Three Days to See
假如给我三天光明
All of us have read thrilling stories in which thehero had only a limited and specified time to live. Sometimes it was as long asa year, sometimes as short as 24 hours. But always we were interested indiscovering just how the doomed hero chose to spend his last days or his lasthours. I speak, of course, of free men who have a choice, not condemnedcriminals whose sphere of activities is strictly delimited.
Such stories set us thinking, wondering what we shoulddo under similar circumstances. What events, what experiences, whatassociations should we crowd into those last hours as mortal beings, whatregrets?
Sometimes I have thought it would be an excellent ruleto live each day as if we should die tomorrow. Such an attitude would emphasizesharply the values of life. We should live each day with gentleness, vigor anda keenness of appreciation which are often lost when time stretches before usin the constant panorama of more days and months and years to come. There arethose, of course, who would adopt the Epicurean motto of “Eat, drink, and bemerry”. But most people would be chastened by the certainty of impending death.
In stories the doomed hero is usually saved at thelast minute by some stroke of fortune, but almost always his sense of values ischanged. He becomes more appreciative of the meaning of life and its permanentspiritual 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.
Most of us, however, take life for granted. We knowthat 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 thinkof it. The days stretch out in an endless vista. So we go about our pettytasks, hardly aware of our listless attitude toward life.
The same lethargy, I am afraid, characterizes the useof all our faculties and senses. Only the deaf appreciate hearing, only theblind realize the manifold blessings that lie in sight. Particularly does thisobservation apply to those who have lost sight and hearing in adult life. Butthose who have never suffered impairment of sight or hearing seldom make thefullest use of these blessed faculties. Their eyes and ears take in all sightsand sounds hazily, without concentration and with little appreciation. It isthe same old story of not being grateful for what we have until we lose it, ofnot being conscious of health until we are ill.
I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being werestricken blind and deaf for a few days at some time during his early adultlife. Darkness would make him more appreciative of sight; silence would teachhim the joys of sound.
我们都读过震撼人心的故事，故事中的主人公只给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，注定将要离世的人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定的死囚。
这样的故事让我们思考，在类似的处境下，我们该做些什么呢？作为终有一死的人，在临终的几个小时内我们该做什么事、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？
有时我想，把每天都当作生命中的最后一天来过，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。
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，
他变的更加理解生命的意义及永恒的精神价值。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。
然而，我们中的大多数人都把生命看作是理所当然的。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
子多的好像没有尽头。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。
我担心同样的冷漠也存在于我们对自己官能和意思的运用上。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和听力的人。但是那些从未受过丧
失视力或听力之苦的人很少充分利用这些高贵的能力。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。这正如我们只有在失去才懂得珍惜一样，我们只有生病后才意识
到健康的可贵。
我经常想，如果每个人在年轻的时候都有几天失明失聪，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。