9 Chapter 8 Cambridge Years

Chapter 8 Cambridge Years In the early 1900s, few women went to college. And no deaf-blind woman had ever completed college. But Helen was determined to be the first. And she knew just where she wanted to go: Radcliffe. It was the sister school of Harvard University, just outside Boston. Radcliffe was considered the top women's college in the United States. It would be an amazing accomplishment for Helen to become a student there. Helen learned of a way that she could gain admittance to Radcliffe. There was a school, the Cambridge School for Young Ladies, that prepared young women for Radcliffe. Annie went to see Arthur Gilman, the head of the Cambridge School. She pleaded with him to take Helen as a student. Surprised by the request, he said that he would think it over. Helen and

在20世纪初，很少有女性上大学。 没有一个聋盲女性完成了大学学业。 但海伦决心做第一个。 她知道自己想去哪里:拉德克利夫。 它是哈佛大学的姐妹学校，就在波士顿郊外。 拉德克利夫被认为是美国最好的女子学院。 如果海伦能成为那里的学生，那将是一项了不起的成就。 海伦知道了一个可以进入拉德克利夫学院的方法。 有一所学校，剑桥女子学校，专门为年轻女性准备拉德克利夫学院。 安妮去见剑桥学院院长亚瑟·吉尔曼。 她恳求他收海伦为学生。 他对这个要求感到惊讶，说他要考虑一下。 海伦和

Annie had no choice but to wait. His answer would determine Helen's future. It was during this time that Helen's father died. Helen wanted to rush home for the Captain's funeral, but her mother wouldn't permit it. It was summer when many contagious diseases thrived in the South. Helen's mother did not want to risk Helen's health. So Helen had to stay in Massachusetts and grieve for the Captain. Then, at last, Gilman gave his answer. Helen was accepted! For the first time, Helen felt afraid of going to school. What if she did not do as well as the other girls? What if she failed? At first Helen seemed like any other student at the school. She and Annie lived in Howells House, one of the dorms. Helen made friends. Some of the girls learned the manual alphabet so they could talk to Helen. She joined them in games and took long walks with them. Helen studied English, history, Latin, and German. But few of the textbooks were in Braille. Annie had to read each one to her. Annie also had to look up words Helen did not know, even if the words were in German or French.

安妮别无选择，只能等待。 他的回答将决定海伦的未来。 就在这段时间，海伦的父亲去世了。 海伦想赶回家参加船长的葬礼，但她母亲不允许。 那是夏天，许多传染病在南方肆虐。 海伦的母亲不想拿海伦的健康冒险。 所以海伦不得不留在马萨诸塞州为船长哀悼。 最后，吉尔曼给出了他的答案。 海伦被录取了!海伦第一次感到害怕去上学。 如果她没有其他女孩做得好怎么办? 如果她失败了怎么办?起初，海伦看起来和学校里的其他学生没什么两样。 她和安妮住在豪威尔斯宿舍里。 海伦交了朋友。有些女孩学会了手语字母，这样她们就可以和海伦说话了。 她和他们一起做游戏，一起长时间散步。 海伦学习了英语、历史、拉丁语和德语。 但是很少有课本是盲文的。 安妮必须读给她听。 安妮还必须查找海伦不认识的单词，即使这些单词是德语或法语。

Helen worked very hard. She studied day and night. Helen wanted to finish school in three years. Was she working too hard? Most students spent five years at Mr. Gilman's school. Stubborn as always, Helen refused to back down.

海伦工作很努力。她日夜学习。 海伦想在三年内完成学业。 她工作太努力了吗?大多数学生在吉尔曼的学校待了五年。 海伦一如既往地固执，不肯让步。

The constant studying took its toll. Helen became ill. Her sister, Mildred, now also attended the school. Mildred noticed that Helen seemed weak and was always tired. Mrs. Keller became alarmed. Was Annie pushing her daughter too hard? Mrs. Keller met with friends of Helen's. Should she take Helen away from Annie? Mr. Gilman thought so. Helen and Annie had been together for almost ten years. Wherever Helen went, Annie did, too. Perhaps it was time for Helen to make a break with Teacher. Helen did not want Teacher to leave. Helen felt she would be lost without Teacher. Mrs. Keller wavered. She was not sure. In the end, Mrs. Keller sided with Annie. Helen would

不断的学习使他付出了代价。 海伦病了。她的妹妹米尔德丽德现在也在这所学校上学。 米尔德丽德注意到海伦显得很虚弱，总是很疲倦。 凯勒太太惊慌起来。 安妮是不是把女儿逼得太紧了? 凯勒太太见了海伦的朋友。 她应该把海伦从安妮身边带走吗? 吉尔曼先生是这么认为的。海伦和安妮在一起快十年了。 海伦走到哪里，安妮就跟到哪里。 也许海伦是时候和老师决裂了。 海伦不想让老师离开。 海伦觉得没有老师她会不知所措。 凯勒太太犹豫了。她不敢肯定。 最后，凯勒太太站在了安妮一边。 海伦将

remain with Annie. Helen withdrew from Mr. Gilman's school. She and Annie went to live in Wrentham, Massachusetts. There Helen worked with a private tutor. Nothing would stop Helen from entering Radcliffe. In June 1899, Helen took the tests for Radcliffe. She was already nineteen years old. Many freshmen at Radcliffe were only eighteen. Helen was afraid that she had failed. But she passed with good marks.

留在安妮身边。海伦从吉尔曼先生的学校退学了。 她和安妮去了马萨诸塞州的伦瑟姆。 在那里，海伦和一位私人教师一起学习。 没有什么能阻止海伦进入拉德克利夫学院。 1899年6月，海伦参加了拉德克利夫的考试。 她已经十九岁了。 拉德克利夫学院的许多新生只有18岁。 海伦担心她失败了。 但她以优异的成绩通过了考试。

Finally on July 4, 1899, the acceptance letter came. The fireworks for the holidays seemed to be just for Helen. But the dean of Radcliffe suggested that Helen wait a year before entering. To Helen that seemed like forever. In September 1900, Helen entered Radcliffe as a freshman. "In the wonderland of Mind," Helen said, "I should be as free as another." Helen's dream had come true.

终于在1899年7月4日，录取通知书来了。 假期的烟火似乎只是给海伦准备的。 但拉德克利夫学院院长建议海伦等一年再入学。 对海伦来说，这似乎是永远。 1900年9月，海伦进入拉德克利夫学院，成为一名新生。 “在心灵的仙境里，”海伦说，“我应该和别人一样自由。” 海伦的梦想实现了。