One day, while I was playing with my new doll, Miss Sullivan put my big rag doll into my lap also, spelled “d-o-l-l” and tried to make me understand that “d-o-l-l” applied to both. Earlier in the day we had had a tussle over the words “m-u-g” and “w-a-t-e-r.” Miss Sullivan had tried to impress it upon me that “m-u-g” is mug and that “w-a-t-e-r” is water, but I persisted in confounding the two. In despair she had dropped the subject for the time, only to renew it at the first opportunity. I became impatient at her repeated attempts and, seizing the new doll, I dashed it upon the floor. I was keenly delighted when I felt the fragments of the broken doll at my feet. Neither sorrow nor regret followed my passionate outburst. I had not loved the doll. In the still, dark world in which I lived there was no strong sentiment or tenderness. I felt my teacher sweep the fragments to one side of the hearth, and I had a sense of satisfaction that the cause of my discomfort was removed. She brought me my hat, and I knew I was going out into the warm sunshine. This thought, if a wordless sensation may be called a thought, made me hop and skip with pleasure.
We walked down the path to the well-house, attracted by the fragrance of the honeysuckle with which it was covered. Some one was drawing water and my teacher placed my hand under the spout. As the cool stream gushed over one hand she spelled into the other the word water, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten — a thrill of returning thought: and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me. I knew then that “w-a-t-e-r” meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free! There were barriers still, it is true, but barriers that could in time be swept away.
我有生以来最重要的一天，就是安妮·曼斯菲尔德·莎莉文老师来到我身边的那天。那是1887年3月3日，还差三个月我就七岁了。从这一天起，我将开始全新的生活，一想到这儿，我的心中满是惊奇。
那个重要日子的午后，我站在走廊上，一声不吭，满怀期待。从母亲的手势和其他人忙来忙去的样子，我隐约感到要有不同寻常的事情发生。于是，我来到门口，站在台阶上默默地期待着。午后的阳光穿透覆盖在门廊上的一大片金银花，洒在我微微仰起的脸上。我的手指不¾意间触到那熟知的花叶上——南方的花朵绽放着来迎接可爱的春天。我不清楚自己的未来会有什么惊喜和奇迹，愤怒和苦痛折磨了我已有一段时间，这种经历过后，我感到心力交瘁。
朋友，你是否曾在茫茫大雾的情况下，还在海上航行？如同一层可以触摸到的白色黑暗将你包围，大船凭借着测深锤和探深绳，紧张忧虑地在大海中探索着上岸的道路。你的心怦怦直跳，期待这将要发生的一切？在我没有接受教育之前，我就如同这样的航船，只不过我既没有指南针，也没有探深绳，无法知道距离岸边还有多远。“光明！光明！快给我光明！”我在心灵深处无声地呼喊。刚好在此时，爱的光明照耀到我的身上。
我听到有脚步向我走来。本以为是母亲，我便马上伸出双手。有个人握住了我的手，把我紧紧地拥在怀里。她就是让我领悟世界万物的人，更重要的是她给予了我爱。
第二天早晨，莎莉文老师把我领到她的房间，然后送给我一个洋娃娃。洋娃娃是珀金斯盲童学校的小学生送的，衣服是劳拉·布里奇曼亲手制作的。不过，这些都是我后来得知的。我和洋娃娃玩了一会儿后，莎莉文小姐抓住我的手，一笔一画地慢慢地在我的手掌上写下了“doll” 这个词。我立刻对这个手指游戏产生了兴趣，跟着去模仿她的动作。当我最后成功地拼对这个词时，我露出孩子般的自豪和喜悦，兴奋得满脸通红。我立刻跑下楼找到母亲，伸出自己的手拼写“doll” 这个词让她看。我当时并不知道自己在拼写单词，甚至不知道世界上还有文字，我仅仅是用手指模仿莎莉文老师的动作。从那以后，我在懵懵懂懂中，学会拼写好些单词，像“针”、“帽 子”、“杯子”什么的，还有像“坐”、“站”、“行” 这样的动词。老师来到我身边几个星期后，我才知道原来世间万物都有名称。
