我感觉脚步越来越近，以为是母亲，就伸出了手，有个人握住了它，然后把我拉了过去，紧紧抱在怀里。这个抱我的人，就是那个将为我揭开生活的帷幕，而且也将把她满腔的爱倾注给我的人——我的恩师莎莉文小姐。
第二天早晨，她带我到她屋子里去，给我一个洋娃娃。我后来才知道，原来这洋娃娃是柏金斯盲童学校的学生送给我的，洋娃娃的衣裳是劳拉·布里奇曼亲手做的。我玩了一会儿洋娃娃，莎莉文小姐在我手上慢慢地拼写“洋娃娃”这个词，我立即对这种用手指写字发生了兴趣，并且模仿着在她手上画。当我最后能正确地拼写这个词时，我感到十分自豪，高兴得脸都涨红了。我跑下楼去，找到母亲，把这个词拼写给她看。我并不知道这是在拼写单词，甚至也不知道世界上还有单词这种东西。我不过是用手指依样画葫芦而已。在随后的几天里，通过这种不求甚解的方法，我学会了很多单词，包括拼写“针”、“帽”、“杯”这些字，还有“坐”、“站”、“走”这些动词。直到老师教了我几个星期以后，我才明白世间万物都有自己的名字。
一天，莎莉文小姐给了我一个新洋娃娃，它比原来那个洋娃娃更大。莎莉文小姐把原来那个洋娃娃放在我的膝上，然后在我手上拼出“布娃娃”这个词，她想告诉我两个洋娃娃虽然有所不同，但都叫“布娃娃”。
这天上午，莎莉文小姐想使我明白“杯”和“水”这两个词的区别，她用了很多办法来说明“杯子”是“杯子”，“水”是“水”，而我却总是把它们理解为同一件东西。在我看来，“杯子”就是“水”，“水”就是“杯子”。没有办法，她只好暂时放下这个问题，想以后有机会再重新教我一下。而我对她不停的努力已经失去了耐心，抓起新洋娃娃往地上一摔，心里顿时觉得特别痛快。洋娃娃被摔坏了，我发完火，并不后悔，也不觉得惭愧，因为我对洋娃娃没有感情。我的心是一个寂静又黑暗的世界，根本就没有温情和怜悯。莎莉文小姐把摔成碎片的洋娃娃扫到炉子边，然后。把我的帽子递给我。我知道我们要去外面，去晒温暖的太阳。这个想法——如果这种无声的感觉可以称之为想法的话，让我高兴得蹦蹦跳跳起来。
我们俩被覆在井房上的金银花的香气所吸引，就向着那条路走去。别人正在那边汲水。莎莉文小姐把我的小手放在喷口底下，泉源涌出，冲洗得我几乎打寒噤。她借这个机会，教我拼写“水”这个单词，起先慢，后来越来越快。我安静地站在那里，全神贯注地感觉她手指的移动。我顿时间有一种模糊的感觉，就好像忽然记起了以前忘了的事情，好像心灵上的钥匙已开启了言语的神秘。由此才知道，冲洗得我的手指怪冷的那件东西就叫做“水”。水，唤醒了我的灵魂，给它自由，给它光明，希望和快乐！虽然还有许多障碍，但这些障碍都会被及时清除的。
我抱着求知的渴望离开井房。天地间任何事物总有它的名称，有了名称，就生出一个新的意境。回屋的路上，我觉得所接触的东西都有勃勃的生气。这是因为我对于任何物件都用这等新奇的眼光去看待。进房门后，就想到那个摔坏的洋娃娃。摸索着到火炉边去拾起那些碎片，想重新拼合，却怎么也拼不起来。我眼里噙满泪水，我知道我错了，这是我第一次感到悔恨和难过。
这一天，我学会了很多生词，虽然已经不记得它们都是些什么了，可我知道其中有“妈妈”、“爸爸”、“妹妹”、“老师”这几个词。
这些词使我的世界豁然开朗起来。就像“亚伦的魔杖开了花一样”。我还记得那个美妙的夜晚，我独自躺在床上，心中洋溢着喜悦，觉得自己是世界上最快乐的孩子，这是我有生以来第一次期盼着新的一天快些到来。第18章 Childhood Days
When you came into the world，she held you in her antis．
You thanked her by weeping your eyes out．
When you were l years old，she fed you and bathed you．
You thanked her by crying all night long．
when you were 2 years old，she taught you to walk．
You thanked her by running away when she called．
when you were 3 years old，she made all your meals with love．
You thanked her by tossing your plate on the floor．
When you were 4 years old，she gave you some crayons．
You thanked her by coloring the dining room table．
when you were 5 years old，she dressed you for the holidays．
You thanked her by plopping into the nearest pile of mud．
when you were 6 years old，she walked you to sch001．
You thanked her by screaming，“I’m not going！”
When you were 7 years old，she bought you a baseball．
You thanked her by throwing it through the next—door—neighbor’S window．
When you were 8 years old，she handed you an ice cream．
You thanked her by dripping it all over your lap． When y。u were 9 years。ld，she paid for pian。less。You thanked her by never even bothering to practice．When you were 10 years old，she drove you all day，from soccer togymnastics to ne birthday party after another．You thanked her by jumping out of the Car and never looking back．When you were 11 years old，she took you and your friends to themovies．
You thanked her by asking to sit in a different row．
When you were 12 years old，she warned you not to watch certainTV shows．
You thanked her by waiting until she left the house．
Those Teenage Years
When you were 13，she suggested a haircut that was becoming．
You thanked her by telling her she had no taste．
When you were 14，she paid for a month away at summer camp．
You thanked her by forgetting tO write a single letter．
When you were 15，she came home from work，looking for a hug．
You thanked her by having your bedroom door locked．
When you were 16，she taught you how to drive her Car．
You thanked her by taking it every chance you could．
When you were 17，she was expecting an important call．
You thanked her by being on the phone all night．
When you were 18，she cried at your high school graduation．
You thanked her by staying out partying until dawn．
Growing Old and Gray
When you were 19，she paid your college tuition，drove you tO cam— puS，carried your bags．
You thanked her by saying good——bye outside the dorm SO youwouldn’t be embarrassed in front of your friends．
When you were 20，she asked whether you were seeing anyone．
You thanked her by saying．“It’S none of your business．”
When you were 2 1，she suggested certain careers for your future．
You thanked her by saying．“I don’t want t0 be like you．”
When you were 22，she hugged you at your college graduation．
