《the world i live in-海伦·凯勒自传(英文版)》海伦·凯勒自传(英文版)-第11章

wholly　from　others。　I　should　lack　the　alchemy　by　which　I　now　infuse　into
my　world　light；　colour；　and　the　Protean　spark。　The　sensuous　reality
which　interthreads　and　supports　all　the　gropings　of　my　imagination　would
be　shattered。　The　solid　earth　would　melt　from　under　my　feet　and　disperse
itself　in　space。　The　objects　dear　to　my　hands　would　bee　formless；
dead　things；　and　I　should　walk　among　them　as　among　invisible　ghosts。
RELATIVE　VALUES　OF　THE　SENSES
VII
RELATIVE　VALUES　OF　THE　SENSES
I　WAS　once　without　the　sense　of　smell　and　taste　for　several　days。　It
seemed　incredible；　this　utter　detachment　from　odours；　to　breathe　the　air
in　and　observe　never　a　single　scent。　The　feeling　was　probably　similar；
though　less　in　degree；　to　that　of　one　who　first　loses　sight　and　cannot
but　expect　to　see　the　light　again　any　day；　any　minute。　I　knew　I　should
smell　again　some　time。　Still；　after　the　wonder　had　passed　off；　a
loneliness　crept　over　me　as　vast　as　the　air　whose　myriad　odours　I
missed。　The　multitudinous　subtle　delights　that　smell　makes　mine　became
for　a　time　wistful　memories。　When　I　recovered　the　lost　sense；　my　heart
bounded　with　gladness。　It　is　a　fine　dramatic　touch　that　Hans　Andersen
gives　to　the　story　of　Kay　and　Gerda　in　the　passage　about　flowers。　Kay；
whom　the　wicked　magician"s　glass　has　blinded　to　human　love；　rushes　away
fiercely　from　home　when　he　discovers　that　the　roses　have　lost　their
sweetness。
The　loss　of　smell　for　a　few　days　gave　me　a　clearer　idea　than　I　had　ever
had　what　it　is　to　be　blinded　suddenly；　helplessly。　With　a　little　stretch
of　the　imagination　I　knew　then　what　it　must　be　when　the　great　curtain
shuts　out　suddenly　the　light　of　day；　the　stars；　and　the　firmament
itself。　I　see　the　blind　man"s　eyes　strain　for　the　light；　as　he　fearfully
tries　to　walk　his　old　rounds；　until　the　unchanging　blank　that
everywhere　spreads　before　him　stamps　the　reality　of　the　dark　upon　his
consciousness。
My　temporary　loss　of　smell　proved　to　me；　too；　that　the　absence　of　a
sense　need　not　dull　the　mental　faculties　and　does　not　distort　one"s　view
of　the　world；　and　so　I　reason　that　blindness　and　deafness　need　not
pervert　the　inner　order　of　the　intellect。　I　know　that　if　there　were　no
odours　for　me　I　should　still　possess　a　considerable　part　of　the　world。
Novelties　and　surprises　would　abound；　adventures　would　thicken　in　the
dark。
In　my　classification　of　the　senses；　smell　is　a　little　the　ear"s
inferior；　and　touch　is　a　great　deal　the　eye"s　superior。　I　find　that
great　artists　and　philosophers　agree　with　me　in　this。　Diderot　says：
Je　trouvais　que　de　tous　les　sens；　l"oeil　etait　le
plus　superficiel；　l"oreille；　le　plus　orgueilleux；
l"odorat；　le　plus　voluptueux；　le　gout；　le　plus
superstitieux　et　le　plus　inconstant；　le　toucher；
le　plus　profond　et　le　plus　philosophe。＇C＇
A　friend　whom　I　have　never　seen　sends　me　a　quotation　from　Symonds"s
〃Renaissance　in　Italy〃：
Lorenzo　Ghiberti；　after　describing　a　piece　of
antique　sculpture　he　saw　in　Rome　adds；　〃To　express
the　perfection　of　learning；　mastery；　and　art
displayed　in　it　is　beyond　the　power　of　language。
Its　more　exquisite　beauties　could　not　be
discovered　by　the　sight；　but　only　by　the　touch　of
the　hand　passed　over　it。〃　Of　another　classic
marble　at　Padua　he　says；　〃This　statue；　when　the
Christian　faith　triumphed；　was　hidden　in　that
place　by　some　gentle　soul；　who；　seeing　it　so
perfect；　fashioned　with　art　so　wonderful；　and　with
such　power　of　genius；　and　being　moved　to　reverent
pity；　caused　a　sepulchre　of　bricks　to　be　built；
and　there　within　buried　the　statue；　and　covered　it
with　a　broad　slab　of　stone；　that　it　might　not　in
any　way　be　injured。　It　has　very　many　sweet
beauties　which　the　eyes　alone　can　prehend　not；
either　by　strong　or　tempered　light；　only　the　hand
by　touching　them　finds　them　out。〃
Hold　out　your　hands　to　feel　the　luxury　of　the　sunbeams。　Press　the　soft
blossoms　against　your　cheek；　and　finger　their　graces　of　form；　their
delicate　mutability　of　shape；　their　pliancy　and　freshness。　Expose　your
face　to　the　aerial　floods　that　sweep　the　heavens；　〃inhale　great　draughts
of　space；〃　wonder；　wonder　at　the　wind"s　unwearied　activity。　Pile　note
on　note　the　infinite　music　that　flows　increasingly　to　your　soul　from　the
tactual　sonorities　of　a　thousand　branches　and　tumbling　waters。　How　can
the　world　be　shrivelled　when　this　most　profound；　emotional　sense；　touch；
is　faithful　to　its　service？　I　am　sure　that　if　a　fairy　bade　me　choose
between　the　sense　of　light　and　that　of　touch；　I　would　not　part　with　the
warm；　endearing　contact　of　human　hands　or　the　wealth　of　form；　the
nobility　and　fullness　that　press　into　my　palms。
FOOTNOTE：
＇C＇　I　found　that　of　the　senses；　the　eye　is　the　most　superficial；　the　ear
the　most　arrogant；　smell　the　most　voluptuous；　taste　the　most
superstitious　and　fickle；　touch　the　most　profound　and　the　most
philosophical。
THE　FIVE…SENSED　WORLD
VIII
THE　FIVE…SENSED　WORLD
THE　poets　have　taught　us　how　full　of　wonders　is　the　night；　and　the　night
of　blindness　has　its　wonders；　too。　The　only　lightless　dark　is　the　night
of　ignorance　and　insensibility。　We　differ；　blind　and　seeing；　one　from
another；　not　in　our　senses；　but　in　the　use　we　make　of　them；　in　the
imagination　and　courage　with　which　we　seek　wisdom　beyond　our　senses。
It　is　more　difficult　to　teach　ignorance　to　think　than　to　teach　an
intelligent　blind　man　to　see　the　grandeur　of　Niagara。　I　have　walked　with
people　whose　eyes　are　full　of　light；　but　who　see　nothing　in　wood；　sea；
or　sky；　nothing　in　city　streets；　nothing　in　books。　What　a　witless
masquerade　is　this　seeing！　It　were　better　far　to　sail　forever　in　the
night　of　blindness；　with　sense　and　feeling　and　mind；　than　to　be　thus
content　with　the　mere　act　of　seeing。　They　have　the　sunset；　the　morning
skies；　the　purple　of　distant　hills；　yet　their　souls　voyage　through　this
enchanted　world　with　a　barren　stare。
The　calamity　of　the　blind　is　immense；　irrepa