【简译】圣米歇尔山（Mont-Saint-Michel）

Mont-Saint-Michel is the name of a tidal island located off the coasts of Normandy and Brittany, near the mouths of the Couesnon River and the town of Avranches in France. While the island of Mont-Saint-Michel has held cultural, religious, and strategic value since the Merovingians held power over the region, Mont-Saint-Michel is universally recognized today as the site of a beautiful Gothic-style Benedictine abbey, which was constructed from the 11-16th centuries CE and dedicated to the Archangel St. Michael. Aptly called the “Wonder of the West", Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 CE, and the island's abbey is one of France's most popular sites with over 3 millions visitors per year.

          圣米歇尔山（Mont-Saint-Michel）是诺曼底和布列塔尼海岸附近的一个潮汐岛的名字，位于法国库埃农河口和阿夫朗什镇附近。自墨洛温王朝统治该地区以来，圣米歇尔山岛就一直具有文化、宗教和战略价值，而今天，圣米歇尔山岛被公认为是一座美丽的哥特式本笃会修道院的所在地，这座修道院建于公元 11-16 世纪，供奉大天使长圣米迦勒。圣米歇尔山及其海湾被恰如其分地称为“西方奇迹”，于 1979 年被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产，岛上的修道院是法国最受欢迎的景点之一，每年接待超过 300 万游客。

地理位置及早期历史

The island of Mont-Saint-Michel is situated 1 km (0.6 miles) off the northwestern coast of France and it is situated 66 km north of Rennes and 52 kilometres east of St. Malo. Mont-Saint-Michel covers an area of only 7 ha (17 acres) in area, and the island's circumference covers some 960 m (3,150 ft) while its tallest point is 92 m (302 ft) above sea level. Mont-Saint-Michel is a tidal island, meaning that it was once connected to the French mainland. The tides in and around Mont-Saint-Michel are among the most dramatic in Europe - they can vary by as much as 15 m (49 ft) depending on the time of year and prevailing weather conditions. In the Middle Ages, pilgrims had to cross 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) of water in order to reach the island, which is a full 5 kilometers farther out into the English Channel than it is today. The crossing itself could be a deadly enterprise as one had to wait until low tide, and only then could pilgrims traverse the mud to reach Mont-Saint-Michel. (In 1318 CE, 30 pilgrims died when trying to reach Mont-Saint-Michel, and in modern times, organized rescues of tourists and pilgrims remain alarmingly common.)

           圣米歇尔山岛位于法国西北海岸1公里处，距雷恩以北66公里，距圣马洛以东52公里。圣米歇尔山占地仅 7 公顷（17 英亩），岛屿周长约 960 m，最高点海拔 92 m（302 英尺）。圣米歇尔山是一个潮汐岛，这意味着它曾经与法国大陆相连。圣米歇尔山及其周边地区的潮汐是欧洲最剧烈的潮汐之一，根据一年中的不同时间和当时的天气条件，潮汐的变化可高达 15 米（49 英尺）。在中世纪，朝圣者必须穿越 7 公里（4.3 英里）的水域才能到达该岛，而该岛距离英吉利海峡比现在足足远了 5 公里。渡海本身就是一项艰巨的任务，因为必须等到退潮，朝圣者才能穿越泥泞到达圣米歇尔山。(公元 1318 年，有 30 名朝圣者在试图抵达圣米歇尔山时丧生，而在现代，有组织地营救游客和朝圣者的事件仍然屡见不鲜，令人震惊）。

The early history of the island is shrouded in the mists of mystery, but it is known that the island was known as Mont Tombe (Latin: tumba). In the Middle Ages, the faithful believed that St. Aubert of Avranches (d. 720 CE) was the first to erect a Christian sanctuary on Mont Tombe and dedicate it to St. Michael the Archangel. Legend states that St. Aubert, who was then the bishop of Avranches, had a vision in which he saw the Archangel Michael. In his vision, the Archangel told him to oversee the construction of a small oratory on an island near the terminus of the Couesnon River. The Archangel continued to appear to St. Aubert until he promised to build the oratory. Other traditions attest that before St. Aubert, Irish or Welsh monks established a small hermitage on the island in or around the 6th century CE.

