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假如给我三天光明 Three Days to See（第2页）

Iofthatfirstdayofsight，Ishouldosleep，sofullwouldbemymindofthememoriesoftheday。

TheSedDay

&day—theseddayofsight—Ishouldarisewiththedawhrillingmiraclebywhiightistraoday。Ishouldbeholdwithawethemagpanoramaoflightwithwhiawakensthesleepih。

ThisdayIshoulddevotetoahastyglimpseoftheresent。Ishouldwahepageantofman&#ress，thekaleidoscopeoftheages。Howupressedihroughthemuseums，ofcourse。OfteedtheNewYorkMuseumofNaturalHistorytotouchwithmyhandsmasthereexhibited，butIhavelohmyeyesthesedhistoryoftheearthanditsinhabitantsdisplayedthereanimalsandtheraeheirnativee;giganticcarcassesofdinosaursandmastodonswhiedtheearthlongbeforemahhistinystatureandpowerfulbrain，toquertheanimalkiitationsoftheprocessesofdevelopmentinanimals，inman，andintheimplementswhihasusedtofashionforhimselfaseeonthispla;andathousaheraspeaturalhistory。

Iwonderhowmahisarticlehaveviewedthispanoramaofthefaceoflivingthingsaspithatinspiringmuseum。Many，ofcourse，havenothadtheopportunity，butIamsurethatmanywhohavehadtheopportumadeuseofit。There，indeed，isaplacetouseyoureyes。Youendmanyfruitfuldaysthere，butIwithmyimaginarythreedaysofsight，lytakeahastyglimpse，andpasson。

&opwouldbetheMetropolita，forjustastheMuseumofNaturalHistoryrevealsthematerialaspectsoftheworld，sodoestheMetropolitanshowthemyriadfaanspirit。Throughoutthehistoryofhumaoartisticexpressioaspowerfulastheurgeforfood，shelter，aiohevastetropolitanMuseum，isuhespiritofEgypt，Greee，asexpressedi。IkhroughmyhauredgodsaheaNile-lacopiesofParthenonfriezes，aherhythmicbeautyAthenianwarriors。ApollosaheWioryofSamothracearefriendsofmyfihegnarledbeardedfeaturesofHomeraredeartome，forhe，too，knewblindness。

Myhandshavelihelivingmarbleofromansculptureaswellasthateions。Ihavepassedmyhaerigelo'sinspiringandheroicMoses;IhavesehepowerofRodin;Ihavebeehedevothicw。Theseartswhibetouchedhavemeanievetobeseeha，andIlyguessatthebeautywhishiddenfromme。IadmirethesimplelinesofaGreekvase，butitsfigureddesarelosttome。

Soonthis，myseddayofsight，Ishouldtrytoprobeintothesoulhthisart。ThethihroughtouchIshouldnowsee。Moresplendidstill，thewholemagworldofpaintingwouldbeopeheItalianPrimitives，withtheirserenereligiousdevotion，totheModerns，withtheirfeverishvisions。IshouldlookdeepintothevasesofRaphael，Leonardo，DaVin，Rembrandt。IshouldwamyeyesuponthewarmcolorsofVerohemysteriesofE1Greco，ewvisionofNaturefromCorot。Oh，thereissomuchrigaheartoftheagesforyouwhohaveeyestosee!

UponmyshortvisittothistempleofartIshouldoreviewafraofthatgreatworldofartwhitoyou。Ishouldbeabletogetonlyasuperficialimpression。Artiststellmethatfordeepandtrueappreofartoheeye。Ohroughexperiehemeritsofline，ofposition，offormandcolor。IfIhadeyes，hoilywouldIembarkuponsofasgastudy!YetIamtoldthat，tomanyofyouwhohaveeyestosee，theworldofartisadarknight，unexploredandunillumiwouldbewithextremerelucethatIshouldleavetheMetropolitanMuseum，whisthekeytobeauty—abeautysoed。Seeingpersoantofiobeauty。Thesamekeylieswaitinginsmallermuseums，andinbooksontheshelvesofevensmalllibraries。Butnaturally，inmylimitedtimeofimaginarysight，Ishouldchoosetheplacewherethekeyutreasuresitime。

TheeveningofmyseddayofsightIshouldspendatatheatreoratthemovies。Eveneriancesofallsorts，buttheaoftheplaymustbespelledintomyhandbyapanion。ButhowIshouldliketoseewithmyowingfigureofHamlet，ustyFalstaffamidcolorfulElizabethantrappings!HowIshouldliketofolloweaentofthegracefulHamlet，eachstrutoftheheartyFalstaff!AndsinceIcouldseeonlyoneplay，Ishouldbetedbyamany-horneddilemma，fortherearescoresofplaysIshouldwanttosee。Youwhohaveeyesyyoulike。Howmanyofyou，Iwonder，wheaplay，amovie，oraacle，realizeahanksforthemiracleofsightwhiablesyoutoenjoyitscraent?

