All of us have read thrilling stories in which the hero had only a limited and specified time to live. Sometimes it was as long as a year, sometimes as short as 24 hours. But always we were interested in discovering just how the doomed hero chose to spend his last days or his last hours. I speak, of course, of free men who have a choice, not Condemned criminals whose sphere of activities is strictly delimited.

我们都读过震撼人心的故事，故事中的主人公只能再活一段很有限的时光，有时长达一年，有时却短至一日。但我们总是想要知道，注定要离世人的会选择如何度过自己最后的时光。当然，我说的是那些有选择权利的自由人，而不是那些活动范围受到严格限制的重囚。

海伦·凯勒

Such stories set us thinking, wondering what we should do under similar circumstances. What events, what experiences, what associations should we crowd into those last hours as mortal beings, what regrets?

这样的故事让我们思考，在类似的处境下，我们该做些什么? 作为终有一死的人，在临终前的几个小时内我们应该做什么事，经历些什么或做哪些联想?回忆往昔，什么使我们开心快乐? 什么又使我们悔恨不已?

Sometimes I have thought it would be an excellent rule to live each day as if we should die tomorrow. Such an attitude would emphasize sharply the values of life. We should live each day with gentleness, vigor and a keenness of appreciation which are often lost when time stretches before us in the Constant panorama of more days and months and years to come. There are those, of course, who would adopt the Epicurean motto of “Eat, drink, and be merry”. But most people would be chastened by the certainty of impending death.

有时我想，把每天都当作生命中的最后一天来度过，也不失为一个极好的生活法则。这种态度会使人格外重视生命的价值。我们每天都应该以优雅的姿态，充沛的精力，抱着感恩之心来生活。但当时间以无休止的日，月和年在我们面前流逝时，我们却常常没有了这种感觉。当然，也有人奉行“吃，喝，享受”的享乐主义信条，但绝大多数人还是会受到即将到来的死亡的惩罚。

Helen Keller

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 changed. He becomes more appreciative of the meaning of life and its Permanent spiritual values. It has often been noted that those who live, or have lived, in the shadow of death bring a mellow sweetness to everything they do.

在故事中，将死的主人公通常都在最后一刻因突降的幸运而获救，但他的价值观通常都会改变，他变得更加理解生命的意义及其永恒的精神价值。我们常常注意到，那些生活在或曾经生活在死亡阴影下的人无论做什么都会感到幸福。

Most of us, however, take life for granted. We know that one day we must die, but usually we picture that day as far in the future. When we are in buoyant health, death is all but unimaginable. We seldom think of it. The days stretch out in an endless vista. So we go about our petty tasks, hardly aware of our listless attitude toward life.

然而，我们中的大多数人都把生命看成是理所当然的。我们知道有一天我们必将面对死亡，但总认为那一天还在遥远的将来。当我们身强体健之时，死亡简直不可想象，我们很少考虑到它。日子多得好像没有尽头。因此我们一味忙于琐事，几乎意识不到我们对待生活的冷漠态度。

假如给我三天光明

The same lethargy, I am afraid, characterizes the use of all our faculties and senses. Only the deaf appreciate hearing, only the blind realize the manifold blessings that lie in sight. Particularly does this Observation apply to those who have lost sight and hearing in adult life. But those who have never suffered impairment of sight or hearing seldom make the fullest use of these blessed faculties. Their eyes and ears take in all sights and sounds hazily, without Concentration and with little appreciation. It is the same old story of not being grateful for what we have until we lose it, of not being conscious of health until we are ill.

我担心同样的冷漠也存在于我们对自己官能和意识的运用上。只有聋子才理解听力的重要，只有盲人才明白视觉的可贵，这尤其适用于那些成年后才失去视力或听力之苦的人很少充分利用这些宝贵的能力。他们的眼睛和耳朵模糊地感受着周围的景物与声音，心不在焉，也无所感激。这正好我们只有在失去后才懂得珍惜一样，我们只有在生病后才意识到健康的可贵。

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.

