Chapter5 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 CHAPTER 5 TRECALL MANY incidents of the summer of 1887 that followed my soul's Lsudden 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 lesson 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 ·066· 我的生活 第五章 现在，我仍然记得1887年夏天的很多事情，那些 都是在我的灵魂突然觉醒后发生的事情。那时，我整天 用双手去探索世界，学习每一个触摸到的物体的名字。 ①kinship[kinfip]m.密切 我掌握的东西的名字和用处越多，就越开心和兴奋，也 关系 越满怀信心地去建立对未知世界的亲密感。 ②daisy[deizi]n.雏菊 在雏菊和金凤花开放的季节，老师拉着我的手穿过 3 buttercup ['bAtokAp]n. 毛莨 田野，人们正在翻土播种。我们一直走到田纳西河岸边， 坐在温软的草地上，在大自然的恩惠中开始人生的新课 ④beneficence[bi'nefisans】 几慈善，仁慈 程。我懂得了阳光雨露如何让各样树木从地里生长出来， 然后悦人眼目，为人类结出美味的果实；懂得了鸟儿如 ⑤thrive[eraiv)k茁壮成 衣 何筑巢、繁衍，随着季节的变化从一地迁徙到另一地； 也懂得了松鼠、鹿和狮子等各种各样的动物如何觅食和 逃生。随着我对事情的了解增多，我越来越感到世界是 6 arithmetic [arie'metik]n. 。算术 多么美好。在我学会做算术，学会描述地球的形状之前， ⑦curve [ka:v]n.弧线，曲 线 老师还教会了我寻找自然之美：从粗壮的香木林，从细 ⑧dimple[dimpl]n.浅凹 嫩的叶片，从我妹妹的手纹和手窝中都能领略到美的享 受。她让我把最初的思想与大自然联系在一起，让我感 觉到“鸟儿和花朵都是我快乐的同伴”。 但大概也是那个时候，我体会到大自然并不总是温 ·067· The Story of My Life 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 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 odor came up from the earth.I knew it,it was the odor 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 her,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." ·068· 我的生活 ①ramble[rambl]n.漫 柔和蔼的。一天，我和老师从一个较远的地方散步回来； 步：闲逛 ②sultry[SAltri]a.闷热的 早上的时候天气很好，可在我们往家走的时候，天气变 得闷热，有两三次我们都不得不停在路旁休息。最后， ③halt[ho:It]n.休息 我们来到了离家不远的一棵樱桃树下歇脚。树荫下凉爽 宜人，那棵树也很容易攀爬，于是在老师的帮助下，我 ④scramble ['skrambl]k 爬上了树，并找了个树权坐下。树上特别凉快，于是老 爬，攀登 ⑤luncheon[lantfan]n.午 师建议我们在那里吃午饭。我乐坏了，答应她静静地坐 餐；便餐 在树权上，等她回家把饭带来。 突然，天气骤变，太阳的温暖消散在空气中。我知 道天色肯定变黑了，因为对我来说，热度意味着光亮， 而此刻，所有的热度都没有了。接着，地上也泛起一股 ⑥clutch at抓住 奇怪的味道，我知道，这是暴风雨来临前的征兆。于是， 一种难以名状的恐惧爬上心头，一种与朋友和大地隔绝 的孤独感油然而生，我感到了彻底的孤立无援，并陷人 了浩瀚和未知气氛的包围中。我一动不动地坐着，期盼 着，一阵惊骇感袭遍了我的全身。我急切地期盼老师快 些回来，一心想从树上爬下来。 ⑦sinister[sinisto]a.不祥 的，凶光的 一阵沉寂之后，周围的树叶哗啦啦地抖动了起来。 ⑧multitudinous [mAlti'tju:dinas]a.大量 在强风的吹动下，这棵樱桃树不停颤抖着。如果不是我 的 用尽力气紧紧抱住树干，迎面而来的一股狂风肯定会把 ⑨with might and main竭 尽全力地 我刮走。树摇晃得很厉害，身边的树枝和树叶像小雨点 ⑩sway[swci]摇动，摆 或 一样向我打来。一阵狂暴的冲动推动我往下跳，但恐惧 ①strain[strein]v.使变形， 使歪扭 占据着我小小的心脏，让我始终不敢动弹。我蜷缩在树 @twig[wig]n细枝，嫩 权之间，任凭枝叶抽打。我断断续续地感到大地在震动， 枝 ⑧lash about猛烈摆动 仿佛有某种重物坠落。震动从头顶一直传到了我坐的树 ④suspense[s3'spens]n.焦 虑 权上。我不安到了极点，因为我觉得我会和大树一起倒 下。就在这时，老师抓住了我的手，把我扶下树来。我 紧紧地抱住老师，为又一次感受到了脚下坚实的土地而 高兴得浑身发抖。我学到了新的一课：大自然“有时也 1treacherous ['tretfaras]a. 暗藏危险的 会向它的孩子发起战争，在它那温柔的抚摸之下还隐藏 着一双险恶的利爪呢”。 ·069· The Story of My Life 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 odor 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. ·070· 我的生活 经历过这次冒险后，很长一段时间里我都不敢再爬 D allurement [a'ljusmant] 树了。一想到上次的事情，我就充满了恐惧感。后来， 诱惑，吸引 ②mimosa[mim3uzan.含 在开满花朵的含羞树扑鼻的芳香诱惑下，我才战胜了恐 羞草 3instinctively [in'stinktivli] 惧。那是一个美丽的春天的早晨，我独自一人坐在凉亭 ad.本能地 里看书，我察觉到一股淡淡的香气弥漫在空气中，就仿 佛春天的气息已经来到了我们的凉亭。于是，我站起身， 下意识地伸出双手，并问，“这是什么？”接着，我辨 别出这是含羞树的花香。我摸索着走到了花园的尽头， 因为我知道含羞树就长在篱边小路的拐角处。不错，它 就在那里，在温暖阳光的照耀下轻轻摇曳着，它那缀满 exquisitely ['ekskwizitli] 花朵的枝条几乎垂到了长长的草丛上。世间还有比这更 ad.精致地：精巧地 精巧美丽的东西吗！手轻轻一碰，那些精致的花瓣就纷 纷飘落，仿佛是天堂里的大树被移植到了人间。我穿过 5 irresolute [i'rezolju:t]a. 花瓣阵雨般落下的大树下，先是踌躇了一阵儿，然后把 犹豫不决的 ⑥forked[akt)a.分叉的， 脚伸到宽阔的树权间，两手抓紧树干吃力地往上爬。由 分支的 于树干非常粗大，树皮擦破了我的手。但是，我有一种 美妙的感觉：我正在做一件不同寻常的奇妙事情。我不 断地往上爬，直到爬上一个凳子。这个凳子是很久以前 有人绑在这里的，现在，它都长成大树的一部分了。我 在上面坐了很长时间，感觉自己像坐在彩霞上的仙女一 样。从那以后，我便经常来到这棵天堂之树上，一连数 小时高兴地神思遐想，美梦连连。 ·071·