外国语学院 英语08-1班 叶思萍 30号

After I Read “Three Days to See”

After I read “Three days to see”, I get an idol. That’s Helen Keller. I never worship any woman except my mother, but Helen beat my mother down. Who is she? Mark Twain said, there were two great persons appearing in 19th century, one was Napoleon, the other was Helen Keller. The Times reported Helen Keller as the great willpower idol of human. Those who didn’t know her must guess her as a person with forceful figure, strong arm, agile hearing and sharp eyes. Actually, those who know her must shake their heads to the guessing, because Helen Keller was just a handicapped with dull ear and blind eyes. But they all know she is much more than that.

On June 27, 1800, a beautiful girl was born in Tuscumbia, a little town of northern Alabama, USA. She was Helen Keller. Unfortunately, she was deprived her sight and hearing when she was less than two years old by a terrible illness. Being imprisoned by the dark and silent world, she was unable to communicate with others normally; as a result, she became wilful and obstinate. When she was seven, Anne Mansfield Sullivan came to her sides, bringing knowledge and love to her. Besides of developing Helen’s intelligence, Miss Sullivan also taught her how to admire the beautiful things, as well as educating her to love her life, love others, and to be confident and graceful. With the company and encouragement of Miss Sullivan, Keller came over the unimaginable difficulties and got the permission to the Harvard. Then she became an excellent social activist， who had visited many countries and gave speech, collecting funds for the blind, deaf and dumb. During World WarⅡ, Helen Keller extended her regards to the soldiers who lost their sight, and encouraged those broken hearts with her own spirit. What’s more, she devoted herself to the social activities of helping the handicapped children, protecting the rights and interests of the women and 1

fighting for the equality of races. In her 88-year life, she spent 87 of them in dark and silent world, but she brought endless light to the world. In 1964, she was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom, which was the greatest honor for the American citizens.

After I read Helen Keller’s “Three Days to See”, I formed a habit that walking with closed eyes while there are few people on the road. It’s a strange experience. The closed eyes sharpen each sensation. I feel the more gentle morning breeze, the clearer birds’ singing, the sweeter flowers and the warmer sunshine. Helen Keller was right, she experienced more than us seeing people. However, to be honest, while I felt so many wonderful things, I felt a little nervous and fear, for I don’t know what lies ahead of me. Everyone will feel worried about the unknown future. Every step I moved was with great care. But at the same time, actually, I couldn’t focus myself on enjoying the beauty around me. So I admired Helen Keller so much for her brave and good-at –finding-beauty heart.

Helen Keller said, “If each human being were stricken blind and deaf for a few days, at some time during his early adult life. Darkness would make him more appreciative of sight; silence would teach him the joys of sound.” Though I was just “blind” for a few minutes, I had appreciated much more than I could at the usual time. Then how much had Helen Keller appreciated through her whole life? Helen and the people with good sight, who is blind to the life? I doubt that. Even I myself, who I think have caught every moment of beauty in life, have lost a lot if comparing with Helen Keller. I saw those beauties, but she touched them, and kept them in her heart. She felt “the delicate symmetry of a leaf”, “the smooth skin of a silver birth”, “the rough, shaggy bark of a pine”, every small scenery she had experienced, every little change in nature she had noticed. She is the real master of nature.

After I read “Three Days to See”, I began to doubt whether I really know well the friends who are near to me. After Keller asked, “Can you describe 2

accurately the faces of five good friends?” I felt at sea. I closed my eyes and tried to form the image of one of my good friends. It was clear. But when I went into the details of her face, I felt ashamed that I couldn’t remember anything. Then I opened my eyes and looked into her face. It was the first time that I had realized there being a mole around her corner of eye. And there were two new acnes on her forehead. Her hair was longer and she wore a new skirt. That was much different from my imagination. In fact, she has been much beautiful but I didn’t realize it, neither give my appreciation to her in time.

I have become so much accustomed to the routine of my surroundings, and only see the startling and spectacular. So have most of seeing people. The careless husbands don’t know the colors of their wives’ eyes, the busy parents don’t realize their children’s growing height, and the so-called motherlike teachers don’t notice the emotional change on their students’ faces. That’s embarrassed for a seeing person. I think if everyone pays one more glance at our surroundings, it will make us a much more harmonious society.

After I read “Three Days to See”, I had an impulse to visit the museums, which symbolize “the pageant of man’s progress”. Once I hated to visit museums because they were all about the old past which I was not interested in. Why do people want to know about the past life when we have lived a better one? Keller didn’t think so. She was eager to see with her eyes the condensed history of the earth and its inhabitants displayed in the Museum of Natural History. As well, she longed to see the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which showed the myriad facets of the human spirit. I was convinced by her. No past, no present. Human’s history is a very good source for us to understand this world and ourselves. By viewing those living things pictured in the museums, at the same time wandering in the long history river, we will understand how much great our human beings were, who had created so much wonders in the world. I was attracted by Keller’s words about the 3

museums and the wonders human beings had made, so I decided to find out those wonders by myself.

After I read “Three Days to See”, I feel much grateful that I have a pair of seeing eyes. Keller was upset that she could only imagine the fascinating figure of Hamlet, or the gusty Falstaff amid colorful Elizabethan trappings, but I can see each movement of the graceful Hamlet, each strut of the hearty Falstaff. I never think it is such a great gift that I could own my seeing eyes, but Keller said, when we gaze at a play, a movie or any spectacle, we should realize and give thanks for the miracle of sight which enables us to enjoy its color, grace and movement. Besides that, our beautiful nature, the greatly developed technology, the various faces from different countries, all those things created by nature and our human beings are miracles, but they need our eyes to find them. So from now on, open your heart and open your eyes, hold a grateful mind to find out the miracles around you. You will have a different life.

I am still unaware of the dark world. But if one day I lost my sight I would know how to deal with it. Escaping from the reality, complaining about the unfair fate, or abusing the friends around me, are not the ways to overcome the tragedy. I should learn from Helen Keller and set her as my idol. Maybe my dark world was not so beautiful as hers, but I would try my best to make it meaningful. It is beyond my imagination how Keller learned language without hearing. But nothing is impossible to a willing heart. As long as we set our goal and make a determined mind, is there any difficulty we can’t overcome?

Reference:

假如给我三天光明：英汉对照/ （美）凯勒（Keller, H.）著；鹏鑫译。北京：外文出版社，2009。

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