          该岛的早期历史被蒙上了一层神秘的面纱，但人们知道该岛被称为“托姆贝山”（拉丁语：tumba）。在中世纪，信徒们相信圣奥贝尔·达夫朗什（St. Aubert d'Avranches，卒于公元 720 年）是第一个在托姆贝山建造基督教神殿并供奉大天使圣米迦勒的人。传说当时的阿夫朗什主教圣奥伯特在异象中看到了大天使米迦勒。在他的异象中，大天使告诉他在库埃农河口附近的一个岛上监督建造一座小教堂。大天使继续出现在圣奥伯特，直到他答应建造这座演讲堂。其他传统证明，在圣奥贝尔之前，爱尔兰或威尔士的修道士于公元 6 世纪左右在岛上建了一座小型修道院。

Historical evidence for Mont-Saint-Michel, however, is only apparent from the mid-9th century CE onwards. It is referred to in various hagiographical works as a place popular with pilgrims, and the account of its foundation lies in the "Revelatio ecclesiae sancti Michaelis." Mont-Saint-Michel's founding date - 708 CE - comes from chronicle written at Mont-Saint-Michel in the 1100s CE, and there is no good authority for its establishment by St. Aubert either. It is likely that Mont-Saint-Michel functioned primarily as a Breton monastery in the Early Middle Ages until roughly the 11th century CE when it came under the control of the Normans. Curiously, Mont-Saint-Michel only appears in Norman charters in 1009 CE. This again leads credence to the belief that there was an enduring and strong influence from the neighboring Duchy of Brittany exerted on the religious community at Mont-Saint Michel.

          然而，关于圣米歇尔山的历史证据仅见于公元 9 世纪中叶以后。在各种传记作品中，圣米歇尔山都被称为深受朝圣者喜爱的地方，而关于其建立的记载则见于“Revelatio ecclesiae sancti Michaelis”《圣米迦勒启示录》。圣米歇尔山的建立日期（公元 708 年）来自公元 1100 年代在圣米歇尔山所写的编年史，也没有正式证据证明它是由圣奥贝尔创建的。圣米歇尔山在中世纪早期可能主要作为布列塔尼修道院使用，直到大约公元 11 世纪被诺曼人控制。奇怪的是，圣米歇尔山直到公元 1009 年才出现在诺曼人的宪章中。这再次让人相信，邻近的布列塔尼公国对圣米歇尔山的宗教团体产生了持久而强烈的影响。

Norman domination of Mont-Saint-Michel commenced in 966 CE when Lothair I of France (r. 954-986 CE) gave the orders for the issuing of a charter on Mont-Saint Michel, specifying Norman interests and dominance in the establishment of a Benedictine community on the island. The Benedictine monks, under the watchful eyes of Richard I (r. 942-996 CE), Duke of Normandy, managed their monastery well, stimulating Mont-Saint-Michel's growth as a major center of pilgrimage and also as a place of commerce. The Benedictine monks produced a large number of manuscripts and books on the island, which in turn gave Mont-Saint-Michel the adage "The City of Books." In the course of the 11th Century CE, Norman rulers (and after 1066 CE the kings of England) began to see Mont-Saint-Michel as a place of faith as well as a strategic fortress due to the increased rivalry with Capetian France. Mont-Saint-Michel received a military garrison, which was put at the disposal of both its abbot and the Norman and Plantagenet kings of England.

