◇ビジネス英語クラブ◇コミュのヘレンケラーさんのエッセイから、原題　Three Days to See： [If I Had Three Days to See]

音読題材　2/17
ヘレンケラーさんのエッセイから、原題　Three Days to See：
[If I Had Three Days to See]

大学生のころ、京都産業大学の先生でいらしゃいました
梅田巌先生のクラスで、音声学を取っておりました。
その時の音声学のテキストで、このヘレンケラーさんの著名な
エッセイが使われておりました。

Three Days to See というエッセイの一部分ですね
これは名文でありまして、リズムが良くて
全部覚えてしまうくらい音読したら良いですね

読題材②　ヘレンケラーさんのエッセイから、If I had three days to see

「If I Had Three Days to See」

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.

Now and then I have tested my seeing friends to discover what they see.
Recently I was visited by a very good friend, who had just returned from
a long walk in the woods, and I asked her what she had observed.

“Nothing in particular,” she replied.
I might have been incredulous, had I not been accustomed to such responses,
for long ago I became convinced that the seeing see little.

How was it possible, I asked myself, to walk for an hour
through the woods and see nothing worthy of note?
I, who cannot see, find hundreds of things to interest me through mere touch.

I feel the delicate symmetry of a leaf.
I pass my hands lovingly about the smooth skin of a silver birch,
or the rough, shaggy bark of a pine.

In spring I touch the branches of trees hopefully in search of a bud,
the first sign of awakening Nature after the winter’s sleep.

I feel the delightful velvety texture of a flower,
and discover its remarkable convolutions;
and something of the nature is revealed to me.

Occasionally, if I am very fortunate,
I place my hand gently on a small tree
and feel the happy quiver of a bird in full song.

I am delighted to have the cool waters of a brook rush through my open fingers.
To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome
than the most luxurious Persian rug.

To me the pageant of season is a thrilling and unending drama,
the action of which streams through my finger tips.

At time my heart cries out with longing to see all these things.
If I can get so much pleasure from mere touch,
how much more beauty must be revealed by sight.

Yet, those who have eyes apparently see little.
The panorama of color and action which fills the world is taken for granted.

It is human, perhaps, to appreciate little that which we have
and to long for that which we have not, but it is a great pity that,
in the world of light, the gift of sight is used only as mere convenience
rather than as a means of adding fullness to life.

If I were the president of a university,
I should establish a compulsory course in how to use your eyes.

The professor would try to show his pupils how they could add joy to their lives
by really seeing what passes unnoticed before them.
He would try to awake their dormant and sluggish faculties.

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～

音読は、英語を使うための訓練です
日々おこなって下さい。何度も何度も。

京都産業大学の梅田先生は、
私の英語の恩師です、

ものすごい英語の達人でした。

私の大学に常勤講師でもいらっしゃいましたが
うちの大学の教授（英米文学の先生がた）よりも
当然、はるかに上を行く英語の達人で
この先生に付いていこうと思いましたですね
梅田先生と出会ったからこそ
英語通訳者の道を選んだのです！