海伦·凯勒(1880年6月27日-1968年6月1日)，是美国一位残障教育家。她在19个月大时因为一次高烧而引致失明及失聪。后来籍着她的导师安·沙利文(Anne Sullivan)的努力，使她学会说话，并开始和其他人沟通。并且毕业于哈佛大学。
此文乃Spotlightradio的文章，经同意后翻译发布：
"Once I knew only darkness and stillness. My life was without past or future. But a little word from the fingers of another person fell into my empty hand. And then my heart suddenly opened to the wonder of living."
"我曾经只知晓黑暗与寂静。我的生命没有过去，没有将来。但从另一个人的指头所传送来的一个单词，落入我的手心。在那当头，我的心突然被打开了，从此体会到生活的美妙。"
Helen Adams Keller wrote these hopeful words. Her childhood was dark and silent. Yet she became an encouraging writer and teacher for many people. This article is on the writer and educator Helen Keller.
海伦凯勒写了以上这些充满盼望的话。她的童年是在黑暗静默中度过，但后来她却写书，鼓励教导了许多人。这篇文章就是有关她的故事。
Helen Keller was born in 1880 in the United States. She was a healthy baby. But Helen became very sick when she was one and half years old. No one knew what kind of sickness she had. Now, experts think she may have had scarlet fever or meningitis. Her sickness was very serious. Her family believed that Helen was going to die.
海伦凯勒1880年在美国出生。她是个健康的小宝宝。但在一岁半时，她生了一场大病。没有人知道她得了什么病。现在，专家认为她可能是感染了喉痧或脑膜炎。她病得很重，家人都认为她必死无疑。
Helen did not die. She seemed to recover from her sickness. Her family was very happy. But all was not well. Helen’s mother saw that Helen’s behavior had changed. Helen did not react to noise. She did not react to movement either. When Helen’s mother placed her hand in front of Helen’s eyes, Helen did not move. She could not see. She could not hear. The sickness had left Helen blind and deaf.
海伦并没有丧命。她慢慢恢复健康。家人都非常开心。但并不是一切都正常，她的妈妈观察到海伦的行为有了改变。她对声音没有反应，对物体移动也不能察觉。当海伦的妈妈把手放在海伦眼前摆动时，她一点也没反应。她看不到。她听不见。这场重病让海伦变成又瞎又聋。
Life for Helen and her family was difficult. Helen became a troublesome child. She smashed things in the house. She was angry. She was intelligent but she had no way to communicate. By the time she was six years old, Helen’s family needed a new way to help her. They traveled to an institute for the blind. Doctors there said that Helen would never see or hear again. But the director of the institute told them not to lose hope. He said that Helen could learn. She only needed a teacher.
对海伦和她的家庭，生活一切变得很艰难。海伦成了问题孩童。她在家里摔东西。她心中满是愤怒。她很聪明，但却不能与人沟通。当她六岁时，海伦的家人想要用新的方式来帮助她。他们远行到一个盲人学院寻求帮助。医生说，海伦再也不可能看得到或听得到了。但医生也说，不要失去希望，海伦能够学习。她只需要一个老师教她。
This teacher was Anne Sullivan. Anne was a 20 year old student at the institute for the blind. Anne had lost most of her eyesight at the age of five. At the institute for the blind she had operations on her eyes. Then she could see better. Anne went to live with the Keller family as Helen’s teacher. Later, Helen wrote:
这位老师就是安.苏利文.安是盲人学院的学生，年20岁。当安五岁时，她丧失了大半的视力。在盲人学院她动了眼睛手术，后来，视力好了些。安成了海伦的老师，搬去和凯勒家庭一起住。海伦后来这么写道：
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light."
"当我们是单独个体，我们能做的事很少;而当我们联合起来，我们能做许多事。在黑暗中有一位朋友同行，比起在光亮中独行，来得好多了。"
Anne changed Helen’s life. She showed Helen love and support. Helen began to trust Anne. Soon Helen’s behavior improved. Anne also began to teach Helen words. Anne used her finger to write the letters of words on Helen’s hand. Helen repeated the finger movements. But she did not understand the meaning of the letters and words.
安改变了海伦的生命。她带给海伦关爱和支持。海伦开始信任安，言行也有了进步。安也开始教导海伦许多字词。安用她的指头在海伦的手上拼写字母。海伦也重复指头的动作。但她并不了解这些字母和单词的意思。
Then, a small event changed Helen forever. One day, Helen and Anne were walking outside. They passed a water well. Anne took Helen’s hands. On one hand she wrote the letters w - a - t - e - r. On the other hand, she poured cool water. Suddenly, Helen understood the meaning of the word water. She now understood the symbols of language.