          诺曼人对圣米歇尔山的统治始于公元 966 年，当时法国的洛泰尔一世（Lothair I，公元 954-986 年）下令起草圣米歇尔山宪章，明确规定了诺曼人在岛上建立本笃会社区的利益和主导地位。本笃会修道士在诺曼底公爵理查一世（R. 942-996（公元前 942-996 年））的监督下，将修道院管理得井井有条，促进了圣米歇尔山的发展，使其成为朝圣的主要中心和商业中心。本笃会的修道士们在岛上出版了大量手稿和书籍，圣米歇尔山也因此被誉为“书籍之城”。公元 11 世纪，诺曼统治者（公元 1066 年后为英格兰国王）开始将圣米歇尔山视为信仰之地和战略要塞，因为与法国卡佩王朝的竞争日益激烈。圣米歇尔山有一个军事要塞，供修道院院长以及英格兰、诺曼和金雀花国王使用。

Mont-Saint-Michel's fame and fortunes grew steadily from the 11th-15th centuries CE, as the Normans established a Romanesque abbey church in the late 11th century and later expanded this church in the 12th century CE. Although Mont-Saint-Michel endured heavy damage as a result of a successful siege led by Philip II of France (r. 1180-1222 CE) in 1203 CE when he captured Normandy from England, his generous patronage of the mount facilitated the construction of a beautiful monastery known as "The Wonder" (French: "La Merveille.") This building is perhaps the most lovely on Mont-Saint-Michel for it is a veritable masterpiece of late Norman-Gothic engineering and art. (It consists of two buildings that are three stories high, a refectory, and an immense cloister.) King Louis IX (r. 1226-1270 CE) visited the Abbey and patronized it further with royal gifts and the order for the renovation of its defensive walls and other military structures.

          从公元 11 世纪到 15 世纪，圣米歇尔山的声誉和繁荣稳步增长，诺曼人在11世纪末建立了一座罗马式修道院教堂，后来在12世纪对其进行了扩建。公元 1203 年，法国腓力二世（Philip II，公元 1180-1222 年）从英格兰手中夺取诺曼底时，成功地对圣米歇尔山进行了围攻，虽然圣米歇尔山遭受了严重破坏，但他对圣米歇尔山的慷慨赞助为建造一座美丽的修道院提供了便利，这座修道院被称为“奇迹”（法语："La Merveille"）。(它由两座三层楼高的建筑、一间餐厅和一个巨大的回廊组成）。国王路易九世（公元 1226-1270 年）曾访问过这座修道院，向其捐赠了许多皇家礼物，并下令整修其防御墙和其他军事用途。   

后期历史

During the Hundred Years War (1337-1453 CE) between England and France, the English besieged and blockaded Mont-Saint-Michel three times. The French had built strong walls in the 13th century CE that would enable it to withstand a 30-year long siege by the English. The Abbey withstood the deprivations that came from the sieges, and Mont-Saint-Michel was the only part of western and northern France to avoid occupation by the English during the Hundred Years War. Following the Hundred Years War, the abbots at Mont-Saint-Michel became commendatory abbots in 1442 CE, whereby they held the Abbey "in commendam," drawing from Mont-Saint-Michel's resources and revenues but not holding authority over the Benedictine monks in terms of rules and regulations. Mont-Saint-Michel thus entered a period of relative decline, which continued over the course of the French Wars of Religion (1562-1598 CE). Gabriel, comte de Montgomery (1530-1574 CE) laid siege to Mont-Saint-Michel, but was defeated. The Abbey never fell under the control of the Huguenots and was thus spared the ravages of Protestant iconoclasm.

