22、紧接着，天使向导来到六个童女面前，向她们引见他的同伴，并拜托她们陪陪客人。于是，童女们就朝他们走去，但就在靠近时，她们突然退回到童女朋友所在的女人区。看到这一幕，天使向导跟上去，问她们为何还未和客人说话就突然退回去。她们回答说：“我们无法靠近他们。”天使询问原由，她们说：“我们也不清楚，只是感觉有股力量推开我们，把我们拉回来。请原谅。”于是，天使回到他的同伴那里，告知他们原由，并补充说：“我怀疑你们对异性的爱不够纯洁。在天堂，我们因童女的美丽及其举止的优雅而爱她们。我们对她们的爱热烈而圣洁。”他的同伴对此笑了笑，说：“你的怀疑是对的。看到近在咫尺的美人，谁能没有一些欲望呢？”
22、此后天使们走向六个伴娘，并介绍了他的同伴们。天使请她们招呼来宾们。她们就这样做了。但她们靠近了时，她们马上转身回到了与他们一样的女伴之中。
见到这种情况，天使们问道为什么没有与来宾，讲话就走开了呢。他们回答说，“我们无法走近。”天使问道：“为什么”？她们回答道“我们感到什么东西迫使我们转过身回来。我们希望他们能原谅我们。”
于是天使来到采访者中间，并转达了她们的答复。他又说道，我猜测你们对异性的爱不纯洁。在天堂中我对青年女子的爱是因为她们的美丽及高雅的举止，我们非常爱他们，但这种爱是纯洁的。
这时候，同行的人哭了，说道：“你的猜测是对的。谁能看到美色不动心呢？”
22. Next the angel guide approached the six maidens and telling them too about his companions, asked them to be kind enough to spend some time with them. So they came towards them, but when they were close, they suddenly turned away and went into the women's quarters, where their maiden friends were too. On seeing this the angel guide went after them and asked why they had suddenly turned away without speaking to the guests. 'We were unable to come close,' they replied. 'Why so?' he asked. 'We do not know,' they answered, 'but we became aware of something repelling and drawing us back. Please forgive us.'
So the angel went back to his companions and told them the answer he had received; and he added: 'I suspect your attraction to the opposite sex is not chaste. In heaven we love maidens for their beauty and the elegance of their manners; we love them very dearly, but in a chaste manner.' His companions laughed at this, and said: 'Your suspicions are well founded. Can anyone see such beauties close at hand without some feeling of desire?'
22. After this the angel guide went over to the six bridesmaids and told them as well about his companions, and he asked them to grace the visitors with their company. So they started to approach, but when they drew near, they suddenly turned back and went into the women's quarters where their friends, young women like them, were.
Seeing this, the angel guide followed them and asked them why they had turned away so suddenly without speaking to the visitors. They replied, "We could not go near." And the angel said, "Why not?" And they answered, "We do not know, but we felt something that repelled us and drew us back. We hope they forgive us."
So the angel returned to his companions and told them the young women's response, and he added, "I divine that you do not have a chaste love for the opposite sex. In heaven we love young women for their beauty and elegance of manners, and we love them very much, but chastely."
At this his companions laughed and said, "You divine correctly. Who can see such beauties near and not feel some desire?"
22. After this the angel guide went to the six virgins and told them, too, about his companions and asked them to favor his companions with their company. They approached, but when they came near they suddenly drew back and went into the women's quarters, where the other virgins, their friends, were.
When the angel guide saw this he followed them and asked why they withdrew so suddenly without speaking to them.
"We couldn't get near them," they answered.
He said, "Why not?"
"We don't know," they said, "but we could feel something that repelled us and drove us back. We hope they will excuse us."
The angel went back to his companions and told them the answer, and he added, "I surmise that you don't have a pure interest in their sex. In heaven we love virgins because of their beauty and the refinement of their ways, and we love them very much - but chastely."
His companions laughed at this and said, "You guessed right.
Who can see such beauty near and not feel any desire?"
22. After this, the angel guide went to the six virgins and, telling them also about his companions, asked that they would favor them with their company. The virgins then approached them, but when they came near, they suddenly withdrew and went into the women's apartment where also were their virgin friends. Seeing this, the angel guide followed them and asked why they so suddenly withdrew from them without speaking; and they answered, "we could not go near them." He asked, "why?" and they answered, "we do not know; but we perceived something that repelled us and drove us back. They must excuse us."
The angel then returned to his companions and, after reporting this answer, he added, "I surmise that you do not have a chaste love of the sex. In heaven we love virgins for their beauty and elegance of manners; and we love them exceedingly but chastely." At this his companions laughed; and they said, "You have surmised rightly. Who is able to behold such beauties near at hand and not feel some desire?"
22. After this the angel guide went to the six young women, telling them, too, of his companions, and asked them to honor his friends with their company. And they approached, but on coming near, suddenly withdrew and rejoined their young women friends in the women's apartment. Seeing this, the angel guide followed, and asked them why they had withdrawn so abruptly without speaking to his companions. They answered, "We could not go near."
He asked, "Why?" They answered, "We do not know; but we perceived something which repelled us and drove us back. They must excuse us."
The angel returned to his companions, and told them the reply, and added, "I suspect that you have not a chaste love of the sex. In heaven we love young women for their beauty and their lovely ways, and we love them very much, but chastely." His companions smiled, and said, "You surmise rightly. Who can see such beauty near him and not feel some desire?"
22. After this the angel guide went to the six virgins and told them also about his companions, and asked that they would favor them with their company. And they approached, but when they came near they suddenly withdrew and went into the women's apartment where their virgin friends also were. Seeing this the angel guide followed them and asked why they so suddenly withdrew without speaking to them.
And they replied, 'We could not go near them.'
He asked, 'Why?' And they answered, 'We do not know. But we perceived something that repelled us and drove us back. They must excuse us.'
The angel returned to his companions and told them the answer, and added, ‘I surmise that you have not a chaste love of the sex. In heaven we love virgins for their beauty and loveliness of manner, and we love them exceedingly but chastely.' His companions smiled at this, and said, 'You have rightly guessed. Who is able to behold such beauty near and feel no desire?'
22. Post haec Angelus ductor accessit ad sex Virgines, et quoque narravit illis de comitibus suis, et petiit, ut dignarentur illos suo consortio; et accesserunt, sed cum prope erant, subito recesserunt, et ingressae sunt gynaeceum, ubi etiam virgines amicae illarum erant: hoc viso, Angelus ductor sequutus est illas, et quaesivit, cur absque loquendo cum illis tam subito recesserint; et responderunt, 1"non potuimus appropinquare," et dixit "cur hoc," et responderunt, "non scimus, sed percepimus aliquid quod repulit et retroduxit nos; ignoscant:" et Angelus rediit ad suos comites, et dixit responsum, et addidit, "auguror quod vobis non sit amor sexus castus; in Coelo amamus virgines ex illarum pulchritudine et elegantia morum, et impense amamus illas, sed caste;" ad hoc riserunt ejus comites, et dixerunt, "recte auguraris; quis potis est videre tales pulchritudines prope, et non aliquid cupere."
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: responderunt;