《the world i live in-海伦·凯勒自传(英文版)》海伦·凯勒自传(英文版)-第16章

I　cannot　represent　more　clearly　than　any　one　else　the　gradual　and　subtle
changes　from　first　impressions　to　abstract　ideas。　But　I　know　that　my
physical　ideas；　that　is；　ideas　derived　from　material　objects；　appear　to
me　first　an　idea　similar　to　those　of　touch。　Instantly　they　pass　into
intellectual　meanings。　Afterward　the　meaning　finds　expression　in　what　is
called　〃inner　speech。〃　When　I　was　a　child；　my　inner　speech　was　inner
spelling。　Although　I　am　even　now　frequently　caught　spelling　to　myself　on
my　fingers；　yet　I　talk　to　myself；　too；　with　my　lips；　and　it　is　true　that
when　I　first　learned　to　speak；　my　mind　discarded　the　finger…symbols　and
began　to　articulate。　However；　when　I　try　to　recall　what　some　one　has
said　to　me；　I　am　conscious　of　a　hand　spelling　into　mine。
It　has　often　been　asked　what　were　my　earliest　impressions　of　the　world
in　which　I　found　myself。　But　one　who　thinks　at　all　of　his　first
impressions　knows　what　a　riddle　this　is。　Our　impressions　grow　and　change
unnoticed；　so　that　what　we　suppose　we　thought　as　children　may　be　quite
different　from　what　we　actually　experienced　in　our　childhood。　I　only
know　that　after　my　education　began　the　world　which　came　within　my　reach
was　all　alive。　I　spelled　to　my　blocks　and　my　dogs。　I　sympathized　with
plants　when　the　flowers　were　picked；　because　I　thought　it　hurt　them；
and　that　they　grieved　for　their　lost　blossoms。　It　was　two　years　before　I
could　be　made　to　believe　that　my　dogs　did　not　understand　what　I　said；
and　I　always　apologized　to　them　when　I　ran　into　or　stepped　on　them。
As　my　experiences　broadened　and　deepened；　the　indeterminate；　poetic
feelings　of　childhood　began　to　fix　themselves　in　definite　thoughts。
Nature……the　world　I　could　touch……was　folded　and　filled　with　myself。　I　am
inclined　to　believe　those　philosophers　who　declare　that　we　know　nothing
but　our　own　feelings　and　ideas。　With　a　little　ingenious　reasoning　one
may　see　in　the　material　world　simply　a　mirror；　an　image　of　permanent
mental　sensations。　In　either　sphere　self…knowledge　is　the　condition　and
the　limit　of　our　consciousness。　That　is　why；　perhaps；　many　people　know
so　little　about　what　is　beyond　their　short　range　of　experience。　They
look　within　themselves……and　find　nothing！　Therefore　they　conclude　that
there　is　nothing　outside　themselves；　either。
However　that　may　be；　I　came　later　to　look　for　an　image　of　my　emotions
and　sensations　in　others。　I　had　to　learn　the　outward　signs　of　inward
feelings。　The　start　of　fear；　the　suppressed；　controlled　tensity　of　pain；
the　beat　of　happy　muscles　in　others；　had　to　be　perceived　and　pared
with　my　own　experiences　before　I　could　trace　them　back　to　the　intangible
soul　of　another。　Groping；　uncertain；　I　at　last　found　my　identity；　and
after　seeing　my　thoughts　and　feelings　repeated　in　others；　I　gradually
constructed　my　world　of　men　and　of　God。　As　I　read　and　study；　I　find
that　this　is　what　the　rest　of　the　race　has　done。　Man　looks　within
himself　and　in　time　finds　the　measure　and　the　meaning　of　the　universe。
THE　LARGER　SANCTIONS
XII
THE　LARGER　SANCTIONS
SO；　in　the　midst　of　life；　eager；　imperious　life；　the　deaf…blind　child；
fettered　to　the　bare　rock　of　circumstance；　spider…like；　sends　out
gossamer　threads　of　thought　into　the　measureless　void　that　surrounds
him。　Patiently　he　explores　the　dark；　until　he　builds　up　a　knowledge　of
the　world　he　lives　in；　and　his　soul　meets　the　beauty　of　the　world；　where
the　sun　shines　always；　and　the　birds　sing。　To　the　blind　child　the　dark
is　kindly。　In　it　he　finds　nothing　extraordinary　or　terrible。　It　is　his
familiar　world；　even　the　groping　from　place　to　place；　the　halting
steps；　the　dependence　upon　others；　do　not　seem　strange　to　him。　He　does
not　know　how　many　countless　pleasures　the　dark　shuts　out　from　him。　Not
until　he　weighs　his　life　in　the　scale　of　others"　experience　does　he
realize　what　it　is　to　live　forever　in　the　dark。　But　the　knowledge　that
teaches　him　this　bitterness　also　brings　its　consolation……spiritual
light；　the　promise　of　the　day　that　shall　be。
The　blind　child……the　deaf…blind　child……has　inherited　the　mind　of　seeing
and　hearing　ancestors……a　mind　measured　to　five　senses。　Therefore　he　must
be　influenced；　even　if　it　be　unknown　to　himself；　by　the　light；　colour；
song　which　have　been　transmitted　through　the　language　he　is　taught；　for
the　chambers　of　the　mind　are　ready　to　receive　that　language。　The　brain
of　the　race　is　so　permeated　with　colour　that　it　dyes　even　the　speech　of
the　blind。　Every　object　I　think　of　is　stained　with　the　hue　that　belongs
to　it　by　association　and　memory。　The　experience　of　the　deaf…blind
person；　in　a　world　of　seeing；　hearing　people；　is　like　that　of　a　sailor
on　an　island　where　the　inhabitants　speak　a　language　unknown　to　him；
whose　life　is　unlike　that　he　has　lived。　He　is　one；　they　are　many；　there
is　no　chance　of　promise。　He　must　learn　to　see　with　their　eyes；　to
hear　with　their　ears；　to　think　their　thoughts；　to　follow　their　ideals。
If　the　dark；　silent　world　which　surrounds　him　were　essentially　different
from　the　sunlit；　resonant　world；　it　would　be　inprehensible　to　his
kind；　and　could　never　be　discussed。　If　his　feelings　and　sensations　were
fundamentally　different　from　those　of　others；　they　would　be
inconceivable　except　to　those　who　had　similar　sensations　and　feelings。
If　the　mental　consciousness　of　the　deaf…blind　person　were　absolutely
dissimilar　to　that　of　his　fellows；　he　would　have　no　means　of　imagining
what　they　think。　Since　the　mind　of　the　sightless　is　essentially　the　same
as　that　of　the　seeing　in　that　it　admits　of　no　lack；　it　must　supply　some
sort　of　equivalent　for　missing　physical　sensations。　It　must　perceive　a
likeness　between　things　outward　and　things　inward；　a　correspondence
between　the　seen　and　the　unseen。　I　make　use　of　such　a　correspondence　in
many　relations；　and　no　matter　how　far　I　pursue　it　to　things　I　cannot
see；　it　does　not　break　under　the　test。
As　a　working　hypothesis；　correspondence　is　adequate　to　all　life；　through
the　whole　range　of　phenomena。　The　flash　of　thought　and　its　swiftness
explain　the　lightning　flash　and　the　sweep　of　a　et　through　the
heavens。　My　mental　sky　opens　to　me　the　vast　celestial　spaces；　and　I
p