雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第103章

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　　The　same　ceremony　when　one　taps　at　the　other's　door。
　　Hardly　has　she　touched　the　door　when　a　soft　voice　on　the　other　side　is　heard　to　say　hastily；　〃Forever！〃
　　Like　all　practices；　this　bees　mechanical　by　force　of　habit；　and　one　sometimes　says　forever　before　the　other　has　had　time　to　say　the　rather　long　sentence；　〃Praised　and　adored　be　the　most　Holy　Sacrament　of　the　altar。〃
　　Among　the　Visitandines　the　one　who　enters　says：
　　〃Ave　Maria；〃　and　the　one　whose　cell　is　entered　says；　〃Gratia　plena。〃
　　It　is　their　way　of　saying　good　day；　which　is　in　fact　full　of　grace。
　　At　each　hour　of　the　day　three　supplementary　strokes　sound　from　the　church　bell　of　the　convent。
　　At　this　signal　prioress；　vocal　mothers；　professed　nuns；　lay…sisters；　novices；　postulants；　interrupt　what　they　are　saying；　what　they　are　doing；　or　what　they　are　thinking；　and　all　say　in　unison　if　it　is　five　o'clock；　for　instance；　〃At　five　o'clock　and　at　all　hours　praised　and　adored　be　the　most　Holy　Sacrament　of　the　altar！〃
　　If　it　is　eight　o'clock；　〃At　eight　o'clock　and　at　all　hours！〃　and　so　on；　according　to　the　hour。
　　This　custom；　the　object　of　which　is　to　break　the　thread　of　thought　and　to　lead　it　back　constantly　to　God；　exists　in　many　munities；　the　formula　alone　varies。
　　Thus　at　The　Infant　Jesus　they　say；　〃At　this　hour　and　at　every　hour　may　the　love　of　Jesus　kindle　my　heart！〃　The　Bernardines…Benedictines　of　Martin　Verga；　cloistered　fifty　years　ago　at　Petit…Picpus；　chant　the　offices　to　a　solemn　psalmody；　a　pure　Gregorian　chant；　and　always　with　full　voice　during　the　whole　course　of　the　office。
　　Everywhere　in　the　missal　where　an　asterisk　occurs　they　pause；　and　say　in　a　low　voice；　〃Jesus…Marie…Joseph。〃　For　the　office　of　the　dead　they　adopt　a　tone　so　low　that　the　voices　of　women　can　hardly　descend　to　such　a　depth。
　　The　effect　produced　is　striking　and　tragic。
　　The　nuns　of　the　Petit…Picpus　had　made　a　vault　under　their　grand　altar　for　the　burial　of　their　munity。
　　The　Government；　as　they　say；　does　not　permit　this　vault　to　receive　coffins　so　they　leave　the　convent　when　they　die。
　　This　is　an　affliction　to　them；　and　causes　them　consternation　as　an　infraction　of　the　rules。
　　They　had　obtained　a　mediocre　consolation　at　best；permission　to　be　interred　at　a　special　hour　and　in　a　special　corner　in　the　ancient　Vaugirard　cemetery；　which　was　made　of　land　which　had　formerly　belonged　to　their　munity。
　　On　Fridays　the　nuns　hear　high　mass；　vespers；　and　all　the　offices；　as　on　Sunday。
　　They　scrupulously　observe　in　addition　all　the　little　festivals　unknown　to　people　of　the　world；　of　which　the　Church　of　France　was　so　prodigal　in　the　olden　days；　and　of　which　it　is　still　prodigal　in　Spain　and　Italy。
　　Their　stations　in　the　chapel　are　interminable。　As　for　the　number　and　duration　of　their　prayers　we　can　convey　no　better　idea　of　them　than　by　quoting　the　ingenuous　remark　of　one　of　them：　〃The　prayers　of　the　postulants　are　frightful；　the　prayers　of　the　novices　are　still　worse；　and　the　prayers　of　the　professed　nuns　are　still　worse。〃
　　Once　a　week　the　chapter　assembles：
　　the　prioress　presides；　the　vocal　mothers　assist。
　　Each　sister　kneels　in　turn　on　the　stones；　and　confesses　aloud；　in　the　presence　of　all；　the　faults　and　sins　which　she　has　mitted　during　the　week。
　　The　vocal　mothers　consult　after　each　confession　and　inflict　the　penance　aloud。
　　Besides　this　confession　in　a　loud　tone；　for　which　all　faults　in　the　least　serious　are　reserved；　they　have　for　their　venial　offences　what　they　call　the　coulpe。
