Part 2 Book 7 Chapter 1 The Convent as an Abstract Idea

This book is a drama, whose leading personage is the Infinite.

Man is the second.

Such being the case, and a convent having happened to be on our road, it has been our duty to enter it. Why? Because the convent, which is common to the Orient as well as to the Occident¹, to antiquity² as well as to modern times, to paganism, to Buddhism³, to Mahometanism, as well as to Christianity, is one of the optical apparatuses⁴ applied⁵ by man to the Infinite.

This is not the place for enlarging disproportionately on certain ideas; nevertheless, while absolutely maintaining our reserves, our restrictions⁶, and even our indignations, we must say that every time we encounter man in the Infinite, either well or ill understood, we feel ourselves overpowered with respect. There is, in the synagogue, in the mosque⁷, in the pagoda⁸, in the wigwam, a hideous⁹ side which we execrate¹⁰, and a sublime¹¹ side, which we adore. What a contemplation for the mind, and what endless food for thought, is the reverberation¹² of God upon the human wall!

本书是一个剧本，其中的主要角色是无极。

人是次要角色。

既是这样，我们在路上又遇到了一个修院，我们便应当走进去。为什么？因为修院，西方有，东方也有，现代有，古代也有，基督教有，异教、佛教、伊斯兰教也都有，它是人类指向无极的测量仪。

这里不是过分发挥某些思想的地方，不过，在绝对坚持我们的保留态度时，我们的容忍，甚至我们的愤慨，我们应当这样说，每次当我们遇见无极存在于一个人的心中时，无论他的理解程度如何，我们总会感到肃然起敬。圣殿、清真寺、菩萨庙、神舍，所有那些地方都有它丑恶的一面，是我们所唾弃的，同时也有它卓绝的一面，是我们所崇敬的。人类心中的静观和冥想是了无止境的，是照射在人类墙壁上的上帝的光辉。

1 occident   

n.西方；欧美

参考例句：

• Our cultural beliefs caused many problems traveling through the Occident.我们在文化上的信仰导致了许多在西方国家旅游时的问题。
• Almost every great occident philosopher discussed this problem after Descartes.笛卡尔以后，几乎所有伟大的西方哲学家都对这个问题进行了深刻的探讨。

2 antiquity   

n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹

参考例句：

• The museum contains the remains of Chinese antiquity.博物馆藏有中国古代的遗物。
• There are many legends about the heroes of antiquity.有许多关于古代英雄的传说。

3 Buddhism   

n.佛教（教义）

参考例句：

• Buddhism was introduced into China about 67 AD.佛教是在公元67年左右传入中国的。
• Many people willingly converted to Buddhism.很多人情愿皈依佛教。

4 apparatuses   

n.器械； 装置； 设备； 仪器

参考例句：

• That magazine covers all kinds of heating apparatuses. 那本杂志论及所有暖气装置。 来自辞典例句
• Apparatuses and methods for preparing sol-gel solutions are provided. 提供制备溶胶-凝胶溶液的装置和方法。 来自互联网

5 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

8 pagoda   

n.宝塔（尤指印度和远东的多层宝塔），（印度教或佛教的）塔式庙宇

参考例句：

• The ancient pagoda is undergoing repairs.那座古塔正在修缮中。
• The pagoda is reflected upside down in the water.宝塔影子倒立在水里。

9 hideous   

adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的

参考例句：

• The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.整个经历就像一场可怕的噩梦。
• They're not like dogs,they're hideous brutes.它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。

10 execrate   

v.憎恶；厌恶；诅咒

参考例句：

• Others execrate it.有些人痛恨它。
• I execrate people who deceive and tell lies.我憎恶那些欺骗和说谎的人。

11 sublime   

adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的

参考例句：

• We should take some time to enjoy the sublime beauty of nature.我们应该花些时间去欣赏大自然的壮丽景象。
• Olympic games play as an important arena to exhibit the sublime idea.奥运会，就是展示此崇高理念的重要舞台。

12 reverberation   

反响； 回响； 反射； 反射物

参考例句：

• It was green as an emerald, and the reverberation was stunning. 它就象翠玉一样碧绿，回响震耳欲聋。
• Just before dawn he was assisted in waking by the abnormal reverberation of familiar music. 在天将破晓的时候，他被一阵熟悉的，然而却又是反常的回声惊醒了。