Part 2 Book 6 Chapter 3 Austerities

One is a postulant for two years at least, often for four; a novice¹ for four. It is rare that the definitive² vows³ 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 attire⁴, she is crowned with white roses, her hair is brushed until it shines, and curled. Then she prostrates⁵ herself; a great black veil is thrown over her, and the office for the dead is sung. Then the nuns⁶ separate into two files; one file passes close to her, saying in plaintive⁷ accents, "Our sister is dead"; and the other file responds in a voice of ecstasy⁸, "Our sister is alive in Jesus Christ!"

At the epoch⁹ when this story takes place, a boarding-school was attached to the convent--a 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 shudder¹⁰ from head to foot." They were dressed in blue, with a white cap and a Holy Spirit of silver gilt¹¹ or of copper¹² on their breast. On certain grand festival days, particularly Saint Martha's day, they were permitted, as a high favor and a supreme¹³ 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 profane¹⁴, and the prioress forbade it. Only the novices¹⁵ were permitted to lend. It is remarkable¹⁶ 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. Candid¹⁷ reasons of childhood, which do not, however, succeed in making us worldlings comprehend the felicity of holding a holy water sprinkler in one's hand and standing¹⁸ 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 parlor¹⁹. Their very mothers did not obtain permission to embrace them. The following illustrates²⁰ to what a degree severity on that point was carried. One day a young girl received a visit from her mother, who was accompanied 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.

备修生至少得当上两年，经常是四年，初学生四年。能在二十三岁或二十四岁以前正式发愿①那是少有的事。玛尔丹·维尔加支系的伯尔纳－本笃会的修女们绝不容许寡妇参加她们的修会。

①发愿是当众宣誓出家修道，永不还俗的仪式。

她们在自己的斗室里忍受着多种多样的折磨，那是外人无从知道并且她们自己也永远不该说出的。

初学生到了发愿的日子，大家尽量把她打扮得整整齐齐，替她戴上白蔷薇，润泽并蜷曲她的头发，接着她伏在地上，大家替她盖上一大幅黑布，唱起悼亡的诗歌，举行度亡的祭礼。同时，所有的修女分列两行，一行打她跟前绕过，用一种悲伤的声音说“我们的姐姐死了”，另一行却用洪亮的声音回答说“她活在耶稣基督的心中”。

在本书所述故事发生的时代，这个修院里还附设一个寄读学校。是一所为大家闺秀设立的寄读学校，那些闺秀大部分是有钱人，其中有德·圣奥莱尔小姐和德·贝利桑小姐，还有一个英国姑娘，姓德·塔尔波，也是天主教里赫赫有名的大族。这些年轻的姑娘在那四堵围墙里受着修女的教育，在敌视这世界和这世纪的仇恨中成长。一天，她们中的一个曾对我们说过这样一句话：“我见了街上的石块路面便会头晕脚软。”她们都穿蓝衣，戴白帽，胸前佩带一个银质镀金或铜质的圣灵。在某些重大的节日里，特别是在圣玛尔泰节，她们可以整天穿上修女的服装，按照圣伯努瓦规定的仪式做日课，这对她们来说，是一种隆恩和无上的幸福。最初，修女们常把自己的黑衣借给她们穿。后来院长禁止借用，认为有渎圣衣。只有初学生还可借用。那种扮演原是修院中一种通融办法，含有让孩子们预尝圣衣滋味、吸引她们走上出家道路的秘密意图，值得注意的是，寄读生竟会以此为真正的幸福和真正的快乐。她们只不过是感到好玩而已。“这是新鲜花样，可以改变她们。”我们这些俗人却无法从那些天真幼稚的想法中去体会她们何以会那样自得其乐地捏着一根洒圣水的枝条，四个人一排地站在一个谱架前面，毫无间歇地一连唱上好几个钟头。

