雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第126章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　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　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；