How Deafness Makes It Easier to Hear
Most people think of Beethoven's hearing loss as an obstacle tocomposing music. However, he producedhis most powerful works in the last decade of his life when he was completelydeaf.
This is one of the most glorious cases of the triumph of will overadversity, but his
biographer, Maynard Solomon, takes adifferent view. 1 . In his deaf world Beethoven
could experiment, free from the sounds ofthe outside world, free to create new forms and
harmonies. Hearing loss does not seem to affect the musical ability of musicianswho become deaf. They
continue to"hear" music with asmuch, or greater, accuracy than if they were actually hearing it
being played. 2 . He described a fascinating phenomenonthat happened within three months:" my former musical experiences began toplay back to me. I couldn't differentiate between what I heard and realhearing. 2 After many years, it is still rewarding to listen to theseplaybacks, to ' hear' music which is new to me and to find many quietaccompaniments for all of my moods. "
How is it that the world we see, touch, hear, and smell is both"out there" and at the same time within us? There is no betterexample of this connection between external stimulus and internal perceptionthan the cochlear implant. 3 . However, it might be possible to use thebrain's remarkable power to make sense of the electrical signals the implantproduces.
When Michael Edgar first" switched on" his cochlear implant,the sound's he heard were not at all clear. Gradually, with much hard work, hebegan to identify everyday sounds. For example," The insistent ringing ofthe telephone became clear almost at once. "
The primary purpose of the implant is to allow communication withothers. When people spoke to Eagar, he heard their voices "coming throughlike a long-distance telephone call on a poor connection. " But when itcame to his beloved music, the implant was of no help. 4 . He said," I play the piano as Iused to and hear it in my head at the same time. The movement of my fingers andthe feel of the keys give added ' clarity' to hearing in my head. ''
Cochlear implants allow the deaf to hear again in a way that is notperfect, but which can
change their lives. 5 . Even the most amazing cochlear implantswould have been useless to Beethoven ashe composed his Ninth Symphony at the end of his life.
注释：
1.the triumphof will over adversity：the successful overcoming of difficulty through determination用意志力成功战胜不幸
2.I couldn’tdifferentiate between what I heard and real hearin9.我不能分辨我听到的和真实的声音有什么不同。
3.cochlearimplant：a device，surgically placed in the ear，that changes soundsinto electric signals人工耳蜗;耳蜗植入
4.But when itcame to his beloved music，the implant was of no help.但是，如果碰到钟爱的音乐，人工耳蜗没有任何帮助。(我不用人工耳蜗就能听出来)
5.The movementof my fingers and the feel of the keys give added“clarity”to hearingin my
head.由于我手指在钢琴上的飞动，我能感觉到琴键，因而使我听到的东西在脑海里更加清晰。
练习:
A Noman-made device could replace the ability to hear.
B When he war, ted to appreciate music, Eagar played the piano.
C Still, as Michael Eagar discovered, when it comes to musical harmonies,heating is irrelevant.
D Michael Eagar, who died in 2003, became deaf at the age of 21.
E Beethoven produced his most wonderful works after he became deaf.
F Solomon argues that Beethoven's deafness "heightened" hisachievement as a composer.
