第二十三章：开始论述以纯属灵方式临于悟性的领受，并描述其性质。
Chapter XXIII: Which begins to treat of the apprehensions of the understanding that come in a purely spiritual way, and describes their nature.
关于借感官而来的悟性领受，我们所给的教导虽然同本可论说的内容相比稍显简略，但我并不想更详尽地写论它们；事实上，我相信，为了完成我目前的意图——即使悟性摆脱这些领受，并引导灵魂进入信心之夜——我已经写得过长了。因此，我们现在要开始论述另外四种悟性领受；正如我们在第十章中所说，作者是在第 x 章（而非 A、B 和 e.p. 所说的第 viii 章）论述这些属灵领受。它们是纯属灵的——即异象、启示、话语和属灵感受。我们称它们为纯属灵的，因为它们不像那些形体性和想象性的领受那样，经由身体感官传达给悟性；而是不借任何内在或外在身体感官的介入，以超自然方法，被动地——也就是说，灵魂本身不作任何行动或运作，至少不是主动地——清楚而分明地呈现于悟性。
Although the instruction that we have given with respect to the apprehensions of the understanding which come by means of sense is somewhat brief, in comparison with what might be said about them, I have not desired to write of them at greater length; I believe, indeed, that I have already been too lengthy for the fulfillment of my present intention, which is to disencumber the understanding of them and direct the soul into the night of faith. Wherefore we shall now begin to treat of those other four apprehensions of the understanding, which, as we said in the tenth chapter, It is in Chapter x (and not in viii, as is said in A, B and e.p.) that the author treats of these spiritual apprehensions. are purely spiritual – namely, visions, revelations, locutions and spiritual feelings. These we call purely spiritual, for they do not (as do those that are corporeal and imaginary) communicate themselves to the understanding by way of the corporeal senses; but, without the intervention of any inward or outward corporeal sense, they present themselves to the understanding, clearly and distinctly, by supernatural means, passively – that is to say, without the performance of any act or operation on the part of the soul itself, at the least actively.
2. 因此必须知道，广义而言、一般来说，所有这四种领受都可以称为灵魂的异象；因为我们也把灵魂的悟性称为它的视力。既然所有这些领受对悟性来说都是可理解的，它们在属灵意义上便可称为「可见的」。因此，在悟性中形成的各种认识，可以称为理智异象。既然其他感官的一切对象——即一切可见、可闻、可嗅、可尝、可触之物——只要落在真与假的范围内，就都是悟性的对象；由此可知，正如一切以身体方式可见的事物，会在身体的眼睛中造成身体视觉，同样，对灵魂的属灵眼睛——也就是悟性——而言，一切可理解之物都会造成属灵视觉；因为正如我们所说，灵魂理解，就是灵魂看见。因此，一般来说，我们可以把这四种领受称为异象。然而，这不能用于其他感官，因为没有任何一个感官本身能够接受另一个感官的对象。
2. It must be known, then, that, speaking broadly and in general terms, all these four apprehensions may be called visions of the soul; for we term the understanding of the soul also its sight. And since all these apprehensions are intelligible to the understanding, they are described, in a spiritual sense, as visible.’ And thus the kinds of intelligence that are formed in the understanding may be called intellectual visions. Now, since all the objects of the other senses, which are all that can be seen, and all that can be heard, and all that can be smelt and tasted and touched, are objects of the understanding in so far as they fall within the limits of truth or falsehood, it follows that, just as to the eyes of the body all that is visible in a bodily way causes bodily vision, even so, to the spiritual eyes of the soul – namely, the understanding – all that is intelligible causes spiritual vision; for, as we have said, for the soul to understand is for it to see. And thus, speaking generally, we may call these four apprehensions visions. This cannot be said, however, of the other senses, for no one of them is capable, as such, of receiving the object of another one.
3. 但是，既然这些领受呈现于灵魂的方式，与它们呈现于各个感官的方式相同，那么，严格而具体地说，悟性借视觉所领受的（因为它能属灵地看见事物，正如眼睛能以身体方式看见一样），我们称为异象；它借领会并理解新事物所领受的（仿佛是借听觉，在听见那些并非耳朵所听见之事时），我们称为启示；它借听觉所领受的，我们称为话语；它借其他感官所领受的，例如对甜美属灵香气、属灵滋味，以及灵魂能以超自然方式享受的属灵喜乐的感知，我们称为属灵感受。灵魂从这一切获得属灵的看见或认识，而没有任何关于自然幻想或想象之形式、图像或形状的领受；这些事物是借超自然方法和超自然过程，直接传达给灵魂的。
3. But, since these apprehensions present themselves to the soul in the same way as they do to the various senses, it follows that, speaking properly and specifically, we shall describe that which the understanding receives by means of sight (because it can see things spiritually, even as the eyes can see bodily) as a vision; and that which it receives by apprehending and understanding new things (as it were through the hearing, when it hears things that are not heard) we describe as revelation; and that which it receives by means of hearing we call locution; and that which it receives through the other senses, such as the perception of sweet spiritual fragrance, and spiritual taste and of spiritual delight which the soul may joy supernaturally, we call spiritual feelings. From all these the soul derives spiritual vision or intelligence, without any kind of apprehension concerning form, image or figure of natural fancy or imagination; these things are communicated to the soul directly by supernatural means and a supernatural process.
4. 关于这些领受，同样地（正如我们论到其他想象性的形体领受时所说的），我们在这里应当使悟性摆脱它们，借着它们带领并引导悟性进入属灵的信心之夜，达到与神的神性而实体性的联合；免得悟性让这些事物缠累并愚弄自己，从而在走向孤独并超脱万物的道路上受到阻碍，而这正是达到此目标所必需的。因为这些领受虽然比形体性和想象性的领受更高贵、更有益，也确定得多，因为它们是内在而纯属灵的，并且是魔鬼最难伪造的，因为它们更纯粹、更精微地传达给灵魂，而灵魂本身或想象力并不作任何努力，至少不是主动地作努力；然而，悟性不仅可能在这条道路上被它们缠累，而且还可能由于自己的不明智而受到严重欺骗。
4. Of these, likewise (even as we said of the other imaginary corporeal apprehensions), it is well that we should here disencumber the understanding, leading and directing it by means of them into the spiritual night of faith, to the Divine and substantial union of God; lest, by letting such things encumber and stultify it, it should be hindered upon the road to solitude and detachment from all things, which is necessary to that end. For, although these apprehensions are nobler and more profitable and much more certain than those which are corporeal and imaginary, inasmuch as they are interior and purely spiritual, and are those which the devil is least able to counterfeit, since they are communicated to the soul more purely and subtly without any effort of its own or of the imagination, at least actively, yet not only may the understanding be encumbered by them upon this road, but it is possible for it, through its own imprudence, to be sorely deceived.
5. 虽然从某种意义上说，我们本可以把这四种领受合在一起论述，并给出适用于它们全体的劝告，就像我们对其他所有领受所给的劝告一样——即不应渴望它们，也不应追求它们——然后便结束；然而，既然我们马上要更清楚说明应当如何这样做，并且还要谈到与它们有关的若干事项，那么逐一论述它们会更好。因此，我们现在要谈第一种领受，即理智或属灵异象。
5. And although, in one sense, we might conclude with these four kinds of apprehension, by treating them all together and giving advice which applies to them all, as we have given concerning all the others – namely, that they should neither be desired nor aspired to – yet, since we shall presently throw more light upon the way in which this is to be done, and certain things will be said in connection with them, it will be well to treat of each one of them in particular, and thus we shall now speak of the first apprehensions, which are intellectual or spiritual visions.