CONQUEST OF DARKNESS《征服黑暗》
By Cyril Axelrod 陳民安
True darkness is not the loss of light and sound, but the loss of courage to forget ahead.
Meet Dr. Cyril Axelrod, a deafblind warrior.
In a world of silence and shadow, he writes life’s melody with his fingertips, breaking through darkness to spread love and understanding.
More than a collection of essays, a testament of life.
Break down tangible and intangible barriers, and witness the soft yet unwavering light from deep within the soul.
真正的黑暗，從不是失去光與聲音，而是失去勇往直前的勇氣。
他，是視聽障勇士陳民安博士。
在無聲與陰影之中，以指尖譜寫生命樂章，穿越黑暗，傳遞愛與理解。
這不只是散文集，更是生命的見證。
打破有形與無形的壁壘，看見靈魂深處溫柔卻堅定的光芒。
《CONQUEST OF DARKNESS》is a collection of reflective essays written by Father Chen Man On upon his return to Macau. This book explores in depth how deaf-blind people cope with various challenges in life, and how these challenges can be transformed into positive strength and inspiration for others.
《征服黑暗》是陳民安神父重返澳門所撰寫的一系列沉思散文集。本書深入探討了聾盲人士如何應對人生中的各項挑戰，以及如何將這些挑戰轉化成積極的力量及啟發人心。
Cyril Axelrod, also known as Chan Man On, was born deaf in South Africa and received his education at a school for the deaf in Johannesburg. He later trained to become a priest and travelled widely across many countries to serve and minister to deaf communities. He has lived with blindness for twenty-four years. This experience has challenged him to keep contributing to people around the world. He is the author of five autobiographical books, sharing how he overcame deaf-blindness to achieve his goals. Before losing his sight completely, he spent twelve years in Macau. He then stayed in the United Kingdom to receive specialist training in independent living skills. Two years ago, he returned to Macau. He continues to face new challenges, while maintaining a positive outlook and sharing life insights with others.
Cyril Axelrod，中文名為陳民安。南非出生，自幼失聰，在約翰內斯堡的聾人學校接受教育。其後研讀神學，立志成為神父，並周遊多國，為各地聾人群體提供牧養服務。至今，已失明二十四年。這段歷程雖充滿重重挑戰，卻也推動他持續為社會作出貢獻。作者撰寫了五本自傳，記錄自己在聾盲的狀態下。如何一步步實現人生目標。在完全失明之前，作者曾在澳門生活二十年。其後前往英國，接受獨立生活技能的專業訓練。兩年前重返澳門，繼續迎接人生各項挑戰，秉持積極樂觀的態度，分享自身的生命感悟。
A Light in the Silent Darkness
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
Symbolism of the Title
Chapter 1 The Key and the Keyhole
Chapter 2 Change of Wind
Chapter 3 Pulling Through
Chapter 4 My Helper
Chapter 5 The Unfinished Journey
Chapter 6 Creative Deafblindness
Chapter 7 The New Disability
Chapter 8 The Root of Human Strength
Chapter 9 Rose and Thorn
Chapter 10 Two Forefingers
Closing Words
My Creation – Artistic Creativity Springs from Inner Imagery
無聲黑暗中的一道光
序言
自序
致謝
書名的象徵意義
結語
我的創作 – 藝術創造力源於內在意象
Preface
My inspiration for naming this book Conquest of Darkness allows me to express my experience of being deaf and blind. This disability would ordinarily hinder a person’s capability, yet with my own aspirations, and the use of various technologies, I face the winds of change in my life without hesitation and move toward the light, no matter how dark it is.
When I turned eighty-two, I didn’t expect to go through an enormous life transformation. But I moved from one country to another distant and different one. When I was asked if I’d consider moving from the United Kingdom to Macau, I felt confronted by a challenge I would never have expected and decided to see this new venture in my life as one that would bring me much gratification.
My book is my way of opening the world of deafblindness, and showing how someone like me manages to achieve things in life, accepting challenges, confronting difficulties and finding solutions, and reaching toward my dreams.
I owe gratitude to Rev. Larry Kaufmann C.S.R., my long-time friend and confidante, for encouraging me to write this book. He believes the general public has no understanding or knowledge of the life of someone with deafblindness. His hope was that this book would be a significant contribution to the world.
I express my heartfelt thanks to Nerissa Sut-Man Lau and Molech Pou-San Wong for getting involved and spending considerable amounts of time helping to work on and design this, in the midst of their busy work obligations at the Macau Deaf Association.
I also express my gratitude and thanks to Lilly Cheng for her great support in translating the Chinese version of this book. I hope Chinese readers benefit from the knowledge shared regarding necessary supports for those who suffer from congenital and progressive loss of sound and sight, even though the deafblind are a small group worldwide. The metaphor I’ve used for the book is that of a key opening a keyhole in the Door of Darkness, and allowing the light to shine through. I hope that this light enlightens you, as you begin to perceive the depths of my personal experience of deafblindness.
Cyril Axelrod OBE
Macau
May 2026
自序
我將本書命名為《征服黑暗》，這份命名的初心，是為了傾訴我身為聾盲者的生命體悟。身罹這般雙重殘障，在常人眼中本是桎梏前路、困束自我的絕境，而我堅守內心志業，藉由多元科技之力，直面人生裡翻湧的風雨變局，縱使周遭被漫無邊際的黑暗籠罩，亦步履堅定，奔赴光明。
年屆八十二歲之際，我從未預想，人生會迎來一場波瀾壯闊的蛻變。我告別故土，遠赴千里之外、風土迥異的異鄉。當命運將由英國遷居澳門這道抉擇交付於我，這突如其來的際遇，於我而言是始料未及的挑戰；而我決意將這場全新的人生征程，視作一場終將收穫豐盈與慰藉的遠航。落筆成書，於我而言，是推開聾盲世界的一扇窗。我願透過文字，向世人展現如我一般的特殊生命，如何直面人生、奔赴理想：接納接踵而至的挑戰，抗衡前路重重的困厄，探尋破局前行的路徑，執著追尋心中未竟的夢想。
謹向摯友兼知己Larry Kaufmann神父致以誠摯謝意，是他勉勵我提筆著述。他深知，普羅大眾對聾盲群體的真實生活知之甚少、認知淺薄，亦期盼本書能為世間帶來一份真切而珍貴的價值與迴響。由衷感謝劉雪雯女士與黃甫山先生。二位任職於澳門聾人協會，平日公務繁忙，仍抽身投入大量心力，為本書的編撰與設計傾力相助，相伴全程。
亦誠摯致謝劉麗容女士，承蒙鼎力相助，完成本書中文版的翻譯工作。縱然全球聾盲群體實屬小眾，我仍期盼，書中分享的經驗與見解，能為華文讀者帶來裨益，為先天或後天漸進性視聽功能缺失的群體，提供切實可行的幫扶與指引。我以一則隱喻賦予本書深意：如同一枚鑰匙，叩開幽暗之門的鎖孔，讓光明穿透層層陰霾，傾瀉而入。願這束微光，能照亮你的認知，讓你真切窺見，我身處聾盲境遇之下，那段深沉而真實的人生歷程。
陳民安
2026年5月
澳門
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