          英法百年战争（公元 1337-1453 年）期间，英国人曾三次围攻并封锁圣米歇尔山。法国人在公元 13 世纪修建了坚固的城墙，使其能够抵御英国人长达 30 年的围攻。修道院经受住了围困带来的匮乏，在百年战争期间，圣米歇尔山是法国西部和北部唯一没有被英国人占领的地区。百年战争后，圣米歇尔山修道院院长于公元 1442 年成为表彰性修道院院长，他们利用圣米歇尔山的资源和收入，“以表彰方式”管理修道院，但并非没有权力在规章制度方面高于本笃会修道士。圣米歇尔山因此进入了一个相对衰落的时期，并在法国宗教战争（1562-1598 年）期间持续衰落。蒙哥马利伯爵加布里埃尔（Gabriel，Comte de Montgomery， 1530-1574 年）曾围攻圣米歇尔山，但被击败。修道院从未落入胡格诺派的控制之下，因此免受了新教圣像崇拜的破坏。

Mont-Saint-Michel's fortunes became increasingly dire in the 18th century CE; there were only seven monks in residence when the Abbey was dissolved during the French Revolution (1789-1799 CE). Napoleon I (r. 1804-1815 CE) ordered that Mont-Saint Michel become a prison, and it remained so until the 1860s CE. Restoration work began in earnest in 1874 CE, and Catholic worship returned to the island in 1922 CE. The Abbey was returned to the Benedictine order in 1966 CE to mark 1,000 years since its establishment, and Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 CE. A new bridge replaced an old causeway to better suit the natural tidal flow and the Couesnon River.

          圣米歇尔山的受欢迎程度在 18 世纪变得越来越灾难性。法国大革命期间（西元 1789-1799 年），修道院解散时只有七名修道士在此居住。拿破仑一世（公元 1804-1815 年）下令将圣米歇尔山改为监狱，直至公元19世纪60 年代。公元 1874 年，修复工作正式开始，公元 1922 年，岛上恢复了天主教礼拜。该修道院于公元 1966 年回归本笃会，以纪念其成立 1000 周年，圣米歇尔山及其海湾于公元 1979 年成为联合国教科文组织世界遗产。一座新桥取代了旧堤道，以更好地适应潮汐和库埃农河的自然节奏。

修道院建筑

Mont-Saint-Michel's Abbey church encompasses an 11th-12th century CE Romanesque nave as well as a choir built in French Gothic style during the 15th and 16th centuries CE. A statue of St. Michael the Archangel sits atop the Abbey's spire some 91 m (300 ft) in the air, and the Abbey's church is situated on top of three crypts that date from either the Merovingian or Carolingian epochs. Thanks to the efforts of Philip II and Louis IX of France, Mont-Saint-Michel's defensive and exterior walls afford remarkable views of the southern and eastern sides of the mount. On the island of Mont-Saint-Michel are also the refectory, the luxurious cloister, and winding medieval streets.

          圣米歇尔山修道院教堂拥有公元 11 世纪至 12 世纪的罗马式中殿，以及 15 世纪和 16 世纪法国哥特式风格的唱诗班。大天使圣米迦勒的雕像矗立在约 91 米（300 英尺）高的修道院尖塔顶端，修道院教堂位于三个可追溯到墨洛温王朝或加洛林王朝的墓室上方。在法国腓力二世和路易九世的努力下，圣米歇尔山的防御工事和外墙让人们可以欣赏到山的南面和东面的壮丽景色。圣米歇尔山岛上还有餐厅、豪华回廊和蜿蜒曲折的中世纪街道。

参考书目：

Adams, Henry. Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres. Penguin Classics, 1986.

HISTORY OF THE MONUMENT -- MONT-SAINT-MICHELAccessed 4 Oct 2018.

Mont-Saint-Michel -- Encyclopedia BritannicaAccessed 19 Mar 2020.

Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay -- UNESCOAccessed 19 Mar 2020.

Mont-Saint-Michel Official SiteAccessed 4 Oct 2018.

Olson, Lynette. St Samson of Dol and the Earliest History of Brittany, Cornwall and Wales. Boydell Press, 2017.

Potts, Cassandra. Monastic Revival and Regional Identity in Early Normandy. Boydell Press, 1997.

Simonnet, Nicolas. Mont-Saint-Michel. Bonechi, 2018.

原文作者：James Blake Wiener

原文网址: https://www.worldhistory.org/Mont-Saint-Michel/