最优美的散文- 第8部分

　chastened　by　the　certainty　of　impending　death。
　　In　stories　the　doomed　hero　is　usually　saved　at　the　last　minute　by　some　stroke　of　fortunebut　almost　always　his　sense　of　values　is　or　have　livedin　the　shadow　of　death　bring　a　mellow　sweetness　to　everything　they　do。　电子书　分享网站

假如给我三天光明（7）
Most　of　ushowevertake　life　for　but　usually　we　picture　that　day　as　far　in　the　death　is　all　but　hardly　aware　of　our　listless　attitude　toward　life。
　　The　same　lethargyI　am　afraidcharacterizes　the　use　of　all　our　faculties　and　only　the　blind　realize　the　manifold　blessings　that　lie　in　without　concentration　and　with　little　of　not　being　conscious　of　health　until　we　are　ill。
　　I　have　often　thought　it　would　be　a　blessing　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。
　　Now　and　then　I　have　tested　my　seeing　friends　to　discover　what　they　see。
　　Recently　I　was　visited　by　a　very　good　friend　who　had　just　returned　from　a　long　walk　in　the　woodsand　I　asked　her　what　she　had　observed…“Nothing　in　particular”　she　for　long　ago　I　became　convinced　that　the　seeing　see　little。
　　How　was　it　possibleI　asked　myselfto　walk　for　an　hour　through　the　woods　and　see　nothing　worthy　of　note？　I　who　cannot　see　find　hundreds　of　things　to　interest　me　through　mere　or　the　roughshaggy　bark　of　a　's　；velvety　texture　of　a　flowerand　discover　its　remarkable　convolutions；and　something　of　the　miracle　of　Nature　is　revealed　to　if　I　am　very　fortunateI　place　my　hand　gently　on　a　small　tree　and　feel　the　happy　quiver　of　a　bird　in　full　the　action　of　which　streams　through　my　finger　tips。
　　At　times　my　heart　cries　out　with　longing　to　see　all　these　how　much　more　beauty　must　be　revealed　by　those　who　have　eyes　apparently　see　perhapsto　appreciate　little　that　which　we　have　and　to　long　for　that　which　we　have　notbut　it　is　a　great　pity　that　in　the　world　of　light　the　gift　of　sight　is　used　only　as　a　mere　conveniences　rather　than　as　a　means　of　adding　fullness　to　life。　电子书　分享网站

假如给我三天光明（8）
If　I　were　the　president　of　a　university　I　should　establish　a　pulsory　course　in　“How　to　Use　Your　Eyes”。The　professor　would　try　to　show　his　pupils　how　they　could　add　joy　to　their　lives　by　really　seeing　what　passes　unnoticed　before　
　　Perhaps　I　can　best　illustrate　by　imagining　what　I　should　most　like　to　see　if　I　were　given　the　use　of　my　eyessayfor　just　three　suppose　youtooset　your　mind　to　work　on　the　problem　of　how　you　would　use　your　own　eyes　if　you　had　only　three　more　days　to　ing　darkness　of　the　third　night　you　knew　that　the　sun　would　never　rise　for　you　againhow　would　you　spend　those　three　precious　intervening　days？　What　would　you　most　want　to　let　your　gaze　rest　upon？
　　Inaturallyshould　want　most　to　see　the　things　which　have　bee　dear　to　me　through　my　years　of　toowould　want　to　let　your　eyes　rest　on　the　things　that　have　bee　dear　to　you　so　that　you　could　take　the　memory　of　them　with　you　into　the　night　that　loomed　before　you。
　　Ifby　some　miracleI　were　granted　three　seeing　daysto　be　followed　by　a　relapse　into　darknessI　should　divide　the　period　into　three　parts。
　　The　First　Day
　　On　the　first　dayI　should　want　to　see　the　people　whose　kindness　and　gentleness　and　panionship　have　made　my　life　worth　who　came　to　me　when　I　was　a　child　and　opened　the　outer　world　to　so　that　I　could　cherish　it　in　my　memorybut　to　study　that　face　and　find　in　it　the　living　evidence　of　the　sympathetic　tenderness　and　patience　with　which　she　acplished　the　difficult　task　of　my　and　that　passion　for　all　humanity　which　she　has　revealed　to　me　so　often。
　　I　do　not　know　what　it　is　to　see　into　the　heart　of　a　friend　through　that　“window　of　the　soul”the　“see”　through　my　finger　tips　the　outline　of　a　sorrowand　many　other　obvious　of　coursethrough　other　means；through　the　thoughts　they　express　to　methrough　whatever　of　their　actions　are　revealed　to　through　watching　their　reactions　to　various　expressed　thoughts　and　circumstancesthrough　noting　the　immediate　and　fleeting　reactions　of　their　eyes　and　countenance。。　最好的txt下载网

