with eighty hooded Benedictines speaking in Latin.

你真的就不算在这个世界里吃过饭
if, when they are not speaking,

当他们都不说话了
they are tapping particular signals on the table.

他们会轻叩桌面发出特别的声音
And suddenly everybody will rise,

然后突然所以人都站起了
suddenly everybody will bow,

突然每个人都在鞠躬
and the visitor is sort of left perplexed

于是我们被搞得一头雾水
as to what is transpiring but that's what goes on.

不明白出了什么事
As I have said, this rule of Saint Benedict formulated in the sixth century

我之前说过圣本笃的教规制定于六世纪
prescribed this cycle of canonical hours.

它规定了祷告的时间周期
As the Middle Ages proceeded,

在中世纪
the cycle of hours

这个祷告周期
was adopted at cathedral churches

在当时的大教堂中被广泛采用