之后，一个小事件永远改变了海伦。一天，海伦和安在外头散步。她们路经过一个水井。安拿起海伦的一只手，写下水的拼音字母water，也把冷水倒在安的另一只手上。忽然间，海伦了解了原来那就是水的拼音。她现在终于了解语言的象征意义了。
After this, Helen wanted to know more and more. Anne continued to teach her words and their meanings. Soon Anne taught Helen to read and write. Helen did this through her sense of touch. People were very surprised that Helen could read, write and communicate! This was not common for blind people in the 1800s. But Helen did not ever give up. She wrote:
这事件过后，海伦渴望知道更多字词。安继续不断教她字的拼音和意思。很快地，安教会海伦用触觉来阅读和书写。海伦能读，能写，能沟通，令许多人感到惊奇讶异。在十九世纪，盲人能这样，颇不寻常。海伦没有放弃。她在书中写道：
"When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is made in our life, or in the life of another."
"当我们尽上努力，做出最好的时，我们永不知道会有怎样的奇迹发生在自己的生命中，或在别人的生命里。"
In 1900 Helen went to Radcliff College, in England. Helen became the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. At college Helen also began to write about her life. Helen wrote many books. Some of the books were about her life. Other books were about her Christian faith. Much of her writing was political.
1900年，海伦就读英国的瑞德克里福学院。海伦成为那所学校第一位聋哑又眼瞎的毕业生。大学期间，海伦开始写作，写有关她生活的种种。她写了许多书，有的谈她的生活，其余的有关她对基督教的信仰。她写的许多内容也和整体社会及政策设立有关。
Helen Keller saw that many blind people lived in poor conditions. Blind people did not get a good education. But Helen showed that it is possible for blind people to live happy, productive lives. She wrote,
海伦凯勒看到许多盲人生活贫困，得不到良好的教育。但海伦却以自身例子显示盲人也能拥有快乐与成就。她这么写说：
"The public must learn that the blind man has a mind that can be educated. He has a hand that can be trained. He has dreams that are right for him to work towards."
"公众必须了解，盲人也有思想，能够受教育。盲人也有手可以接受训练，也有自己的梦想可以努力去达到。"
Helen was also very interested in justice for blind people in other countries. She traveled to 40 countries around the world. She gave speeches and brought hope to many people. The communities that Helen Keller visited increased their efforts for blind people.
海伦对其他国家的盲人能得到公正的待遇很关心。她曾旅行世界四十个国家，向人演讲，带给许多人希望。海伦凯勒所到访的社区，后来对盲人的工作都做出努力和贡献。
Helen did not only work for justice for blind people. She did not like injustice of any kind. She worked for social rights, woman’s rights and for peace. She believed that God created all people equal. She thought that all people had equal rights to a good life. She said:
海伦不单为盲人的福利努力，她也不能容忍不公义。她致力于社会公义，妇女福利，以及和平工作。她相信神创造所有人都是平等的。她认为所有人都有得到幸福生活的权利。她说：
"The world is full of suffering. But it is full also of overcoming suffering. I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something."
"这个世界充满苦难。但也有许多人克服苦难。我就是其一;但我仍不过就是一位，我不能做所有的事，但我至少还是能作一些事的。"
Helen Keller kept writing and giving speeches until she was an old woman. She won many awards and knew many famous people. But after she turned eighty 80,Helen had some health problems. She moved back to her home and lived simply.
海伦凯勒持续她的写作和演讲直到年老。她得到了许多荣誉奖项，也认识了许多知名的人。她到了80岁时，身体开始走下坡，于是搬回老家，过着俭朴的生活。
Helen Keller died peacefully at the age of 88. Her life brought hope and courage to millions of people. And she continues to encourage people all around the world with wise words such as these:
海伦凯勒在88岁过世。她的生命带给好几百万人希望和鼓舞。她的著作和充满智慧的话语，继续鼓励全球众多的人：
"True happiness is not found through helping yourself but through faithfulness to a good purpose... The best and most beautiful things in life cannot be seen or touched. They are felt in the heart."
"真正的快乐，不在于帮助自己，而在于选定一个良善的目标，忠心致力去付出...生命里最美好，最美丽的事，不是在眼所能见，手所能触摸的事物上，乃在人心里所能感受的事物。"
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