假如给我三天光明（9）
Friends　who　are　near　to　me　I　know　wellbecause　through　the　months　and　years　they　reveal　themselves　to　me　in　all　their　phases；but　of　casual　friends　I　have　only　an　inplete　impressionan　impression　gained　from　a　handclaspfrom　spoken　words　which　I　take　from　their　lips　with　my　finger　tipsor　which　they　tap　into　the　palm　of　my　hand。
　　How　much　easierhow　much　more　satisfying　it　is　for　you　who　can　see　to　grasp　quickly　the　essential　qualities　of　another　person　by　watching　the　subtleties　of　expressionthe　quiver　of　a　musclethe　flutter　of　a　
　　For　instance　can　you　describe　accurately　the　faces　of　five　good　friends？　some　of　you　canbut　many　I　have　questioned　husbands　of　long　standing　about　the　color　of　their　wives'eyesand　often　they　express　embarrassed　confusion　and　admit　that　they　do　not　incidentallyit　is　a　chronic　plaint　of　wives　that　their　husbands　do　not　notice　new　dressesnew　hatsand　changes　in　household　arrangements。
　　The　eyes　of　seeing　persons　soon　bee　accustomed　to　the　routine　of　their　surroundingsand　they　actually　see　only　the　startling　and　“eyewitnesses”　“seen〃　in　several　different　ways　by　as　many　but　few　see　everything　that　is　within　the　range　of　their　vision。
　　Ohthe　things　that　I　should　see　if　I　had　the　power　of　sight　for　just　three　days！
　　The　first　day　would　be　a　busy　imprinting　upon　my　mind　the　outward　evidences　of　the　beauty　that　is　within　tooon　the　face　of　a　babyso　that　I　could　catch　a　vision　of　the　eagerinnocent　beauty　which　precedes　the　individual's　consciousness　of　the　conflicts　which　life　develops。
　　And　I　should　like　to　look　into　the　loyaltrusting　eyes　of　my　dogs—the　gravecanny　little　ScottieDarkieand　the　stalwartunderstanding　Great　Dane　Helgawhose　warmtenderand　playful　friendships　are　so　forting　to　me。
　　On　that　busy　first　day　I　should　also　view　the　small　simple　things　of　my　the　pictures　on　the　wallsthe　intimate　trifles　that　transform　a　house　into　but　they　would　be　more　eagerly　interested　in　the　printed　books　which　seeing　people　can　readfor　during　the　long　night　of　my　life　the　books　I　have　read　and　those　which　have　been　read　to　me　have　built　themselves　into　a　great　shining　lighthouserevealing　to　me　the　deepest　channels　of　human　life　and　the　human　spirit。

