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早熟的自閉症天才藝術家 Infinite Artistic Potential in an Adorable Girl
進入本文前，請先想想，以下三個字，怎麼說成英文：
a) 自閉症
b) 沈浸
c) 以....為主題
Studies show that approximately one in every eighty-six children is diagnosed with a) autism, a condition that renders1 the affected patients to become nonreactive to the outside world, and unable to utilize language to communicate with others. Parents are often at a loss2 as how to raise autistic children, but with advanced research and new fields of studies, it has become apparent that, language is not the only key that unlocks the world inside a child.
研究發現每86個孩子中有一個被診斷出有自閉症。自閉症患者對外在的世界無反應，並無法用語言溝通。家有自閉症兒童父母經常有失落感。但最新的研究發現語言不是打開一個孩子的內在世界的唯一鑰匙。
CNN has shared the lovely story of Iris Grace Halmshaw, an autistic five-year old who has b) immersed herself in the meticulously thoughtful, and silently beautiful world of art. When she paints, she is able to concentrate for up to two hours. She has created mesmerizing impressionist paintings that are attracting attention and admiration on a global scale. Her works c) revolve around the themes of nature and showexceptional maturity, and she has been recognized as a youngsavant.
CNN分享一則感人故事。一個自閉症5歲小女孩艾莉絲沈浸在細膩與沈靜優美的藝術世界裡，她可以兩小時專注於畫畫，她的作品是印象派風格，以大自然為主題，牽動人心。而她早熟的天份，也讓全世界關注，認為她是天才兒童 。
Iris’s creative journey began when her parents found out language is the sturdy barrier that prevents her from stepping out of her shell, and decided she should try art therapy to utilize art as the medium for her to discover her creativity and expression, and the choice has opened up the adorable girl’s interior world. Her expressions have transformed into beautiful colors of artistic forms. When she is painting, even her red-vested loyal feline companion appears to be intrigued with what she is able to do on the plain canvas.
當艾莉絲的父母發現她自閉時，選擇了藝術治療，希望以藝術啟發她創造力與表達力，艾莉絲的創意旅程也因此展開。藝術打開可愛的女孩的內心世界，把它們轉化為美麗的的色彩。她畫畫時，穿著紅背心忠實的貓咪專注地看，想看她平凡的畫布上能有什麼美好。
Looking at the lively colors of Iris’s paintings, it’s obvious that the canvas has become the perfect medium for her, and even without language, she is relating to the exterior world, and causing inspiring impressions that reminds the world of the infinite potential inside each of us.
看著艾莉絲的作品那生動色彩，你深深感受到，畫布是她和世界溝通最好的媒介。就算不說話，她還是和世界還是血脈相連，那動人的筆觸與印象，提醒著每一個人，我們的內在藏著無限潛力。
口語字彙
- render
這個字易懂難用，因為很難找到一個完全對應到的中文，而且可以替代的字也很多。render最原始的意思是「回饋」、「補償」，或者口語一點，就是「給出」、「致使」、「讓」。多讀幾個例句就會熟悉用法：
- The Board had been slow to render its verdict. 董事會遲遲未能作出決定。
- Now you have a chance to render some service to your country. 現在你有一個幫國家服務的機會。
- These tests were so seriously flawed as to render the results meaningless. 這些測試存在嚴重錯誤，致使結果變得毫無意義。
- at a loss 失落感；不知如何
想到失落感，我們最直接的聯想是”sense of loss”，可以把“loss” 想像為一個寂寞的地點，當自身處於孤立的立場時，可用 ”at a loss”
- The work holiday program helps the participants with their language barriers, so they won’t feel at a loss in the unfamiliar environment. 打工渡假的活動服務幫助參與者克服語言障礙，讓他們在陌生的環境中不感到孤獨。
- The parents felt at a loss when the youngest child left home for college. 當最小的孩子離家去上大學時父母感到失落感。
參考資料：
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/09/world/the-extraordinary-art-of-autistic-five-year-old-monet/
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/09/world/the-extraordinary-art-of-autistic-five-year-old-monet/