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第9部分（第4页）

hear　with　their　ears；　to　think　their　thoughts；　to　follow　their　ideals。

If　the　dark；　silent　world　which　surrounds　him　were　essentially　different

from　the　sunlit；　resonant　world；　it　would　be　inprehensible　to　his

kind；　and　could　never　be　discussed。　If　his　feelings　and　sensations　were

fundamentally　different　from　those　of　others；　they　would　be

inconceivable　except　to　those　who　had　similar　sensations　and　feelings。

If　the　mental　consciousness　of　the　deaf…blind　person　were　absolutely

dissimilar　to　that　of　his　fellows；　he　would　have　no　means　of　imagining

what　they　think。　Since　the　mind　of　the　sightless　is　essentially　the　same

as　that　of　the　seeing　in　that　it　admits　of　no　lack；　it　must　supply　some

sort　of　equivalent　for　missing　physical　sensations。　It　must　perceive　a

likeness　between　things　outward　and　things　inward；　a　correspondence

between　the　seen　and　the　unseen。　I　make　use　of　such　a　correspondence　in

many　relations；　and　no　matter　how　far　I　pursue　it　to　things　I　cannot

see；　it　does　not　break　under　the　test。

As　a　working　hypothesis；　correspondence　is　adequate　to　all　life；　through

the　whole　range　of　phenomena。　The　flash　of　thought　and　its　swiftness

explain　the　lightning　flash　and　the　sweep　of　a　et　through　the

heavens。　My　mental　sky　opens　to　me　the　vast　celestial　spaces；　and　I

proceed　to　fill　them　with　the　images　of　my　spiritual　stars。　I　recognize

truth　by　the　clearness　and　guidance　that　it　gives　my　thought；　and；

knowing　what　that　clearness　is；　I　can　imagine　what　light　is　to　the　eye。

It　is　not　a　convention　of　language；　but　a　forcible　feeling　of　the

reality；　that　at　times　makes　me　start　when　I　say；　〃Oh；　I　see　my

mistake！〃　or　〃How　dark；　cheerless　is　his　life！〃　I　know　these　are

metaphors。　Still；　I　must　prove　with　them；　since　there　is　nothing　in　our

language　to　replace　them。　Deaf…blind　metaphors　to　correspond　do　not

exist　and　are　not　necessary。　Because　I　can　understand　the　word　〃reflect〃

figuratively；　a　mirror　has　never　perplexed　me。　The　manner　in　which　my

imagination　perceives　absent　things　enables　me　to　see　how　glasses　can

magnify　things；　bring　them　nearer；　or　remove　them　farther。

Deny　me　this　correspondence；　this　internal　sense；　confine　me　to　the

fragmentary；　incoherent　touch…world；　and　lo；　I　bee　as　a　bat　which

wanders　about　on　the　wing。　Suppose　I　omitted　all　words　of　seeing；