Keller,a native of Switzerland,who settled in Maryland.One of my Swiss ancestors was the first teacher of the deaf in Zurich and wrote a book on the subject of their education-rather a singular coincidence;though it is true that there is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors,and no slave who has not had a king among his. ·032· 我的生活 第一幸 怀着忐忑不安的心情，我开始书写我的生活。我的 童年仿佛笼罩在一片金色雾霭中，对于拨开这层薄雾， 我感到犹豫不决。写自传是一项艰巨的任务，试图把孩 童时期的记忆进行分类时，我发现事实和幻觉已经在茫 茫的岁月中模糊了界线。女人们通常会以想象的方式描 述自已的童年经历。虽然，我对生命最初几年的鲜活时 光仍然记忆犹新，但是，“牢房般的阴暗却笼罩着我的 余生”。此外，童年的喜悦和悲伤大多成了尘封往事， D poignancy [paignansi]n. 失去了当年的尖刻与辛酸：而我早期教育中的重要事件， 辛酸 也在激动人心的伟大发现中逐渐被淡忘。因此，为了避 ②tedious['ti:dias]a.冗长 免枯燥乏味，我将试着去勾画那些对我来说最有趣和最 乏味的 重要的事情。 ③sketch[sket门n.素描， 这里做"勾画”讲 1880年6月27日，我出生于美国亚拉巴马州北部 ④episode[episaud]. 段经历 的塔斯坎比亚小镇」 ⑤be descended from 是…的后代 我的父系祖先来自瑞士的卡斯珀·凯勒家族，后来 移居到美国的马里兰州。我有一位祖先竟然是苏黎世的 第一位聋哑教师，他还写了一本关于聋哑教育的书，这 绝非偶然：尽管世事难料：谁又能否认国王的祖先有可 能是奴隶，而奴隶的祖先也可能做过国王呢。 ·033· The Story of My Life My grandfather,Caspar Keller's son,"entered"large tracts of land in Alabama and finally settled there.I have been told that once a year he went from Tuscumbia to Philadelphia on horseback to purchase supplies for the plantation, and my aunt has in her possession many of the letters to his family,which give charming and vivid accounts of these trips. My Grandmother Keller was a daughter of one of Lafayette's aides, Alexander Moore,and granddaughter of Alexander Spotswood,an early Colonial Governor of Virginia.She was also second cousin to Robert E.Lee. My father,Arthur H.Keller,was a captain in the Con federate Army,and my mother,Kate Adams,was his second wife and many years younger.Her grandfather,Benjamin Adams,married Susanna E.Goodhue,and lived in New bury,Massachusetts,for many years.Their son,Charles Adams,was born in Newburyport,Massachusetts,and moved to Helena,Arkansas.When the Civil War broke out,he fought on the side of the South and became a brigadier general.He married Lucy Helen Everett,who belonged to the same family of Everetts as Edward Everett and Dr.Edward Everett Hale.After the war was over the family moved to Memphis,Tennessee. I lived,up to the time of the illness that deprived me of my sight and hearing,in a tiny house consisting of a large square room and a small one,in which the servant slept.It is a custom in the South to build a small house near the homestead as an annex to be used on occasion.Such a house my father built after the Civil War,and when he married my mother they went to live in it. It was completely covered with vines,climbing roses and honeysuckles.From the garden it looked like an arbor7.The little porch was hidden from view by a screen of yellow roses and southern smilax.It was the favorite haunt of hummingbirds and bees. The Keller homestead,where the family lived,was a few steps from our little rose-bower.It was called"Ivy Green"because the house and the surrounding trees and fences were covered with beautiful English ivy.Its old-fashioned garden was the paradise of my childhood. ·034· 我的生活 ①tract[traekt]n.