博炮作文网

第7部分（第2页）

colourless；　detached　substance；　it　recovers　its　elasticity　as　soon　as　I

resort　to　the　powers　of　another　mind　which　mands　light；　harmony；

colour。　Now；　if　the　five　senses　will　not　remain　disassociated；　the　life

of　the　deaf…blind　cannot　be　severed　from　the　life　of　the　seeing；　hearing

race。

The　deaf…blind　person　may　be　plunged　and　replunged　like　Schillers

diver　into　seas　of　the　unknown。　But；　unlike　the　doomed　hero；　he　returns

triumphant；　grasping　the　priceless　truth　that　his　mind　is　not　crippled；

not　limited　to　the　infirmity　of　his　senses。　The　world　of　the　eye　and　the

ear　bees　to　him　a　subject　of　fateful　interest。　He　seizes　every　word

of　sight　and　hearing　because　his　sensations　pel　it。　Light　and　colour；

of　which　he　has　no　tactual　evidence；　he　studies　fearlessly；　believing

that　all　humanly　knowable　truth　is　open　to　him。　He　is　in　a　position

similar　to　that　of　the　astronomer　who；　firm；　patient；　watches　a　star

night　after　night　for　many　years　and　feels　rewarded　if　he　discovers　a

single　fact　about　it。　The　man　deaf…blind　to　ordinary　outward　things；　and

the　man　deaf…blind　to　the　immeasurable　universe；　are　both　limited　by

time　and　space；　but　they　have　made　a　pact　to　wring　service　from　their

limitations。

The　bulk　of　the　worlds　knowledge　is　an　imaginary　construction。　History

is　but　a　mode　of　imagining；　of　making　us　see　civilizations　that　no

longer　appear　upon　the　earth。　Some　of　the　most　significant　discoveries

in　modern　science　owe　their　origin　to　the　imagination　of　men　who　had

neither　accurate　knowledge　nor　exact　instruments　to　demonstrate　their

beliefs。　If　astronomy　had　not　kept　always　in　advance　of　the　telescope；

no　one　would　ever　have　thought　a　telescope　worth　making。　What　great

invention　has　not　existed　in　the　inventors　mind　long　before　he　gave　it

tangible　shape？

A　more　splendid　example　of　imaginative　knowledge　is　the　unity　with　which

philosophers　start　their　study　of　the　world。　They　can　never　perceive　the

world　in　its　entire　reality。　Yet　their　imagination；　with　its　magnificent

allowance　for　error；　its　power　of　treating　uncertainty　as　negligible；

has　pointed　the　way　for　empirical　knowledge。

In　their　highest　creative　moments　the　great　poet；　the　great　musician

cease　to　use　the　crude　instruments　of　sight　and　hearing。　They　break　away