《the world i live in-海伦·凯勒自传(英文版)》海伦·凯勒自传(英文版)-第17章

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
proceed　to　fill　them　with　the　images　of　my　spiritual　stars。　I　recognize
truth　by　the　clearness　and　guidance　that　it　gives　my　thought；　and；
knowing　what　that　clearness　is；　I　can　imagine　what　light　is　to　the　eye。
It　is　not　a　convention　of　language；　but　a　forcible　feeling　of　the
reality；　that　at　times　makes　me　start　when　I　say；　〃Oh；　I　see　my
mistake！〃　or　〃How　dark；　cheerless　is　his　life！〃　I　know　these　are
metaphors。　Still；　I　must　prove　with　them；　since　there　is　nothing　in　our
language　to　replace　them。　Deaf…blind　metaphors　to　correspond　do　not
exist　and　are　not　necessary。　Because　I　can　understand　the　word　〃reflect〃
figuratively；　a　mirror　has　never　perplexed　me。　The　manner　in　which　my
imagination　perceives　absent　things　enables　me　to　see　how　glasses　can
magnify　things；　bring　them　nearer；　or　remove　them　farther。
Deny　me　this　correspondence；　this　internal　sense；　confine　me　to　the
fragmentary；　incoherent　touch…world；　and　lo；　I　bee　as　a　bat　which
wanders　about　on　the　wing。　Suppose　I　omitted　all　words　of　seeing；
hearing；　colour；　light；　landscape；　the　thousand　phenomena；　instruments
and　beauties　connected　with　them。　I　should　suffer　a　great　diminution　of
the　wonder　and　delight　in　attaining　knowledge；　also……more　dreadful
loss……my　emotions　would　be　blunted；　so　that　I　could　not　be　touched　by
things　unseen。
Has　anything　arisen　to　disprove　the　adequacy　of　correspondence？　Has　any
chamber　of　the　blind　man"s　brain　been　opened　and　found　empty？　Has　any
psychologist　explored　the　mind　of　the　sightless　and　been　able　to　say；
〃There　is　no　sensation　here〃？
I　tread　the　solid　earth；　I　breathe　the　scented　air。　Out　of　these　two
experiences　I　form　numberless　associations　and　correspondences。　I
observe；　I　feel；　I　think；　I　imagine。　I　associate　the　countless　varied
impressions；　experiences；　concepts。　Out　of　these　materials　Fancy；　the
cunning　artisan　of　the　brain；　welds　an　image　which　the　sceptic　would
deny　me；　because　I　cannot　see　with　my　physical　eyes　the　changeful；
lovely　face　of　my　thought…child。　He　would　break　the　mind"s　mirror。　This
spirit…vandal　would　humble　my　soul　and　force　me　to　bite　the　dust　of
material　things。　While　I　champ　the　bit　of　circumstance；　he　scourges　and
goads　me　with　the　spur　of　fact。　If　I　heeded　him；　the　sweet…visaged　earth
would　vanish　into　nothing；　and　I　should　hold　in　my　hand　nought　but　an
aimless；　soulless　lump　of　dead　matter。　But　although　the　body　physical　is
rooted　alive　to　the　Promethean　rock；　the　spirit…proud　huntress　of　the
air　will　still　pursue　the　shining；　open　highways　of　the　universe。
Blindness　has　no　limiting　effect　upon　mental　vision。　My　intellectual
horizon　is　infinitely　wide。　The　universe　it　encircles　is　immeasurable。
Would　they　who　bid　me　keep　within　the　narrow　bound　of　my　meagre　senses
demand　of　Herschel　that　he　roof　his　stellar　universe　and　give　us　back
Plato"s　solid　firmament　of　glassy　spheres？　Would　they　mand　Darwin
from　the　grave　and　bid　him　blot　out　his　geological　time；　give　us　back　a
paltry　few　thousand　years？　Oh；　the　supercilious　doubters！　They　ever
strive　to　clip　the　upward　daring　wings　of　the　spirit。
A　person　deprived　of　one　or　more　senses　is　not；　as　many　seem　to　think；
turned　out　into　a　trackless　wilderness　without　landmark　or　guide。　The
blind　man　carries　with　him　into　his　dark　environment　all　the　faculties
essential　to　the　apprehension　of　the　visible　world　whose　door　is　closed
behind　him。　He　finds　his　surroundings　everywhere　homogeneous　with　those
of　the　sunlit　world；　for　there　is　an　inexhaustible　ocean　of　likenesses
between　the　world　within；　and　the　world　without；　and　these　likenesses；
these　correspondences；　he　finds　equal　to　every　exigency　his　life　offers。
The　necessity　of　some　such　thing　as　correspondence　or　symbolism　appears
more　and　more　urgent　as　we　consider　the　duties　that　religion　and
philosophy　enjoin　upon　us。
The　blind　are　expected　to　read　the　Bible　as　a　means　of　attaining
spiritual　happiness。　Now；　the　Bible　is　filled　throughout　with　references
to　clouds；　stars；　colours；　and　beauty；　and　often　the　mention　of　these　is
essential　to　the　meaning　of　the　parable　or　the　message　in　which　they
occur。　Here　one　must　needs　see　the　inconsistency　of　people　who　believe
in　the　Bible；　and　yet　deny　us　a　right　to　talk　about　what　we　do　not　see；
and　for　that　matter　what　_they_　do　not　see；　either。　Who　shall　forbid　my
heart　to　sing：　〃Yea；　he　did　fly　upon　the　wings　of　the　wind。　He　made
darkness　his　secret　place；　his　pavilion　round　about　him　were　dark　waters
and　thick　clouds　of　the　skies〃？
Philosophy　constantly　points　out　the　untrustworthiness　of　the　five
senses　and　the　important　work　of　reason　which　corrects　the　errors　of
sight　and　reveals　its　illusions。　If　we　cannot　depend　on　five　senses；　how
much　less　may　we　rely　on　three！　What　ground　have　we　for　discarding
light；　sound；　and　colour　as　an　integral　part　of　our　world？　How　are　we　to
know　that　they　have　ceased　to　exist　for　us？　We　must　take　their　reality
for　granted；　even　as　the　philosopher　assumes　the　reality　of　the　world
without　being　able　to　see　it　physically　as　a　whole。
Ancient　philosophy　offers　an　argument　which　seems　still　valid。　There　is
in　the　blind　as　in　the　seeing　an　Absolute　which　gives　truth　to　what　we
know　to　be　true；　order　to　what　is　orderly；　beauty　to　the　beautiful；
touchableness　to　what　is　tangible。　If　this　is　granted；　it　follows　that
this　Absolute　is　not　imperfect；　inplete；　partial。　It　must　needs　go
beyond　the　limited　evidence　of　our　sensations；　and　also　give　light　to
what　is　invisible；　music　to　the　musical　that　silence　dulls。　Thus　mind
itself　pels　us　to　acknowledge　that　we　are　in　a　world　of　intellectual
order；　beauty；　and　harmony。　The　essences；　or　absolutes　of　these　ideas；
necessarily　dispel　their　opposites　which　belong　with　evil；　disorder　and
discord。　Thus　deafness　and　blindness　do　not　exist　in　the　immaterial
mind；　which　is　philosophically　the　real　world；　but　are　banished　with　the
perishable　material　senses。　Reality；　of　which　visible　things　are　the
symbol；　shines　before　my　mind。　While　I　walk　about　my　chamber　with
unsteady　ste