第一章
Chapter I
灵魂的第一个官能，即悟性，如今已经借它的一切领受，在第一种超性德行——信心——中受了教导，好使灵魂能按照这一官能，借信心的纯洁与神联合。现在还须以同样方式对待灵魂的另外两个官能，即记忆和意志，并同样就它们的领受洁净它们，好使灵魂也能按照这两个官能，在完全的盼望与仁爱中达到与神联合。这将在第三卷中简略完成。我们如今已经结束了关于悟性的论述；悟性按照其运作方式，是其他一切对象的容器。在论述悟性时，我们已经走完了全程的一大部分。因此，我们无须以同等篇幅论述这些官能；因为属灵之人若按照已经赐给他的教义，在信心中教导自己的悟性，他不可能不同时也在另外两种德行中教导另外两个官能；因为每一官能的运作都依赖其他官能。
The first faculty of the soul, which is the understanding, has now been instructed, through all its apprehensions, in the first theological virtue, which is faith, to the end that, according to this faculty, the soul may be united with God by means of the purity of faith. It now remains to do likewise with respect to the other two faculties of the soul, which are memory and will, and to purify them likewise with respect to their apprehensions, to the end that, according to these two faculties also, the soul may come to union with God in perfect hope and charity. This will briefly be effected in this third book. We have now concluded our treatment of the understanding, which is the receptacle of all other objects according to its mode of operation; and in treating of this we have gone a great part of the whole way. It is therefore unnecessary for us to write at equal length with respect to these faculties; for it is not possible that, if the spiritual man instructs his understanding in faith according to the doctrine which has been given him, he should not, in so doing, instruct the other two faculties in the other two virtues likewise; for the operations of each faculty depend upon the others.
2. 但是，为了遵循我们的论述方式，也为了使我们更容易被理解，我们必须谈论专属而确定的材料，因此在这里我们必须列出各官能专属的领受；首先是记忆的领受，并在这里对它们作出足以达成我们目的的区分。这一区分可以从它们对象的区分中推导出来；对象有三种：自然的、想象的和属灵的；与此相应，来自记忆的知识也有三种，即：自然的和超自然的，从下文可以看出，实际上圣人保留了上文正文所给出的严格三分法；超自然知识见于各节之中。想象的和属灵的。
2. But since, in order to follow our manner of procedure, and in order, too, that we may be the better understood, we must necessarily speak of the proper and determinate matter, we shall here be obliged to set down the apprehensions proper to each faculty, and first, those of the memory, making here such distinction between them as suffices for our purpose. This we shall be able to deduce from the distinction between their objects, which are three: natural, imaginary and spiritual; according to which there are likewise three kinds of knowledge which come from the memory, namely: natural and supernatural, It will be seen from what follows that in practice the Saint preserves the strictly tripartite division given in the text above, supernatural knowledge being found in each of the sections. imaginary and spiritual.
3. 这一切，若蒙神恩惠，我们将在这里按次序论述，从自然知识开始；自然知识涉及最外在的对象。然后我们将论述意志的情感，并以此结束这第三卷关于主动属灵黑夜的论述。
3. All these, by the Divine favour, we shall treat here in due course, beginning with natural knowledge, which pertains to the most exterior objects. And we shall then treat of the affections of the will, wherewith we shall conclude this third book of the active spiritual night.