If I Had Three Days of Light - Autobiography of Helen Keller (Chinese-English Parallel Text)

Author: Helen Keller
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2006-10-01
Features: Famous writer Mark Twain once said, "In the 19th century, there were two great figures: one was Napoleon, and the other was Helen Keller." Helen overcame the unimaginable physical obstacles of being both blind and deaf, attended Radcliffe College at Harvard University, and became the first blind, deaf, and mute person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Through her own efforts, she dedicated her life to the cause of disabled people, established many charitable organizations, and received the highest honor for American citizens—the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her legendary journey of fighting against illness and ultimately succeeding, as well as her brilliant life of never giving up and persistently striving forward, has inspired generations of young people. Helen not only proved with her actions the ability and courage of humanity to overcome illness but also shared her experiences, offering invaluable lessons and inspiration to the world. The Story of My Life was her first work, completed in 1902 with the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan. The book showcases her indomitable qualities and perseverance,ing every reader. Upon its publication, it created a huge sensation and was hailed as "one of the greatest miracles in literary history." It has been translated and published in many countries, and countless readers have found their path to success through reading it.
Chapter 1 Early Light
On June 27, 1880, I was born in Tuscumbia, a small town in northern Alabama. My ancestors were Swiss, who immigrated to the United States and settled in Maryland. Among my Swiss ancestors, there was even an early expert in deaf and mute education in Zurich, who wrote a book on how to educate the deaf and mute. Who could have imagined that among his descendants would be someone like me—a person who was both blind, deaf, and mute. This is truly a miraculous coincidence. Whenever I think about it, I can’t help but believe in the truth of the saying: "The ancestors of kings may once have been slaves, and the ancestors of slaves may one day give birth to kings." Fate is truly unpredictable!
My grandfather, the son of Caspar Keller, settled in the vast land of Alabama. I once heard that back then, Tuscumbia was remote, and every year my grandfather had to ride horseback from Tuscumbia to Philadelphia, which was 760 miles away, to buy various supplies for the house and farm. On each trip to Philadelphia, he would write letters home to report his safety. His letters vividly described the scenery along the western route and the people and events he encountered during the journey. My aunt still keeps many of my grandfather’s letters, which are like an adventure novel, never failing to fascinate readers.
My grandmother was the daughter of a government official in Lafayette, Alexander Moore, and the granddaughter of Alexander Spotswood, the governor of the early colonial government of Virginia. She was also the cousin of Robert E. Lee.