　　To　make　one's　coulpe　means　to　prostrate　one's　self　flat　on　one's　face　during　the　office　in　front　of　the　prioress　until　the　latter；　who　is　never　called　anything　but　our　mother；　notifies　the　culprit　by　a　slight　tap　of　her　foot　against　the　wood　of　her　stall　that　she　can　rise。　The　coulpe　or　peccavi；　is　made　for　a　very　small　mattera　broken　glass；　a　torn　veil；　an　involuntary　delay　of　a　few　seconds　at　an　office；　a　false　note　in　church；　etc。；　this　suffices；　and　the　coulpe　is　made。　The　coulpe　is　entirely　spontaneous；　it　is　the　culpable　person　herself　（the　word　is　etymologically　in　its　place　here）　who　judges　herself　and　inflicts　it　on　herself。
　　On　festival　days　and　Sundays　four　mother　precentors　intone　the　offices　before　a　large　reading…desk　with　four　places。
　　One　day　one　of　the　mother　precentors　intoned　a　psalm　beginning　with　Ecce；　and　instead　of　Ecce　she　uttered　aloud　the　three　notes　do　si　sol；　for　this　piece　of　absent…mindedness　she　underwent　a　coulpe　which　lasted　during　the　whole　service：　what　rendered　the　fault　enormous　was　the　fact　that　the　chapter　had　laughed。
　　When　a　nun　is　summoned　to　the　parlor；　even　were　it　the　prioress　herself；　she　drops　her　veil；　as　will　be　remembered；　so　that　only　her　mouth　is　visible。
　　The　prioress　alone　can　hold　munication　with　strangers。　The　others　can　see　only　their　immediate　family；　and　that　very　rarely。　If；　by　chance；　an　outsider　presents　herself　to　see　a　nun；　or　one　whom　she　has　known　and　loved　in　the　outer　world；　a　regular　series　of　negotiations　is　required。
　　If　it　is　a　woman；　the　authorization　may　sometimes　be　granted；　the　nun　es；　and　they　talk　to　her　through　the　shutters；　which　are　opened　only　for　a　mother　or　sister。　It　is　unnecessary　to　say　that　permission　is　always　refused　to　men。
　　Such　is　the　rule　of　Saint…Benoit；　aggravated　by　Martin　Verga。
　　These　nuns　are　not　gay；　rosy；　and　fresh；　as　the　daughters　of　other　orders　often　are。
　　They　are　pale　and　grave。
　　Between　1825　and　1830　three　of　them　went　mad。


BOOK　SIXTH。LE　PETIT…PICPUS
CHAPTER　III　
　　AUSTERITIES
　　　One　is　a　postulant　for　two　years　at　least；　often　for　four；　a　novice　for　four。
　　It　is　rare　that　the　definitive　vows　can　be　pronounced　earlier　than　the　age　of　twenty…three　or　twenty…four　years。　The　Bernardines…Benedictines　of　Martin　Verga　do　not　admit　widows　to　their　order。
　　In　their　cells；　they　deliver　themselves　up　to　many　unknown　macerations；　of　which　they　must　never　speak。
　　On　the　day　when　a　novice　makes　her　profession；　she　is　dressed　in　her　handsomest　attire；　she　is　crowned　with　white　roses；　her　hair　is　brushed　until　it　shines；　and　curled。
　　Then　she　prostrates　herself；　a　great　black　veil　is　thrown　over　her；　and　the　office　for　the　dead　is　sung。
　　Then　the　nuns　separate　into　two　files；　one　file　passes　close　to　her；　saying　in　plaintive　accents；　〃Our　sister　is　dead〃；　and　the　other　file　responds　in　a　voice　of　ecstasy；　〃Our　sister　is　alive　in　Jesus　Christ！〃
　　At　the　epoch　when　this　story　takes　place；　a　boarding…school　was　attached　to　the　conventa　boarding…school　for　young　girls　of　noble　and　mostly　wealthy　families；　among　whom　could　be　remarked　Mademoiselle　de　Saint…Aulaire　and　de　Belissen；　and　an　English　girl　bearing　the　illustrious　Catholic　name　of　Talbot。
　　These　young　girls；　reared　by　these　nuns　between　four　walls；　grew　up　with　a　horror　of　the　world　and　of　the　age。
　　One　of　them　said　to　us　one　day；　〃The　sight　of　the　street　pavement　made　me　shudder　from　head　to　foot。〃　They　were　dressed　in　blue；　with　a　white　cap　and　a　Holy　Spirit　of　silver　gilt　or　of　copper　on　their　breast。
　　On　certain　grand　festival　days；　particularly　Saint　Martha's　day；　they　were　permitted；　as　a　high　favor　and　a　supreme　happiness；　to　dress　themselves　as　nuns　and　to　carry　out　the　offices　and　practice　of　Saint…Benoit　for　a　whole　day。
　　In　the　early　days　the　nuns　were　in　the　habit　of　lending　them　their　black　garments。
　　This　seemed　profane；　and　the　prioress　forbade　it。
