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1、THAISTHAISbyANATOLEFRANCETranslatedByRobertB.Douglas1THAISPARTTHEFIRSTTHELOTUSInthosedaysthereweremanyhermitslivinginthedesert.OnbothbanksoftheNilenumeroushuts,builtbythesesolitarydwellers,ofbranchesheldtogetherbyclay,werescatteredatalittledistancefromeachother,sothattheinhabi
2、tantscouldlivealone,andyethelponeanotherincaseofneed.Churches,eachsurmountedbyacross,stoodhereandthereamongstthehuts,andthemonksflockedtothemateachfestivaltocelebratetheservicesortopartakeoftheCommunion.Therewerealso,hereandthereonthebanksoftheriver,monasteries,wherethecenobit
3、eslivedinseparatecells,andonlymettogetherthattheymightthebetterenjoytheirsolitude.Bothhermitsandcenobitesledabstemiouslives,takingnofoodtillaftersunset,andeatingnothingbutbreadwithalittlesaltandhyssop.Someretiredintothedesert,andledastillmorestrangelifeinsomecaveortomb.Alllive
4、dintemperanceandchastity;theyworeahairshirtandahood,sleptonthebaregroundafterlongwatching,prayed,sangpsalms,and,inshort,spenttheirdaysinworksofpenitence.Asanatonementfororiginalsin,theyrefusedtheirbodynotonlyallpleasuresandsatisfactions,buteventhatcareandattentionwhichinthisag
5、earedeemedindispensable.Theybelievedthatthediseasesofourmemberspurifyoursouls,andthefleshcouldputonnoadornmentmoregloriousthanwoundsandulcers.Thus,theythoughttheyfulfilledthewordsoftheprophet,"Thedesertshallrejoiceandblossomastherose."AmongsttheinhabitantsoftheholyThebaid,ther
6、eweresomewhopassedtheirdaysinasceticismandcontemplation;othersgainedtheirlivelihoodbyplaitingpalmfibre,orbyworkingatharvest-timefortheneighbouringfarmers.TheGentileswronglysuspectedsomeofthemoflivingbybrigandage,andallyingthemselvestothenomadicArabswhorobbedthecaravans.But,asa
7、matteroffact,themonksdespisedriches,andtheodouroftheirsanctityrosetoheaven.2THAISAngelsinthelikenessofyoungmen,came,staffinhand,astravellers,tovisitthehermitages;whilstdemons--havingassumedtheformofEthiopiansorofanimals--wanderedroundthehabitationsofthehermitsinordertoleadthem
8、intotemptation.Whenthemonkswentinthemorningtofilltheirpitcher
