译林版牛津高中英语(必修3):Unit 2 Language-Project(4)（在线收听）

The story of Braille

布莱尔的故事

Usually, when we talk about reading, we think of using our eyes to see letters written in ink on paper.

通常，我们说到阅读，想到的是用眼睛去看用墨水写在纸上的字母。

However, this is not always true. For example, blind people cannot see, but they can still read books.

然而，这并不总是正确。例如，盲人看不见，但是他们却仍能看书。

The man who introduced blind people to reading was Louis Braille (1809-1852).

让盲人能看书的人，正是路易斯·布莱尔（1809-1852）。

Braille lost his eyesight at the age of three as a result of an injury.

布莱尔三岁的时候，由于眼睛受伤而失去了视力。

When he was ten, he went to a school for the blind in Paris.

当他十岁的时候，他去了巴黎一家专门为盲人开办的一所学校。

In those days, books for blind people used paper pressed against metal wire to form letters.

那些日子，盲人所看的书，其突起字母都是由铜丝在纸上压出来的。

Since the metal wire was heavy, each book weighed as much as 100 pounds.

由于铜丝很重，每本书的重量都多达100磅。

The whole system was not convenient for use. Indeed, the school library only had fourteen such books in it.

整套系统用起来非常不方便。实际上，学校图书馆也只有十四本这样的书。