　　Only　the　novices　were　permitted　to　lend。　It　is　remarkable　that　these　performances；　tolerated　and　encouraged；　no　doubt；　in　the　convent　out　of　a　secret　spirit　of　proselytism　and　in　order　to　give　these　children　a　foretaste　of　the　holy　habit；　were　a　genuine　happiness　and　a　real　recreation　for　the　scholars。　They　simply　amused　themselves　with　it。
　　It　was　new；　it　gave　them　a　change。
　　Candid　reasons　of　childhood；　which　do　not；　however；　succeed　in　making　us　worldlings　prehend　the　felicity　of　holding　a　holy　water　sprinkler　in　one's　hand　and　standing　for　hours　together　singing　hard　enough　for　four　in　front　of　a　reading…desk。
　　The　pupils　conformed；　with　the　exception　of　the　austerities；　to　all　the　practices　of　the　convent。
　　There　was　a　certain　young　woman　who　entered　the　world；　and　who　after　many　years　of　married　life　had　not　succeeded　in　breaking　herself　of　the　habit　of　saying　in　great　haste　whenever　any　one　knocked　at　her　door；　〃forever！〃　Like　the　nuns；　the　pupils　saw　their　relatives　only　in　the　parlor。　Their　very　mothers　did　not　obtain　permission　to　embrace　them。　The　following　illustrates　to　what　a　degree　severity　on　that　point　was　carried。
　　One　day　a　young　girl　received　a　visit　from　her　mother；　who　was　acpanied　by　a　little　sister　three　years　of　age。　The　young　girl　wept；　for　she　wished　greatly　to　embrace　her　sister。　Impossible。
　　She　begged　that；　at　least；　the　child　might　be　permitted　to　pass　her　little　hand　through　the　bars　so　that　she　could　kiss　it。　This　was　almost　indignantly　refused。
　　AUSTERITIES　
　　　One　is　a　postulant　for　two　years　at　least；　often　for　four；　a　novice　for　four。
　　It　is　rare　that　the　definitive　vows　can　be　pronounced　earlier　than　the　age　of　twenty…three　or　twenty…four　years。　The　Bernardines…Benedictines　of　Martin　Verga　do　not　admit　widows　to　their　order。
　　In　their　cells；　they　deliver　themselves　up　to　many　unknown　macerations；　of　which　they　must　never　speak。
　　On　the　day　when　a　novice　makes　her　profession；　she　is　dressed　in　her　handsomest　attire；　she　is　crowned　with　white　roses；　her　hair　is　brushed　until　it　shines；　and　curled。
　　Then　she　prostrates　herself；　a　great　black　veil　is　thrown　over　her；　and　the　office　for　the　dead　is　sung。
　　Then　the　nuns　separate　into　two　files；　one　file　passes　close　to　her；　saying　in　plaintive　accents；　〃Our　sister　is　dead〃；　and　the　other　file　responds　in　a　voice　of　ecstasy；　〃Our　sister　is　alive　in　Jesus　Christ！〃
　　At　the　epoch　when　this　story　takes　place；　a　boarding…school　was　attached　to　the　conventa　boarding…school　for　young　girls　of　noble　and　mostly　wealthy　families；　among　whom　could　be　remarked　Mademoiselle　de　Saint…Aulaire　and　de　Belissen；　and　an　English　girl　bearing　the　illustrious　Catholic　name　of　Talbot。
　　These　young　girls；　reared　by　these　nuns　between　four　walls；　grew　up　with　a　horror　of　the　world　and　of　the　age。
　　One　of　them　said　to　us　one　day；　〃The　sight　of　the　street　pavement　made　me　shudder　from　head　to　foot。〃　They　were　dressed　in　blue；　with　a　white　cap　and　a　Holy　Spirit　of　silver　gilt　or　of　copper　on　their　breast。
　　On　certain　grand　festival　days；　particularly　Saint　Martha's　day；　they　were　permitted；　as　a　high　favor　and　a　supreme　happiness；　to　dress　themselves　as　nuns　and　to　carry　out　the　offices　and　practice　of　Saint…Benoit　for　a　whole　day。
　　In　the　early　days　the　nuns　were　in　the　habit　of　lending　them　their　black　garments。
　　This　seemed　profane；　and　the　prioress　forbade　it。
　　Only　the　novices　were　permitted　to　lend。　It　is　remarkable　that　these　performances；　tolerated　and　encouraged；　no　doubt；　in　the　convent　out　of　a　secret　spirit　of　proselytism　and　in　order　to　give　these　children　a　foretaste　of　the　holy　habit；　were　a　genuine　happiness　and　a　real　recreation　for　the　scholars。　They　simply　amused　themselves　with　it。
　　It　was