(土地的) 我的祖父是卡斯珀·凯勒的儿子，在他进入亚拉巴 大片 马州这片广袤的土地后，整个家族就定居于此。我后来 得知，曾经有一年我的祖父经常从塔斯坎比亚骑马前往 费城，去购置一些种植园耕种用具，我姑妈那里的很多 ②account [a'kaunt)n.描 家信都对这些旅行有过生动而清晰的描述 述，描写 ③aide [eid].侍从武官 我的祖母凯勒是拉斐特一个侍从武官的女儿，那 名军官叫亚历山大·穆尔。同时，我的祖母也是亚历山 大·斯波茨伍德的孙女，他是当时弗吉尼亚州早期的一 名殖民总督。此外，我的祖母还是罗伯特·E.李将军 的二表妹」 我的父亲，阿瑟·H凯勒是联邦军队的一个上尉， 而我的母亲凯特·亚当斯是他的第二任妻子，年龄比他 小很多。母亲的祖父是本杰明·亚当斯，他娶了苏姗 ④brigadier general【美军】 娜·E.古德休为妻，他们在马萨诸塞州的纽伯里住了 准将 很多年。他们的儿子查尔斯·亚当斯就出生在马萨诸塞 州的纽伯里波特，后来搬到了阿肯色州的海伦娜。在南 北战争爆发之际，他代表南方军参战，后来官至准将军 衔。他的妻子是露西·海伦·埃弗里特，而露西和爱德 华·埃弗里特与爱德华·埃弗里特·黑尔博士同宗同门。 战争结束后，他们搬到了田纳西州的孟菲斯」 在疾病夺去我的视觉和听觉前，我们住的房子很 ⑤annex[a'neks】n.侧厅， 边房 小，只有一个方形的大房间和一个供仆人用的小房间。 按照当时南方人的传统习俗，他们会在自家房子旁边再 6 honeysuckle [hani.sAkl] 建一间小房屋，以备不时之需。南北战争结束后，父亲 n.【植物】忍冬 ⑦arbor[cban.凉亭 也建了一所这样的房子，与母亲结婚后，他们便在此定 ⑧smilax[smailzeks]n.南 方天冬草 居了。我们的房子被葡萄藤、蔷薇和忍冬掩映着，从花 ⑨haunt[hxnn.(动物的) 栖息处 园望去，就像一座凉亭。而那个小门廊也隐在黄色的蔷 薇和亮绿的南方天冬草中，成了蜂鸟和蜜蜂的天堂 @ivy[aivi]m.【植物】常 春藤 ·035· The Story of My Life Even in the days before my teacher came,I used to feel along the square stiff boxwood hedges,and,guided by the sense of smell,would find the first violets and lilies2.There,too,after a fit of temper,I went to find comfort and to hide my hot face in the cool leaves and grass.What joy it was to lose myself in that garden of flowers,to wander happily from spot to spot,until,coming suddenly upon a beautiful vine,I recognized it by its leaves and blossoms,and knew it was the vine which covered the tumble-down summerhouse at the farther end of the garden!Here,also,were trailing clematis,drooping jessamine,and some rare sweet flowers called butterfly lilies,because their fragile petals resemble butterflies'wings.But the roses-they were loveliest of all.Never have I found in the greenhouses of the North such heart-satisfying roses as the climbing roses of my southern home.They used to hang in long festoons from our porch, filling the whole air with their fragrance,untainted by any earthy smell;and in the early morning,washed in the dew,they felt so soft,so pure,I could not help wondering if they did not resemble the asphodels of God's garden. The beginning of my life was simple and much like every other little life.I came,I saw,I conquered,as the first baby in the family always does.There was the usual amount of discussion as to a name for me.The first baby in the family was not to be lightly named,every one was emphatic about that.My father suggested the name of Mildred Campbell,an ancestor whom he highly esteemed, and he declined to take any further part in the discussion.My mother solved the problem by giving it as her wish that I should be called after her mother,whose maiden name was Helen Everett.But in the excitement of carrying me to church my father lost the name on the way,very naturally,since it was one in which he had declined to have a part.When the minister asked him for it,he just remembered that it had been decided to call me after my grandmother,and he gave her name as Helen Adams. ·036· 我的生活 凯勒家老宅距我们家的蔷薇凉亭只有几步之遥。 ①violet[vaiolot]n.紫罗 于我们家、周围的树和篱笆都被美丽的英格兰常春藤所 兰 ②lily [lil时n.百合花 缠绕覆盖，所以这里常常被称为“常春藤绿地”。这个 老式的花园就是我童年的天堂。 ③from spot to spot到处 在我的老师出现之前，我常常沿着方形的黄杨木 树篱摸索徘徊，循着花香去寻找初绽的紫罗兰和百合 花。有时候在一阵暴躁的情绪发作后，我也会来这里把 ④trailing[treilin]a.蔓延 灼热的脸埋进凉爽的树叶和草丛中寻找安慰。沉浸在鲜 的 花遍地的花园里，我欣喜不已。在漫步的过程中，我突 ⑤clematis[klematis】n.铁 线莲 然碰到一枝美丽的藤蔓，从叶子和花蕾上我识别出它就 ⑥drooping['drupin]a.低 垂的 是缠蔓在我们家摇摇欲坠的凉亭里，远在花园尽头的那 7 jessamine ['dsesamin]n. 茉莉花 株葡萄藤！这里也有蔓生的铁线莲，低垂的莱莉花，以 ⑧festoon[fes'tu:n]h.(下 及一种罕见花卉一这种花脆弱易折的花瓣很像蝴蝶的 垂的)花彩，这里指花 翅膀，故名“蝶花百合”。不过，花园中最活泼热闹的， ⑨dew[dju]n.露水 还数那些蔷薇了。它们到处攀爬着，开出醉人的花，这 00 asphodel ['aesfadel]n. 光兰 在北方的花房里是不曾有过的。花朵沿着门廊悬空向下， 形成一道道长长的花径。空气中弥漫着沁人的芳香，丝 毫未沾染尘土之气。早晨，经过雨露的滋润，它们变得 娇柔纯美。我不由得神思遐想，这些花儿是不是很像伊 ①be emphatic about 对…坚决的，强调的 甸园里的日光兰呢？ 和其他小生命一样，我生命的开始也朴素而单纯」 “我来过，见过，征服过”，就像每个家庭迎接第一个孩 子时那样，为了给我取名字，大家煞费周章。家里第一 个孩子的名字当然不能掉以轻心，为此，每个人都绞尽 脑汁。父亲建议给我取名米尔德里德·坎贝尔，这是父 2 decline[di'klain】g拒 亲极为尊崇的一位祖先的名字。为此，他拒绝进一步的 绝，谢绝 商榷。后来，大家则按照我母亲的意愿解决了这个问题， 让我随她母亲少女时代的名字海伦·埃弗里特。然而， 在兴高采烈地带着我去教堂洗礼的路上，父亲竞把这个 名字忘记了；这再自然不过了，因为父亲一开始就不喜 欢这个名字。所以，当牧师问他的时候，他才想起我应 ·037· The Story of My Life I am told that while I was still in long dresses I showed many signs of an eager,self-asserting disposition.Every thing that I saw other people do I insisted upon imitating.At six months I could pipe out"How d'ye,"and one day I attracted everyone's attention by saying"Tea,tea,tea"quite plainly.Even after my illness I remembered one of the words I had learned in these early months.It was the word "water,"and I continued to make some sound for that word after all other speech was lost.I ceased making the sound "wah-wah"only when I learned to spell the word. They tell me I walked the day I was a year old.My mother had just taken me out of the bath-tub and was holding me in her lap,when I was suddenly attracted by the flickering shadows of leaves that danced in the sunlight on the smooth floor.I slipped from my mother's lap and almost ran toward them.The impulse gone,I fell down and cried for her to take me up in her arms. These happy days did not last long.One brief spring,musical with the song of robin and mockingbird,one summer rich in fruit and roses,one autumn of gold and crimson sped by and left their gifts at the feet of an eager,delighted child.Then,in the dreary month of February,came the illness which closed my eyes and ears and plunged me into the unconsciousness of a newborn baby. They called it acute congestion of the stomach and brain.The doctor thought I could not live.Early one morning,however,the fever left me as suddenly and mysteriously as it had come.There was great rejoicing in the family that morning,but no one,not even the doctor,knew that I should never see or hear again. I fancy I still have confused recollections of that illness.I especially remember the tenderness with which my mother tried to soothe me in my waking hours of fret and pain,and the agony and bewilderment with which I awoke after a tossing half sleep,and turned my eyes,so dry and hot,to the wall,away from the ·038·