She fought for women"s right, crusaded for the causes of workers, promoted equality for minorities, and championed the underprivileged and the oppressed. She also earned several prestigious awards from countries as diverse as Japan, Brazil, and Lebanon. An impressive list of achievements for any human, all this was accomplished by a woman who was blind and deaf.
Helen Keller was born a healthy child in 1880 in Alabama. Stricken by illness at the tender age of nineteen months, Helen lost her ability to see, hear, and speak. Growing up unable to comprehend the world around her, Helen became wild and unruly, until her parents found help.
They contacted Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, the famous inventor and teacher of the deaf, who introduced them to an institute for the blind in Boston, Massachusetts. A student there, Annie Sullivan, was asked to help. Annie would later become known as the "Miracle Worker."
Annie Sullivan taught Helen how to connect objects with letters by spelling words into Helen"s hands. Helen"s breakthrough came when Annie held her hand under a water pump while spelling "water" into her other hand repeatedly. Helen suddenly understood, and from then on progressed by leaps and bounds.
Having mastered both the manual and Braille alphabets, Helen became proficient in reading and writing, and began learning how to speak in 1890. Helen entered Radcliffe College and, assisted by Annie Sullivan, graduated cum laude in 1904. She was the first blind-deaf person ever to graduate from college.
Helen Keller spent the rest of her life as a writer, lecturer, and advocate for the deaf and blind and other disadvantaged groups. She traveled to numerous countries on behalf of the disabled, and founded the Helen Keller Endowment Fund for the American Foundation for the Blind in 1930. She died on June 1, 1968, an outstanding example of the unconquerable human spirit.
She fought for women"s right, crusaded for the causes of workers, promoted equality for minorities, and championed the underprivileged and the oppressed. She also earned several prestigious awards from countries as diverse as Japan, Brazil, and Lebanon. An impressive list of achievements for any human, all this was accomplished by a woman who was blind and deaf.
她為女權而戰、投身工人事業、促進弱勢團體平等權利、支援受苦和受壓迫的人。她還榮獲日本、巴西、黎巴嫩等國頒發的幾項榮譽大獎。對任何人來說，這都是讓人印象深刻的成就，然而這是由一位雙眼失明雙耳失聰的女人取得的。
Helen Keller was born a healthy child in 1880 in Alabama. Stricken by illness at the tender age of nineteen months, Helen lost her ability to see, hear, and speak. Growing up unable to comprehend the world around her, Helen became wild and unruly, until her parents found help.
1880年，海倫·凱勒在美國的阿拉巴馬州出生時是個健康的孩子。可在她19個月大時，她得了一場大病，海倫從此失去了視覺、聽覺和說話的能力。在成長的過程中，她無法瞭解周圍的一切，變得狂躁而難以管教，最後她的父母只好求助於他人。
They contacted Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, the famous inventor and teacher of the deaf, who introduced them to an institute for the blind in Boston, Massachusetts. A student there, Annie Sullivan, was asked to help. Annie would later become known as the "Miracle Worker."
他們和著名的發明家、聾啞教師亞力山大·貝爾博士取得聯絡之後，被介紹到一家位於馬薩諸塞州波士頓的盲人機構。該機構的學生安妮·蘇利文應邀提供幫助。她就是後來那位著名的“奇蹟創造者”。
Annie Sullivan taught Helen how to connect objects with letters by spelling words into Helen"s hands. Helen"s breakthrough came when Annie held her hand under a water pump while spelling "water" into her other hand repeatedly. Helen suddenly understood, and from then on progressed by leaps and bounds.
蘇利文在海倫手上拼字，藉此教她如何將物體和字母聯絡在一起。有一次安妮把海倫的手放在水泵出水口下，並且在她的另一支手上重複拼寫water的時候，海倫突然明白了，她的學習有了重大突破。從此她進步神速。
Having mastered both the manual and Braille alphabets, Helen became proficient in reading and writing, and began learning how to speak in 1890. Helen entered Radcliffe College and, assisted by Annie Sullivan, graduated cum laude in 1904. She was the first blind-deaf person ever to graduate from college.
海倫在學會了手指拼字法和布萊耶盲人點字法後，她的閱讀和書寫能力變得熟練起來;1890年，她開始學習說話。後來海倫在蘇利文的幫助下，進入拉德克利夫(Radchffe)學院就讀，1904年以優異的成績畢業，她成為第一位大學畢業的盲啞人。
Helen Keller spent the rest of her life as a writer, lecturer, and advocate for the deaf and blind and other disadvantaged groups. She traveled to numerous countries on behalf of the disabled, and founded the Helen Keller Endowment Fund for the American Foundation for the Blind in 1930. She died on June 1, 1968, an outstanding example of the unconquerable human spirit.
海倫·凱勒的餘生都致力於寫作和演講，聲援盲人、聾人和其他，弱勢群體。她代表殘疾人，足跡踏遍海外各國，並且在1930年為美國盲人基金會建立了海倫·凱勒捐贈基金。海倫·凱勒於1968年6月1日與世長辭，她可以說是人類不屈不撓精神的最佳典範