Ijoythebeautyofrhythmieiedtothetouyhands。IonlydimlythegraceofaPavlowa，althoughIkhiofrhythm，foroftehebeatofmusicasitvibratesthroughthefloor。Iwellimagiustbeopleasingsightsintheworld。Ihavebeehersomethingofthisbytragwithmyfihelinesinsculpturedmarble;ifthisstaticgrabesolovely，howmuchmoreacutemustbethethrillofseeiion。

OneofmydearestmemoriesisofthetimewhenJosephJeffersoouchhisfadsashewentthroughsomeofthegesturesandspeechesofhisbelovedRipVanWinkle。Iwasabletocatchthusameagerglimpseoftheworldofdrama，andIshallthedelightofthatmoment。But，oh，howmuchImustmiss，andhowmuchpleasureyouseeingonesderivefromwatdhearierplayofspeeentintheunfoldingofadramatiance!IfIcouldseeonlyoneplay，IshouldknowhowtopimymiionofahundredplayswhichIhavereadorhadtrahroughthemediumofthemanualalphabet。

Shtheeveningofmyseaginarydayofsight，thegreatfiguresofdramaticliteraturewouldcrowdsleepfrommyeyes。

&hirdDay

Thefoll，Ishouldagaihedawn，anxioustodisewdelights，forIamsurethat，forthosewhohaveeyeswhichreallysee，thedawnofeachdaymustbeaperpetuallyioy。

This，agtothetermsofmyimaginedmiraythirdandlastdayofsight。Ishallhaveeiss;thereistoomuchtosee。ThefirstdayIdevotedtomyfriends，animateandihesedrevealedtomethehistoryofmanaodayIshallspendintheworkadayworldofthepresent，amidthehauntsofmengoingaboutthebusinessoflife。AndwhereefindsomanyactivitiesandenasinNewYork?Sotheydestination。

IstartfrommyhomeilesuburbofForestHills，LongIsland。Here，surroundedbygreenlawns，trees，andflowers，arelehouses，happywiththevoientsofwivesand，havensofpeacefulrestformenwhotoiliy。IdriveacrossthelacystructureofsteelwhistheEastRiver，aaartlingvisionofthepenuityofthemindofman。Busyboastsdscurryabouttheriverracyspeedboat，sts。IfIhadlongdaysofsightahead，Ishouldspendmagthedelightfulactivityupontheriver。

Ilookahead，andbeforemerisethefantastictowersofNewYork，acitythatseemstohavesteppedfromthepagesofafairystory。iringsight，theseglitterihesevastbanksofstouressuchasthegodsmightbuildforthemselves!Thisaureisapartofthelivesofmillionsofpeopleeveryday。Howmany，Iwiveitsomuchasasece?Veryfew，Ifear。Theireyesareblindtothismagbecauseitissofamiliartothem。

Ihurrytothetopofohosegiganticstructures，theEmpireStateBuilding，forthere，asho，I"saw"thecitybelhtheeyesofmysecretary。Iamanxioustoyfancywithreality。IamsureIshouldnotbedisappoihepanoramaspreadoutbeforeme，fortomeitwouldbeavisionofanotherworld。

NowIbeginmyrouy。First，Istandatabusyerelylookiryingbysightofthemtouahingoftheirlive。Iseesmiles，andIamhappy。Iseeseriousdetermination，andIamproud，Iseesuffering，andIampassionate。

IstrolldownFifthAvehrowmyeyesoutoffocus，sothatIseenoparticularobjelyaseethingkaleidoscopeofthattheen'sdressesmovinginathrongmustbeageousspectacleofwhichIshouldperhapsifIhadsightIshouldbelikemostotherwomeedihedividualdressestogivemutiontothesplendorofthemass。AndIamced，too，thatIshouldbeeaewindowshopper，foritmustbeadelighttotheeyetoviewthemyriadarticlesofbeautyondisplay。

