A canon is a musical composition

我们熟知的卡农
that follows a strict rule.

其实是一种遵守严格规则的乐曲
One voice has got to follow another exactly

从头到尾每一个音符都按节奏
in terms of rhythm and pitch from beginning to end,

和音高严格跟随前一个音符
but here we have something a little bit different,

但是这里我们所讲的有些不同
canonical hours following the rule, the canon, of Saint Benedict.

祷告时间要遵照本笃会的圣规进行
The hours usually involved praying

祷告时间通常包括祈祷
and reading scripture and in singing.

阅读经文以及吟唱
And they started early in the morning about four o'clock

并且通常是在早上大约四点开始
in most houses at a canonical hour called Matins.

大部分的祷告时间称为晨祷
Next they would go on to celebrate Lauds about daybreak,

接下来在大约黎明的时候开始颂歌
and so on around the hours,

持续几小时