那些女弟子，除了苦修这点外，也同样遵守修院里所有的教规。有个少妇，还俗以后，结婚也好几年了，却还不能改变习惯，每逢有人敲她房门时，她总还要赶忙回答：“永远如此！”寄读生和修女一样，只能在会客室里接见她们的亲人。连她们的母亲也不能拥抱她们。让我们看看在这方面究竟严到什么程度。一天，有个年轻的姑娘接待她母亲的访问，她母亲还带着一个三岁的小妹妹。那年轻姑娘，很想拥抱她的小妹，于是哭了起来。不可能。她恳求至少让她的小妹把小手从铁栅栏缝里伸过去给她吻一下，这也被拒绝了，这件事几乎还惹起了一场风波。

1 novice   

adj.新手的，生手的

参考例句：

• As a novice writer,this is something I'm interested in.作为初涉写作的人，我对此很感兴趣。
• She realized that she was a novice.她知道自己初出茅庐。

2 definitive   

adj.确切的，权威性的；最后的，决定性的

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• No one has come up with a definitive answer as to why this should be so.至于为什么该这样，还没有人给出明确的答复。

3 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

4 attire   

v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装

参考例句：

• He had no intention of changing his mode of attire.他无意改变着装方式。
• Her attention was attracted by his peculiar attire.他那奇特的服装引起了她的注意。

5 prostrates   

v.使俯伏，使拜倒( prostrate的第三人称单数 )；（指疾病、天气等）使某人无能为力

参考例句：

• Sickness often prostrates people. 疾病常使人们衰弱。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 nuns   

n.（通常指基督教的）修女， （佛教的）尼姑( nun的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Ah Q had always had the greatest contempt for such people as little nuns. 小尼姑之流是阿Q本来视如草芥的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Nuns are under vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. 修女须立誓保持清贫、贞洁、顺从。 来自辞典例句

7 plaintive   

adj.可怜的，伤心的

参考例句：

• Her voice was small and plaintive.她的声音微弱而哀伤。
• Somewhere in the audience an old woman's voice began plaintive wail.观众席里，一位老太太伤心地哭起来。

8 ecstasy   

n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷

参考例句：

• He listened to the music with ecstasy.他听音乐听得入了神。
• Speechless with ecstasy,the little boys gazed at the toys.小孩注视着那些玩具，高兴得说不出话来。

9 epoch   

n.(新)时代；历元

参考例句：

• The epoch of revolution creates great figures.革命时代造就伟大的人物。
• We're at the end of the historical epoch,and at the dawn of another.我们正处在一个历史时代的末期，另一个历史时代的开端。

10 shudder   

v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动

参考例句：

• The sight of the coffin sent a shudder through him.看到那副棺材，他浑身一阵战栗。
• We all shudder at the thought of the dreadful dirty place.我们一想到那可怕的肮脏地方就浑身战惊。

11 gilt   

adj.镀金的；n.金边证券

参考例句：

• The plates have a gilt edge.这些盘子的边是镀金的。
• The rest of the money is invested in gilt.其余的钱投资于金边证券。

12 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

13 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

14 profane   

adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污

参考例句：

• He doesn't dare to profane the name of God.他不敢亵渎上帝之名。
• His profane language annoyed us.他亵渎的言语激怒了我们。

15 novices   

n.新手( novice的名词复数 )；初学修士（或修女）；（修会等的）初学生；尚未赢过大赛的赛马

参考例句：

• The Russians are such novices in Africa. 在非洲的俄国人简直都是些毫无经验的生手。 来自辞典例句
• Where the primary track all novices, screams everywhere, ha ha good terror. 那里的初级道上全是生手，到处都是尖叫声，哈哈好恐怖的。 来自互联网

16 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

17 candid   

adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的

参考例句：

• I cannot but hope the candid reader will give some allowance for it.我只有希望公正的读者多少包涵一些。
• He is quite candid with his friends.他对朋友相当坦诚。

18 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

19 parlor   

n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅

参考例句：

• She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
• Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

20 illustrates   

给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明

参考例句：

• This historical novel illustrates the breaking up of feudal society in microcosm. 这部历史小说是走向崩溃的封建社会的缩影。
• Alfred Adler, a famous doctor, had an experience which illustrates this. 阿尔弗莱德 - 阿德勒是一位著名的医生，他有过可以说明这点的经历。 来自中级百科部分