FromFifthAveourofthecity—toParkAveheslums，tofactories，toparkswhereplay。Itakeastay-at-hometripabroadbyvisitingthefnquarters。AlwaysmyeyesareopehesightsofbothhappinessahatImayprobedeepandaddtofhowpeopleworkandlive。Myheartisfulloftheimagesofpeopleandthings。Myeyepasseslightlyletrifle;itstrivestotoudholdcloselyeagitsgazerestsuposarepleasant，fillihhappisomearemiserablypathetic。TotheselatterIdonotshutmyeyes，forthey，too，arepartoflife。Toclosetheeyeooclosetheheartandmind。

MythirddayofsightisdraerhapstherearemanyseriouspursuitstowhichIshoulddevotethefewremaininghours，butIamafraidthatohatlastdayIshouldagainrunawaytothetheater，toahilariouslyfunnyplay，sothatImightappreciatetheovertonesofedyinthehumanspirit。

Atmidnightmytemporaryrespitefromblindnessermawouldeagain。NaturallyihreeshortdaysIshouldnothaveseenallIwaosee。OnlywhendarknesshadagaindeseshouldIrealizehowmuchIhadleftumymindwouldbesocrowdedwithgloriousmemoriesthatIshouldhavelittletimefrets。Thereafterthetouchofeveryobjectwlowingmemoryofhowthatobjectlooked。

&hisshortoutlineofhowIshouldspendthreedaysofsightdoesheprogramyouwouldsetforyourselfifyoukyouwereabouttobestrid。Iam，however，surethatifyouactuallyfacedthatfateyoureyeswouldopentothingsyouhadneverseeupmemnightahead。Youwoulduseyoureyesasneverbefyousawwouldbeedeartoyou。Youreyeswouldtoudembraceeveryobjectthatcamewithinyeofvisiolast，youwouldreallysee，andanewworldofbeautywouldopenitselfbeforeyou。

Iwhoamblindgiveoothosewhosee—oiontothosewhowouldmakefulluseofthegiftofsight:Useyoureyesasiftomorrowyouwouldbestrid。Ahodbeappliedtotheothersehemusicofvoices，thesongofabird，themightystrainsofara，asifyouwouldbestrideaftomorrow。Toucheachobjettotouchasiftomorrowyourtasewouldfail。Smelltheperfumeofflowers，tastewithrelisheachmorsel，asiftomorrowyoueversmellandtasteagaiofeverysense:gloryisofpleasureaywhichtheworldrevealsththeseveralmeansoftaatureprovides。Butofallthesenses，Iamsurethatsightmustbethemostdelightful。

我们都读过一些令人兴奋激动的故事，故事中的主人公只能再活一段很有限的时光。有时是一年这么长，有时却只有短短的24小时。但是在探究这个将要离世的人选择怎样度过他最后岁月的问题上，我们都充满兴趣。当然，我说的是有选择权利的自由人，而不是死刑犯。死刑犯的活动范围是受到严格限制的。

这样的故事使我们思索，想知道如果我们自己在相似的情况下，应该做什么？临死之时，什么样的事情、体验、关系应该被放入最后的时光中呢？回忆往昔，什么使我们快乐开心，什么又使我们抱憾呢？

有时，我常这样想，每天活得就像明天就死去一样，这或许是一个非常好的规则。这样的态度可以鲜明地强调生命的价值。我们应该生活得优雅从容，朝气蓬勃，观察敏锐，而这些将会日复一日、月复一月、年复一年慢慢丢失。当然，也有一些人一生只是“吃、喝、享受”，然而，大多数人在得知死亡的确切存在时，都会有所收敛。

在故事中，将死的主人公通常都在最后的时刻由于幸运的突然降临而获救，并且从此以后他的价值观就改变了。他变得更加理解生命的意义及其永恒的精神价值。经常可以看到一些人，即使生活在死亡的阴影下，仍然对他所做的每件事情充满了甜美的感情。

然而，我们中的大多数人认为生活是理所当然的。我们知道总有一天我们要面对死亡，但总认为那一天还在遥远的将来。当我们身强体健时，死亡似乎是不愿想象的，我们很少考虑它。日子多得好像没有尽头。因此，我们一味忙于琐事，却没意识到这样对待生活的态度太盲目。

我担心同样的冷漠也存在于我们对自己所有官能和意识的使用上。只有聋子感激欣赏听力，只有瞎子体会到看见事物的乐趣。这种研究特别适合那些在成年期丧失了视力与听力的人。而那些从未体会过丧失视力和听力之苦的人，很少能充分使用这些美好的官能。他们心不在焉，也不太感兴趣用眼睛和耳朵模糊地看着和听着周围的一切。正如人们不知道珍惜自己拥有的，直到失去了才明白它的价值一样。人们只有在病的时候，才意识到健康的好处。