假如给我三天光明（10）
In　the　afternoon　of　that　first　seeing　dayI　should　take　a　long　walk　in　the　woods　and　intoxicate　my　eyes　on　the　beauties　of　the　world　of　Naturetrying　desperately　to　absorb　in　a　few　hours　the　vast　splendor　which　is　constantly　unfolding　itself　to　those　who　can　（perhaps　I　should　see　only　a　tractor！）　and　the　serene　content　of　men　living　close　to　the　
　　When　dusk　had　fallenI　should　experience　the　double　delight　of　being　able　to　see　by　artificial　light　which　the　genius　of　man　has　created　to　extend　the　power　of　his　sight　when　Nature　decrees　darkness。
　　In　the　night　of　that　first　day　of　sightI　should　not　be　able　to　sleepso　full　would　be　my　mind　of　the　memories　of　the　day。
　　The　Second　Day
　　The　next　day—the　second　day　of　sight—I　should　arise　with　the　dawn　and　see　the　thrilling　miracle　by　which　night　is　transformed　into　
　　This　day　I　should　devote　to　a　hasty　glimpse　of　the　worldpast　and　's　progressthe　kaleidoscope　of　the　of　but　I　have　longed　to　see　with　my　eyes　the　condensed　history　of　the　earth　and　its　inhabitants　displayed　there　animals　and　the　races　of　men　pictured　in　their　native　environment；gigantic　carcasses　of　dinosaurs　and　mastodons　which　roamed　the　earth　long　before　man　appearedwith　his　tiny　stature　and　powerful　brainto　conquer　the　animal　kingdom；realistic　presentations　of　the　processes　of　development　in　animalsin　manand　in　the　implements　which　man　has　used　to　fashion　for　himself　a　secure　home　on　this　planet；and　a　thousand　and　one　other　aspects　of　natural　history。
　　I　wonder　how　many　readers　of　this　article　have　viewed　this　panorama　of　the　face　of　living　things　as　pictured　in　that　inspiring　of　coursehave　not　had　the　opportunitybut　I　am　sure　that　many　who　have　had　the　opportunity　have　not　made　use　of　indeedis　a　place　to　use　your　but　I　with　my　imaginary　three　days　of　sightcould　only　take　a　hasty　glimpseand　pass　on。
　　My　next　stop　would　be　the　Metropolitan　Museum　of　Artfor　just　as　the　Museum　of　Natural　History　reveals　the　material　aspects　of　the　worldso　does　the　Metropolitan　show　the　myriad　facets　of　the　human　shelterand　in　the　vast　chambers　of　the　Metropolitan　Museumis　unfolded　before　me　the　spirit　of　EgyptGreeceand　Romeas　expressed　in　their　and　I　have　sensed　the　rhythmic　beauty　of　charging　Athenian　bearded　features　of　Homer　are　dear　to　mefor　hetooknew　blindness。txt电子书分享平台　

假如给我三天光明（11）
My　hands　have　lingered　upon　the　living　marble　of　roman　sculpture　as　well　as　that　of　later　ｏ's　inspiring　and　heroic　Moses；I　have　sensed　the　power　of　Rodin；I　have　been　awed　by　the　devoted　spirit　of　Gothic　wood　but　even　they　were　meant　to　be　seen　rather　than　feltand　I　can　only　guess　at　the　beauty　which　remains　hidden　from　but　its　figured　decorations　are　lost　to　me。
　　So　on　thismy　second　day　of　sightI　should　try　to　probe　into　the　soul　of　man　through　this　the　whole　magnificent　world　of　painting　would　be　opened　to　me；from　the　Italian　Primitiveswith　their　serene　religious　devotionto　the　Moderns；with　their　feverish　；Leonardo　da　VinciTitianstudy　the　mysteries　of　E1　Grecocatch　a　new　vision　of　Nature　from　there　is　so　much　rich　meaning　and　beauty　in　the　art　of　the　ages　for　you　who　have　eyes　to　see！
　　Upon　my　short　visit　to　this　temple　of　art　I　should　not　be　able　to　review　a　fraction　of　that　great　world　of　art　which　is　open　to　of　positionof　form　and　how　happily　would　I　embark　upon　so　fascinating　a　study！　Yet　I　am　told　thatto　many　of　you　who　have　eyes　to　seethe　world　of　art　is　a　dark　nightunexplored　and　which　contains　the　key　to　beauty—a　beauty　so　howeverdo　not　need　a　metropolitan　to　find　this　key　to　and　in　books　on　the　shelves　of　even　small　in　my　limited　time　of　imaginary　sightI　should　choose　the　place　where　the　key　unlocks　the　greatest　treasures　in　the　shortest　time。
　　The　evening　of　my　second　day　of　sight　I　should　spend　at　a　theatre　or　at　the　but　the　action　of　the　play　must　be　spelled　into　my　hand　by　a　or　the　gusty　Falstaff　amid　colorful　Elizabethan　trappings！　How　I　should　like　to　follow　　each　movement　of　the　graceful　Hamleteach　strut　of　the　hearty　Falstaff！　And　since　I　could　see　only　one　playI　should　be　confronted　by　a　manyhorned　dilemmafor　there　are　scores　of　plays　I　should　want　to　I　wonderwhen　you　gaze　at　a　playa　movieor　any　spectaclerealize　and　give　thanks　for　the　miracle　of　sight　which　enables　you　to　enjoy　its　colorgraceand　movement？txt电子书分享平台　

假如给我三天光明（12）
I　cannot　enjoy　the　beauty　of　rhythmic　movement　except　in　a　sphere　restricted　to　the　touch　of　my　although　I　know　something　of　the　delight　of　rhythmfor　often　I　can　sense　the　beat　of　mus