Seeing In The Mind

曲永华

Daniel Kish在14個月的时候失明，但是他通过舌头发出咔嗒声来辨别方向，并且能骑自行车。他的故事告诉我们，无论面对什么困难，都要积极面对，永不放弃。只要不放弃，一切皆可能。

In the life everybody faces challenges， but some are more important than others.Daniel Kish had serious problems with his eyes when he was born. And doctors took away both of  his eyes before he was months old.

Soon after， however， he started to do an amazing thing. He started to make clicking （咔嗒） sound with his tongue to help him move around. Much like a bat， he now move about using sonar （声呐）. He is so good at it that he can ride a bicycle in traffic. He and his group， World Access for the Blind， teach others how to use sonar. In this interview with National Geogrphic Kish explains how the process （处理）works.

How does sonar work？

“When I make a clicking sound， it makes sound waves. These waves reflect （反射） off surfaces all around and return to my ears. My brain then processes the sounds into images （图像）. It’s like having a conversation with the environment. ”

When you click， what do you see in your mind？

“Each click is like a camera flash. I make a 3D image of the things around me for hundreds of feet in every direction.”

What is it like riding a bike using sonar？

“It’s exciting and enjoyable but requires a lot of focus （焦点）. I click up to two times per second， much more than I usually do.”

Is it dangerous to move around the world in this way？

“Much of the world lives in fear of things that we mostly imagine. I have a habit of climbing anything and everything， but I never broke a bone as a child.”

How challenging is it to teach people to use sonar？

“Many students are surprised how quickly results come. Seeing isn’t in the eyes，it’s in the mind.”