我经常想，如果每个人在年轻的时候都有几天失时失聪，也不失为一件幸事。黑暗将使他更加感激光明，寂静将告诉他声音的美妙。

Three Days to See

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重点词汇：

Excerpt [ˈeksɜːrpt] 摘录，选段;

Thrilling [ ˈθrɪlɪŋ] 令人兴奋的; 毛骨悚然的; 颤动的; <医>震颤的;

Specified ['spesɪfaɪd] 指定; 详述; 提出…的条件; 使具有特性;

Doom [duːm] 厄运，劫数，毁灭; 悲观，沮丧;

Condemn [kənˈdem] 谴责; 宣判; 使陷入; 宣布…不安全; 证明…有罪;

Criminals [k'rɪmɪnlz] 罪犯，犯人

Sphere [sfɪə(r)] 球（体）; （兴趣或活动的）范围; 势力范围；包围;

Delimit [diˈlɪmɪt] 限制，定…地界

Circumstance [ˈsɜːkəmstəns] 条件; 环境; 情况; 情形; 原委; 境况; 命运; 机缘;

crowd into （使）充满某空间；将…强安排进；挤进（某时间）；涌现于（某人）的脑海;

Mortal [ˈmɔːtl] 致命的; 不共戴天的; 终有一死的; 极度的; 凡人，人类;

Gentleness [ˈdʒɛntlnɪs] 温和; 和善; 彬彬有礼; 高贵;

Keen [kiːn] 渴望的; 热衷的; 着迷的; 敏捷的; 强烈的; 灵敏的; 激烈的; 低廉的; 寒冷的; 锋利的;

Keenness [ ˈkiːnnəs] 敏锐，热情

Stretches [stretʃiz] 一段时间，伸展，拉紧

Constant [ˈkɑːnstənt] 持续不断的; 重复的; 恒定的;

Panorama [ˌpænəˈræmə] 全景画; 全景照片; 一连串景象或事; 概论;

Adopt [əˈdɒpt] 领养; 采用; 正式通过; 移居; 承袭; 提名为候选人;

Epicurean [ˌepɪkjʊˈriən] 好美食的，爱奢侈享受的;

Motto [ˈmɒtəʊ] 座右铭; 格言; 箴言; 主题句;

Merry 愉快的，快活的; 有趣的; [口]微醉的; 生动的;

Chastened ['tʃeɪsnd] 惩罚（某人）; 惩戒; 遏制（某人）; 制止;

Stroke [stroʊk] 中风; (铅笔等的)笔画; 划水动作; 游法; 钟声; 击球; 一件(幸运的)事; (灵感)突发;

Fortune [ˈfɔːrtʃən] 大笔的钱; 时运，运气; 命运;

Permanent [ˈpɜːrmənənt] 永久的; 不断出现的; 终生的; 固定的;

Spiritual [ˈspɪrɪtʃuəl] 精神上的; 宗教上的;

Mellow [ˈmeloʊ] 瓜，果等）成熟的; （酒）芳醇的; （颜色或声音）柔和的; 圆润的;

Sweetness [ˈswiːtnəs] 甜蜜; 美妙; 芳香; 可爱;

Granted [ˈgræntɪd] 假定，就算，承认; （尤指正式地或法律上）同意; 准许; 让渡;

Buoyant [ˈbɔɪənt] 轻快的; 活泼的，开朗的; 有浮力的，易浮的; （价格等）上涨的;

Unimaginable [ˌʌnɪˈmædʒɪnəbl] 难以想象的，想不到的; 不能想像;

stretch out 延伸； 绵延；伸直；满足需要;

Vista [ˈvɪstə] 远景; 狭长的街景; 追溯往事; 展望，回顾;

Petty [ˈpeti] 不重要的; 卑鄙的，小气的; 小的，一点点; 小规模的;

Listless [ˈlɪstləs] 倦怠的，无精打采的; 百无聊赖的; 冷淡的; 倦怠的;

Lethargy [ˈleθədʒi] 昏睡; 没精打采; 懒洋洋; 嗜眠症;

Characterizes [ˈkæriktəraiziz] 是…的特征( characterize的第三人称单数 ); 以…为特征; 描述（人或物）的特性; 使…具有特点（或最引人注目的特征）;

Faculties ['fæk(ə)ltɪz] 能力; 全体教职员; 技巧; 院;

Deaf [def] 失聪的; 不愿听; 不去注意;聋子

Manifold [ˈmænɪfoʊld] 多种多样的; 多方面的; 有多种形式的; 有多种用途的;

Particularly [pərˈtɪkjələrli] 特别; 尤其; 异乎寻常地;

Observation [ˌɒbzəˈveɪʃn] 观察; 监视; 评论;

Impairment [ɪmˈpermənt] 损害，损伤;

Hazily [ˈheɪzɪli] 有薄雾地; 模糊地; 朦胧地;

Concentration [ˌkɒnsnˈtreɪʃn] 全神贯注; 浓度; 专注;

Darkness [ˈdɑːrknəs]